Bike Frames Explained

Bike frames have not changed very much since their invention. By learning about the different materials available, you will be able to find the right bike frames for you and your riding style.

The year that the first bicycle was built was 1817. This first bicycle was invented by German, Karl von Drais, and was called the swift walker. This name was given to this bicycle due to the fact that it did not have any pedals and people swift walker rather than rode on them. The first bicycles were constructed of a wood bike frame that had two wheels to support this frame. The bike frame was covered by leather for comfort. These first bike frames and the materials that they were constructed of have undergone many changes in the years since this first bicycle was invented.

Tubular steel bike frames began to replace the wooden frame during the latter part of the 1800s. These bicycles were very strong, but they were also very heavy, which made them difficult to control and ride. Steel is still a widely used material for bike frames, but there are other materials that are very popular as well, including titanium, carbon fiber, and aluminum. These lighter materials are mainly used in manufacturing the more expensive, high-end bike frames.

Material properties are important to keep in mind when designing your bike. Each material has its own unique properties and knowing their elasticity, ultimate strength, and yield strength is essential in create the perfect bike for you. These properties need to be in the proper ratio for you to have a bike that will withstand the type of riding that you do.

Steel is the strongest material that you can get for bike frames. The strength of steel makes it safer in a crash for a ride. It is also less expensive and easy to find, which is a benefit for many riders. Steel is easy to work with and can be made into a variety of different sized bike frames, including different tube widths to help make the bike lighter or heavier, depending upon your preferences.

A lighter weight option would be aluminum. This material is very light, but it also has a big deficit. Due to the lightness of this material, it is also very easy to bend and this can be very bad. The high yield strength of aluminum is why a larger diameter tube is used to help decrease the chance of the bike frame bending.

The most popular material for bike frames is titanium. Titanium has a natural shine and it will take you very little effort to keep it looking beautiful. It is on the high end of the price range, though, and this is why it is not readily available to everyone. The strength of titanium is amazing and it will keep its frame even after a wreck.

Carbon fiber is one more material that is used for bike frames. This material has been widely used to build boats for a long time and it is a strong material that holds up well to weight. It is even more expensive than titanium, though, which means that it is only purchased by the rich or a professional racer.

Bike frames come in several different designs, but the most popular design is the double triangle or diamond frame. Designers of bike frames have tweaked the design a little since the invention of the 1880s, especially with different materials. This has helped make the bike lighter and more aerodynamic. Changes may have been made to make it more comfortable, but for the most part, it is the same design as the very first bike.

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Bicycle Rims And Wheels, Your Bike Cant Go Anywhere Without Them

The first bicycle wheels were from a horse drawn cart, made of wood with a metal band round the bicycle rim, very hard and very uncomfortable to ride. Then a man called Dunlop (Scottish) invented the pneumatic tire, this along with Macadam (another Scot) inventing the tar road surface made cycling a lot more comfortable.

The bicycle rim, like the bicycle frame hasn’t changed much in design, its still round and always will be. From the first wooden rims the next were made of steel, then alloy and now if you can afford it, carbon. Of all bicycle parts the bicycle rim can make a big difference to how your bike handles. First the weight of your rim affects your sprinting and climbing as the weight will low you down, for a long, flat effort the weight isn’t so important as when you get the wheels rolling the weight can help to keep them going. The shape of the rim can be important also, a flat rim is best for climbing as aerodynamics are not so important on a hill, a deep section, aero, rim will help you cut through the air, but in a cross wind could cause you handling problems.

Bicycle Rims Materials

The different materials used for rims are very important also, steel is heavy and if damaged can be difficult to pull back into shape, but because its so strong it is quite difficult to bend in the first place and steel is cheaper than all the other materials. Alloy is probably the most popular rim, it can be made in any shape and profile, flat or aero, but not too deep as it would then weigh too much, most deep section rims are of a alloy braking section nearest the tire which is then mounted to a carbon deep section for lightness and aerodynamics and a very beautiful looking bicycle rim. As with most things if money is no problem you can go for the best, this would be an all carbon rim, strong and very light, but there are a few problems with these rims, first they don’t brake so well in wet conditions and you must use special brake blocks for carbon and they can be expensive, also the rim has to be perfectly round and not have any bulges in the rim wall as this will make braking quite erratic, carbon is a difficult material to work with and must be well looked after.

Types Of Rim To Consider

There are also two types of rim to consider and this depends on which kind of tire you want to use, first there are tubular tires these are glued on to the bicycle rim, cost more and are difficult to repair after a puncture, but for racing they feel and ride wonderfully. Clincher tires have improved a lot recently and are nearly as good as tubulars for performance and are easily repairable and more reasonably priced. Most manufacturers make all styles in both systems.

So which should I buy? Not an easy answer, as there is so much to choose from, years ago you went to your local bike shop, picked out which hubs, spokes and rims you wanted and he would build your wheels, but now most rim makers also manufacture there own wheel sets, Mavic, Shimano and Campagnolo are probably the best known, check out there web-sites for all there new goodies, there are other brands and if you go to your local cycle shop or look in the bike magazines you’ll find them. There is a lot to choose form, but they are all round.

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