Base Camp

There are three basic types of bikes: the road bike, the mountain bike, the hybrid bike, and the other kinds of bikes. This post will only cover hybrid, mountain, and road bikes. Other kinds of bikes might be covered in a later post. There are tons of subcategories under and between all of these main types, but these are the main categories. Road bikes:     These bikes are built for riding on roads. They generally have light frames without suspension because of this. They also generally have thin tires for aerodynamics and decreased rolling resistance. Most road bikes have dropped handlebars that offer a multitude of riding positions and positions that are more aerodynamic.  Mountain Bikes:      Mountain bikes are made for riding off road and on trails. Most types of mountain bikes have suspension to absorb the bounce of riding off or over obstacles. Mountain bikes that only have front suspension or have no suspension at all are called hardta...

Randonneuring is long-distance, unsupported riding where riders attempt routes of 200 km or more. Riders have to check in at checkpoints called "controls" along the route. Sometimes riders can get food and water at checkpoints. Some events have riders use cards called "Brevet Cards" that get stamped at each checkpoint. These are to make sure riders use the correct route and do not cheat by skipping ahead. In general, randonneuring events are more for the ride than for the race. This means that the riders are, in general, more interested in the ride itself rather than winning the event. All in all, randonneuring is a fun sport that is more for the enjoyment of the journey rather than the glory of the podium.  A randonneuring bike with fenders, a basket, and road handlebars. 

     Cyclocross is a type of bike racing where you race many laps around a short track made of a mixture of grass, trails, pavement, muddy places, gravel, sand, and steep hills and other obstacles that require the rider to dismount and carry their bike over the obstacle then remount on the other side. Races can be based on a time limit or certain number of laps. In many occasions, race officials wait to see how long it takes for the first lap to be completed before deciding on how many laps/minutes the race will be.      Cyclocross bicycles are quite similar to road bikes with a few changes such as greater tire clearances, lower gearing, stronger frames, knobbier tires, cantilever or disc brakes, and a more upright riding position. All in all, cyclocross is a great sport. Cyclocross bike Next week: What is Randonneuring? Works Cited "Cyclo-cross." Wikipedia . Wikimedia Foundation, 04 May 2017. Web. 12 May 2017. "Spotted: Specialized'...

In 1869,  Eugène Meyer of Paris invented the high-wheeler (aka. the "penny farthing") and the wire-spoke tension wheel. This was one of the earliest predecessors to the modern bicycle. With front wheels up to 60 inches in diameter and a direct drive system, they were hard to mount and painful to crash because of the height and hard to ride because of the high center of gravity. Despite all that, the penny farthing took off in popularity.  Next came the manufacturing of a rear-wheel, chain-drive  bicycle with similarly sized wheels and pneumatic tires. These inventions made the bike even more popular because the idea of riding a bicycle with symmetrical wheels wrapped in tires filled with air was a lot more fun than bouncing around high above the street on solid tires. An effect of the huge popularity of bicycles was that cities and municipalities began paving roads to accommodate the flood of cyclists. That's right. Roads were built for bikes. Remember th...