A Guide For Riders On What To Look For In A Road Bike

When you are looking to upgrade to a set of wheels that is meant for the truly serious rider you may want to consider upgrading to a street model. These bicycles are designed for racing and touring, and are the ultimate in comfort. This is also means you will need to be willing to make a bit of an investment to get a good quality model. Before you head to your nearest cycling store it is a good idea to know what to look for in a road bike. If you head to the local bicycle store with a good idea of what you are looking for you will be much more likely to find what you need.

All bicycles are basically grouped into categories based on price. At the lower end of the price spectrum are the ones that are for beginning riders who do not want to invest a lot of cash at first. One of the biggest factors to differentiate models situated at different price points are the material used to make the frame of each design.

While an aluminum frame is not inferior it will not be as durable as the frame material used on more expensive road models. If you are new to street models, you should not spend too much on a bicycle until you are more certain of how often you will be using it and are sure that you enjoy engaging in long distance rides.

The first addition to the frame that can make it more lightweight and aerodynamic, but at the same time more durable is to add a carbon fork. In the mid price range of designs you can find bikes that either use the carbon fork approach or use full carbon frames.

When a product is custom designed for racing the frame is cast in the most aerodynamic form possible. This allows riders to achieve some of the impressive speeds that are now common on the track. You might want to consider this before you make a purchase.

On the upper end of the spectrum are bikes that max out at high prices. These bikes all use complete carbon frames at the least and often are designed of more exotic materials including titanium and bamboo. These bikes are designed to be used in triathlon style events.

For example bamboo is one of the strongest materials on the planet relative to its weight, and for this reason it is one of the exotic materials used to build bicycle frames for high end street versions. Not only are the frames made of exotic materials, the components used on high end versions are all designed to increase the aerodynamic flow of the ride and provide the most responsive control system possible for a bicycle.

Investing in a road bike can be an excellent experience if you are willing to do the research before you make your purchase. Once you have to determined what to look for in a road bike and have made a list of the features that are most important to you, as well as determined a budget you can head to your local cycling store and find what you need. No doubt the salesperson at your local bike shop is an avid biker as well so they will be very glad to help you find exactly what you are looking for at a price that you can afford.