Bikes, Mountain, and BMX

Welcome! At davesbikes.com you will find the best, most current information about bicycles, bicycle accessories, helmets, racks, bike parts and bike safety. In addition to transport, bikes have become increasingly popular for recreational use and are also highly utilized as children's toys, adult fitness vehicles, and even for police applications where cars prove inconvenient to use.

There are six main styles of bikes:
• Mountain bikes
• Road bikes
• Hybrid bikes
• Touring bikes
• Recumbents/trikes
• Tandem

When shopping for a bike, the first fact that needs to be considered is purpose of use. Once purpose is determined the corresponding style of the bike can be found and purchased.

Bikes were first invented in Europe in the 19th century and since then have become the world's most popular vehicle. There are currently about 1.4 billion cycles in use around the world.

Mountain bikes are geared for climbing and feature thick, treaded designed for riding on dirt trails and the like. In the past 10 years riding off-road has become increasingly popular, and road bikes are not well-suited to sliding down mountains or passing over rocks. If you want to head into the woods or mountains, you will need a bike with a stronger construction that will stand up to tough surfaces. Mountain bikes have wider tires and a thicker frame that allows them to handle rough terrains and off road adventures.

Road bikes are engineered for paved surfaces. These bikes have a more upright shape and a shorter wheelbase. It can be quickly maneuvered, but the bike is harder to ride slowly. This and the drop handlebars design, reduces air resistance at higher speeds by forcing the rider into a forward hunch. These bikes also feature a lightweight frame and skinny tires.

Hybrid bikes are the combined result of road and mountain bikes. They are good on multiple surfaces and less expensive than road bikes. Hybrids are also designed with a more upright handlebar position. Hybrids usually come with wide variety of gears.

Touring bikes are designed to carry loads and travel long distances. Geared low for hills as well as flat surfaces, touring bikes come prepared with space and eyelets that facilitate adding bags and boxes. Because of the sturdiness of this class of bikes, you do lose a certain amount of maneuverability.

Recumbents and trikes are designed with the ideal positioning for people with back problems who otherwise might not ever make it on to a bike at all. These are not as maneuverable as regular bikes and definitely aren’t designed for trail riding or hills, but they do offer a certain style that many find suits them.

Tandem bikes are built to be powered by the synchronous pedaling of two people. These are designed to have the most powerful rider, known as the stoker, on the back seat. The front seat has the best access to steering and braking. Tandems are also available in subclasses including road, mountain, touring, and recumbent.

Davesbikes.com is purely informational and educational. The site offers education and information about bicycling, types of road bikes, and types of off-road bikes. Please check back frequently for updated information about bikes of all sizes. Happy riding!

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