Understanding More About Road Bicycles

Amongst the different kinds of bicycles, the Road Bike is the most loved, especially in urban areas where riding on paved roads is more probable than going off the road, in which case a mountain bike would be ideal.

As road bikes have a streamlined body and are ultra light as well, they can achieve amazing speeds even in short distances, whether it be a racing bike or a commuter bike.

Another kind of road bike is slowly gaining cult status - the often brakeless, gearless fixed wheel bike, or as it is affectionately called in US, a fixie. Due to its aesthetic quality of doing away with the bulkiness of brakes, it is gaining a loyal fan base all over the world.

The principle behind the fixie is that the rear wheel has a fixed hub which is fixed to a screw in the pedal hinge, making the pedal and the wheels rotate at sync. This also means that any time the pedal stops turning, the wheel stops too, and vice versa.

If you are a normal road bike person, then riding a fixed wheel bike might not be a piece of cake. Good practice is required before taking it out on the violent road. A curve where you cannot stop pedalling might be the end of the ride.

Just like other bikes the basic components of a road bike are its pedals, handle, chain, light frame, chain-wheels and the saddle which has the seat on top to make the cyclist comfortable while riding. The main difference with a fixie is that at times fixed wheel bikes do not have gears, but road bikes do.

In this increasingly polluted urban atmosphere, a road bike is not only a good option but also an ethical one.

From a cardio point of view too, nothing beats getting your work out done while on the go.