Read About The Few Reasons Why Your Next Bike Should Be Custom Built

A man's bike is his world and due to this known fact, men spend thousands of dollars just to make sure that there bikes are of the best quality and that the bike is up to the speed that they require. While you can simply go into a store and search until you find a bike that meets your qualifications, visiting a website or a company and spending some extra time building your own bike is a much better and more satisfying option. When you are having your custom built bike designed, you can choose to go with regular bike parts or you can go with a better option and use custom designed parts that are provided by quite a few companies. The motorcycle wheels, motorcycle engines, and other areas of the bike are custom designed to your specifications and liking.

However, what exactly is a custom built motorcycle?

A motorcycle that is custom built is one that expresses who you are. They express your true personality and they tell the world that you are different from the other motorcycle owners. Custom built motorcycles are an innovative design and their motorcycle engines are unique and much more advanced than the readymade bikes that are sold in the stores. When you are having your motorcycle custom designed, you have the option to choose the parts that you want to have it built with and if you want Harley wheels and frames added to a pre existing bike that you have, the option is yours and yours alone.

Read About The Few Reasons Why Your Next Bike Should Be Custom Built

What are the types of custom built motorcycles that are available:

Custom built bikes are available in various types and you have the option to choose between sports bikes, road bikes, or cruisers. Bikes that are custom built are not only designed for the road but they are designed to be entered in shows and they also sport amazing speed that regular bikes cannot compete with. When choosing the engines to be used in your custom designed bikes, you have the option to choose between different finishes and sizes. Your motorcycle engines can be designed with the highest transmission speeds and they may also include open belt primaries. As was mentioned, the choice is yours and you just need to spend some time and find the motorcycle parts that are right for you and best suit your needs.

While custom designed motorcycles are a little more expensive than the readymade ones, they are worth every penny spent on them. They tend to be more advanced, faster, and extremely reliable. If there is something wrong with your custom designed motorcycle, it is also very easy for you to find custom parts to replace damaged ones because there are some companies that specialize in custom parts for your special motorcycles.

Read About The Few Reasons Why Your Next Bike Should Be Custom Built

You will be able to find: motorcycle wheels, motorcycle engines, and even Harley wheels and parts if that is the design of your choice. Companies such as Demons Cycle have all the parts you need for your motorcycles and they have been making custom designed motorcycles for years now. They sell custom parts at wholesale price, making them the place to shop for your custom motorcycle parts.

Cinelli Road Bikes - Racing Machines Of Speed And Artistry

The name Cinelli applies design principles not only to their bicycle products, but also to the company itself. Design is not just about looks but also shapes, outline, technology, technique, materials, innovation and much more. With Cinelli road bikes, every product is an idea, since these road bikes are not copies of other premade bike design. And like so many bike manufacturer, this is not an easy path to travel.

Cinelli road bikes design makes use of everything in order to achieve the latest technologies, using high quality materials, experienced technicians, tests, tools, as well as art shows and design competitions. Bicycle designing is always an ongoing thing with this company. For the first time in over a decade, their framesets are once again being offered as complete bikes. The change signals another bellwether for the 60 year old Italian manufacturer.

Cinelli Road Bikes - Racing Machines Of Speed And Artistry

Cinelli road bikes introduce almost all features of a stylish and efficient racing bike to want it as your own. As selection is at the heart of the Total Choice system, like chocolate and peanut butter or pasta al dente and spicy meatballs, users can pair total choice-enabled bikes with premium drivetrain components from Campagnolo, which makes available components and accessories from different road bike manufacturers. But For most shops, time savings provide a strong argument for using the total choice system; dealers will find it takes substantially less effort to build a Cinelli.

That's efficiency, design and performance in one threatening formidable combination. Owning a Cinelli is equivalent to owning a jaguar or an audi. Totally priceless. Not minding the price though. It is one sought after road bike that bike enthusiasts would want in their garage. This Italian manufactured bike is like Mona Lisa or a Picasso on wheels, and further adding to its features is the imprint or renowned Italian cyclist Cino Cinelli whose road racing bicycle brainchild and innovative design helped in ushering a new era in muscle-powered, bi-pedaled racing.

The Cinelli road bikes found today has the same breakthrough design and still carries Cino's concepts. Which relies heavily on incorporating the main ideas of aerodynamics in the bike's frames and wheels. This shocking but tried and tested out of the box breakthrough introduced longer cranks and smaller front wheels which rather veered away from the usual frame of a cyclist's mind. This would help in making the bike aerodynamically sound and adept at lessening wind resistance. Cino remained steadfast in his quest to improve biking aerodynamics at the minimal but effective design. Furthermore, this design allowed the rider to be at a lower stance thus giving the rider less space and distance from the pedal, which gives more powerful pedal strokes and a much faster ride.

Cinelli Road Bikes - Racing Machines Of Speed And Artistry

These bikes are incredible since it utilizes the lightest and sturdiest aluminum and carbon bonding technology to create super light and highly responsive machine. Go ahead, ride Cinelli road bikes, you can be sure heads will turn.

Transportation of the Future May Lay With E-Bikes

Whether heading to the park for a refreshing bike-ride over the open trails or broken down on the side of the road; convenience, portability and security are coming with some of the newer E-bike designs that are not only electric, but have some being foldable; allowing the bike to fit snuggly inside your trunk. These new E-bikes that are becoming available will provide more advanced and in-expensive ways to get around. Whether you are site seeing, running errands or simply going back and forth to work, these bikes could become a favorite new form of transportation. We are seeing many different models, options and designs going from blueprints and prototypes to production lines and into the marketplace.

Many companies; including some major car manufacturers, are all coming out with their own Eco-friendly designed versions of E-bikes. Many have geared their designs towards finding the most practical options that will have consumers biking more and driving less. Newly advanced electric, foldable and rechargeable E-bikes are sure to create a new wave of cyclers; saving consumers money with a fuel and cost efficient way of traveling. As car-makers are trying to find their way into the environmentally friendly market, their new E-bikes may very well soon become the newest standard option included with the purchase of one of their new vehicles.

Transportation of the Future May Lay With E-Bikes

Even the MIT experts have joined in the new E-bike trend by creating their prototype of a wheel hub-cap that attaches to your bike and is planned on being marketed towards the end of this year. Their smart-hub is designed to store up energy in a rechargeable onboard battery. The battery is designed to recharge itself whenever you use your brakes and then releases that stored up energy; kicking on the electric motor whenever the hub-cap senses you are traveling uphill or struggling with your pedaling. The smart hub will also have an advanced on board communication system installed.

Volkswagen's new electric E-bike is designed to easily fold up and fit neatly into that spare tire or luggage compartment area of your car. Having one of VW's new E-bikes next to your spare is sure to offer you more flexibility, freedom and fun with your daily transportation options. Their version of the E-bike is a lightweight pedal-less electric bicycle that is expected to get 12.5 miles out of a single charge. This bike is reported to weigh less than 45 pounds (20 kilograms), has a set of 20" wheels and could have you effortlessly traveling as fast as 12.5 miles per hour. Further convenience comes with the bike being able to charge directly from your car; eliminating the hassles of worrying that it may not be ready for its next journey. These new electric bikes are ready for marketing, but there has been no mention yet of price or the actual date it will available to the public.

Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Volkswagen's Research and Development Chief, said this about the new E-bike: "We have a special company within our organization that sells all kinds of products, supplementing our cars... This team is currently looking at this vehicle and is establishing a viable business case."

Style and comfort is being offered with BMW's version of its Eco-friendly mountain bike. BMW has been producing some great options and styles on motorcycles and cars for a while now and will soon enter its new M-bike into the public arena. Although this is not an electric version; nor does it offer a fold-up option; it does come with all the bells n' whistles that one expects from BMW. The M-bike offers the famous M logo, comfortable grip handles, disc brakes, a comfortable leather seat and more. The bike has been retrofitted with a total gear ratio transmission; which allows for traveling at higher speeds. BMW has not released the pricing details as of yet; but their M-bike is said to be available in June 2010.

Lexus has developed their own Eco-friendly bike version or better known as their hybrid. The Hybrid offers both a sleek and stylish design and uses pedal power to boost the 240w onboard electric motor via the 25.9 Lithium-ion battery and brake regenerating system. The Lexus hybrid E-bike was built to give the rider the choice of using regular or power modes. The Hybrid has an eight speed automatic transmission for easy transitions. All the Lexus finesse was built into this prototype and works with the same drive system in Lexus's hybrid cars. Even though this E-bike hybrid has all the makings of offering consumers a great fuel and cost efficient alternative; it has been reported that Lexus is not intending to put this hybrid design into production as of yet.

The UK Yike-Bike maker Grant Ryan has designed a unique and interesting option for consumers. The Yike-Bike was developed to be a light-weight, foldable and motorized bike alternative that would provide a realistic and easy to use option for transportation. This bike is so light-weight (just over 22 pounds or just under 10 kilos) and portable (folds up in about 15 seconds with practice) that it comes with its own over the shoulder carrying bag. This carry bag option provides the ease of not having to worry about where you are going to leave or lock-up the bike in-between stops.

This Yike-bike is nowhere near the deisgn of traditional bicycles; as it has the steering and anti-skid braking controls behind you and the pedals would be best described as foot rests. The onboard 1.2kw electric motor does all the work; generating a top speed of 13 mph. The company has estimated that a full 30 minute charge of its battery would sustain about a 5 mile (7-8 kilometers) ride. The Yike-bike has gotten street use approval in the UK, Germany, New Zealand and others; but it has not been approved for street use in the U.S. yet.

Transportation of the Future May Lay With E-Bikes

There is no question that the Yike-bike is an interesting and fuel efficient alternative form of transportation. The question is what's the price? The new Yike-bike comes with a price tag of about $4,800. The Yike-bike's design calls for an ideal height of 5 feet 3 inches; with a safe weight limit being about 220 pounds. (100 total kilos)

Which company will be the one to produce an E-bike that will prove to be the most efficient, convenient and cost effective is yet to be determined. The exciting news is that everyone is on board with trying to find the best design to move us from expensive and pollutant fuels to a cleaner, less expensive and a more sustainable alternative for transportation. Volkswagen seems to be ready to market a sure-hit with their foldable electric E-bike and it's only a matter of time, before the population can truly begin shifting over to these more advanced, consumer ready and eco-friendly technologies; which can effectively lead to reducing carbon emissions and reducing carbon based fuel dependency.

Mountain Bikes For Women - 4 Secrets That Will Improve Your Mountain Biking

Mountain bikes for women... specifically designed for your riding needs? Seriously, you'd be mad not to get your hands on one.

OK, you've got the riding bug. You've ridden against the guys and you've beaten them... but the bike fit was bad enough to put you off doing it ever again. Sore butt, shoulders and neck, not to mention the legs.

The problem, is you're riding bikes designed for guys, and guy's bodies work differently. Just getting the smallest frame size isn't going to solve the problem. However, riding a women's specific bike will improve matters considerably for your shoulders, neck and butt. Unfortunately, you can't do much about the sore legs, they come with the territory.

Mountain Bikes For Women - 4 Secrets That Will Improve Your Mountain Biking

"What's so special about these mountain bikes, that I should even consider getting one?"

Let's get down to the basics. The truth is, there are 4 key anatomical reasons;

    You tend to have shorter backs and longer legs than the guys. This has an impact on the length of the Top tube, which should be shorter and therefore effects your reach. (Unfortunately, over the last couple of years the trend here has been to lengthen the Top tube, making things even more uncomfortable for women.

    Your hip movement is different to the guys. You girls tend to bend and swivel in a different way and this effects the basic bike geometry of mountain bikes for women.

    The anatomical requirements of your butt is also important. Your hips tend to be wider and the padding is more specific to your requirement.

    Unless you're an Olympic swimmer you'll probably have narrower shoulders than the guys too. So the bars are smaller, as are the grips, for the smaller hands.

Mountain Bikes For Women - 4 Secrets That Will Improve Your Mountain Biking

"OK, so is there a full range of bikes, or am I going to end up with something that's cheap and cheerful and pink?"

I'm glad to say, the days of "shrink and pink" are behind us. Most of the serious manufacturers now have a good women's mountain bike range that are marathon and race capable. They also have some very good trail bikes.

And it's not just restricted to Hardtails. Fullies are out there too, with manufacturers like Specialized developing rear-shocks specifically (you tend to be lighter) for their range of bikes.

Manufacturers to watch are Scott, Specialized and Trek.

    The Scott Contessa range provides excellent Hardtail (Scale) and Full Suspension (Spark) rigs.

    Trek also provide the 8000 WSD (HT) and Fuel EX8 WSD (FS).

    As of going to press Specialized have reduced their line of women's mountain bikes down to two, the Safire (FS) and the Myka (FS + HT versions).

Selecting the Right Bike for Your Kid

When you are looking for the first bike of your child's then you have to be extra careful with your selection. While all the children bike designs are made to look cute and funky your pivotal attention should be on the quality and construction of the material. The best is to go for the branded designs of bike that offers style, quality and assurance. There are different types of popular brands that you will find in the market who designs bikes for both boys and girls.

If you are looking for the first bike for your girl then you can look through the different bike designs of Schwinn bikes. This company produces a wide range of girl's bike for all age group. It is one of the most popular brands of bicycle that manufactures a plethora of designs of bicycles and tricycles for girls in different sizes. The bikes are constructed out of high quality metal with rust proof stainless rims and rubber tubes that can combat with all types of geographical and weather conditions. Few of the popular designs of Schwinn bikes are Rosebud 16 inches Girls BMX Bicycle, Pacific Cycle Shwinn Jasmine Girl 16 inches bike, Schwinn Locket 18 inches BMX bicycle, Pacific Cycle 24 inches Schwinn Sirl Transverse Bicycle, Schwinn Vogue 20 inch Girl's BMX Bike, Schwinn High Tomber 24 inches Girls Mountain Bike, and Schwinn High Timber 24 inches Girls Bike S3543.

 Selecting the Right Bike for Your Kid

If you are looking for the different designs of kid's bike for your child then the 12 inch bike designs are quite popular in the market. The Pulse Toro 12 inches boys bicycle is constructed to drive through rocky terrains and rough roads. The model just cost 109.99 dollars. It features adjustable seats and a paddle saddle for soft seating arrangements. The Novara Stinger Boys 12 inch bike costs 129.00 dollars and is one of the most sturdily constructed bikes available in the market.

How to Choose the Right Bike For Your Activity

Riding a bicycle for any purpose is a good idea. Whether you are riding for sport or exercise, for leisure or as a means of transportation, riding gets you where you want to and helps you get a cardio work out doing what you enjoy. When buying a bike, the activity you have in mind for the bike will help you make a great choice. There are several types of bike to consider and they include:

o City Bikes
o Road Bikes
o Mountain Bikes
o Touring Bikes
o Folding Bikes

City Bikes
City bikes are designed for city dwellers. They are designed for those who are always in competition with other users for the right of way on the road. It is common knowledge that cities are dominated by automobiles. Of course, there are some cities where bicycle riders are given equal privileges on the road. However, if you are planning to use your bicycle to get to work or travel around in a city, you should accept the fact that automobiles shall rule the roads.

City bicycles are designed specifically for traveling within the city. These light weight bicycles come with different types of gears and safety options. The light weight of the bicycle and the multiple gears ensures that the riders can make good speed on the road. As long as you were fast enough, you will not find it difficult to drive on the busy roads. It is only when you become very slow and plod along that others find you to be a nuisance on the road. The safety features attached to these bikes ensure that your bike is never stolen.

Road Bikes
Road bikes are suitable for those who use bicycles for exercise and fitness. Of course, if you are a bicycle racer who takes part in professional races, you will have to go in for a completely different range of bicycles. The unique characteristic of these bikes is that they are very light and very fast. The bikes are designed for expert raiders, people who know how to handle bikes and tend to be pricey.

How to Choose the Right Bike For Your Activity

Mountain Bikes
If you love biking your way to the top of a hill, through the woods or forest trail then this is the perfect bike for you. These heavy duty bikes are designed to withstand the rough and difficult terrain of the mountains and the forests. If you love hiking, you can bring your mountain bike along to travel longer distances with ease.

Touring Bikes
If you love to travel and if you love to travel long distances on your bike, then the touring bicycle is for you. As the very phrase suggests, this bicycle is designed for long distance transportation. This bicycle has adequate space for a luggage as well. These low maintenance bikes will run for long distances without any maintenance hassles.

Folding Bikes
These bikes are designed for those who love biking but simply not have space to store them. On the road there is plenty of space on the road, however, there are no guarantees that there will be adequate space in your home or at your destination. With a cycle than can be folded, it will occupy less space and is perfect for those who want to travel to work on their bikes but cannot do so due to lack of space to park the bike.

How to Choose the Right Bike For Your Activity

Traditional Bikes
If your activities do not fit into any of these categories mentioned above, then you should opt for the traditional bicycle which is a regular bike designed for daily use. It is not as light as road bikes which are for racing not as sturdy as the mountain bikes that take a lot of punishment with a smile.

A Look At Some Of The More Common Mountain Bike Designs

Mountain bikes are designed for off-road riding. Whether made for racing or the more leisurely rider, there are four basic frame designs for mountain bikes: rigid, hard-tail, soft-tail, and full suspension.

The rigid (also commonly known as fully rigid) mountain bikes resemble a conventional sort of bike as you would imagine it. A rigid mountain bike has neither a rear suspension nor a front suspension. These used to be the most common kind of mountain bike but they are rapidly being replaced by the more comfortable models which feature some sort of suspension system. Fully rigid bikes tend to be lower-priced than models with a suspension. Many riders still prefer rigid bikes because it's what they're accustomed to, and the feel that the rigid design allows them greater control.

A Look At Some Of The More Common Mountain Bike Designs

Another common mountain bike design is the hard-tail. Hard-tail mountain bikes are so named because they have a conventional rear end without a suspension. Hard-tails differ from fully rigid bikes in that they have a front suspension. The hard-tail is perhaps the most popular mountain bike design. Many professional riders prefer the feel of a hard-tail and the comfort of a front suspension.

The next kind of mountain bike design is the soft-tail. As you probably guessed, soft-tails employ a rear suspension. Rear suspensions are a more recent innovation than front suspension due to the complexities of the design. Soft-tails are often more expensive than hard-tails, but they also tend to be more forgiving.

Finally there's the full suspension mountain bike. Bikes with this design feature both front and rear suspensions. These bikes are the latest mountain bike design. For a long time riders avoided full suspension bikes because they were heavy and they tended to sag in the middle like an old swayback horse. It took years for engineers and riders to perfect a viable, functional full suspension mountain bike. It was in the 1990's when these bikes finally reached a point where they were marketable.

In addition to the frame and suspension, there are other differences in mountain bike designs. One key area where bikes differ is the brakes. Mountain bikes either have some form of caliper brakes, which are the kind of brakes typically associated with bikes. This kind of brake squeezes the rims to slow and stop the bike. The other type of brake is the drum brake. Drum brakes on bikes are similar to the braking system on automobiles. Drum brakes are more expensive than caliper brakes but they're also easier to maintain. Mountain bike braking systems have even been made which utilize hydraulic power.

A Look At Some Of The More Common Mountain Bike Designs

Another area where you have some choice in mountain bike design is tire size. Mountain bike tires typically range in size from 24" to 29". Smaller tires are used when greater maneuverability is required as in stunt-riding and jumping. Larger tires are used when speed is the key.

As with any other important purchase, do your homework before buying a new mountain bike. Think about your needs and your budget. Mountain biking is a terrific past-time. It's a fun way to get some fresh air, enjoy the outdoors, and improve your health.

Buying a Bike That Fits a Woman

Buying a bicycle can be a challenge! This is particularly the case for women as the obvious physical differences between women and men can make it hard for women to find the ideal bike for them or the right fit in a male dominated bike world.

Buying a women's bike is definitely not as straightforward as buying a men's bike. This is largely because bike manufacturers have only recently woken up to the fact that men are not the only people who cycle.

We've spoken to the experts at Cyclefit and, in consultation with some of GGB's female friends, we have created the following guide of what to look for in a woman's bike and useful pointers on women's bike sizing. We hope it's helpful.

Get specific

Despite the fact that many women ride smaller versions of men's bikes the obvious (and not so obvious) physical differences between women and men mean that men's bike frames tend to be unsuitable for women. As a result, when you are buying a bike there are many advantages in looking at women-specific bikes.

Step through bikes were the original bikes designed for women back in the last century. However, now there are frames and bikes designed for women who want road bikes, mountain bikes, Dutch bikes or Mixte hybrid bikes.

Buying a Bike That Fits a Woman

Whatever style of women's bike you want, getting the right women's bike size and adjusting it to fit your physique is critical to the comfort and handling of the bike.

Basic physiology and impact on women's bikes

Bear with us, as we know we all come in different shapes and sizes but women generally have shorter upper bodies than men, with a shorter torso and shorter arms. Conversely, women have longer femurs (thigh bones) and longer legs than a man of the same height as well as wider hips. Women's hands and feet are also generally smaller than men's, while their shoulders are narrower.

One simple example of how this plays into comfort for a woman riding a bike is the saddle. Wider hips mean bigger sit bones. This requires a wider saddle on a women's bike than typically supplied on a man's bike. An illustration of this is the saddle sizes offered by Specialized. They tend to offer saddles in two sizes for men and women. Men get saddles of 130mm and 143mm. Women's saddles are 155mm and 175mm. (Of course, saddles can be easily changed, so, if you prefer to stick with your men's bike you may want to consider replacing the saddle).

Step-Through Frame Bikes/Hybrids

Bike fitting is less of an issue for step-through frame bikes because there is either no top tube or, in the case of a Mixte frame, the tube is heavily slanted. As the riding position on these bikes is upright the best fit is determined by the reach to the handlebars. The head tube on a step through frame tends to be quite long so to maintain an upright riding position.

When it comes to Mixte frames, the typical frame has road bike geometry. Road bike geometry on such frames can present a problem like toe overlap making tight turns trickier but are suitable for shorter women. A touring Mixte with its larger wheel base can overcome this problem, while on road bike Mixte frames look for a bike that has smaller 650 size wheels.

Road Bikes

A standard unisex road bike is built to fit a man. It may, in some circumstances, actually fit a woman well but generally it's not ideal. For example, the extended top tube length of unisex bikes means that women generally have to stretch to reach the handlebars. In addition, cranks tend to be too long and handlebars too wide.

Buying a Bike That Fits a Woman

As bike manufacturers have begun to recognise the demand for women's bikes they have started to build bikes with a geometry tailored to the female physique. A women's bike tends to have a more pronounced sloping top tube as well as being shorter in length across the top to give women a more comfortable and less extended reach to the handlebars.

However, shorter top tubes do present problems. On the smallest frames there is a risk of toe overlap(Thisis where your toe can hit the front wheel when you turn a bike at slow speeds), which no rider likes, according to Julian of UK specialist frame fitting company CycleFit. To deal with this, Julian tells us, manufacturers often steepen the seat tube to push the front wheel further away from the bottom bracket and create more clearance.

When buying a road specific women's bike, it's necessary to pay attention to the seat tube angle. This should be around 70°-73° (whereas men's bikes tend to be 72°-75°). This will result in the saddle being positioned behind the bottom bracket in order to accommodate women's proportionally longer legs and to make sure the rider has an optimum knee over pedal position for efficient pedalling.

It is also important to ensure there is a long enough head tube on a short top tube bike so that the drop between saddle and handlebars is comfortable.

Other changes that can be made to create the perfect fit for a women's bike are: shorter cranks (manufacturers generally offer a range between 165mm - 175mm), narrower handlebars (c380mm - 460mm) and shorter brake levers. A shorter handlebar stem (c70mm - 130mm) can also aid reach on a standard or a women's bike.

Mountain bikes

Fit issues encountered by women with mountain bikes are similar to those with a road bike setup. As a result of most bikes being designed with the male market in mind it is often necessary for the relevant contact points to be adjusted to fit a woman's physical differences.

The advice provided above for a road specific women's bike is relevant here. A wider saddle can be fitted, slimmer handlebar grips put on and narrower handlebars used.

The key feature of a specifically built women's mountain bike frame is a shorter top tube. Some bike manufacturers have designed curved top tubes on their bikes to aid standover height for women. As for any rider the springs on any part of the suspension for a mountain bike will need to be adjusted to take account of the weight of the rider.

Women's Bike Sizing

Our own bike frame size guide is simple to use and suggests bike frame sizes based upon your height. It is a good starting point if you are looking for help with women's bike sizing. You need to get a measuring tape and calculator to hand if you want to get more sophisticated with bike sizing.

For an accurate women's bike sizing measurement on a road bike, get your inseam leg measurement in centimetres and multiply it by 0.67. This will give you a recommended frame size in centimetres.

For an accurate women's bike sizing measurement on a mountain bike convert the inseam measurement from centimetres to inches and multiply by 0.67. This gives your frame size in inches.

Other things to note:

-Women's road bike sizes generally run a few sizes smaller than men's bikes, accommodating cyclists between 4'10 to 5'10 inches in height. Road frames range from 42cm to 57cm. When it comes to choosing the correct frame size for women's bike sizing, whether you choose a male bike or women's specific design, it's always good to do the standover test. Make sure there is at least a 1 inch clearance from your crotch over the top tube.

-Women's mountain bike frames range from 13 to 19 inches. When doing a standover test, you should have 3 to 4 inches clearance over a top tube.

-Step through frames are typically measured in inches as opposed to centimetres with sizes going up from 17 to 22 inches typically. A smaller frame isn't always necessary though with women's bike sizing on a step through frame. As a general guide, a 17'5 inch frame will fit a lady with a 24'5-28'5 inch inside leg measurement, a 20 inch frame will fit a lady with a 27-31'5 inch inside leg measurement and a 22 inch frame will fit a lady with a 30'5-38 inch inside leg measurement.

A Brief History of BMX Bikes

BMX (bicycle motocross) racing has come a long way since it was first conceptualized. In fact, the humble origins of the sport are often cited as stemming from the motocross documentary, On Any Sunday, which opened in 1971. The opening scenes of that movie followed kids on their Schwinn Sting-Ray bicycles riding dirt tracks and imitating motocross riders.

Of course, those scenes were based on something that was already taking place. Generally it is recognized that BMX as a sport found its footing in California. The bicycle races were predominantly composed of kids who had the desire to participate in motocross but could not afford it. Instead, these riders would groom their own dirt courses and use their bikes. Today's BMX racing tracks, with inline starts and expressive obstacles, trace back to this origin.

While ever since the invention of the bicycle there have been those who attempted innovations and tricks, most bikes up until this point were designed primarily as a means of transportation. Schwinn's Sting-Ray changed that. The Sting-Ray was released in 1963 at a time when custom cars and motorbikes were becoming popular. It was custom-built for riding off-road at high speeds and landing jumps. These bikes became popular fast, and quickly became one of the best-selling bikes in the country. Afterward, more manufacturers took note and began designing bicycles with similar custom features, such as twenty-inch wheels.

A Brief History of BMX Bikes

As custom bikes continued to grow in popularity and design evolution, riders continued to test the limits of what they could do. As this trend continued into the 1980s, BMX came to be about more than just racing. Riders began to perform skateboard-style tricks, and this is how the freestyle division of BMX was born. As a result, new bikes were designed to provide optimal conditions for performing increasingly difficult tricks.

By the 1990s, the sport was nearly ubiquitous. BMX was featured as a major part of the X-Games on ESPN. That trend has continued to the present day, where BMX racing is bigger than ever. The sport has grown to have its own international governing body, and BMX races took place as an Olympic sport for the first time in 2008.

Along with the sport, the bikes themselves have continued to evolve. Anyone interested in BMX biking today has a high and diverse number of bikes available. Which bike is best for you depends on how you plan to ride.

In essence, BMX bikes are simply a type of mountain bike designed to excel on off-road surfaces. These bikes feature 18- to 24-inch wheels and are designed to be lightweight and durable. Their design makes them particularly suited for racing and tricks.

There are actually three forms of BMX racing, with specially designed bikes in each category; namely, racing, freestyle and jumping bikes. Whether you want to race competitively or just have fun on homemade trails, these categories can still be helpful for determining which kind of bike is best for you.

Racing BMX designs are made specifically with the idea of speed in mind. They are composed of lightweight frames and feature customized tires designed to excel on off-road surfaces.

Freestyle bikes are very sturdy, with thick frames and pavement-ready BMX tires. These bikes are best for riding in skate parks, where you can learn and practice stunts and tricks.

Finally, jump bikes feature strong, sturdy frames, capable suspension systems and knobby tires. As the name suggests, they are meant to handle jumps comfortably, whether that be as part of a circuit or a homemade jump in the backyard. These bikes are also good on trails.

If you are just starting out riding off-road at high speeds, then you may want to start with a racing BMX, as these allow you to get out on the track and will have you learning the basics in no time. It is also never a bad idea to contact your local bike shop to get advice on which bike will work for your purposes and with your build.

In addition to these categories, bicycle customization is becoming more widely accessible. This allows you to tailor your bike to your specific racing and aesthetic desires. Whether you want a bike you can occasionally take off-road at high speeds, or you are looking to become a devoted BMX racer, today's BMX rider has more biking options available than ever before.

Bike Building - A Brief History of Bike Design and Innovation

Bike building history has a fair number of interesting details you might not expect. A gentleman named Baron von Drais crafted a wooden seat between two wheels in 1817 and started pushing himself around his gardens. So it began.

When you think of very old bikes the picture that probably comes to mind is of a very large front wheel with pedals attached. Interestingly, that was already a third or fourth generation of a design that started more like today's bike. The original design was two wheels of the same diameter and a seat in the middle. But that first iteration had no propulsion system beyond the Baron pushing his feet against the ground.

Bike Building - A Brief History of Bike Design and Innovation

From there, bikes went on to go from a wooden design to metal with pedals attached to the front wheel. The size of the front wheel grew as builders deduced that the larger wheels could propel you further per rotation. The big problem with this tall bike design was that with the rider so high that the center of gravity lent itself to sending the rider head first over the handlebars far too often.

While two wheel bikes were for the men, women were riding the more innovative design of the day. Tricycles were actually the first bikes to have innovative features like hand brakes, rack and pinion steering, and suspension systems to smooth the ride.

As metallurgy afforded builders with the strength to work up chains and sprockets, the innovations from the tricycle made their way into bicycle design and we started to see the bikes that are familiar to us today.

Another interesting fact is that kids bikes didn't come into production until after the first World War. The department store chains were the big dealers at this point with Sears and Montgomery Ward leading the way. The designs of this early period often had elements to make them look more like the cars and motorcycles of the day to appeal to kids. Those elements added a lot of weight but kids didn't mind as long as they looked cool.

Today, there are bikes for every niche market you can think of and the innovations are still coming. The round about history of bike building is still unfolding with innovations that are starting to link the rider to the bike with electronics usually reserved for motor vehicles. In fact, with the world becoming more conscious of the environment, small motors are in fact making their way into bikes.

Bike Building - A Brief History of Bike Design and Innovation

Tomorrows bike won't be untouched by the rise of computers, that much is certain. The science of propulsion and physics are benefiting from that rise as much as every other area of engineering so bikes will no doubt see more change to come.