Staying fit is one of the most common concerns of today's modern individuals. As such, people today not only carefully choose which food to eat; they also perform various training exercises. Among these exercises, one of the most popular is cycling. Nonetheless, despite the popularity of this activity as a training exercise, it is still practiced by many cyclists as a professional sporting activity. With the number of purposes of cycling, bicycles are also today available in a wide array of types to choose from, among the popular of which are cross bikes.
Also known as a "hybrid" type of bike, a cross bike is a cross between a road and a mountain bike-that is, it combines the features that are found on the two mentioned types of bicycles. Though popularly used for casual morning bike rides, cross bikes are designed for cyclo-cross racing where the bike is being carried over the shoulder, and hence, are made from lightweight materials.
Being a compromise between a road bike (RB) and mountain bike (MB), a cross bike usually include strong features of both types. Examples of these features include the three front chain rings and straight or sweep up handle bars which are seen in mountain bikes. Tires of hybrids on the other hand look more like those of the road bike. It is also common to find shocks of some kind on MBs, but less so on hybrids, and unheard of on RBs. The combination of these features results to a hybrid which can also be described as somewhere in between the lighter RB and heavier MB.
One of the important parts of a cross bike is its frame. In order to cope with the stresses associated with cyclo-cross racing where the bike is carried over the shoulder to as much as 60 times, the bike's frame should be stiff and responsive, slightly wider to accommodate the size of the tires, and most importantly, lightweight. To achieve these characteristics, cross bikes are manufactured from light materials such as aluminum, carbon fiber, steel, and titanium.
Given the difference of the cross type from other bike models, some people are having difficulty choosing the best one to invest on. Among the first thing that needs to be looked upon when choosing a cross bike is its frame. A clean and wide triangle frame is recommended to allow the bike to be carried over a shoulder with ease. Tit also needs to be stronger to cope with the high stresses of riding fast off road. The tyre is another part that needs to be carefully checked. In the typically wet and muddy conditions, a pair of knobbly tyres with plenty of grip and mud clearance is essential. Double sided SPD type pedals are on the other hand are favored over other types due to their ease of use and small cleats which don't hinder running. Finally and most importantly, do not forget to heck the brakes and gears. Due to the varied terrain and steep inclines, the gear combinations and brakes need to be fool proof.
Using a cross bike in biking can be a new and exciting experience to old and new cyclists. Despite being more popular cross bike off road tournaments, they also make excellent and fast commuter bikes, capable of keeping pace with road bikers.
Also known as a "hybrid" type of bike, a cross bike is a cross between a road and a mountain bike-that is, it combines the features that are found on the two mentioned types of bicycles. Though popularly used for casual morning bike rides, cross bikes are designed for cyclo-cross racing where the bike is being carried over the shoulder, and hence, are made from lightweight materials.
Being a compromise between a road bike (RB) and mountain bike (MB), a cross bike usually include strong features of both types. Examples of these features include the three front chain rings and straight or sweep up handle bars which are seen in mountain bikes. Tires of hybrids on the other hand look more like those of the road bike. It is also common to find shocks of some kind on MBs, but less so on hybrids, and unheard of on RBs. The combination of these features results to a hybrid which can also be described as somewhere in between the lighter RB and heavier MB.
One of the important parts of a cross bike is its frame. In order to cope with the stresses associated with cyclo-cross racing where the bike is carried over the shoulder to as much as 60 times, the bike's frame should be stiff and responsive, slightly wider to accommodate the size of the tires, and most importantly, lightweight. To achieve these characteristics, cross bikes are manufactured from light materials such as aluminum, carbon fiber, steel, and titanium.
Given the difference of the cross type from other bike models, some people are having difficulty choosing the best one to invest on. Among the first thing that needs to be looked upon when choosing a cross bike is its frame. A clean and wide triangle frame is recommended to allow the bike to be carried over a shoulder with ease. Tit also needs to be stronger to cope with the high stresses of riding fast off road. The tyre is another part that needs to be carefully checked. In the typically wet and muddy conditions, a pair of knobbly tyres with plenty of grip and mud clearance is essential. Double sided SPD type pedals are on the other hand are favored over other types due to their ease of use and small cleats which don't hinder running. Finally and most importantly, do not forget to heck the brakes and gears. Due to the varied terrain and steep inclines, the gear combinations and brakes need to be fool proof.
Using a cross bike in biking can be a new and exciting experience to old and new cyclists. Despite being more popular cross bike off road tournaments, they also make excellent and fast commuter bikes, capable of keeping pace with road bikers.
About the Author:
Michiko Yang is a cyclist based in Switzerland. Throughout her cycling career, Michiko have tried using different types of bikes and one of her favorites is the Crossbike.
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