RACING BICYCLE

Racing bicycle - introduction

• A racing bicycle, also known as a road bike is a bicycle designed for
competitive road cycling.
• The road bike gets its name from the terrain it is designed to be used on –
the road.
• Bicycles, and racing bicycles have much in common with aircraft: both are
designed to minimize wind resistance, maximize energy efficiency,
respond instantly to the demands placed on them, yet weigh very little
without losing strength.
Function
1. Intended for fitness enthusiasts, event riders and
competitive riders.
2. Designed for paved surfaces (roads, bike paths); not
recommended for rough or unpaved surfaces.
3. Allows riders to go farther and faster than most
other types of bikes.
4. Suitable for vehicle-supported multiday touring,
though they're usually not designed to carry heavy
loads.
Components
Lightweight frame
Disc wheels

Aerodynamic
handlebars

Titanium gears Clipless pedals

Lightweight frame

• Lightweight frame made from aircraft grade aluminium

alloy, composite such as carbon fibre, or die-cast
aluminium.
• The frame shown is a low profile machine, which
decreases the wind resistance experienced by the rider.
 Disc wheels
• These reduce the wind resistance
usually encountered by the
spoked wheels.
• Heavier disc wheels also act like a
flywheel and so conserve
momentum.
Titanium gears
• Aluminium – alloy or titanium gears, precision engineered
to change from one gear to the next in jumps.
• This increases the peed of gear changes and decreases the
chances of slipping a gear.
Clipless pedals and aerodynamic handlebars
• Clipless pedals, which operate like ski-bindings, and are safer than the
traditional toe-clip and cage design.
• Aerodynamic handlebars- these also reduce the rider’s wind resistance
without reducing by too much the power that can be applied to the
pedals.
• They are called “triathlon” bars because they were developed by a
professional American triathlete, Dave Scott.
• They became popular with racing cyclists after Greg LeMond used them
when he won the 1989 Tour de France.