In response to a friend's request to join in the Tour de Cure, I actually bought a brand new bike, tight shorts, funny shoes, and clothes with colors even a golfer would be embarrassed to wear. Then of course I have had my ins and outs with "clipless" pedals etc etc and have been learning that there's a lot to learn about modern biking.
Almost all (if not all) of you bikers have more experience and knowledge of biking than I - and so I appeal to you for your insights, hoping this will be a lively, ongoing and informative thread.
What are the different characteristics of materials used for frame construction? If one has a metal bike, why would one want a carbon fork - or "bottom bracket" (what's that?). If you could chose to have a bike custom built in any configuration you chose, what materials would you specify and why?
That's enough to get started. I'll ask about components and geometry in other threads later.
This thread is intended to address only road bikes.
Almost all (if not all) of you bikers have more experience and knowledge of biking than I - and so I appeal to you for your insights, hoping this will be a lively, ongoing and informative thread.
What are the different characteristics of materials used for frame construction? If one has a metal bike, why would one want a carbon fork - or "bottom bracket" (what's that?). If you could chose to have a bike custom built in any configuration you chose, what materials would you specify and why?
That's enough to get started. I'll ask about components and geometry in other threads later.
This thread is intended to address only road bikes.