Bikes

The bicycle, a means of transportation that has evolved along with practices and needs.

For many of us, the bicycle is a means of transportation, a leisure object or a sport practice.

Its principle of operation is simple: a person sits on a saddle and rests with the strength of his legs on 2 pedals driving a chain that drives the rear wheel and moves the bike forward. The energy used being muscular, the bicycle is thus considered as an ecological means of transport.

Biking can is estimated to be 2 to 4 times faster than walking, the bicycle has since its creation been one of the preferred means of transportation for all populations. As a popular object, it has always followed the evolution of lifestyles and technologies to adapt to different needs: urban travel, transportation of goods, leisure or competition on roads or paths.

A bit of history :

LLeonardo Da Vinci is said to have designed the first prototype bicycle in 1493 with a wooden frame, 2 identical wheels and a transmission system composed of a pedalboard and a chain driving a rear wheel. As this model never saw the light of day, it is not certain that this drawing is true...
More concretely, discover the key dates in the evolution of the bicycle:

1818: Draisiennes (German Origin)

1830 : 2-wheeled Velocipede (Scotish Origin)

1860 : Pedal bicycle (French Origin)

1870 : Grand bi (French Origin)

1885 : Safety bicycle (English Origin)

1960 : Racing bike (US Origin)

1970 : MTB (US Origin)

The bike: Different components for different uses

Historically, the bicycle was designed only for everyday travel. With the evolution of societies, the birth of popular races such as the Tour de France created in 1903, and the advent of paid vacations, the bicycle has gradually segmented into different practices: road bike, triathlon, mountain bike, cross country, freeride, enduro, downhill, dirt, street BMX, BMX race, fixie...
Indeed, the bicycle allows today to ride everywhere, in all weathers and adapts itself to the level of each one. For the amateurs of sporting performances on roads, the road bike is surely the most adapted. For lovers of thrills in the woods and on rough roads, the mountain bike or mountain bike will be ideal.
For urban travel, the city bike, the fixed sprocket (fixie) or the BMX will be adapted to different needs and different practices.

Although different, all these bikes will be composed as follows:

A frame (in steel, aluminum, titanium or carbon)

2 wheels (20, 24, 26, 27.5, 29 inches or 700mm)

Tires or hoses

A transmission with gears or not (crankset, chain, jockey wheels, brakes...)

Peripherals: Handlebars or handlebars, stem, seatpost, saddle, pedals...

Road bikes

The road bike is designed to have an aerodynamic position thanks to the shape of the handlebars that allows the hands to be positioned at the bottom of the handlebars. They are light and strong, usually made of steel, aluminum, carbon or titanium.

The cyclist's equipment includes shorts, jersey, helmet, goggles and gloves. Shoes include cleats that snap onto the pedals for better pedaling performance.

Mountain bikes (or MTB)

MTBs allow you to ride on rough roads and terrain thanks to their wide studded tires. There are different MTB practices and therefore different types of MTBs adapted to each discipline. We distinguish between cross country (speed racing), all mountain (hiking) where mountain bikes are equipped with double suspension, enduro, downhill, free ride and dirt.

The pilot is equipped with elbow and knee protections in addition to the usual outfit consisting of shorts, jersey, helmet, glasses and gloves. The mountain bike shoes contain wedges with which one can walk easily.

Bicycle accessories

The bike can be equipped with accessories for more comfort and safety. For example, you can put a light in the form of a lamp to be fixed on the handlebars and at the back of the saddle, an anti-theft device, a mudguard, a child seat...