Tour Details 
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| The Hub | |
| Roseville, California 95678 | |
| Details: The Hub is a place where people walk in for bike stuff and end up sharing their stories and getting some in return. It's a place where people have rekindled the desire to communicate and linger around to share a beer or some jokes, some good tunes or some war stories. It's a place where you can find your favorite bike goodies along with some of your favorite people. It's a place were burritos are always welcomed and coffee lines our showcases. You can hear people talk of politics, spirituality and races in the same breath. You'll see congressman, Cat1 racers and at-home moms on the same group ride and you can always count on knowing who's winning what race or what so and so's goals are for this year along with the latest doping scandal that we all mourn over and pray that one day racing will be about what we all want it to be about...riding. The kind of riding that takes you suddenly into the zone where no one is faster than you and nothing can stop you. You're in that place where time ceases and everything becomes one; your bike feels like a part of your mind, body and soul and your connected to that winding single track in a way that makes the world seem small and peaceful. It reminds you that life isn't worth living if you're not having a good time and you suddenly want to be around all your friends that understand that feeling of belonging, being understood, being accepted. It's a place to let your guard down and relax and let the latest ride reports file in while your mechanic works his magic on your favorite machine. It's a home away from home. Dreams grow here. Shimano's electronic road racing components DURA-ACE with Di2 technology (Digital Integrated Intelligence) have been rewarded with the iF Product Design Award 2009. This contest is one of the worlds' leading design competitions, organized by the International Forum Design in Hannover (Germany), with a history of over 50 years. This year 2.808 products from 39 countries were judged by renowned experts. The DURA-ACE Di2 (7970 series) was awarded in the category Leisure/Lifestyle,based upon its innovation, functionality and design level. DURA-ACE 7970 series will be available in the market from spring 2009. The awarded DURA-ACE components will be presented at the iF design exhibition 2009 that will open its doors on March 3rd at the Hannover Exhibition Centre. The exhibition will run until August and expected are around 300.000 international visitors. Revolutionary electronic shifting system for road racing bicycles DURA-ACE 7970 series consists of Dual Control Levers, electronically operated front and rear derailleurs and a battery kit. The other components, like crankset, cassette sprocket, chain and brakes, are equal to those of the new mechanical DURA-ACE 7900 series. The advantages are clear immediately for everybody who rides a bike with Dura-Ace Di2 for the first time: Shifting becomes so much easier and effortless, just tipping a shift button is sufficient to move the chain to the requested sprocket or chainring. Biggest improvement is shifting the front derailleur. No more power is needed to move the shifting lever. Just push the button and it works, even under high load. The shift action is also faster since there is no delay due to mechanical friction. Other advantages of using electronics: no more contaminated or stretched cables. Input is output. No matter if the system is new or has been used for a few years, the function will always be the same. Push the button and it works. Every time and in all circumstances. The components have already proven their capabilities in competition by top professional cyclists. When shifting the rear derailleur, the front derailleur automatically adjusts itself which eliminates the need to trim for once and for all. Further benefits can be found in electronic shifters especially for time trial and triathlon usage. These products eliminate the need to change hand position for shifting. The rider is able to change gears at the base-bar as well as at the bar extensions. The result is saving time and a better concentration on the ride. ___TYPES OF BICYCLES____ Bicycles can be categorized in different ways: e.g. by function, by number of riders, by general construction, by gearing or by means of propulsion. The more common types include utility bicycles, mountain bicycles, racing bicycles, touring bicycles, hybrid bicycles, cruiser bicycles, and BMX bicycles. Less common are tandems, lowriders, tall bikes, fixed gear (fixed-wheel), folding models and recumbents (one of which was used to set the IHPVA Hour record). Unicycles, tricycles and quadracycles are not strictly bicycles, as they have respectively one, three and four wheels, but are often referred to informally as "bikes". The great majority of today's bicycles have a frame with upright seating which looks much like the first chain-driven bike. Such upright bicycles almost always feature the diamond frame, a truss consisting of two triangles: the front triangle and the rear triangle. The front triangle consists of the head tube, top tube, down tube and seat tube. The head tube contains the headset, the set of bearings that allows the fork to turn smoothly for steering and balance. The top tube connects the head tube to the seat tube at the top, and the down tube connects the head tube to the bottom bracket. The rear triangle consists of the seat tube and paired chain stays and seat stays. The chain stays run parallel to the chain, connecting the bottom bracket to the rear dropouts. The seat stays connect the top of the seat tube (at or near the same point as the top tube) to the rear dropouts. A Triumph with a step-through frame.Historically, women's bicycle frames had a top tube that connected in the middle of the seat tube instead of the top, resulting in a lower standover height at the expense of compromised structural integrity, since this places a strong bending load in the seat tube, and bicycle frame members are typically weak in bending. This design, referred to as a step-through frame, allows the rider to mount and dismount in a dignified way while wearing a skirt or dress. While some women's bicycles continue to use this frame style, there is also a variation, the mixte, which splits the top tube into two small top tubes that bypass the seat tube and connect to the rear dropouts. The ease of stepping through is also appreciated by those with limited flexibility or other joint problems. Because of its persistent image as a "women's" bicycle, step-through frames are not common for larger frames. Another style is the recumbent bicycle. These are inherently more aerodynamic than upright versions, as the rider may lean back onto a support and operate pedals that are on about the same level as the seat. The world's fastest bicycle is a recumbent bicycle but this type was banned from competition in 1934 by the Union Cycliste Internationale. Historically, materials used in bicycles have followed a similar pattern as in aircraft, the goal being high strength and low weight. Since the late 1930s alloy steels have been used for frame and fork tubes in higher quality machines. Celluloid found application in mudguards, and aluminum alloys are increasingly used in components such as handlebars, seat post, and brake levers. In the 1980s aluminum alloy frames became popular, and their affordability now makes them common. More expensive carbon fiber and titanium frames are now also available, as well as advanced steel alloys and even bamboo. Drivetrain and gearing A set of rear sprockets (also known as a cassette) and a derailleurFor more details on this topic, see bicycle gearing. Since cyclists' legs are most efficient over a narrow range of pedalling speeds (cadence), a variable gear ratio helps a cyclist to maintain an optimum pedalling speed while covering varied terrain. As a first approximation, utility bicycles often use a hub gear with a small number (3 to 5) of widely-spaced gears, road bicycles and racing bicycles use derailleur gears with a moderate number (10 to 22) of closely-spaced gears, while mountain bicycles, hybrid bicycles, and touring bicycles use dérailleur gears with a larger number (15 to 30) of moderately-spaced gears, often including an extremely low gear (granny gear) for climbing steep hills. Different gears and ranges of gears are appropriate for different people and styles of cycling. Multi-speed bicycles allow gear selection to suit the circumstances, e.g. it may be comfortable to use a high gear when cycling downhill, a medium gear when cycling on a flat road, and a low gear when cycling uphill. In a lower gear every turn of the pedals leads to fewer rotations of the rear wheel. This allows the energy required to move the same distance to be distributed over more pedal turns, reducing fatigue when riding uphill, with a heavy load, or against strong winds. A higher gear allows a cyclist to make fewer pedal cycles to maintain a given speed, but with more effort per turn of the pedals. The drivetrain begins with pedals which rotate the cranks, which are held in axis by the bottom bracket. Most bicycles use a chain to transmit power to the rear wheel. A relatively small number of bicycles use a shaft drive to transmit power. A very small number of bicycles (mainly single-speed bicycles intended for short-distance commuting) use a belt drive as an oil-free way of transmitting power. A bicycle with shaft drive instead of a chainWith a chain drive transmission, a chainring attached to a crank drives the chain, which in turn rotates the rear wheel via the rear sprocket(s) (cassette or freewheel). There are four gearing options: two-speed hub gear integrated with chain ring, up to 3 chain rings, up to 11 sprockets, hub gear built in to rear wheel (3-speed to 14-speed). The most common options are either a rear hub or multiple chain rings combined with multiple sprockets (other combinations of options are possible but less common). With a shaft drive transmission, a gear set at the bottom bracket turns the shaft, which then turns the rear wheel via a gear set connected to the wheel's hub. There is some small loss of efficiency due to the two gear sets needed. The only gearing option with a shaft drive is to use a hub gear. Steering and seating Conventional dropdown handlebars with added aerobarsThe handlebars turn the fork and the front wheel via the stem, which rotates within the headset. Three styles of handlebar are common. Upright handlebars, the norm in Europe and elsewhere until the 1970s, curve gently back toward the rider, offering a natural grip and comfortable upright position. Drop handlebars "drop" as they curve forward and down, offering the cyclist best braking power from a more aerodynamic "crouched" position, as well as more upright positions in which the hands grip the brake lever mounts, the forward curves, or the upper flat sections for increasingly upright postures. Mountain bikes generally feature a 'straight handlebar' or 'riser bar' with varying degrees of sweep backwards and centimeters rise upwards, as well as wider widths which can provide better handling due to increased leverage against the wheel. A Selle San Marco saddle designed for womenSaddles also vary with rider preference, from the cushioned ones favored by short-distance riders to narrower saddles which allow more room for leg swings. Comfort depends on riding position. With comfort bikes and hybrids the cyclist sits high over the seat, their weight directed down onto the saddle, such that a wider and more cushioned saddle is preferable. For racing bikes where the rider is bent over, weight is more evenly distributed between the handlebars and saddle, the hips are flexed, and a narrower and harder saddle is more efficient. Differing saddle designs exist for male and female cyclists, accommodating the genders' differing anatomies, although bikes typically are sold with saddles most appropriate for men. A recumbent bicycle has a reclined chair-like seat that some riders find more comfortable than a saddle, especially riders who suffer from certain types of seat, back, neck, shoulder, or wrist pain. Recumbent bicycles may have either under-seat or over-seat steering. Brakes Main article: Bicycle brake systems Linear-pull brake on rear wheel of a mountain bikeModern bicycle brakes may be rim brakes, in which friction pads are compressed against the wheel rims, internal hub brakes, in which the friction pads are contained within the wheel hubs, disc brakes, with a separate rotor for braking. Disc brakes are more common on off-road bicycles, tandems and recumbent bicycles than on road-specific bicycles. A front disc brake, mounted to the fork and hubWith hand-operated brakes, force is applied to brake levers mounted on the handlebars and transmitted via Bowden cables or hydraulic lines to the friction pads. A rear hub brake may be either hand-operated or pedal-actuated, as in the back pedal coaster brakes which were popular in North America until the 1960s, and are still common in children's bicycles. Track bicycles do not have dedicated brakes. Brakes are not required for riding on a track because all riders ride in the same direction around a track which does not necessitate sharp deceleration. Track riders are still able to slow down because all track bicycles are fixed-gear, meaning that there is no freewheel. Without a freewheel, coasting is impossible, so when the rear wheel is moving, the crank is moving. To slow down, the rider applies resistance to the pedals this acts as a braking system which can be as effective as a friction-based rear wheel brake, but not as effective as a front wheel brake. |
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| Last Tour Update: May 18, 2012 |
