Road Bicycle

The road bicycle takes advantage of a substantially different priority set than that of mountain bikes. A quick overview of the priorities of the mountain bikes is necessary for an accurate comparison. Overall the mountain bike places an emphasis on durability and shock mitigation. Immediately from the get-go, the frame on the mountain bike emphasizes ruggedness with a thicker than average, but still hollow frame. The frame then connects, on soft tail downhill bikes, with two different shock combinations. For the front tire, there is a Y connection from the handlebars down to the center of the tire. Two shocks, up to 210 mm of travel, are attached which allows the rider to decompress some from a hard landing when they leave the ground. The rear end is attached, through a series of pivot points to any number of various rear suspension systems. The most advanced of which is a 5-pivot point system which creates an effective shock through mitigation or resistance of movement. This bicycle is attempting to create a safe and comfortable trip for the rider, but the road bicycle fulfills a nearly opposite function.

Were it not for the two wheels, handlebars, brakes, and frame, the road bike would be considered a completely different animal. The road bike attempts to maximize the function of the muscles to propel the bike forward. There are no shocks, because they mitigate the force that the pedaling pushes into the gears which is transferred to the tire. The gears are set at a higher ratio to enable the rider to apply more force through a single turn of the pedals, although those pedals also require more pushing. The seat is higher to create an aerodynamic position and to provide the maximum movement circle for the legs. The handlebars are twisted sometimes to increase performance and cause the rider to hold themselves up more than to sit on their seat. Overall the road bicycle is vastly different and should be sought after for performance.