Tour De France Blog

how many stages are in the 2008 tour de france?

21

Many bike speed records have been broken by recumbent bikes. Recumbent bicycles were banned from international racing in the year 1934 and they hadn’t seen widespread use until toward the end 20th century.

A recumbent bicycle is a kind of bicycle which places the rider in a seated or supine position and rarely, in a prone position.

Recumbent bikers hold many world speed records for human powered, non-paced types of races. Interestingly, tricycles actually fall into the recumbent bike category and for whatever reason are generally accepted into the main ‘upright bike’ category.

Recumbent bikes are typically classified further by the size of their wheelbase. There are long wheelbase recumbent bikes (LWB), short wheelbase (SWB) recumbent bikes, and (CLWB) compact long wheelbase recumbent bikes.

Each of these types of recumbent bikes also have somewhat different positioning of the pedals and wheels as compared to the seat. With long wheelbase recumbent bikes the pedals are located in between the seat and the front wheel.

Compact wheelbase recumbent bikes have their pedals either above the front wheel or very close to it. And short wheelbase recumbent bicycles have their pedals in front of the front wheel.

Recumbent bikes have several advantages over upright or traditional bikes. Some of these differences are described below:

Health

Recumbent bikes encourage a posture that reduces strain on the body. This makes them great for longer trips. When a bike is comfortable for long periods of time it makes sense that we’re likely to bike farther, right?

A big plus is lower body circulation too. In a recumbent bike our legs are positioned at nearly the same height as our hearts, thus reducing hydrostatic pressure and the heart’s job of circulating blood through those areas.

Stability

Recumbent bikes are much more stable for obvious reasons: with some there are more wheels! Also, recumbent bikes are situated closer to the ground.

Variety

When choosing a recumbent bicycle, riders have many more varieties to choose from than with traditional upright bikes. There are all kinds of variations and degrees of uprightness from which to choose.

There are some disadvantages as well. For one, recumbent bikes don’t allow riders to change positions, such as standing on an upright bike while going down a hill. And you’ll have to boost a whole new set of muscles. Recumbent bicycles use different muscle groups to power the bike than do upright bicycles.

Unlike upright bikes, there is a subculture of recumbent builders who design and build home-built recumbent bicycles. Many times these are assembled of parts from other bicycles, particularly mountain bikes. The frame designs may be as simple as a long steel tube bent into the appropriate shape to hand-built carbon fiber frames. For a good many builders, the engineering of the bikes is as much of a challenge and fun as riding them.

Bill Wallmuller
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/explainedrecumbent-bicycles-faster-and-more-relaxing-98816.html

Granted, all the Tour de France Cyclists have their own training programs/team programs or whatever. I just simply find it hard to comprehend how they get to these fitness levels. Can someone break down for me a vague approximation of the amount of training-mileage/duration/intensity-and torture that these cyclists undergo to take on the ultimate bike ride?
I am especially curious to find out the average cruising speed of tour de france cyclists.

All the riders are professionals, they will all have started riding a bicycle seriously, in their early teens, racing in their local club’s amateur races, they then progressed to larger amateur races where they probably excelled and built a good
racing record of high placings, they then applied to or were invited to join a professional team, and eventually got the chance to ride in a Classic like the Tour de France.
So you can see that, for many of them, they will probably have been racing, building strength, stamina and ability for maybe 10 years or more before they get the opportunity, and it is not so much the training they now do, but the work they have put in over the years, now it is more maintenance training to keep their form. A large percentage of the riders have been racing as professionals for a number of years and much the same applies to them. They all have to ride every day, even on their rest days, or they are likely to ‘sieze up’.
This year the longest stage is 230km and the total for the 21 stages, including time-trials will be 3554km.They will average around 40kph for the whole distance, some stages obviously being at a much faster pace.

Most importantly, I forgot to mention that, no matter how hard the training is, nothing can compare with actual racing, so they will ride a lot of one and two day races, starting early season and probably stage races like the 7 day Paris-Nice which is on at the moment, up until very shortly before the Tour starts. Some of the old stars, like the greatest cyclist of all time, Eddy Merckx raced for more than 100 days a year, he won the tour five times, that was really before teams took over and controlled the racing.

Made of aluminum and dual carbon fiber chain and seat stays, the racing bicycle provides a dynamic posture to the rider trough it is lightweight and raised seat. For swift turning, the front and rear wheels are closely arranged. The racing wheel forms a teardrop with the tire because of its triangular cross-section, built for greater aerodynamic efficiency. To reduce wind resistance and to add overall efficiency the number of spokes in the wheel is low. But still, when it comes to hill climbing bicycles it is used a traditional box-sectioned rim.

Because of their lightweight and easily moldering, racing bikes rims are made of aluminum. In spite of those properties, some bicycles carbon fiber is used to make the rim, because these rims are lighter but they tend to crack easily and chip when the wheel punctures. This is the reason for which the riders prefer cheaper and heavier wheels for training.

To reduce wind resistance and road friction, the tires are lightweight, narrow and have smooth treads. They are inflated to a pressure of around 8 bars. Many bicycles have a sort of tubular tires that are sewn round the rube and glued to the rim. Recently, cyclists started preferring tubular clincher tires. In spite of this, the opinions regarding the merits and demerits of the two tires still remain divided.

The bicycle use for racing presents a carbon frame, and its components are referred to as a group-set. The frameset, fork, wheel-set, bars, stem, pedals, saddle and seat post are not included in the group-set.

Most racing bike components are made of carbon-fiber. For example, high-end shifters, brake levers, cranks are made of carbon-fiber. Also, stems, handlebars, shoe soles, forks and seat-posts are also made by carbon-fiber. Carbon-fiber is often used because is very light and has a high capacity to absorb vibrations.

Important specifications of racing bikes:

1. Wheels: equal diameter, between 70-55 cm, have a minimum of 12 spokes

2. Maximum length: 185 cm

3. Maximum width: 50 cm

4. Saddle length: between 24 and 30 cm

5. Distance between the bottom bracket spindle and ground: between 24 and 30 cm

6. Maximum internal distance: between front fork ends 10.5 cm and of the rear stays about 13.5 cm.

7. Maximum weight: 6.8kg

Yes, the true is you do only get what you will pay for, so get the best bike you can possibly afford. Always a good idea is to look around the magazines and the online shops and manufacturers sites and also dont forget your local bike shop until you get what you looking for, but be careful not to make your friends too jealous!

George Wood
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/cycling-and-aerodynamic-efficiency-56892.html

Sales of BMX bikes are increasing faster than almost any other type of bicycle. BMX bikes can be seen on every street, sidewalk and even in their natural habitat, off-road. Even if you never leave your house you’ve certainly seen such bikes on TV. Sure, you probably know what a BMX bike is, but what you probably don’t know is what exactly differentiates a BMX bike from other bikes. We’ll tell you how they’re different.

We’ll start with their origin. It’s quite simple, really. Bikes remained pretty much the same for many decades after they were invented, but the popularity of off-road motorcycle racing, or motocross, during the 60′s changed that. Kids saw the pros racing around on their dirt bikes and taking them off dirt ramps. They wanted to be like their heroes so kids imitated them on their bikes, which, at the time, weren’t made for such rough-housing. It didn’t take long for bike manufacturers to catch on and start manufacturing bikes made specifically for the rigors of racing and jumping off-road. Soon there were sanctioned bicycle motocross (BMX) all over the country. The BMX segment of the market grew and grew and continues to expand today. And of course most the kids (and adults) you see on these bikes don’t ever race and probably don’t jump them off anything more daring than a curb. Still though, BMX bikes are made to take a beating.

Now, to discuss the physical attributes of the BMX bike which makes it different from other bikes. The particular features can be narrowed down to the frame, the wheels/tires, the brakes, and the gears.

The frame on BMX bikes is designed to be very light so it can be easily maneuvered and very strong so it can withstand the stresses of jumping and racing. The light weight of a BMX frame is also important because a lighter bike can save you valuable seconds in a close-fought BMX race. Aluminum and chrome-moly steel are the two materials most favored by BMX’ers. Regular bikes are usually made from cheap grades of steel prone to rusting or even breaking when put under a lot of stress.

Another distinguishing feature of BMX bikes are their wheels and tires. Most BMX bikes have 20″ rims, of course they can also be purchased in other sizes. There is the 12″ size for young children just learning to ride. These days kids are learning to ride bikes before they learn to read! The next size up is the 16″ wheel. These bikes are mostly used by kids from the ages of 8 to 12. Once they enter the teen years, most kids ride the 20″ bikes. This is the size favored by many adults and pros, as well. There are BMX bikes with even larger wheels or in-between sizes but they aren’t as popular.

The tires on BMX bikes are different from conventional road bikes. They’re knobby to give them excellent traction on dirt trails and tracks. In fact, they’re very similar to mountain bike tires, just smaller.

Speaking of mountain bikes, such rides often have as many as 21 gears! Road bikes and beach cruisers typically don’t have that many but they do range from 3 to 18 speeds. BMX bikes, on the other hand, have just one gear. They have one sprocket up front and one on the back wheel. That’s it, they use just one gear because they’re made for all-out sprints and to have precise control for freestyle tricks.

Another feature which differentiates BMX bikes from conventional bikes are their brakes. BMX bikes often have just a rear brake. Having a front brake increases the likelihood of accidentally using just the front one and causing an accident. Plus, racers don’t need the extra braking power because they don’t want to slow down! A BMX bike made for doing tricks will have a front brake, though.

BMX bikes also usually come with pads to protect the rider during accidents and wrecks, which can happen a lot during races. Most racers don’t bother with pads, though, they’re too cool for that. If the bike does have pads, they’re usually on the top bar, handlebar clamp, and the handlebar crossbar.

BMX bikes are a booming business, and their popularity has increased across almost all segments of the market. You can often see BMX riders on televised competitions and commercials. BMX bikes are being ridden by all sorts of people, from professional riders to five year olds just having fun, adults who never grew out of them, and everyone in between.

BMX bikes are available in a range of sizes to accommodate all types of riders and all ages. They also have many specialized features to suit a variety of uses. There are, of course, a wide range in prices, too. If you are considering buying a bike for yourself or someone else, your best source of information are the people at your local bike shop. There’s also tons of reliable information online. The two main issues you need to consider are how the bike is going to be used and how much you are willing to spend. From there it’s up to you.

Gregg Hall
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/an-in-depth-look-at-the-ever-popular-bmx-bikes-66426.html

I love watching le Tour every summer, but this year I don’t have cable TV. Anyone know of a reliable way to watch the TdF online?
What is the Website that shows it?

That’s www.versus.com or www.steephill.tv .
www.velonews.com for highlights.
Ask when the TDF is coming out, websites will announce it.

In any mechanism like bicycle, motor, watercraft or water boat, handlebars are important mechanism that drives your passion. It is a steering tool that maintains your balance when you drive it towards your way. It is also believed handlebars also support a portion of the rider’s weight on the bicycle or any driving mechanism. It is also somehow equivalent to the steering wheel mechanism used in four wheeler vehicles. You cannot think of a bicycle without a handlebar. If it removed you cannot drive it. This is one such essential part of bicycle that drives your bicycle wherever you want. Handlebars are specially designed for all different kinds of bicycles in different styles. It is manufactured keeping in view the different types of riding styles for any kind of riders.

Generally handlebars are made of aluminum alloys but it also made of some other metals. These metals can be steel, titanium, carbon fibre or some other alloys. Today you will varieties of handlebars to choose for your bicycle but earlier there were not much option to choose. Some of today’s most used types of handlebars are Drop, Flat or raiser, Upright or North road, Touring or Trekking, Triathlon or aero, BMX, cruiser, Moustache, Ape hangers and Recumbent. Drop handles have shallow or deep drop used on road or track bicycles. It has flat top section which brings more comfort to hands. Drop handlebars also have sometimes two or more longitudinal indentations. Raiser or flat bars are standard bars used for mountain bikes, fixed gear bikes. It is straight but slightly bent towards rider.  

Upright is also known as Townie because it has seen an upgrade in popularity on some of hybrid models and city bikes. Actually these are bars are swept back facing towards the rider. Touring type bars are known as “Butterfly” as it seen as broken figure of eight arrangement mounted horizontally on the stem. This bar allows rider to have comfort in their hands and also get an upright position. Triathlon or aero handlebars are specially designed for racing bicycles and time trial bicycles. Pursuit bars also popularly known as bullhorns because the bars are designed to look as curve up and forward just same as horns. This bar is named after the discipline of track racing where it was originally used at first. BMX bars are used on BMX bicycles and are more rise than straight also has a cross brace to provide rigidity and strength.

As BMX bars are used on BMX bicycles similarly cruise bars are used on cruiser bicycles. It appears to be long and slope towards the rear of the bicycle to allow riders to have comfortable sitting in upright position. Moustache bars resemble their name very well. The design of this bar is curve forward from the stem and then also back towards the rider. This designed came in concept from the school children in Japan as semi drop bars. Recumbent bicycles have lot in variety and so do not equipped with handlebars. It appears nowhere in the bicycle.

roby john

In any mechanism like bicycle, motor, watercraft or water boat, handlebars are important mechanism that drives your passion. It is a steering tool that maintains your balance when you drive it towards your way. It is also believed handlebars also support a portion of the rider’s weight on the bicycle or any driving mechanism. It is also somehow equivalent to the steering wheel mechanism used in four wheeler vehicles. You cannot think of a bicycle without a handlebar. If it removed you cannot drive it. This is one such essential part of bicycle that drives your bicycle wherever you want. Handlebars are specially designed for all different kinds of bicycles in different styles. It is manufactured keeping in view the different types of riding styles for any kind of riders.

Generally handlebars are made of aluminum alloys but it also made of some other metals. These metals can be steel, titanium, carbon fibre or some other alloys. Today you will varieties of handlebars to choose for your bicycle but earlier there were not much option to choose. Some of today’s most used types of handlebars are Drop, Flat or raiser, Upright or North road, Touring or Trekking, Triathlon or aero, BMX, cruiser, Moustache, Ape hangers and Recumbent. Drop handles have shallow or deep drop used on road or track bicycles. It has flat top section which brings more comfort to hands. Drop handlebars also have sometimes two or more longitudinal indentations. Raiser or flat bars are standard bars used for mountain bikes, fixed gear bikes. It is straight but slightly bent towards rider.  

Upright is also known as Townie because it has seen an upgrade in popularity on some of hybrid models and city bikes. Actually these are bars are swept back facing towards the rider. Touring type bars are known as “Butterfly” as it seen as broken figure of eight arrangement mounted horizontally on the stem. This bar allows rider to have comfort in their hands and also get an upright position. Triathlon or aero handlebars are specially designed for racing bicycles and time trial bicycles. Pursuit bars also popularly known as bullhorns because the bars are designed to look as curve up and forward just same as horns. This bar is named after the discipline of track racing where it was originally used at first. BMX bars are used on BMX bicycles and are more rise than straight also has a cross brace to provide rigidity and strength.

As BMX bars are used on BMX bicycles similarly cruise bars are used on cruiser bicycles. It appears to be long and slope towards the rear of the bicycle to allow riders to have comfortable sitting in upright position. Moustache bars resemble their name very well. The design of this bar is curve forward from the stem and then also back towards the rider. This designed came in concept from the school children in Japan as semi drop bars. Recumbent bicycles have lot in variety and so do not equipped with handlebars. It appears nowhere in the bicycle.

roby john

I followed my first tour on television in 1993, and have watched as much as I can of every one since. This year, wonderfully and disastrously, SBS television (Australia) is broadcasting every stage live, so I’m not getting enough sleep!!

I love it to bits, love the varying tactics of team cycling, love sprint finishes and insane mountain climbs. I’m waiting until I have enough $ and time to take all 3 weeks off and follow it around.

What’s your Tour story?

Yes im a big fan and love the month of July!

You must be pleased to see Mcewan doing so well.

I remember the glory days of toe-clips and wooly jerseys, and great british cyclists like Roche, Millar (Robert, the climber), sean yates (demon sprinter). Ah good days!

In any mechanism like bicycle, motor, watercraft or water boat, handlebars are important mechanism that drives your passion. It is a steering tool that maintains your balance when you drive it towards your way. It is also believed handlebars also support a portion of the rider’s weight on the bicycle or any driving mechanism. It is also somehow equivalent to the steering wheel mechanism used in four wheeler vehicles. You cannot think of a bicycle without a handlebar. If it removed you cannot drive it. This is one such essential part of bicycle that drives your bicycle wherever you want. Handlebars are specially designed for all different kinds of bicycles in different styles. It is manufactured keeping in view the different types of riding styles for any kind of riders.

Generally handlebars are made of aluminum alloys but it also made of some other metals. These metals can be steel, titanium, carbon fibre or some other alloys. Today you will varieties of handlebars to choose for your bicycle but earlier there were not much option to choose. Some of today’s most used types of handlebars are Drop, Flat or raiser, Upright or North road, Touring or Trekking, Triathlon or aero, BMX, cruiser, Moustache, Ape hangers and Recumbent. Drop handles have shallow or deep drop used on road or track bicycles. It has flat top section which brings more comfort to hands. Drop handlebars also have sometimes two or more longitudinal indentations. Raiser or flat bars are standard bars used for mountain bikes, fixed gear bikes. It is straight but slightly bent towards rider.  

Upright is also known as Townie because it has seen an upgrade in popularity on some of hybrid models and city bikes. Actually these are bars are swept back facing towards the rider. Touring type bars are known as “Butterfly” as it seen as broken figure of eight arrangement mounted horizontally on the stem. This bar allows rider to have comfort in their hands and also get an upright position. Triathlon or aero handlebars are specially designed for racing bicycles and time trial bicycles. Pursuit bars also popularly known as bullhorns because the bars are designed to look as curve up and forward just same as horns. This bar is named after the discipline of track racing where it was originally used at first. BMX bars are used on BMX bicycles and are more rise than straight also has a cross brace to provide rigidity and strength.

As BMX bars are used on BMX bicycles similarly cruise bars are used on cruiser bicycles. It appears to be long and slope towards the rear of the bicycle to allow riders to have comfortable sitting in upright position. Moustache bars resemble their name very well. The design of this bar is curve forward from the stem and then also back towards the rider. This designed came in concept from the school children in Japan as semi drop bars. Recumbent bicycles have lot in variety and so do not equipped with handlebars. It appears nowhere in the bicycle.

roby john