Road Riding

Was your ideal ride on the pavement?

The range of bikes which are primarily built for road riding is broad. It includes everything from purpose built racing bikes that wouldn’t be out of place at the Tour de France, to practical commute bikes with more upright seating positions for comfort, extra gears to help on the climbs, and places to store your lunch and clean clothes for the end of the ride. We’ve listed the primary types of road bikes below, from fastest and most single-minded to the most relaxed and casual methods of transportation.

Racing:
Modern road racing bikes are the greyhounds of the bike family. Light, lean and built for speed above all, the modern road bike is a marvel of materials, engineering and efficiency. Most race bikes are made from aluminum, carbon fibre or some combination of both materials and translate every pedal stroke into speed.

Road Bikes are generally available in more sizes than mountain bikes, so taking the time to get fitted properly on a road bike is vitally important. If you’re planning to spend a lot of time in the mountains and foothills that are close to Calgary, you might think about opting for a road bike with three front chainrings to provide some easier climbing gears.  

Triathlon:
The Triathlon bike is a very specific type of road bike. While many first-time and novice triathletes just put aero bars onto a regular road bike, committed triathletes often commit to a dedicated triathlon bike which is built with aerodynamics as a top priority. This means things like putting the water bottles behind the saddle and out of the wind and special bars to allow the rider to tuck into the most efficient position.

Touring:
Touring bikes combine the smooth rolling efficiency of a road bike with fenders, racks and panniers so that the tourist can stow enough gear for the full length of the trip. Touring bikes almost always have an extra front chainring to provide easier gears for riding longs climbs when fully loaded. Likewise, they are built for more stable handling and slower steering so that they don’t require constant corrections.

A fully loaded bike tourist will often carry 30 kilos or more of gear, so Touring bikes are built a little more sturdily to cope with extra loads and rough roads. 

Commuting/City Riding
If your commute is short or you rarely use a bike to get around town, almost any bike will do the job--many people jump on cruisers or BMX bikes, while others happily pedal their mountain or race bikes to the job. However, if you use a bike as primary transportation or you’re riding a reasonable distance to work, it’s definitely worth looking at dedicated city riding bike.

The addition of fenders will keep you much drier in bad weather, while the upright seating position will allow you to see and be seen much easier. A rack and pannier will save you from always riding with a pack and the sturdier wheels, tyres and frame will take the pounding of city streets.

Cruisers
There really is no more stylish way to get around than on a cruiser. The laid back seating position encourages a relaxed approach to urban transportation, and it’s hard to find a better conversation starter than a sweet cruiser. The range of cruisers goes all the way from multi-speed bikes with motorcycle style to classic one-speed coaster brake beach specials.