on April 11, 2007Did it begin with the Buffalo Soldiers, a turn-of-the-century infantry who customized bicycles to carry gear over rough terrain? It was August 1896, the riders, black enlisted men and a white lieutenant, rode from Missoula, Montana, to Yellowstone and back, an arduous 800 miles. Their mission: to test the bicycle for military use in mountainous terrain.
Or was it the Velo Cross Club Parisian (VCCP) of France? Comprised of about 20 young bicyclists from the outskirts of Paris, who between 1951 and 1956, they developed a sport that was remarkably akin to present-day mountain biking. These riders juiced up their French 650-B bikes with an extraordinary degree of technical sophistication.
Maybe it was John Finley Scott who was probably the first mountain bike enthusiast in the United States. In 1953 he built what he called a “Woodsie Bike”, using a Schwinn World diamond frame, balloon tires, flat handlebars, derailleur gears, and cantilever brakes. John was more than twenty years ahead of his time, and while he remained an off-road cycling enthusiast, at the time there were not many others who shared his passion.
ROAD BIKE
Do you like to ride fast as lightning? Are you interested in riding on streets and sidewalks but not rugged trails? Then I have the perfect bike for you - the Road Bike.
The main thing the road bike built for is speed. The road bike is similar to the bikes that race in the Tour de France. Don't you want to be like a famous bike rider in the tour de France? If you do, go out and buy a road bike! It can be used for a race or just riding around in the park. It is more of a modern 10 speed and a lot safer. If you can't afford to buy a Mountain bike or hybrids, go out and buy a road bike. You'll be so happy with the light weight frame, drop bars and all the other things that you can get on the road bike.
Frame: The frame is very light. It has a narrow seat. The frame is usually aluminum, carbon or titanium.
Gears: To change gears you push a lever under the brakes to change gears. That makes changing gears really easy. Keep your gear at a lower gear.
Tires: The tires are so strong that they could hold a bomb squad. The tires are less than an inch wide. If it is a rainy day the road bike has better traction than any other bike.
Brakes: The road bike has caliper brakes. The brakes are sensitive to small changes. The brakes don't have a lot of braking power.
Pedals: When you push the pedals you move the bike forward. The pedals have a lot of grip in case of rain or anything slippery.
Handle bars: Most road bikes have drop bars. The drop bars come in many different shapes. The drop bar allows you to have many different positions with your hands.
