An introduction to bikes

At Fulford Cycles we cater to the needs of every cyclist - from your first bike (irrespective of age) to that dream custom race bike you have always wanted.

Just as there are various types of cycling, so there are various types of bikes. Here's a quick guide as to what's on offer:

Road bikes are at home on a smooth tarmac surface. Design features tend to be biased towards speed and efficiency: skinny tyres, 700C wheels, and an aerodynamic forward-leaning position all contribute to going faster.

Pure-bred race bikes (such as the TCR) have drop-handlebars and super - slim tyres with no clearance for mudguards, however there are bikes (such as the SCR and the flat-barred FCR) which make more concessions to commuting with a more upright position, clearances for mudguards and mounts for racks.

Cyclocross bikes (such as the TCX) are designed to go off-road as well as on-road and have clearance for knobbly tyres and the inevitable good old British mud.

Fixed gear bikes (such as the TCR Omnium track) are designed to use a single gear and no freewheel (so you'd better not stop pedalling!!). People who ride such minimal beasts (such as Jim) will incessantly blather on about low maintenance, efficiency and how ugly derailleurs are...

Commuting bikes are built with practicality and reliabilty as their primary concerns. They are more robust than race bikes, being designed to take the day-in-day-out grind of the ride to work. They are usually capable of carrying a load, and may sport features such as a hub-gear and hub-brakes for low maintenance and solid performance when the weather turns grotty. There are a few different styles of commuter; the Expression range is a modern take on the traditional 'sit-up-and-beg' bike whilst the Escape is basically a mountain bike for the city.

Mountain biking used to be a single sport with a single type of bike. Over the years it has evolved into a number of separate discliplines:

Downhill bikes are 'finely tuned race machines' (according to Adam from Orange) or 'built like great ugly tanks' (according to Jim the Roadie). They are incredibly robust with long travel suspension to take the knocks and rigours of getting from top to bottom as fast as possible with health and sanity reasonably intact. Examples are the 224 from Orange and the Giant Glory.

Freeride is a bit of downhill, a bit of cross country, and a bit of everything else inbetween. Freeride bikes (such as the Giant Reign X and the Orange Big-T) are built to take the bumps and abuse that result from carrying a rider that isn't prepared to let terrain get in the way of progress. Typically they have slightly shorter travel suspension than downhill bikes and are a bit lighter.

All-Mountain bikes such as the Orange Patriot and the Giant Reign are probably the most versatile of the mountain bikes. They're generalists rather than specialists, capable of operating well on a range of different terrain types. Essentially a compromise between the light weight of a cross country bike and the robustness of a freeride bike.

Cross Country bikes such as the Giant Anthem and the Orange P7 are the lightest of the mountain bikes. Designed to cope with flatter terrain than the other breeds of mountain bikes they are fast and responsive. Where suspension is used, it is short-travel to maximise response and efficiency. Cross country bikes are also noticably faster uphill than their heavier (and bouncier) cousins.

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Fulford Cycles Limited, 98 Main Street, Fulford, York, North Yorkshire (01904) 620349
Registered offices: 98 Main Street, Fulford, York, North Yorkshire (01904) 620349 Co. Reg. No. 5968831 VAT No. 698279173

© Fulford Cycles Limited 2008
All bike images supplied courtesy of Giant Bicycles and Orange Mountain Bikes and protected by Copyright
© Giant Manufacturing Company Ltd and © Orange Mountain Bikes, respectively.