Category: Bicycles

The bicycle was introduced in the 19th century in Europe by German Inventor Karl von Drais. He is credited with developing the first bicycle. He introduced it to the people in Paris in 1818. It is supposed to originate from the human-powered vehicle called Draisines. Drais invented a walking machine that would help him get around the royal gardens faster. It was known by many names, including the “velocipede,” “dandy horse,” “hobby-horse,” “draisine” and “running machine. It had no pedals and its frame was a wooden beam. It had two same-size in-line wheels with the front one steerable and mounted in a frame which was straddled. In 1839, Kirkpatrick MacMillan, a Scottish blacksmith, allegedly completed construction of a pedal driven…

There are many brands of bicycles but below is a summary of the most popular bicycle makers with their most popular bike styles and niche. The list is arranged by popularity. Bike Maker   Bicycle Types   Main Type   Price Range   Company Info Trek   Road, Mountain, Town   Excels in Multiple Categories   $400 – $12K   Currently the most popular bicycle brand. Makes bikes in every category. Trek is the bike of choice for many pro riders in the mountain and road categories.                   Schwinn   Leisure, Family Bicycles   Cruiser   $60 – $2,500   Schwinn makes bikes in most categories but specializes in leisure bicycles. Founded…

Motobecane USA is not related to the French company Motobecane which made bikes from 1923 until 1981 when it went bankrupt, was bought by Yamaha, and became MBK cycles, still French, and very much involved in European bicycle racing. The name comes from the French word Moto for motorcycle and Becane for bike. Motobecane USA has its frames produced in Taiwan and it is known for turning out exceptionally light production bikes with great components at reasonable prices. Similarly spec’d bikes sell for much more. A strong attribute of these bicycles is stability, whether in a pack of riders or on a long, winding descent. Motobecane models include: Le Champion Team Titanium Advanced, Geometrically enhanced, butted 3/2.5 Titanium tubing with…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AirAdndrjog[/youtube][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH2Lnt3VBi0[/youtube] Gary Fisher talks about the genesis of his 29ers and the technology involved in them. Learn why bigger wheels on a mountain bike make for a better ride. G2 Geometry The models are: HiFi Pro 29, HiFi Deluxe 29, and HiFi Plus 29. A 29er that handles better than a 26” wheeled bike. G2 for 29ers have an exclusive and increased 51mm offset fork, reducing the trail to that of a 26” wheeled bike for neutral, instinctive handling G2 offset only available on Fisher 29ers Fit smaller riders – the small frame can fit riders down to about 5’0” due to increased G2 fork offset for less toe overlap The wheelbase remains the same for high speed stability. The…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2EqYP4IFdo&hl=en[/youtube]   Trice Bike [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbMGt4NhKRc&hl=en[/youtube]

The name “Penny Farthing” refers to the size of the wheels on the high wheeled bicycles made popular back in the 1880’s, comparing the large “penny” (front wheel) to the small coinage known as a “Farthing” (rear wheel). This early version of the bicycle had no gears or chains and the pedals were attached directly to the front wheel. Each turn of the pedal rotated the wheel, the larger the wheel the faster and farther the bicycle could go. This bicycle, also known a “highwheeler”, “highboy”, and “ordinary” bicycle was the predecessor of the “safety” bicycle, similar to what we ride today.

Google Tech Talks March 22, 2007 ABSTRACT: This presentation will be about 20-30 minutes, discussing Kestrel’s initial development and design of the first carbon fiber bicycles, as well as what the future holds. It will be followed by Q&A, allowing time for attendees to get an up close look at Kestrel’s bikes and carbon products at the end. Speaker: Preston Sandusky, Co-owner and Engineer at Kestrel Bicycles. Kestrel Bicycles Kestrel Bicycles have been perfecting speed science since 1987, starting with the world’s first all-carbon frame, and they use every tool and trick at their disposal to make Kestrels Bicycles the fastest bikes on the planet. Kestrel starts with 20 years of sweat equity and hard-won know-how, with the most experienced…