Cycling Q&A

If you look at road bike tires, you will notice that they are often much thinner than their mountain bike counterparts. Have you ever wondered why this is? Our experts will be able to guide you through everything that you really need to know.

So, why are road bike tires so thin? Well, the main reason is that thin tires have less grip and resistance. This allows bikes with road bike tires to travel a little bit faster, often with far less effort required on the part of the rider.

Of course, this isn’t the only reason why road bike tires are so thin. Read on, because our experts have plenty more information to share with you. This includes information about whether road bike tires can be used to travel off-road. 

Why Are Road Bike Tires So Thin?

Perhaps the main advantage of road bike tires is the fact that they will allow the cyclist to move a lot faster over the surface of the road.

Because of the thinness of road bike tires, there will be less contact with the road surface. If you can remember back to our High School science classes, then you will know that this means that there will be less of a surface for the road to grip onto, and thus the bike tire has less drag on it.

To further enhance the speed, if you look at the surface of a road tire, you will notice that it has very little in the way of grip. It will have no treads. This again helps to cut down on the amount of drag as the bike is traveling over the roads. This allows the rider to move at a far faster pace.

Road bike tires are also far lighter. Again, this allows the rider to move faster. This is not only due to the reduced amount of grip on the road surface, but it is also a lot easier to pedal something lightweight at a faster speed. 

It is also important to remember that the advantages of road tires will only really apply when the surface of the road is smooth. The rougher the road surface, the less those advantages will come into play. This quite often means that many people will cycle far more efficiently with standard bike tires on poor quality roads.

Do Thin Road Bike Tires Brake More Efficiently?

Sort of. However, this is going to be far more dependent on the wheels that are being used as opposed to the tires.

Thin bike tires will often have thicker areas on the wheel for brakes to come into contact with. The more of the brake coming into contact with … Read More

True bicycling enthusiasts take their equipment and attire very seriously, to the point where some fork out up to $350 for a cycling jersey. Those uninitiated to the sport must ask, Why are cycling jerseys so expensive?

Cycling jerseys are so expensive for several reasons, including use of technologically advanced fabrics and design; the related research and development needed for high-performance and super-comfortable jerseys; and the market itself which leans toward the high end of the income spectrum.

Scan through any bicycling forum and you’ll probably notice opinions vary regarding expensive cycling jerseys. Hard-core competitive bicyclists will swear by their top-brand jerseys; while others might favor thrift stores or online resale marketplaces to find decent cycling attire.

Regardless of naysayers, people are buying $350 jerseys — or they wouldn’t remain on the market at that price for long. Scientific advances that some feel help bicyclists when applied to jerseys, such as nanotechnology or carbon fiber, plus modern manufacturing processes have raised the bar in terms of selection for high-quality cycling garments.

Cycling Jerseys Go High-Tech

Success in bicycling depends on many factors, including some that are common with other racing-oriented sports. That is, weight, aerodynamics, safety and driver/rider comfort, to name some. For the items they wear in competition, add to the list convenience, as one may be surprised with how many cyclists swear by the need for pockets.

Serious or competitive bicyclists are always interested in somehow gaining an edge. As such, they will consider nearly any product for every element of their game, from their bike to safety gear to attire. Not only do many riders believe high-quality jerseys help increase speed and improve times, some also believe in the adage, “If you look good, you feel good, so you play good.”

High-end bicycling jerseys are made of advanced and sometimes quite exotic fabrics — and fabric is the most expensive element in the production of jerseys. Consider the following fabric materials or manufacturing techniques, for instance:

• Nanotechnology. Sometimes called the “science of very small things,” nanotechnology utilizes manufacturing processes involving the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules. Dealing with particles of less than 100 nanometers (a nanometer to a meter is what a golf ball is to the Earth, experts say), manufacturers have been applying nanotechnology to produce cycling jerseys said to block the sun’s harmful rays, superbly pull sweat away from a rider’s body, and more.

• Carbon Fiber. This composite material can be used for specific applications on cycling jerseys, giving them an edge for riders in terms of great strength at very light weights. Carbon fiber-reinforced jerseys maintain strong thermal properties to help regulate a cyclist’s temperature during long rides or races.

• Tight-Weave

… Read More

Whether you have ridden a bicycle yourself or you routinely watch others ride, everyone has at least seen someone try to ride a bike with an under-inflated or even flat, tire.  Why does that happen? Why is a bicycle difficult to ride when all or some of the bike tire’s air leaks out?

Let’s Start With Basic Physics

Basic physics will explain this, to a degree. When you’re riding the bike with a properly inflated tire, the air pressure inside the tire is reducing the normal force to the center of the tire. As a tire loses air, that air pressure is far less and it is spread to a wider amount of tire tread, which increases the friction between the tire and the road it’s on.

When you increase the friction between the bike and the road, it becomes much harder for the bike to move forward. (It would also be more difficult to move backward, but few move backward on a bicycle, so we’ll forget about that for now.)

As the tire loses air, it becomes somewhat deformed, which has a negative effect on the tire’s movement. By changing the form of the tire, you change its movement. That means the energy you normally have to expend to make the bike move is no longer sufficient to move the bike is less efficient and effective.

That’s because the friction the tires have to overcome to move forward often becomes impossible to meet. You are always better off with a bicycle having two fully inflated tires.

How Do I Avoid Flat Tires?

Thankfully, in the current climate, in which technology in everything is expanding by leaps and bounds, even the bicycle, an 18th Century technology, can keep you keep up in the 21st Century. Therefore, if you can ride with care and common sense, you can almost always avoid getting a flat tire.

And, even if you still get a flat tire once in a while, you can usually repair it in just a few minutes. In this article, we hope to show you how to avoid flats, as well as how to fix them quickly in a pinch. Here’s hoping you never again have to ride a bike with a deflated or flat tire ever again. 

First, Always Buy Pneumatic Tires

Pneumatic tires are made of a very tough and resilient fabric that is covered with rubber. When you fill the tire with the recommended amount of air. The fabric will become increasingly tense and firm against the road. Because a pneumatic tire is essentially hollow, it can be filled with air almost all the way to the edge of the rim without damage.

Of course, because tires … Read More