Sport of Biking/Cycling (02)

A Brief, Easy-to-read History of the Bicycle
This article gives a brief and easy-to-read history of the bicycle. Sources often disagree as to the names of the inventors and the dates of their inventions. Leonardo DaVinci sketched a facsimile of the modern bicycle in 1490. It was way ahead of its time and, as far as we know, never left the drawing board. In the early days, women's dress (corsets, pointed shoes, and voluminous skirts) limited their participation in the new sport of cycling. Newspapers of the day railed against the "sorcers" or bicycle speedsters.

Buying the Right Bike for You
The section on the About.com guide to Bicyling gives you everything you need to know about buying just about any kind of bike. It covers mountain bikes, road bikes, and hybrid and alternative bikes. It includes a bikie-sizing chart, and an article on Fitting a Bike, which is about the adjustments you can make to maximize your comfort. There is also an article on Must-Have Gear and Accessories for Commuters. Some for good advice is offered for being a smart shopper for a bike, such first borrowing the kind of bike you think you want to make it really is what you want. The author cautions against the temptation to go cheap because like everything else, you get what you pay for and you won't be happy over the long run because a bike is heavy and the components won't last long if they are not high quality.

Bike Parts: The Basics
Looking for basic bike part information? This site will be useful for serious cyclers. Includes information on bike parts such as the aerobar, lighting, spare spokes, altimeter, compass, cycling computer, pump, saddles, panniers, bicycle racks and other tools that are used in biking, such as a spoke wrench, chain pliers, tire levers and Teflon oil. Repairing a bike? This is a great place to get information on the parts and components that will affect your ride.

Mountain Bicycling: Trails, Products, Videos and Repairs
Read blogs on mountain bicycling here, and more. This site is useful for mountain bikers because it provides up-to-date information about the latest mountain biking races, mountain biking products and mountain biking courses. The site features a trail database so you can find a trail wherever you travel within the U.S. Information on teams and riders is also included, as is an expert question and answer forum so you can ask your burning mountain bicycling questions. Discussion topics range from racing, buying a mountain bike, testing fitness levels, mountain biking adventures, mountain bike information and much more. Videos on how to make repairs to your mountain bike and also videos showing mountain bike stunts are included.