Bicycle Physics Simplified

 Created On: 3/22/2024

It's not rocket science, really...

Ever since I started riding a bicycle I slowly learned the principles of physics from riding, it's not a sudden realization, but as you ride more you begin to understand the fundamental principles of physics, like momentum, speed, and resistance, as a few examples.  In this blog post I'll only be covering the essentials that are necessary to understand so that you can improve your bicycling skills and to make bicycling easier for you as well.

One of the most critical understandings of bicycle physics is found in a joke, "Why can't a bicycle stand up on it's own?  It's 2 Tired."  Yeah, it's a silly joke, but because a bicycle doesn't have more than 2 wheels it must be moving in order for you to stay on it, otherwise you'll fall off the bicycle, and that is the first fundamental principle for learning to ride a bicycle.  (The First Less you teach your kids)

Moreover, you not only need to be moving, but you also need balance, so don't lean, or the bike will indeed lean with you, and if you lean to far, well you'll fall over and crash.  Falling down is very painful sometimes and it is why many people are scared to ride bicycles, but there are a few things you need to be aware of so that you don't fall down, like braking on sand, gravel, or trash (Like plastic bags or leaves even), and that's because if you press on the brakes while on a slippery surface, you are going down and fast too!

Stopping is just as important as going, because if you get going too fast, well you might not be able to stop very quickly, and going fast is dangerous on bicycles indeed, especially if you hit a large hump. (You & the bicycle will go flying into the air!!)  Speed determines what kind of tricks you can do or cannot do, because trying to pop a wheelie while going too fast is literally impossible, and trying to do an endo trick while moving too slow won't allow you to stay up very long.

Also, momentum plays a huge factor in how easy and fast it is to get up a hill, which is where you have substantial speed before you enter the hill, and the more momentum you have, the easier and faster it is to climb the hill.  However, I'm getting a bit too far ahead of myself here, because a lot of beginner riders don't even shift much, and that's sad because they don't understand the basics of mechanical advantage from gearing on a bicycle.  (Assuming you have more than one gear that is!)

A bicycle with multiple gears allows you to make it easier to get up hill if you have lower gears (1.25+ to 1 Gear Ratios) or go faster down hill if you have really high gears (1 to 3+ gear ratio), and gear ratios are very simple.  The larger the gears are in the middle, the faster they turn the gears in the back, and the smaller the gear in the middle, the less force you have to use to turn the gears in the back.

On the inverse those, the gears on the back end of the bicycle act a bit differently, regardless of which gear you are in the middle, and that's because the rear gears change the gear ratio the most, but I'll let you learn that from a professional video.  However, for those who just want to understand it simply, the bigger the gear you use in the back (E.g. 1rst, 2nd, 3rd gears), the easier it is to pedal, but you go slower, and the smaller gear you use (E.g. 4th, 5th, etc.), the harder it is to pedal, but you go faster!

Learning to shift is critical to increasing the efficiency of your pedaling, but if you have ever rode a BMX bike with just one crank gear and one rear gear (Or a Fixie Bike), then you probably understand that hills will requires you to stand up and exert extreme downward force on the pedal in order to overcome the hill, and for this reason I've seen a lot of people hate bicycles because they try to sit down while going up hill on a fixed gear bicycle.

With multiple gears you don't have to stand up to get up hills, you can just shift to a lower gear and maintain a steady cadence pedaling to conquer the hill without exerting a lot of force, and if you want to conquer hills with ease, then you'll need to get going fast before you enter the hill as I've explained above.  Also, you may want to shift to middle gear and finish the hill standing and stepping on the pedals with all of your weight to finish the climb, if you have momentum that is.

It's literally impossible to try to climb a hill sitting down if it's steep enough, the force need to get up hill even in low gear is simply too much, and this is why you should learn first on a single gear bicycle first, so that you understand the luxury of extra gears.  Then there is the topic of resistance, which includes multiple factors, and resistance is anything that slows you down, especially wind!

When wind is blowing fast enough at you, it can literally bring you to a stop, even on a flat surface or while riding down hill, and it can also knock you off your bicycle if it's a really fast wind.  Therefore wind is the enemy of bicyclist abroad, unless it's at your back, then it can make pedaling much easier, and even push you faster too!

Resistance also comes from bearings being old or dry, your chain not being free from dirt and/or being dry (No Lubrication), and then there is rolling resistance, which is multi faceted.  Rolling resistance is a result of either poor tires for the surface you are riding on, debris on the surface, or a soft or spongey surface, like sand at a beach or muddy terrain.

Smooth thinner tires are good for the road, wider & bigger tires with traction on them are better for off-road, and the amount of air you have in your tires can greatly effect rolling resistance as well.  Underinflated tires will result in more resistance, unless it's a larger tire which only needs like 15-20 PSI, and that's because underinflated tires bend more, which causes resistance, and if you have too much underinflation it will lead to flats and possibly even a bent rim!  (Costly!)

I've found that manual disc brakes are better than hydraulic, because hydraulic disc brakes lock up the front wheel to easily (Which causes you to crash!), and though they do have a specific use for downhill offroad Mountain Biking, they aren't really suited for front wheel braking on the roads unless you go downhill A LOT.  Braking also can cause resistance if the brakes aren't properly set, because they're rubbing against your rim or always engaged due to improper alignment, and that kind of resistance is quite difficult to pedal against.  (Bent rims can also cause brake rubbing too!)

On a flat surface you can travel with ease, on an decline (Going downhill) you don't even have to pedal, and this is what makes bicycles superior to walking, the amount of time it takes to travel and the load it takes off your feet!  Speaking of loads, weight also increases the amount of resistance you meet while rolling, and all of these resistances slow you down, exponentially so too!

What do I mean by exponentially?  Well, it's a compounding factor, if you have 2 things giving you resistance, that resistance is multiplied, and that's because there are multiple forces acting against you, which means they are working together (Multiplying the amount of resistance).  On a windless warm day, with dry roads, and a properly maintained bicycle, riding is fun and easy unless you are going up a big hill.

However, your understanding of bicycling can help you or hinder you as well, and that's because not using proper gearing or not using momentum in your favor, is going to affect your overall experience riding.  This is why physics plays a huge roll in your bicycling experience, you may also come to learn that it's much easier to ride if you are under 150 pounds / 68 kg in weight, and of course your stamina and actual muscular ability plays a huge roll as well, but even a scrawny kid can ride a bike!

The greatest thing I learned while riding, physics related that is, is that the energy you exert on the pedals causes your feet to get hot, due to friction and energy transfer, and that's why it's rather important to utilize shoes with a means for air to enter your shoes while riding.  Wind drag does cause resistance, this is why many bicyclist use elastic / silky clothing, to reduce wind drag, even smooth helmets, and though it's not a huge factor, it's important to professional racers.

By understanding the very basic principles I've outlined here, you should be able to understand how to make riding easier for your self, and hopefully you can take this knowledge and pass it on to kids or other adults so that they can understand how to become a better bicyclist.  Understanding truly does make life so much more enjoyable, this is why it's critical to share what you learn with others, and that's so they can understand too.

Thanks for reading, I hope this blog helps you, and please share a link with others, thanks!.

If you would like to help me continue to help others, you can use Pay Pal or CashApp to send me a donation via my email at:  galegtech@gmail.com

Thank You readers for your support!

Copyright © Gale Innes 2024
All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Bicycles in 20 Minutes

Created On: April 4th, 2021

Published On: January 2nd, 2022

Please be kind to donate to keep this blog alive, thank you!

Here is a Premium Bicycle Site you won't want to miss!

Well, this is going to be a real challenge, I mean how can I teach you a lot about bicycles in a 20 minute reading session, correct? It begins with understanding what kind of bicycle you wish to own or use, because there are basically mulitiple different types of bicycles, but for the sake of simplicity, I'm going to break it down into just a few categories:

• Mountain Biking (Dual Suspension or Hardtail Bikes, 26"/27.5"/29" Rims/Tires)

• Trail / Hybrid / Gravel Bikes (Can be 26"/27.5" or 700x35c or larger Rims/Tires)

• Fitness / Commuter Bikes / Touring (Usually 700c Rims/Tires with a flat bar handlebars)

• Racing / Road Bikes (Only Narrower 700c Rims/Tires or BMX Racing Bikes)

• Stunt / Trick Bicycles (Can be a Freestyle BMX or Larger Fixed Gear Bikes)

• Other (Beach Cruisers / Fixies / Non-Specific Use Bicycles)

Of course these categories are lumping a few different types of bicycles into one category, but for the sake of simplicity, you will be focused on what you will be using the bike for mainly, obviously if you are trying to get fit, fitness / commuter bikes are great for this task, especially fixed gear bikes (Fixies as most people call them), and that's because you have to work harder to go up hill! However, road bikes can also be used to get fit, and indeed riding around on gravel roads and trails with a big hardtail can be a good workout too, so technically any bike can in fact get you fit!

I've always believed that bicycles kind of were for 4 main purposes, stunts / tricks, trails / offroad, commuting / riding day to day, or purely for racing, but that's just my view of it, and so take what I say here as a grain of salt, no need to split hairs with technicalities at all. There are two kinds of offroad bicycles you will be riding, light trails / gravel biking, or true mountain biking, which is going where nobody has gone before, including over creeks and uncharted territory, and that may include some large rocks to jump over too, so if you want to do the uncharted territory, then you will definitely need a dual suspension mountain bike or at the very least a high quality Hardtail MTB. (Mountain Bike)

If your plan however is to just do light trail riding, maybe even some back road running, and city commuting, then a gravel bike or hybrid bike will probably get you by, and I personally have converted some hardtail mountain bikes for the pure purpose of light trail riding and road commuting both, it just requires puncture proof tires with nobby style tread. You do NOT want to try braking on gravel with flat / slick tires, you'll go down instantly, and it hurts bad believe me!

You want the right tires for the path you are on, many hybrid bicycles aren't really built for gravel or offroad, but are just fine on dry dirt paths and some light offroad, but nothing serious mind you! Gravel bikes aren't really built for jumping dirt hills either, leave that to the mountain bikes and BMX bikes please, unless you want bent rims. (Hehe, not I said the captain!)

Next, you need to consider your weight, anyone over 170 lbs is considered "Heavy" for bicycles, so you really do not want to ride certain types of bicycles, and by that I mean a traditional road bike will tear your butt up fast if you are heavy and your weight will make you feel every bump in the road, indeed most bikes cannot handle over 230lbs of TOTAL CARRYING WEIGHT. I do NOT recommend trying to bicycles if you weigh over 230 lbs, it will likely lead to broken bike components and possible damage to your spine or tear your musles, especially tendons in your ankle or wrist, and though I'm no doctor I've heard of 280 lb guys getting on bikes and being completely torn up from riding in just a month.

If you weigh over 230 lbs, then you will definitely want to consider dual suspension or comfort bicycles, and you can always convert the tires to slicks for the road, you might even buy an extra set of rims & tires just for that purpose. (It takes no time at all to switch rims, just a few minutes!) If you weigh over 170 lbs, you will likely want to at least consider a comfort commuter, especially if you are older (Over 40), because the road really can start to wear and tear on your body fast if you are heavy and older. (I am both heavier and older by the way)

Secondly, you will want to consider the seat you are going to be using, it MUST have a groove depression in the center, and this part helps prevent permanent damage to men's uretha track, so make sure it's a DEEP groove in the center or more favorably, completely missing the center of the seat, and this style of seat is far more comfortable for women too. (A certain bicycle company sold A LOT more bicycles just for this fact alone.)

Tires matter A LOT, many corporations put on the cheapest and crummiest tires on their bikes these days, they are paper thin, and won't hold up to any kind of sustained asphault or concrete riding over a month or two, not to mention you will get A LOT of flats if you try. Obviously, the corporations did this on pupose, to sell you more tires and tubes, and low and behold just look at the cost of the aftermarket tires, tubes, and rims, it's OBSCENE!

I feel like today's bicycles have gone far beyond "Normal Pricing" and have drifted into absolutely ridiculous pricing (Anything over $600 for a bicycle in my book is considered ridiculous), after all, it's just a piece of steel or aluminum with wheels on it, come on! For this very reason I only buy used bicyles, I have to laugh at these people paying over $600 for a bicycle, indeed I've seen a lot of bicycles that people paid well over $1,200 for go for less than $400 in the used market, even bicycles as much as $4,500 have sold for $450 on the used market, and people who try to get over $500 for a bicycle in the used market are being completely asinine, obviously they are uneducated and don't understand the true value of a bicycle is not as high as retail prices them at.

If you want to purchase a dual suspension bicycle, then that's all the more reason to shop used, because the decent quality ones start at like $1,200 and go up from there these days, and it just doesn't make practical sense to spend that kind of money on something as pitiful as a bicycle. It's a mechanical device, not a freaking motorcycle mind you! (I've seen motored dirt bikes that went for less than $1,200!)

To me the bicycle market is so, what's the word for it, niche? It's like men decided to make it 'a "Man Thing" to own and ride bicycles only (Refusing to drive a car anymore), oh sure, you can still take the city bus or a cab if it's a dire need, but many men have turned towards commuting on bicycles on a serious side as a lifestyle, and I too am one of them.

Mountain Biking riders are a bit different than the "Roadies" as some like to call them, which are people who love to ride road bikes, many bicyclist are like in a click, they only chum it up to people like them, and by that I mean they don't hang out with roadies if they are a mountain biker, they like rolling with people who like to go where road bikes cannot. It's almost a cult thing, really, and though a lot of women do get into bicycles, most of them are usually found riding fitness / hybrid / commuter / beach cruiser / road / gravel bikes, mainly, though a few do actually get into mountain biking and other sports.

Women do not dominate the bicycle world except in the trick bike department, they completely OWN IT, and one woman in fact has become world reknown for her skills at trick bikes, indeed she is absolutely amazing too, but I'm not here to discuss trick bikes, sorry. You are here to read about bikes, but that boils down to three things, what you will ride your bike for, and who you are as a person, because not all people have the mentality to be a die hard commuter, a hill / rock jumping mountain biker, or a tour de France rider... (Those people who go on looooong rides).

Bicyles are, for a lack of better words, a fad market, today one type of bike is in style, in the next few years a new type of bike will be in style, but many riders tend to stick with what they first choose to ride, and though some may choose to ride all types of bikes, they still sway or lean towards one type of bike more than the others, though this is NOT all true mind you, but it is however generally the truth. (There are always those unique cases out there, you know who you are.. :) Today electric bicycles are the new fad, but die hard cyclist aren't really going to drop the kind of money they are asking for those things, and they stopped becoming truly bicycles when they made pedal assisted bicycles, they are wholly a motor driven bicycles and are more like a scooter, though scooters have actually been around a long time.

It really does defeat the purpose of a bicycle to put a motor or power asssitant to drive the bicycle, you see, the true point of a bicycle is, it WAS cheap, it was something even a kid could ride, and if you were sharp enough, you could get around town without dropping a dime on gasoline! Of course the industrialist / capitalist that took over our government a long time ago, which has led us towards where we are today, and to ever increasing profitability and sales, they just keep changing things and raising the prices of everything. (To decrease the value of the money you work for.)

Sure, there are still cheap chinese retail bicycles, but real bicycles aren't bought at China Mart, and bicycles need maintenance, so you will either have to learn how to fix bicycles or visit a bicycle shop to get your bicycle fixed or tuned up once in a while. However, due to the economic strains being pressed down upon everyone in America today, it's become almost intuitive to utilize a bicycle and a bus instead of a car or at the very least a moped to avoid the price gouging oil capitalist stranglehold on the economy and a family's budget. (Imagine being a mom with a minivan and 6 kids to lug around all day, that'll be like $120++ / 3 days for gas, talking about a roving rent payment, whoosh!)

Retail bicycles have become like disposable lighters, I said what I said.

Bicycles are still an option, there is still a very strong used market out there, but keep in mind thieves are everywhere today, so you MUST always lock up your bicycle EVERY TIME you leave it alone, even in your garage too, and all it takes is the wife leaving the door open and bam it's gone, just like that! Don't be an idiot, use a U Lock or THICK Cable Lock, don't leave your seat on the bicyle if it comes off easy either, and don't just lay your bike up against the wall at a gas station or fast food restaraunt, it will disappear in SECONDS!

If you are going to ride on the road, always travel on the left side with traffic coming at you, wear bright colored shirts, use flashy bright LED lamps on the front and rear, and watch for people running stop signs and turning on you (Both sides) at EVERY intersection, if you travel on the right side you cannot see the nut jobs driving at you and you are easier to run over, so, BE SEEN & avoid the cagers! (A slang term given to people who drive cars who often suffer from road rage because, well they got issues, like a monthly car payment, lol!)

I'd also warn you to stay on the left because I have witnessed MANY people driving while texting, they have run over many pedestrians, bicyclist, and it happens EVERY DAY, so make sure you pay attention to how the vehicle ahead of you is driving, and do NOT give them the benefit of the doubt, assume they don't see you always! (This information can save your life, so follow it!)

With gasoline going up to $4/gallon and higher, many lazy people will be squeeling and crying about gas, especially when it starts going up to $5-$6/gallon, and yes it will probably reach much higher than that too before this summer (of 2021) is over. I can and do almost everything I would normally do with a vehicle on a bicycle, except long travel, and you can use a bus for that, so there's no excuse not to ride every day unless you are physically incapable or the weather is just too severe, which is often these days. (Don't be a chump, dump the pump!)

Speaking of pump, make sure you have a quality air pump, mountain bike (MTB) tires use 30-35 PSI and 700c Tires generally use 60-80 PSI, I wouldn't recommend over 40 PSI in the front unless you have shocks, and most 700c bicycles do not, so a lower inflated tire in the front helps reduce road shock on your hands / wrist / arms. If you want to travel the distance, then you will need to get A LOT of practice climbing long hills with a decent slope (10-20%+), this will help build your stanima and strength in your legs, and it will give you heart a real workout too!

Getting fit is one thing, building stanima and strength requires you to really push yourself hard and for a long time, and the more you ride up hills, the stronger you get and the easier it become to pedal on flat or slightly sloped roads. Take your time, carry at least 1 full water bottle, and I would recommend drinking Tang or something that just isn't plain water unless you plan on riding in the heat, and temperatures can greatly effect your ability to stay hydrated.

Once you become dehydrated it's pretty much over, you are going to have to take a break, get cooled down, and I do not recommend drinking coffee, tea, or alcohol while training. It's virtually impossible to ride while drunk (You have no balance), you can get hurt bad, and even get your self killed, so don't be stupid and drink and ride a bicycle.

I'm teaching from experience here, some of it is common sense though (I don't drink Alcohol), and some of it is wisdom passed down by other riders. You need to carry at least a set of basic tools, one inner tube, a inner tube repair kit (If you have the time to patch), and make sure you carry a tool that will allow you to remove thorns, metcal, etc from your tire, because you cannot air up a tube with a thorn in your tire, so check the tire BEFORE you install the new or repaired tube.

It's rather rare to run into serious problem on the road, like a bent rim, but if by chance you fear you will bend a rim while riding, then you should at least carry a universal spoke tool, or at the very least one that fits your spokes, and this will allow you to fix a rim enough to ride home (Hopefully), you may also need to tune your bike on the road too (If going on long trips). I recommend you carry as lite as possible, two water bottles is a bit excessive unless you plan on riding beyond 10 miles (Both ways), but for those serious about long road trips, I'd recommend getting the water back pack (Especially if it hot outside!), and plan your trips well.

Learn how to utilize roads to avoid uphill riding can increase your stanima on a bicycle, though it may add more time to your ride, and you will learn over time to just consider the elevation in roads around you, because this is how you can look for a different path to avoid big climbs. Of course if you are training, then hills aren't an issue, but if you are daily community, then you should learn the path(s) that are best for your route to work or wherever, and be extra careful to stay off of busy streets as much as possible, this reduces the chances of getting ran over by drunks, speeders, or people who text & drive.

Safety first always, planning helps a lot, and focus on the road before you most of the time, unless you are looking out for cars / obstacles, or children running around. Avoiding potholes in the road is a much, even if you do have a full suspension bike, and also avoid those huge metal plates the city often places in the road when doing repair work, those can bend a rim real bad!

To be a good rider, it's more than just the bike, it's learning how to navigate paths, especially if you plan on riding offroad, and this is something you develop over time, so go slow if you are new territory! Those guys you see flying 90 to nothing down a mountain are PROFESSIONALS who have ridden the paths A LOT, they are NOT beginners, and thinking you can ride like that out of the gate is just stupid, so don't even try it!

Learn a lot about riding on difficult trails before you jump into more difficult mountain biking, you may ruin a few bicycles and yourself if you don't follow this advice, and I've seen quite a few people ruin a few bicycles and themselves in my days, heck I have even wiped out badly a few times in my decades of bicycle riding. Good bicycle advice isn't always easy to find, learn how to fix bikes, maintain them, and service them, a clean & lubed bicycle works a lot better than a dry chain, dirty brakes, and dirty tires with mud all over them, so learn to clean a bike well.

Going beyond the basics here, serious bicyclist study a lot about bicycles, they learn parts, why some parts are better than others, which tires are better for what type of riding, and how to avoid overly expensive stuff (E.g. Carbon Fiber), because if you really want to break it down, shaving a few grams off of your parts by going to carbon fiber is NOT going to make much of a difference at all! Indeed, better tires and derailleurs are probably the two most major ugrades for a bicycle, everything else is pretty much secondary.

I don't like disc brakes on anything but Moutain Bikes, but if you plan on doing a lot of down hill riding, then at least one disc brake is very nice, because it can sustain a long brake, and other parts simply cannot handle the heat of long downhill braking. The cantilever brake is better by far because it's much lighter than disc brakes, and mechnicals is better than hydraullic disc brakes due to cost and hydraullic brakes tend to be far too touchy and strong for braking (IMHO).

Stopping is just as important as going, because emergencies arise, especially if you tend to ride around looking around instead of paying close attention to your path and the surrounding area, and this is where disc brakes shine, instant stopping power IF you have great traction. Once you have selected the proper bike, tires, and brakes for the job, you are ready to learn how to ride, picking up a cheap bike to learn how to ride is doing your self a disservice, but it may be a chance to teach you just how crummy cheap bicycles are compared to light weight alunimum bicycles with quality parts on them.

Big fat tires get flat tires very easy, especially those super thin mountain bike tires or fatty bike tires (Huge Tires), and using that stupid green goo in your tube is just dumb, it puts far too much weight on the bicycle and slows it down far too much, not to mention it can be a real pain the neck too! I've seen experience riders use multiple inner tubes or use 2 tires to completely elliminate getting flats (Expect for sharp metal puctures that go through even puncture resistant tires), and yes people do get tired of fixing flats on BMX bikes (The only bike I've seen people use 2 tires on).

They made a new slime strip that fits in smaller tires, it is sort of a hard plastic coiled up insert, retailers usually carry 2 coils in a package, but I've never used them, and considering how well mutliple innner tubes or tires work at reducing flats, it might be worth a try. Once you overcome all of the nuicancess of riding, you should probably share your own experience online too, and help new riders learn what you learned.

I'm running out of time, I cannot cover it all, I failed, but did I? Well, not really, because there is A LOT to learn about bicycles, if you want to learn the technical stuff, well there are ample websites just for that, and indeed you can learn a lot about bicycles on YouTube, but the best place for quality information is on Sheldon Brown's website, this guy is a pro and really knows his stuff! There are many bicycle forums if you have specific questions too, so don't be afraid to join the online world, there are A LOT of cyclist out there, and they love to talk online too!

I hope that my perspective on bicycles has at least helped you clarify what bicycling is really about, what you really need to consider the most (What type of rider you will become), and if bicycling is right for you, because obviously it's not for 300lb + Riders, it's just not going to end well for them, sorry. (Too painful & dangerous, because falling off with that kind of weight can be DEADLY!)

Furthermore, I gave you some advice you would be well advised to consider, especially the YouTube thingy, because learning is critical today, and bicycle I'd dare say will play a HUGE role in the future of many poor (And getting much poorer by the year) people's lives, but you don't have to be poor to ride bicycles! It's just that most of the rich people find it a bit too hard for them to endure, after all it's such a "Serf Like" device, and they can after all just buy one of those motor assisted electric bikes and "Act like a cyclist." (Hehehehe)

Lastly, there are two types of riders you will encounter, hard core and recreational or sports riders, the hard core riders tend to be loners, and that's because they don't ride for fun or sport, it's a way of life for them. I ride every day, weather permitting, and have enjoyed riding all of my life, but when you ride alone away from traffice you get this great feeling of freedom and peace!

Thanks for reading, I hope this blog helps you, and please share a link with others, thanks!.

If you would like to help me continue to help others, you can use Pay Pal or CashApp to send me a donation via my email at:  galegtech@gmail.com

Thank You readers for your support!

Copyright © Gale Innes 2023
All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Important Bicycling Facts & Information

 Created On: 8/09/2021

Published On: 8/09/2021

Image Source

As you might have guessed, there are a lot of myths in the bicycling world, and so it's very critical to learn the facts, which is imperative to figure out EARLY!  Like how to shift a bicycle, which is something I'm going to cover here for the unsophisticated bicyclist.  Also, I'll cover a host of other facts and myths as well, so pay close attention and consider well what is covered!

Bicycles get stolen A LOT, so much in fact that, if you don't lock your bicycle, there's 20-40% chance it will get stolen within 10 minutes or less, depending upon if there are cameras around and what side of town you are on, and I say that because in wealthier neighborhoods kids often leave their bicycles unattended or in the yard, but they also get stolen quite frequently too.  It also happens a lot near poorer  neighborhoods too, where wandering thieves pick up anything within reach of the sidewalk, in yards, etc., and this is why getting a lock for your bicycle is paramount!

Some bicycle locks are very easy to take off, small cable lines only take less than a minute or two, so if you want a solid lock, get a U-Lock, or at the very least a very thick cable style lock, those off far more security than a standard or smaller cable lock, and chains can be popped off in SECONDS!  Of course nobody is going to carry around a thick chain (Think 1/2" think here), far too heavy, but they will carry around a thick U-Lock, but the U-Lock only protects one wheel, and it can't protect the seat!

Another important thing to learn about bicycles is shifting, too many riders don't really truly know how to properly shift a bicycle, specifically the 3 ring crankset / 7-9 Gear rear cassette setup, and learning this is imperative to multiple things, like lengthening the lifespan of your chain and increasing the speed of the bicycle.  If you use 1-3rd gear with the first Crank Ring (Low Gear / Smaller Crank), that's perfect for uphill battles, and if you use 3-5th gear for the 2nd Crank Ring (Middle), that's perfect for flat level riding, and the 3rd Crank (The big one) is best used for 6-9th gear, though you can use it as low as 3rd gear for flat riding, depending upon how strong you are!

When you shift correctly, you can maintain your "Tempo" / "Rhythm" of pedaling, and how you sit can greatly increase or decrease strain to your muscles in your legs, but ultimately pedaling a smooth tempo in the proper gear will make riding a bicycle seem so very easy and effortless, which it should be!  However, new cyclist tend to use only one gear, and you see the "Newb" struggling up slight inclines / hills, it's funny, and I dare say I too was once like them!

Some of the more important facts are things you learn, like tire size is critical to know before selecting an inner tube replacement, and I say this because not all facts are common sense, like finding the frame size of a bicycle by measuring from the center of the crank to the top of where the seat post goes into the frame.  You'd be surprised how many people have never measured a bicycle's actual size, but bicycle facts are a long list of things people will come to learn naturally and things they will come to learn by reading or learning from other cyclist.

One fact I learned from a BMX rider is, he got tired of getting flats so bad that he uses TWO bicycle tires to prevent flats, and he still does massive tricks on his bike and rides it every day, it works!  Facts can be unconventional wisdom learned, like the larger &/or thinner your tire is, the easier it gets flat, and though puncture protection does work (Pretty well), it does make the bicycle heavier usually (The cheaper puncture resistant tires that is), and may slow you down some.

I'd rather ride slower than get flats more often, how about you?  It makes zero sense to head out on the trail to get 2 flats in one ride (SUXY!), so do learn about "Better tires", and that's to say chuck those crummy original manufacturing equipped tires for better tires, but do note that you should first still use the original manufacturing tires first, unless they go flat too often!  It can get expensive if you have to frequently repair flat tires, so watch where you a riding, and learn how to fix inner tubes with super glue and magazine paper!

I'm sure I'll probably update this and add some more content as I think on the subject more, but that's it for now, feel free to comment if you'd like to add your own tidbits to add to the article!

Thanks for reading, I hope this blog helps you, and please share a link with others, thanks!.

If you would like to help me continue to help others, you can use Pay Pal or CashApp to send me a donation via my email at:  galegtech@gmail.com

Thank You readers for your support!

Copyright © Gale Innes 2023
All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Avoiding Bicycle Hype

 Created On: 8/09/2021

Image Source

What is bicycle hype?  Well, it's where people try to sell you on all of the latest greatest tech, improvements, or old style ideas that never quite made it to mainstream, like "Tubeless Tires", and when I say "Hype", I'm referring to anything that is gimmicky, has no real added value, or is just the "Latest Fad" (Craze).

Yes, I'm going to talk about Carbon Belt Drive systems here, as you might have guessed, it's a great "Idea", but if you look at the disadvantages, it makes little financial sense!

1. No side flexibility in belt drives
2. A belt drive cannot be split up
3. Belt drive relies on internal gearing systems
4. A Belt drive system is Far More Expensive!

Because a belt drive can't be split up, a section of the frame has to be opened up in order to change the belt, which means the frame will be more expensive, and all it takes is someone cutting your belt drive and you will have to replace it (Not cheap in many instances), moreover, the internal gearing systems are much more expensive than a traditional rear bike rim and hub w/ a cassette.

Sure, there are some huge advantages, being the bicycle will be a little lighter in weight, maybe a few pounds / or  / a Kilogram or two, but unless you are building a racing bike, none of that matters!  A carbon belt drive fixie (No gears) would be only a little lighter than a chain drive system, so no real added value AT ALL other than slight weight loss.

Many parts or inventions are all hype, but fail to deliver real value for your money, the perfect example of this is "Titanium" bicycles or "Carbon Fiber" parts / bicycles, the cost far outweighs the value!  All financial sense aside, for those who have money to burn, sure, go ahead and spend $5,000+ on a bicycle, but that's NOT going to make you a better rider or make you faster AT ALL.

What makes a bike faster is the tires and air pressure of those tires, the small the tire, the faster the bike goes, REGARDLESS OF TOTAL WEIGHT, gearing and bearing can cause drag, but these are NOMINAL at best, and any decent bearing set on the market is manufactured to be low resistance by basic manufacturing standards.  Otherwise nobody would buy your bike if it automatically slowed down due to large drag on your bearings....

There are of course a lot of people out there who look at full suspension mountain bikes and instantly want one of those, but to be honest, unless you are a professional mountain bike rider, or at the very least an inspiring one in training, FORGET IT!  It's just too costly, is purely for sport, and is not really made for "Daily Riding", though it could be converted to be (Costly).

Indeed, everything that is "New" or "Improved" almost always invariably comes with higher cost, largely because of "Licensing" (They say), but the truth is, investors just want to recoup their money faster, so they charge a lot for the new stuff, and that's why you should avoid "New" tech.  Any intelligent bicyclist can find high quality used bicycles if they know where to look, those bicycles may have obsolete tech, but it is still a functioning & MUCH CHEAPER bicycle.

Cheap however can be bad, in the case that you buy a busted used bicycle, so do inspect the bicycle very well before you purchase it, which most definitely includes, braking, shifting, parts for damage, and RIMS & TIRES!  The cost to replace parts on a bicycle has gotten OBSCENELY EXPENSIVE as of late, due to supply side shock, most bicycles and parts have doubled in prices or more!

Shopping online is the worst idea you can have, rather visit a local bicycle shop or Walmart FIRST, if it's a specialty part, then I'd recommend shopping Walmart online, they are much cheaper than Amazon by miles in MOST INSTANCES!  However, QUALITY IS CRITICAL, and that's because nobody wants cheap junk that is of poor quality!

Tubeless tires are NOT great, they were designed for mountain biking, and the tubeless tires that literally need no air at all are NOT recommended AT ALL, indeed they are largely a gimmick!  Electric bicycles are indeed nothing more than a bicycle with a battery / electric drive system, is that battery and electric motor worth Thousands of Dollars?  (HELL NO!)

Sure, they are convenient, easy to ride, but when that battery dies, OH BOY!  You won't be liking those heavy bicycles AT ALL!  (Sorry for all the caps, the intentions of this entire blog is to make you THINK!)  Anyway, if you read my other blog post, you'll soon get the idea that many bicycle styles are purely niche, they aren't for the average day rider, and they aren't really for the urban jungle!

Already it has been argued that Carbon parts offer little advantage over aluminum, but the premium cost associated with it completely destroys the value of bicycling, and when you go to replace (Can't fix carbon) the parts, your wallet will hate you late for it!  If you just stick with "What works", instead of going for "The Best", you'll probably have enough money left over for 1 to 3 other bicycles, and so I'd advice my fellow cyclist to "Be Smart" with your money and don't buy the hype!  

(E.g. Carbon anything!)

Thanks for reading, I hope this blog helps you, and please share a link with others, thanks!.

If you would like to help me continue to help others, you can use Pay Pal or CashApp to send me a donation via my email at:  galegtech@gmail.com

Thank You readers for your support!

Copyright © Gale Innes 2023
All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Jumping Into The Thrills

 Created May 22nd, 2021

(Image Source)

So, you love a good thrill?  Well, bicycles are a thrill all by themselves, it's positively exhilarating to ride a bicycle even in a very casual environment, and nothing beats riding a bicycle on a forest path (For many people), indeed, if you find a few mountain bike trails in your city / area, you'll probably get the chance to do some actual jumping as well.

I'd highly recommend becoming familiar with jumping on a bicycle before you go setting up your own ramp to jump on, if you click on the (Image Source) above you'll find a great article to learn about just that too, and yes I've linked a lot of other websites to this blog to point my readers to great content already written by other authors.  For me, this blog is not about the money at all, though donations are of course more than welcome, zero doubt, and having a resource to reference to great articles / sites is a phenomenal way to obtain quick access to the best content on the web without having to do searches for specific content.  This blog is dedicated to encouraging young and older cyclist to become better!

One of my future blog post will be entirely dedicated to links on various topics, though I prefer to do that as a later blog post to ensure that it remains at the top of my blog, and of course you are still free to re-read my older blog posts to find older links I've posted in the past.  Nevertheless, back to the "Thrills", because let me assure you, there are a lot of thrills with bicycles, and one of them is the sheer savings you amass from not using those gas sucking beast called vehicles / motorcycles, but don't let the whole "eFad" (All electric) things swing you over to that scam...

Yes, it's a scam because electric motors are highly inefficient, along with batteries, and that's why gasoline has been far more popular for many years, it's far more efficient!  Nothing however is remotely efficient as the most efficient machine on earth, the Human Body, for it can take nominal amounts of energy and do things that would even leave your grandpa in awe, especially on a bicycle!

Sorry for the dry humor, but on a more serious note, electric bicycles can be very exhilarating too, I mean they are fast, well sorta, and they can take you further faster than the old mechanical bicycles can, but you don't get the fitness / exercise and weight loss that comes with having to do it the old fashion way either!  For those commuting daily, an electric bicycle makes sense if you are using it to go to work, just make sure you have a means to stay dry if it rains on you, and make sure you don't go too fast, or you are definitely risking the thrills that sends chills through cyclist, like falling down!

Of course, not everyone is ready for "The Thrills", I do not recommend trying to jump a mountain bike at a young age (Under 8 years old), and definitely don't do it on concrete or brick paved surfaces, no way!  Obviously though, even with protective gear on, falling into mud is far better than falling into concrete or bricks, or even trees for that matter, so ensure that you aren't on a dangerous path to jump on, meaning don't jump on rocks, gravel, sand, and slick surfaces, bad idea!

Also, please consider that, while you are jumping you have zero traction, and once your front wheel goes airborne you must balance your bike and your self to prevent tilting towards an angle that can cause accidents or injure you.  Obviously learning to ride a wheelie or do an endo can help a lot, but more on that later!

Some of the other not so common thrills is trying out a new or different style of bicycle, like a tricycle or a quadricycle, and indeed as you try riding different styles of bikes you will eventually develop your own taste and better gauge what makes riding optimally more fun for you.  For me, it's just casually riding on a comfort bike along trails, forested areas, back roads (Not gravel), or areas more or less, less explored or used.

I have other thrills too, like popping Wheelies or Endos for fun (Not to impress folks usually, but occasionally I do them for the kids. :), and it's good to find some thrills in life that aren't too deadly or dangerous, because driving 120+ mph on a motorcycle is definitely NOT the kind of thrill seeking you should ever entertain unless you are on a closed / safe track setup for such and are highly skilled.  There is fun, then there is dangerous, and then there is just stupid and deadly, reckless even.

If you don't want to end up wrecked / destroyed, then observe proper safety at all times, and that most definitely includes wearing protective gear & eye wear, because yes you can lose an eye quite easily on the road (Flying rocks / UFOs) or even on a sidewalk or trails even.  (Branches)  I'm not much of a fan of helmets, but I wear one offroad, I mean it's a bicycle, not a motorcycle, and I don't ride beyond 15 mph usually, unless I'm going down a hill, and even then I use my brakes to ensure I don't go too fast.  (Because stopping is far more important than going!)

You'll understand full well why using your brakes more when going downhill is critical when you start going faster than safe handling on a bicycle is recommended, which is where accidents happen, and all it takes is one wrong move and down into the ditch you go flying, or into the pavement, which is far worse!  The thrills of a bicycle doesn't come with just thrills & chills, it can also come with losses too, because though you might be able to get back up unscathed even, your bicycle however might not have survived the critical error or mistake, and that can get real expensive, real fast!

I can just hear the curses of carbon fiber bicyclist that destroyed their first carbon fiber rim or frame, so more expensive bicycles are also more costly from a different angle as well, and believe me, I've seen some steel bicycle frame riders who were just as awesome as those titanium frame riders.  (It's the rider, not the bicycle, silly!)  Unfortunately even the cost of steel and wood is going to the moon as of late, who knows how long before even cheap rubber tires for bicycles are $80+, and that's how they ultimately beat us serfs, minimalist, or survivalist even, price gouging.

I'm sure a lot of cyclist could not wait to get home to ride there new $1,200-$3,800 bicycle at some point, but even at these prices, based upon the weight of the bike, many bicycles can be more expensive than a sports car or motorcycle!  That's the real problem with the bicycle market today, there's no more value in it like in the days of old, and though there is a used bicycle market to help you side-skirt the outrageous cost of new bicycles today, even good used bikes can be too expensive.

I did not make this blog post however to be a rant about prices or a costs vs value argument at all, so I'll just leave it at that, and there are indeed other great thrills to entertain, like joining a bicycle club!  Yes, you can start your own or join one that's active, just like a "Chess Club", but for bicycles, and of course at the end of every ride you should probably have an outing planned to discuss the trip and plan future trips as well!

Planning, that's another thrill of bicycling, because just jumping on your bike for a quick thrill is a lot more rewarding when you have actually planned a whole day or evening of riding instead, and the reward is you get to enjoy more riding time, which is where the real thrills are.  I ride a lot on the road, thrills come my way all the time, but be on the look out for the bad thrills, like thieves who are tailing you, and yes many young thieves will follow you to find out where you live, so be aware!

Respect the life of a cyclist, it's a semi-dangerous one, especially if you are on the road a lot, or get into mountain biking, but you can't avoid falling off a bicycle, everyone will go through that experience, even multiple times throughout their life if they ride bicycles.  I recently had the opportunity online to entertain a video of someone using a leaf blower to propel themselves on a bicycle, it was absolutely funny and bewildering at the same time, because it was effective, and it gave me pause and forced me to ask a critical question, "Why hasn't someone came up with an effective air motor for bicycles?"

I also spied a video on Tik Tok where someone had mounted 4 leaf blowers to a pallet to propel this very heavy pallet with a man on it down the road, and that of course gave me a good chuckle, because it was absolutely obnoxious but it worked well amazingly!  (Till he hits a pothole or bump of course!)  There are many things to consider as a cyclist, bumps and potholes of course can be the thrills that turn into chills, or they can lead to disaster, like a bent rim or busted fork, which is very common, and then there are curbs, which are a real bicycle wrecker...  (Depending upon height, weight or rider, speed, bicycle, rim size, etc.)

Life is an "Experience", cycling too is definitely an experience, however the longevity of that experience is lengthened extensively longer IF you listen to caution, wisdom, &/or good advice, because doing whatever feels like fun can definitely lead to disastrous results!  Like heading into uncharted territory without caution, a backup plan, or a means to get out of said territory rapidly, likewise, while cycling you need to consider your path and where it leads too.

(Parents of course are all the more responsible to ensure their children understand the dangers!)

Everything you focus on is critical while riding, not focusing on your path is also very dangerous, and not thinking ahead or learning to avoid disaster is of course very dangerous as well, but the later only comes from experience.  Experience of course is what is necessary to acquire skills, though we start off unskilled, with practice our skills rise, and if we practice long & hard enough, our skills might begin to reach expert levels.

If you ever want to reach the level the pros are on however, you will need an instructor and I don't mean a mediocre one, and this is why coaching is highly recommended to anyone serious about getting into cycling for sport / competition / money / or prizes, and yes people do make bets / wagers.  One of the more nefarious bets is amongst young children who say something along the lines of, "I bet you can't jump that", and this is where the real thrills begin, success or failure, or chills for the inexperienced!

Bets, dares, or challenges are what push people to strive for higher, achieve greater things, and until you are challenged, you aren't going to go beyond "Mediocre", "Average", or even "Expert", because any expert can beat an average rider, but when they face real tough opponents, like pros, well that's when the real challenges begin!  Raise the bar on yourself, without being reckless, you have to practice a lot, and once your coach feels you are ready for the pros, they'll let you know.

Dear old Dads, like myself, cannot take you to the level of Pro, you have to consult with someone who has been there and still has the skills, and that's because someone showing you what it's really about is half the battle, you learning to do it for yourself is the other half!  If you have enjoyed this blog post, don't forget to check back frequently (Each week or month) for more!

Thanks for reading, I hope this blog helps you, and please share a link with others, thanks!.

If you would like to help me continue to help others, you can use Pay Pal or CashApp to send me a donation via my email at:  galegtech@gmail.com

Thank You readers for your support!

Copyright © Gale Innes 2023
All Rights Reserved Worldwide