[quote author=MoonLiteNite link=topic=59621.msg1177652#msg1http://g03.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1TFgGJXXXXXbgXpXXq6xXFXXXn/2015-Bob-Marley-of-primal-wear-sports-cycling-Jersey-short-sleeve-cycling-mountain-bike-clothes-summer.jpg177652 date=1470341602]
hahah i have done several 150 bike rides for charity events.
I have always used my mt bike that i got when i was a young teen in 2004.
Everyone looks at me like i am crazy when they see it. I really never have used a "road bike" or "cruiser" Do they make the ride easier and less work?
What causes it? Small tires? Less weight? Larger wheels?
Skinny tires are lighter. That makes climbing easier, but because they're skinnier they need to be pumped to a higher pressure so they tend to make the ride less comfortable. Generally road bikes are designed to be light, which again makes climbing easier.
The main benefit of a road bike though, is that you are in a more bent forward position, which improves your aerodynamics. Better aerodynamics means that it takes less energy to go the same speed . . . or that you can go faster for the same energy. Fighting through a headwind becomes easier too.
What about those "touring bikes" or "cruiser bikes" same basic thing as a road bike? I saw one at walmart yesterday, it had 29" wheels!
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Most road bikes have 29" wheels (or 700C as they're usually called). I don't know if there's much difference between 26 and 29 inch wheels in terms of performance. The smaller wheel would make gearing slightly easier (kinda a moot point though - there are other ways to do this), the bigger wheel would probably roll over cracks and bumps a little easier.
There are a bunch of different flavours of road bike:
- regular - fast, quick steering, light, generally have a short headtube so the handlebars are going to be lower
- enduro - same as regular but slightly longer wheelbase, slightly higher headtube
- touring - more stable steering, heavier slightly tougher frame, lots of attachment points for racks/fenders, lots of space for bigger tires, usually you can set the handlebars higher
- cyclocross - higher bottom bracket, space for bigger tires, usually a bit tougher frame designed for more off road use
- gravelgrinder - as far as I can tell these are cyclocross bikes :P
etc.
Those are really all just variations on a theme though. Beach cruiser type bikes are a whole different animal. They're designed for very upright riding, have very heavy tires, tend to weigh a ton, and are designed for short trips.