Cheap Road Bikes Info and Buying Guide

Designed for racing road bike typically have a lightweight frame which is designed to allow the upright rider to maintain the most aerodynamic position possible. The way that a road bike is designed allows cyclist to bend really far forward, reducing their profile and cutting down on wind resistance, along with putting them in a position to drive maximum power from their legs and hips through the pedals. The handlebars on a road bike also help to reduce wind resistance; they go out straight from the stem and then curl under, this allows riders to hunch over when riding.

Road bikes are for people who are mainly going to be riding on pavements and want to go pretty fast, with the occasional long  distance ride, a road bike is probably what you want.

Compared to other styles of bicycle, road bicycles share common features: The bicycle is of a lightweight construction.  The tires are narrow, high-pressure, and smooth to decrease rolling resistance.  They usually use multiple derailleur gears; however, single-speed and fixed-gear varieties exist.

The material used in road bike frames will vary just like any other bike frame – Generally the more expensive a frame the lighter it will be. Having a lighter road bikes is most important when going up a hill; however having the weight when going down a hill and riding on flats the heavier weight will be an advantage. If you are a serious/competitive rider a lighter frame will be very useful. A road bike will generally have narrow, smooth tyres which will have more contact with the road.

Cheap Road Bikes – Several variations of road bikes include:

Touring bicycles are designed for bicycle touring: they are robust, comfortable, and capable of carrying heavy loads.

Vintage road bicycles, also known as classic lightweight bicycles, are generally older bicycles with frames which are manufactured using steel tubing and lugs. Certain examples of this bicycle type have become collectors’ items, with potential values of several thousand dollars. Other cyclists prefer this type of bicycle to those manufactured using modern techniques because they are “practical, versatile, durable, repairable, and timeless, regardless of current popular trends.”

Hybrid bicycles are designed for a variety of recreational and utility purposes. While primarily intended for use on pavement, they may also be used on relatively smooth unpaved paths or trails.

Recumbent bicycles are designed for variety of recreational and utility purposes, but are characterised by the reclined riding position in which the cyclist is seated.

Utility bicycles are designed for utility cycling: are a traditional bicycle for commuting, shopping and running errands in towns and cities. Roadster a specific form of the utility bicycle developed in the UK.

A flat bar road bike, also called a fitness bike is a relatively new style of bicycle. It is simply a road bike fitted with MTB-style shifters, brake levers and a flat handlebar. This combination provides a light, fast bike with a more upright and neutral riding position. A flat bar road bike is most commonly used for commuting, urban and fitness riding.

Cheap Road Bikes- Type of Bike Riding

When thinking about the type of bike riding you’re most likely to do, if you’re going to be riding exclusively on pavement and want to go pretty fast and/or ride long distances, a road bike is probably what you want. Designed for racing, road bikes typically have a lightweight frame which is designed to allow the upright rider to maintain the most aerodynamic position possible.

Frame: In general terms, the more expensive a frame is, the lighter it will be.The material used in road bike frames, like most other bikes will vary depending on their cost. Having a lighter bike is most important in climbing, though it also factors into downhills and riding in the flats. A heavier bike usually translates into somewhat slower times for competitive riders, though that may not be important to you.
Wheels: A road bike typically has narrow, smooth high pressure tires that minimize contact with the road to provide the least rolling resistance possible. As these types of tires allow you to feel each bump and pebble in the road, it’s not necessarily the most comfortable ride, but that’s not the intent.
Handlebars: Road bike handlebars go out straight from the stem and then curl under, allowing riders who want to go really fast to hunch over when riding at that point, in order to reduce wind resistance. Riders can also sit in a more upright position, with their hands on the flat, top part of the handlebars. This is known as going into the drops. Typically, you’ll find both the brake levers and the gear shift levers mounted on the handlebars of a road bike for easy control
- Pedals: Basic road bikes may come equipped with platform pedals. If this is the case, toe clips are usually a standard accompaniment, or may be added quite cheaply. However, clipless pedals are frequently/usually used on road bikes, which allow the rider to clip his or her cleated shoes to the pedals, providing the ability to drive the pedals through the full rotation of the circle, pulling up on the pedals during the upstroke as well as pushing them down.
- Gears: Typically a road bike will have either two or three chain rings as part of the crank assembly in the front along with eight or nine gears in the cassette on the rear wheel. This combination allows for anywhere from 16 to 27 possible gear combinations, a broader range than yesterday’s typical ten-speed afforded. Road bikes have a wide range of gearing, with low gears that allow a rider to more easily climb steep hills up through rather high gear choices that a rider uses to go really fast.
- Most entry level bikes (cheap road bikes)  have either steel (“cro-moly”) or aluminum frames these days, though I’d venture that aluminum is becoming the predominant material for basic road bike frames. Steel may be heavier, but can flex more at the same weight, which can cushion the bumps a bit. There is certainly nothing wrong with either choice, but there are trade-offs. For instance, for aluminum to be strong enough to be durable over the long haul, the frame must be pretty stiff, which may translates into a slightly rougher ride. The best way to find out which is right for you is to ride several different bikes and see if you can tell a difference.
- As the price of the road bike goes up, you’ll start to see components (such as the front fork) switching from aluminum to carbon. Finally the whole frame on higher end bikes will be made of carbon fiber, which is very strong and yet light weight at the same time. The frames on the most sophisticated and high performance road bikes are made from space age materials like titanium, which is both amazingly strong and light. Because of the expense of these materials, these bikes typically fall beyond the range of all but the most serious or competitive cyclists.
- Riding position: . While aerodynamic, being hunched over like this for any length of time may not be the most comfortable position for some riders as it requires you to support a substantial portion of your body weight with the upper body. This can cause strain and soreness in the hands, wrists, shoulders and neck if a rider is not used to it, or is riding a bike for which they might not be properly fitted or sized. The way that a road bike is designed allows riders to bend far forward, reducing their profile and cutting down on wind resistance, along with putting them in a position to drive maximum power from their legs and hips through the pedals
- Typical road bike accessories: cyclocomputer, frame pump, tool bag, water bottle and cage.
- Major brands: There are almost as many road bike manufacturers as there are riders. Major manufacturers include Specialized, Trek Bianchi, LeMond and Cannondale.

Buying Cheap Road Bikes advice: If you are buying a new bike and are reasonably certain you’re going to stick with it for a while, buy the best frame you can afford, and if you have to cut corners to save some money, do it on the components. You can always upgrade them later. Buying a bike with a junky, heavy frame to save a few bucks will usually prove unsatisfactory, and you’ll end up buying a whole new bike later, rather than being able to improve it piece-by-piece as your desires and wallet allow.

Cheap Road Bikes: To Fit a Bike – Is This the Right Size ?

Stand Over the Frame

For most riders, the first step in getting the right size bike is to stand over the frame with both feet flat on the ground. A properly-sized road bike frame will give an inch or two clearance between the top tube of the frame and your crotch. Not too much, not too little. A mountain bike should have more space – maybe the width of your hand across your fingers.      On women’s bikes that don’t have the high top tube going between the seat and the handlebars, you can skip this step.

Adjust the Bike Seat to the Proper Height

You want to have the bicycle seat set to a height that allows your leg to extend until it is almost completely straight when you are sitting on the seat. There should be only a slight bend to the knee when your foot is on the pedal in the bottom position. This will maximize power and minimize fatigue.      A common mistake is for people to think that they should be able to sit on their seat and still plant their feet firmly on the ground. Riders should come off their saddles and straddle the bar when stopping the bike. If you can sit on the seat and touch your feet to the ground other than on tippy-toes, your seat is too low.

Adjust the Level of the Bike Seat

For maximum comfort and pedaling effeciency, you want your seat to be pretty much level, so that you can sit on it and pedal without having to consciously monitor where you are on the seat. Too much forward tilt, and you’ll feel like you’re sliding forward. Too much backward angle, and you won’t be able to get any power and you’ll have the sensation that you’re slipping off the back. Both of these situations are distracting and uncomfortable.     When on a bike seat, your weight should be borne by the same spots on your rear that you feel underneath you when you sit upright on a hard firm surface. In addition to adjusting the tilt angle, you can also move the seat forward and backward in relation to the seat post. This will help make sure you’re comfortably centering your weight in the right places.

Proper Handlebar Adjustment

The goal of handlebar height adjustment is to find the position where you can ride comfortably without putting strain on your back, shoulders or wrists. There is a lot of personal preference here, and a fair amount of variation between body types, so don’t be afraid to experiment until you find the setting that is best for you. And remember, the staff at your local bike shop are always happy to offer advice on finding the proper fit.

Generally, the following guides may be used for different types of bikes:
-   Road bike: on a road bike, the top of the bike’s handlebars should be a bit lower than the top of the saddle, in the range of an inch or two. This allows for a definite forwarding-leaning, more aerodynamic ride.

-   Mountain bike: on a mountain bike, the handlebars will often be set even lower, perhaps three to four inches below the saddle. The point in this is to provide a low center of gravity, particularly if you’re going to be riding off the pavement. so as to give a lower center of gravity. Also, mountain bike riders often come out of the saddle to negotiate bumps, logs and other obstacles, and the lower handlebars provide a better, more balanced position in distributing the rider’s body weight across both wheels.

-   Hybrids and Cruisers: With these bikes, where you’re sitting much more upright (in contrast to road and mountain bikes) the handlebars will be raised correspondingly higher, approximately an inch or two (or more) higher than the seat. This means much more of your body weight will be borne by your rear, instead of your shoulders, wrists and arms.

Setting Handlebar Height – Do What Feels Right

Remember, when setting the height of your handlebars, personal preference and variations in physique will have an important effect. You should feel free to make adjustments until you find the position that allows you to ride comfortably for extended periods of time. In general, the higher the handlebar is set, the more upright you will sit.

Cheap Road Bikes NOTE: All handlebars have a minimum insertion mark. Make sure you don’t raise your handlebars into a fixed position so high that you pull this mark up out of the frame. Below this point, it means that there is less than two inches of the handlebar stem remaining inside the frame, and the handlebars are susceptible to breaking which will cause a mean crash.

Cheap Road Bikes Video: