Tour De France Blog

Archive for the ‘bike riding’ Category

After you have purchased your priceless Harley-Davidson, it is now time not to think about modifying it. Your Harley-Davidson has its own image of toughness and ruggedness and would not need any alteration. What should you be thinking of is how to match yourself to the bike and not the other way around.

Of course you would buy things that match your personality- that of course include your bike. And you somehow have to think what type of Harley should you buy based on who you are. Well, you have done that already. Now, its time to dress up and hop in your Harley.

Having said that, you should start looking Harley-Davidson clothing.

Here are the Harley-Davidson clothing must haves that should be included on your shop list:

The Black Leather Jacket – It may be quite obvious to you that you should wear something that would protect you from the wind, dust, and sand. And you might be aware of the trademark Harley-Davidson black leather jacket. Have it and you are almost a complete transformation.

The Black Leather Pants – After the jacket comes the pants. Black leather pants is extremely popular clothing not only because it complements the jacket but also because it completes that whole Harley-Davidson rider effect. Be mindful that you are not a cowboy and you do not ride a horse for you to wear jeans. You are riding a Harley it deserves only the black leather pants.

The Black Leather Boots – You must have watched at least one of several “Terminator” movies. And you must have noticed what Arnold Schwarzenegger is wearing on all of his “Terminator” movies. And oh, don’t forget the bike. Have you bought the same model? Anyway, “The Terminator” is wearing black leather boots aside from his black leather jacket and pants. Have you seen yourself in that look?

The Harley-Davidson Helmet – Of course, while you ride, you need some head protection; thus the helmet. Many might not feel like wearing one but you must accept the fact that you can never tell when would accidents strike. And when it does, you should come prepared. And the Harley-Davidson helmet is the one you should have.

The Goggles – Whether you use it to keep the dust out of your vision or have it as an added Harley look, goggles are good Harley accessory.

These five would be enough complete the list of your Harley-Davidson clothing must haves. Your tasks is to search for them whether online or offline.

Low Jeremy
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/forget-the-bike-and-accessorize-yourself-with-harley-davidson-clothing-83047.html

The 50cc pocket bike is actually designed to look like a mini motorcycle. They are usually made of steel or aluminum and are sleek and small. These bikes do not have much speed but are a lot of fun in riding over the hills.

Pocket bikes are very popular nowadays as they give you the same kind of sensation as when you ride a motorcycle but only they are little slower. You should buy a pocket bike according to your size and weight. Different varieties are available with a host of dealers and you should be able to find a bike, which suits your style.

The different types of Pocket bikes

Pocket bikes may be run either on gas or electricity. Pocket bikes that are run on gasoline will be cost effective as they use up very little gas and also will be faster than on the ones run on electricity.

The bikes that run on battery are cheaper than the gas powered ones but they are just as exciting to ride on. Moreover, they are better for children as they do not pickup high levels of speed.

Pocket bikes may be purchased in the department stores or motorcycle shops. But before buying, decide what you are going to use it for. With this in mind gather more information from the dealers. This helps you in choosing the safest and the ideal pocket bike for yourself to have fun with.

What to buy?

If you are planning to use your pocket bike just for fun, you will have to spend around US$400 upwards whereas if you are intent on racing you will need to spend much more to get that perfect bike. The ones manufactured in Italy are considered of the best quality and hence costlier. These are recommended if you intend to race. The Chinese variety is much cheaper and ideal for recreation. So spend your money wisely.

For your own safety

As the 50cc pocket bikes are quite small, they are not very comfortable. When you go for a test ride be sure that your body parts are not touching anything that they should not. After all this is looked into, you can easily control the turns in your bike. Be sure to buy accessories like a helmet, gloves, leather jacket, and chaps as they will protect you in case of an accident.

Moreover, be sure to make enquiries about spare parts availability. These 50 cc variety of pocket bikes include:

1. Engine of 50 cc with loading of 100 kilograms

2. Start and brake

3. Suspension

4. Front line and rear line

5. Drive

6. Battery

With all this in hand, be ready now to buy yourself the perfect pocket bike.

Robert Sheehan
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/the-50cc-pocket-bike-ride-along-and-enjoy-yourself-91903.html

Your treasured mountain bike holidays would be ruined if you were not riding the right bike. Bikes meant for mountain holidays are designed to provide a smooth ride over rough and rugged terrains.

Mountain bikes are equipped with flat knobby tires and a capacity of extra traction and shock absorption. Previously, mountain bikes had flat straight handlebars. Now the trend has changed and the recent bikes are fitted with riser handlebars. This provides more grip to the rider as he whistles away on the bike enjoying every moment of his craggy holiday.

A Ride On A Mountain Bike Is The Best Part Of The Holiday

Mountain bikers always love to walk on the wild side. They enjoy going for mountain holidays on their machines and getting the opportunity to try out trails that are quite uncommon to the usual on road bikers. Moreover, the culture, scenery and adventure, a biker comes across during a tour of the mountain are indeed splendid.

For this and more attractive reasons, several touring companies have come forward to offer tempting mountain bike holiday packages with occasions to lose yourself among the wilderness of nature.

Based on this, numerous mountain bike companies are coming up with attractive tour packages. The companies who have not yet started with the package touring process are hoping soon to be in the line to keep up with the increasing demands of mountain bike tours and holidays.

If you are looking for a mountain bike vacation package, you can also link up with travel agents who offer opportunities lesser than several mountain bike companies. These companies are glad to offer tours both guided and self-guided. Self-guided tours are best for those who find life more adventurous and challenging. On the other hand, guided tours are essential when you are on a mountain tour for the first time or in some hostile land.

In matters of self-guided tours, the company makes all arrangements so that you can well reach the spot where you prefer to take your ride. Thus, you move unguided on the trails. Under such circumstances, you should have the experience and the confidence to combat adverse situations like injuries and breakdowns. You should always carry a map with you and should have some basic knowledge of navigation.

Make sure that you have a proper knowledge of the arrangements before you opt for the tour. If you have prior information about the other people accompanying you on the tour, you can completely prepare yourself from all perspectives.

In some mountain bike tours and holidays, the companies provide excellent bikes for you to choose while others may allow you to carry your own bike for your convenience. Foods may or may not be offered to you in the packages. Whatever the situation may be, it is essential that you be well informed before you are ready to set out on the journey.

Robert Sheehan
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/mountain-bike-holidays-are-golden-chances-for-you-to-roll-with-rocks-101539.html

There’s been a lot of publicity about custom built choppers, but is building a motorcycle from the ground up the right thing for you? Building custom choppers from scratch or from custom bike kits can definitely be a gratifying journey, but you must be certain that you’re prepared for the amount of work, skill, and perseverance it will take to build a bike from nuts and bolts. If you’re not sure you want to go the road of custom bike kits, there is a middle ground between a complete build and a stock bike through refurbishing with custom parts.

Custom bike kits:
If you want full bragging rights or a really unique design, custom bike kits are probably the best choice for you. With custom bike kits, you can choose a frame and get all of the necessary parts in one package while still having full reign on every ounce of the customization.

Whether starting from scratch or from custom bike kits, there really are no design limitations unlike when refurbishing a stock bike with custom parts. The more unique the bike, the higher it’s resale value will be if you ever decide to part with it. Unlike stock bikes that are a dime a dozen and lose resale value, custom bikes hold or even increase in value.

The potential downside is that even if you’re using custom bike kits, building a motorcycle from the ground up is not as simple as many kit manufacturers and producers of DVD training guides make it out to be. Starting from custom bike kits and working your way up is going to be a challenge-which isn’t a bad thing, but something you’ll want to be honest with yourself about. If you think you won’t see the project through for one reason or another, you can still build a killer bike by customizing a stock bike with custom chopper parts.

Refurbish with custom chopper parts:
With the right custom chopper parts, you can easily give an old bike a completely custom look without the time and frustration of building every single intricate element. Refurbishing with custom chopper parts also means that you’re going to experiencing the freedom of your bike a lot sooner than those who chose custom bike kits.

When choosing a bike to refurbish with custom parts, the most important thing to look for is the frame style. There are chopper parts that can easily replace just about anything on an existing bike, but the frame is essentially the backbone of the bike and won’t be easy to replace. The gas tank however, is among the custom chopper parts that can be replaced and can make a big impact on the overall look and feel of your bike. Find a shop that will paint your tank with your design concept and you’re well on the way to owning a bike that reflects your personality.

Other chopper parts that make a major impact in the overall look and feel of the bike are the wheels, tires, mirrors, exhaust, pedals, and handlebars. A brief look at the huge number of styles of custom chopper parts out there are you’ll soon realize that it’s feasible to completely change the personality of a stock bike with a few select custom chopper parts.

The decision to build from scratch, from custom bike kits, or to refurbish with custom parts is as unique as every individual is. If your goal is to get out there on the open highway and enjoy the freedom of riding, you may want to spend less time in the garage and make your bike your own with a few select custom chopper parts. On the other hand, if motorcycles are your life, if you want to challenge yourself, or if you desire to create a truly unique machine, then building a bike from the ground up is probably the route you’ll want to take.

Christine Harrell
http://www.articlesbase.com/motorcycles-articles/build-a-bike-from-scratch-or-refurbish-with-custom-chopper-parts-53794.html

Want to ride around the park without having to ride on busy streets to get there? Want to keep the kids out of mischief by bringing their bikes on holidays with you? Haven’t got an SUV or station wagon where you can throw your bike in the back? Then you need a bike rack for your car.

Bicycle car racks for the family car are pretty much a necessity if you have a bike and love riding. Whether you take your mountain bike into the hills on the weekends, or if you just want to take your road racer for a quit ride through the park, the safest way to get you and your bike there is with a quality bike car rack. Bicycle car racks come in many designs, so there’ll be one to suit your bike and car.

Firstly, the two main types of bicycle car racks are:

1. Roof mounted bike racks, for carrying your bikes on the roof of your car, and

2. Rear mounted bike racks including hitch, bumper and trunk mounted, for carrying your bikes on the rear of your vehicle.

If your car has roof racks, you might consider a roof mounted bike rack. These racks fit onto your existing roof racks allowing you to carry up to three bikes on the roof of your car. With roof mounted bike racks, you have the option of a rack that secures the wheels of your bike in place, or a rack that secures the front forks and rear wheel of your bike.

The advantages of roof mounted bike racks include no loss of visibility. However, you need to load your bike onto the roof so a roof mounted bike rack may not be for everybody, or every car. Also, you may need to factor in the extra wind resistance, especially if you’re taking your bikes on long trips.

Rear mounted bike racks can be mounted onto your tow hitch, trunk, rear bumper or your spare wheel depending on your vehicle. Some of these are secured using straps which won’t appeal to everybody, while the hitch mounted racks offer a greater level of security. You can generally hold up to three bikes on these rear mounted racks, depending on the type. The advantages of rear mounted racks are that you don’t need roof racks, your bikes are easier to load and unload and it can be a cheaper alternative. One disadvantage is that your rear visibility is usually reduced.

When it comes to transporting your bikes, you can find a bike rack to suit your bike, your vehicle and your own needs. Now there’s no excuse for not getting out there on your bike. Wherever it is you love to ride.

James Sanford
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/cant-transport-your-bike-that-excuse-doesnt-carry-much-weight-anymore-111038.html

Mountain bike components are designed to withstand more abuse and extreme riding conditions. These components are heavier, sometime larger and more durable then road bike components. Sometime you are riding on dirt, rock, or in water, etc and the components need to be durable enough so they can withstand abusive treatment.

It just so happened that my rear derailleur broke on my full suspension mountain bike. I was riding a down hill trail and lost control of my bike. The rear of the bike ended up hitting the face of a rock and I was left with a mangled rear derailleur. So I looked at the positive side of the accident and said to myself now is the time to upgrade.

I could find new or near new parts on Bike Servant which is a mountain bike classifieds website and lists mountain bikes for sale, bike parts and race events but I was in the car with my bike so I decided to go to the store.

On the way home from the trail I stopped at my local bike store to buy a new derailleur so I can resume riding as quickly as possible. I told the bike shop guy my situation and she asked me which aftermarket Shimano derailleur I wanted to buy. Not knowing anything about the different categories in the Shimano product line I asked for help and this is what she relayed to me.

Shimano Deore is their entry level category. These products are inexpensive and meant for the occasional or enthusiast rider. These components are stocked on entry level mountain bikes.

Shimano Deore LX is their next level in higher quality. This category level consists of a more durable product. The main difference that I noticed is that Deore LX is lighter then Deore. My derailleur was a Deore LX and it has shown me proven quality and reliability for many years.

Shimano Deore XT was referred to as their heavy duty category. This product category is not considered race quality performance but they are light weight and more durable then the LX category. The price difference between the LX category and the XT category was noticeable.

Shimano XTR is considered their high performance category. Again these parts are lighter then the XT category. As a consumer I took notice to the price increase from XT to XTR. It appeared to me that this category appeals to the racers that demand light weight and high performance.

Keep in mind that this is not a complete list of Shimano’s product line. It is the list that my bike store carried.

So in my quest to buy a new derailleur I decided to purchase the Shimano Deore XT because of its light weight, durability and price. I had the bike shop install it for me and I was back on the trail in no time.

Bike Servant
http://www.articlesbase.com/extreme-sports-articles/choosing-a-shimano-mountain-bike-component-753083.html

Besides that you have to wear a helmet in S. ca UNLESS you are riding on the side walk or on your own property
and
Are you required to get off of the bike to walk it across the street when there is a red light?
What can you be given a ticket for basically?

Here is a California bike law link for you.

I have been bike riding everyday and was wondering if anyone has done that same and if so, how much weight did you lose?

Thanks

114 miles per pound

wle.

I dont want bikers legs, but legs like Adriana Lima or Miranda Kerr.
How much bike riding a day would I need to do?

A LOT!!!! Riding a bike is mostly for cardio, do some leg excersises like calf raises, squats, leg press, etc

I’d like to start riding a bike for fitness. How do I go about purchasing a bike? I’d like to stay under $200 for now, and used is fine. I’m 5′3 and will be riding on pavement. I’ve been searching craigslist for bikes, but I have no clue about what size wheels I need, or what speed is ideal.

Thanks!

Hum…

For most bikes, wheel size is less of an issue than what type of bicycle riding you want to do.

If you want to ride paved roads, you’ll want a road bike or possibly a hybrid. Road and hybrids bikes usually come with 700c wheels. The primary difference is that road bikes are built purely for speed. They are light and have dropped handlebars for better aerodynamics. A hybrid will usually have flat handlebars that allow you to sit more upright. Road and hybrid bikes will usually have either 2 or 3 chain rings in front and from 7 to 10 cogs in back. If you are doing a lot of riding in hilly areas, I’d recommend you get a bike with 3 chain rings in front. Higher end bikes will tend to have more cogs in back.

For off-road usage, you’ll want a mountain bike. Most mountain bikes have 26" wheels. Nearly all mountain bikes have 3 chain rings in front and 7-9 cogs in back.

There is no such thing as standard sizes in the biking industry. At 5-3" you’ll probably need a "small." At the very least, make sure you can comfortably stand over the bike with an inch or two of room to spare. Fit of a bike can be customized by replacing the handlebar stem and adjusting seat height and position. Your local bike shop will be happy to help you get the bike dialled in.

When contacting people on Craigslist, I’d recommend asking how tall the rider of the bike is. If they are approximately your size, you should at least be in the right ball park.

Hope this helps.