Do you need a road bike?

1. Road bikes can commute, but they are not good at commuting; road bikes can go for outings, but they are not suitable for outings; road bikes are a nightmare for long distances, road bikes cannot be parked casually, road bikes have too many skills, and road bike adjustments rely on With rich experience…

2. Road bike is a piece of sports equipment, road bike sport is a hobby, and road bike hobby is a burden. You will enjoy the burning sensation of the diaphragm instead of the envy of others.

This is not an article that encourages you to join the road bike circle. If you have the willpower, have the financial base, have time to exercise, and are interested in road bikes, then consider buying a road bike.



What should I pay attention to before purchasing?

1. I want to buy a road bike, but what kind of bike is called a road bike?

① Reasonable geometric design

Because of the low riding posture on the road, the geometrical settings of the vehicle itself are extremely demanding. Incorrect body geometry and size are very easy to cause personal injury, and in many cases this injury will be considered as a fatigue symptom after exercise, waiting for you to find out, It's too late to regret.

② 700c wheel diameter, tire diameter below 30c

The 700c wheel diameter is a follow-up standard, and the tire diameter below 30c can ensure low enough rolling resistance on the paved road.

③ Drop handlebar

The purpose of the handlebar design is to ensure that the rider can adopt a low wind resistance posture and allow the rider to perform a variety of postures.



④ Bicycle Brake/Shifter Groupsets

The Bicycle Brake/Shifter Groupsets are a milestone in the development of road bikes. It reduces the rider's movement range when shifting, and does not have to leave the corners of the fingers to avoid accidents caused by operating errors.

⑤ Self-locking pedal

Without self-locking fixation, many technical actions cannot be completed-such as rocking a bike and low-position downhill. and it is easy to cause danger in the open environment of the road race. Therefore, it is necessary equipment for road bike sports.

2. What size bike should I buy?

① For normal people, the simplest correspondence between height and frame is basically certain, and the fine-tuning of the body proportions depend on the seat tube and the stem.

② The basic attribute to measure the size of the frame is the equivalent horizontal center to center length and the seat height (Center to Top) length. Among the two, the horizontal top tube is the most direct and important data. Due to the promotion of compression racks, many manufacturers currently do not directly indicate the size of the frame by the length of the horizontal up tube but use the label or the length of the riser to indicate it. When considering the frame, you must query its official website geometric information to obtain the horizontal upper tube data of each size.

The following is a reference for height and frame size. Since the top tube settings of various frame levels are different, only the range options are given.

<160cm: It is recommended to be the same length first…otherwise you can only choose a special children's road bike.

161-165cm: It is recommended to have the same length and height first… Be sure to buy it. The horizontal top tube is 49-51cm.

166-170cm: It is recommended to use a frame with a 50.5-52 horizontal up tube, and the maximum length should not exceed 52.5cm

171-175cm: It is recommended to use a frame with a 52-53 horizontal up tube, and the maximum length should not exceed 53.5cm

176-180cm: It is recommended to use a 53-55.5cm frame, and the maximum size should not exceed 56cm

181-185cm: It is recommended to use a frame of 55.5-57.5cm, and the maximum size should not exceed 58cm

186-195cm: It is recommended to use a 57.5-59cm frame, and the maximum size should not exceed 59.5cm

>195cm: If you can't use a frame of about 59.5-60cm, you probably need to customize a bike… A finished frame with a horizontal top tube exceeding 60cm is very rare.

The above is for reference only. The easiest way is to find a suitable place to do a fitting, but the fitting will change with the change of skills and physical conditions. If there is no fitting condition, you need to specifically consider which end your height is in the range. For example, if your height is 181cm, buying a 58cm equivalent frame is obviously prone to problems, but if it is 185cm, buying a 55.5cm frame may not be impossible. In addition, these reference data only need special attention on the first bicycle. When you constantly modify the bicycle settings, you will know what kind of bike geometry you need: large or small frame, layback seatpost or straight seatpost, the angle of the stem, the drop bar, and the reach of the drop handlebar… these experiences are only for individuals.

The heights of some well-known cyclists are listed below, and the top tube dimensions of the frame and the equivalent level of the frame are just for viewing:

Alexander Vinokourov: 177cm, Tarmac SL4, 537mm

Lance Armstrong: 178cm, Madone 6, 544mm

David Zabriskie: 183cm, R5 VWD, 548mm

Denis Menchov: 178cm, Aeroad CF, 560mm

Fabian Cancellara: 186cm, Madone 6, 560mm