Racing bicycle - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

A racing bicycle, also known as a road bike, is a bicycle

Bicycle

A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....

designed for competitive road cycling

Road bicycle racing

Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...

, a sport governed by according to the rules of the Union Cycliste Internationale

Union Cycliste Internationale

Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....

(UCI). The UCI rules were altered in 1934 to exclude recumbent bicycle

Recumbent bicycle

A recumbent bicycle is a bicycle that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position. Most recumbent riders choose this type of design for ergonomic reasons; the rider's weight is distributed comfortably over a larger area, supported by back and buttocks...

s.

The most important characteristics about a racing bicycle are its weight and stiffness

Stiffness

Stiffness is the resistance of an elastic body to deformation by an applied force along a given degree of freedom when a set of loading points and boundary conditions are prescribed on the elastic body.-Calculations:...

which determine the efficiency at which the power from a rider's pedal strokes can be transferred to the drive-train and subsequently to its wheels. To this effect racing bicycles may sacrifice comfort for speed. The drop handlebars are positioned lower than the saddle

Saddle

A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...

in order to put the rider in a more aerodynamic posture. The front and back wheels are close together so the bicycle has quick handling. The derailleur gear ratios are closely spaced so that the rider can pedal at his or her optimum cadence

Cadence (cycling)

In cycling, cadence is the number of revolutions of the crank per minute; roughly speaking, this is the rate at which a cyclist is pedalling/turning the pedals...

. Other racing bicycles, especially those used in time trialling

Individual time trial

An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...

prioritize aerodynamics over comfort.

Distinction between racing bicycles and others

Bicycles for racing on velodrome

Velodrome

A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...

s are track bicycle

Track bicycle

A track bicycle or track bike is a bicycle optimized for racing at a velodrome or outdoor track. Unlike road bicycles, the track bike is a fixed-gear bicycle and so has a single gear and neither freewheel nor brakes. Tires are narrow and inflated to high pressure to reduce rolling resistance...

s; bicycles for racing offroad are mountain bicycles, cyclo-cross bicycle

Cyclo-cross bicycle

A cyclo-cross bicycle is a bicycle specifically designed for the rigors of a cyclo-cross race. Cyclo-cross bicycles roughly resemble the racing bicycles used in road racing...

s or cycle speedway

Cycle speedway

Cycle speedway is a form of bicycle racing on short oval dirt tracks, usually outdoors, occasionally indoors, typically 70-90 metres long. Like motorcycle speedway, riders use machines without brakes or multiple gears but, unlike motor speedway, the object is not to slide bikes round the...

bicycles; bicycles that race according to the rules of the International Human Powered Vehicle Association

International Human Powered Vehicle Association

The International Human Powered Vehicle Association is dedicated to promoting the design and development of human powered vehicles.- History :...

include faired recumbent bicycle

Recumbent bicycle

s which, on flat ground, are the fastest bicycles in the world. Recumbents were excluded from the UCI definition of a bicycle on 1 April 1934.

Time trial bicycle

Time trial bicycle

A time trial bicycle is a racing bicycle designed for use in an individual or team time trials raced on roads. Special time trial bikes also exist for use in a velodrome....

s are a subset of racing bicycles that are designed for time trial

Time trial

In many racing sports an athlete will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. In cycling, for example, a time trial can be a single track cycling event, or an individual or team time trial on the road, and either or both of the latter may form components of...

events. The UCI rules for these bikes are slightly less prescriptive than those for "massed start road races". (See rules 1.3.020 to 1.3.023)

Triathlon

Triathlon

A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...

bicycles are governed by International Triathlon Union

International Triathlon Union

The International Triathlon Union or ITU is the international governing body for the multi-sport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and other nonstandard variations...

(ITU) rules, which allow more recent technological developments than do the UCI rules.

Racing wheels and tires

The wheels

Bicycle wheel

A bicycle wheel is a wheel, most commonly a wire wheel, designed for bicycle. A pair is often called a wheelset, especially in the context of ready built "off the shelf" performance-oriented wheels....

greatly affect the performance

Bicycle performance

A bicycle's performance, in both biological and mechanical terms, is extraordinarily efficient. In terms of the amount of energy a person must expend to travel a given distance, investigators have calculated it to be the most efficient self-powered means of transportation...

of a racing bike. The rim of the wheel can be shaped for greater aerodynamic efficiency making a triangular cross-section to form a teardrop with the tire

Bicycle tire

A bicycle tire is a tire that fits on the wheel of a bicycle, unicycle, tricycle, quadracycle, bicycle trailer, or trailer bike. They may also be used on wheelchairs and handcycles, especially for racing...

. For hill climbs, however, energy losses due to the higher weight of most aerodynamic rims are greater than the aerodynamic drag reduction that they offer, so a traditional lighter box-sectioned rim is often used.

Wheel moment of inertia

Moment of inertia

In classical mechanics, moment of inertia, also called mass moment of inertia, rotational inertia, polar moment of inertia of mass, or the angular mass, is a measure of an object's resistance to changes to its rotation. It is the inertia of a rotating body with respect to its rotation...

is a controversial subject. In this article: wheel theory, the author does some calculations on wheel effects. Moment of inertia changes result in a decrease in watts of between .004 and .022%, while lower mass provided between .2 and .46%, and better aerodynamics provided between .6 and 1.8% decrease in wattage. Therefore, wheel moment of inertia effects are neither noticeable nor important. At the same time, a product launched in 2008 to dynamically alter the rotating inertia of bicycle wheels claims to have "outperformed the standard, equivalent wheel by 5.6sec/mile."

For aerodynamics and rotating weight, it is generally better to reduce the number of spoke

Spoke

A spoke is one of some number of rods radiating from the center of a wheel , connecting the hub with the round traction surface....

s in the wheel. For high-end wheelsets, the spokes can be shaped to have a bladed cross-section, further reducing wind resistance.

The most common material for a wheel rim is aluminum

Aluminium

Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....

alloy, with molded carbon fiber rims being a popular choice for pro-level racers and enthusiasts due to its weight reduction compared to a metal rim. Using exotic materials, race-grade wheelsets are very expensive. Riders who race often choose to own at least two pairs of wheels: a heavier, more durable, and cheaper wheelset for training, and a lighter, more aerodynamic wheelset for racing.

To reduce both air resistance and rolling resistance

Rolling resistance

Rolling resistance, sometimes called rolling friction or rolling drag, is the resistance that occurs when a round object such as a ball or tire rolls on a flat surface, in steady velocity straight line motion. It is caused mainly by the deformation of the object, the deformation of the surface, or...

on the road, tires are lightweight, narrow, and have a thin, smooth tread. They are inflated to a high pressure, typically around 8 bar

Bar (unit)

The bar is a unit of pressure equal to 100 kilopascals, and roughly equal to the atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea level. Other units derived from the bar are the megabar , kilobar , decibar , centibar , and millibar...

(820kPa

KPA

KPA may refer to:* Kenya Ports Authority* Kiln phosphoric acid, a dry process to produce phosphoric acid at high temperature in a kiln* Kilopascal , a unit of pressure* Known-plaintext attack, a method of cryptanalysis* Korean People's Army...

/120psi); track racing tires can be inflated up to circa 14 bar. Until recently, most racing bikes used tubular tires which have no beads: they are sewn around the tube and glued to the rim. These tires provide an advantage in weight (lacking the relatively heavy wire bead), rolling resistance, grip and pinch flat protection, but their greatest advantage lies in the ability to use a very lightweight simple box-section rim, rather than the U-shaped clincher rim. A U-shaped clincher rim must be made of relatively heavier gauge material to prevent the tire pressure from spreading the inherently weak U shape and allowing the tire to come off the rim. Advances in tire technology, however, have seen the far more practical (due to greater ease of changeability) clincher (beaded) tire close the gap. Some manufacturers create tubular-clincher tires, where the tires are sewn around the tubes and have a bead, but there is some debate as to the effectiveness of a tubular-clincher tire. Proponents believe that it has all the advantages of a tubular tire made to fit a clincher rim, but critics argue that the design includes disadvantages inherent to both systems---the rim weight is still high, the tire is more expensive than a standard clincher tire, and repairing a puncture on a tubular clincher is as inconvenient as it is with a standard tubular tire. However, a particular benefit of the tubular-clincher design is that the risk of pinch flats is very low (like the tubular tire), yet it allows the use of the more popular clincher wheel.

Racing components

Race bike components are collectively referred to as the groupset

Groupset

A groupset or gruppo is a bicycle component manufacturer's organized collection of mechanical parts...

. The quality of the groupset determines how refined the bike feels, how much maintenance it requires, and contributes to the performance of the bike. The three major groupset manufacturers of complete groupsets for racing bicycles are Shimano

Shimano

Shimano, Inc. is a Japanese multinational manufacturer of cycling components, fishing tackle, and rowing equipment.In 2005, the company had net sales of US $1.4 billion. Bicycle components provided 75% of its sales income...

, SRAM, and Campagnolo

Campagnolo

Campagnolo is an Italian manufacturer of high-end bicycle components with headquarters in Vicenza, Italy. The components are organised as groupsets and are a near-complete collection of a bicycle's mechanical parts. Campagnolo's flagship components are the Super Record, Record, and Chorus...

. Some companies only produce specific components of the groupset, such as Full Speed Ahead (often abbreviated to FSA). The companies have different design philosophies, and some cyclists have great brand loyalty for one or the other.
In the early 1990s, Shimano

Shimano

introduced dual-control with a system called Shimano Total Integration

Shimano Total Integration

Shimano Total Integration is a gearshift system designed by Shimano for racing bicycles. It combines the braking and gear shifting controls into the same component. This allows shifting gears without having to remove a hand from the bars, unlike previous down tube shifting systems...

(STI). STI is characterized by its combined brake and shift levers

Shifter (bicycle part)

A bicycle shifter or gear control or gear levers is a component used to control the gearing mechanisms and select the desired gear ratio. Typically, they operate either a derailleur mechanism or an internal hub gear mechanism. In either case, the control is operated by moving a cable that connects...

, or "brifters". Previously, the shifters were mounted on the stem, handlebar ends or the down tube of the frame. Dual control addressed the problem of having to reposition a hand to change gears. STI was followed by the competing Campagnolo

Campagnolo

/Sachs Ergolever. SRAM uses a technology known as Double Tap

SRAM Double Tap

SRAM Double Tap is an integrated gearshift and brake lever system designed by SRAM Corporation for racing bicycles. It allows shifting gears without having to remove a hand from the bars, unlike previous down tube shifting systems. It was launched in late 2005 to compete with Shimano Total...

for their integrated shifter/brake lever. Other than this, the general design of a racing bicycle has changed little since the development of derailleurs.

The road groupset levels that these companies offer are as follows, from highest to lowest level. The number in the brackets indicates the number of cogs on the freewheel.
Shimano: Dura-Ace (10s), Ultegra SL (10s), Ultegra (10s), 105 (10s), Tiagra (9s), SORA (9s), 2300 (8s).
Campagnolo: Super Record (11s), Record (11s), Chorus (11s), Athena (11s), Centaur (10s), Veloce (10s), Mirage (10s), Xenon (10s).
SRAM: Red (10s), Force (10s), Rival (10s), Apex(10s).

In the mid 1990s Mavic

Mavic

Mavic is a French bicycle parts manufacturer, its name an acronym for Manufacture d'Articles Vélocipédiques Idoux et Chanel, founded by Charles Idoux and Lucien Chanel. The company is noted as a manufacturer of bicycle wheels. Mavic is based in Annecy, France...

, known for their wheelsets, introduced an electronic shifting system

Electronic gear-shifting system

An electronic gear-shifting system is a method of changing gears on a bicycle, which enables riders to shift with electronic switches instead of using conventional control levers. The switches are connected by wire or wirelessly to a battery pack and to a small electric motor that drives the...

which was pioneered in the Tour de France

Tour de France

The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...

by American Greg LeMond

Greg LeMond

Gregory James LeMond is a former professional road bicycle racer from the United States and a three-time winner of the Tour de France. He was born in Lakewood, California and raised in Reno, Nevada....

and later on by Briton Chris Boardman

Chris Boardman

Christopher "Chris" Boardman MBE is a former English racing cyclist who won an individual pursuit gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and broke the world hour record three times, as well as winning three stages and wearing the yellow jersey on three separate occasions at the Tour de France...

, who liked the fact that the system allowed him to shift from his aerobars and his brake levers. The system did not catch on due to technological hurdles.

In early March 2006, some pro riders were seen riding with Shimano electronic shifting groupsets; further testing in the pro-ranks continued during the next 2 years. In late 2009, Shimano released their electronically shifted Dura-Ace Di2 groupset, consisting of battery powered, servo actuated front and rear derailleurs controlled by electronic bar-end or brake lever integrated shifting paddles. Other components such as the crankset and brakeset are carryovers from the standard Dura-Ace 7900 group.

Recently in 2010, Campagnolo officially announced the finalization of their yet to be named electronic shifting groupset. Unveiled as part of the new Pinarello Dogma Giro d'Italia road bike, the new electronic groupset appears to be similar in structure to Shimano's Dura Ace Di2 groupset in that it combines existing top of the line 11 speed Super Record parts such as the crankset and brakeset with new battery powered, servo actuated front and rear derailleurs controlled wirelessly by an electronic Ergopower styled brake lever/shifter. No specific details about the operation, performance or pricing of the groupset have been released, but Campagnolo did announce that the Spanish Movistar cycling team will be the first professional team to use their electronic gear system in 2011.

Carbon fiber has also become more popular for components. Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM have introduced carbon fiber for their high-end shifters and brake levers, cranks, and parts of their derailleurs. Carbon fiber stems, handlebars, shoe soles, forks and seatposts are also more commonplace, including integrated stem/handlebar combinations. The advantages of carbon fiber are low weight as well as increased vibration damping leading to a more comfortable ride.

Other uses

For recreational road cycling, the racing-style bicycles with drop handlebars used to be the norm in the 80s, along with the touring bicycle
Touring bicycle
A touring bicycle is a bicycle designed or modified to handle bicycle touring. To make the bikes sufficiently robust, comfortable and capable of carrying heavy loads, special features may include a long wheelbase , frame materials that favor flexibility over rigidity , heavy duty wheels , and...

, (a drop-handlebar bike with a slightly longer wheelbase to provide a smoother ride and less sensitivity to steer and balance disturbances). These designs, called "road bikes" or colloquially, "roadies" or "racing bikes", have become less popular in recent years. The Mountain bike

Mountain bike

A mountain bike or mountain bicycle is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines,...

geometry with its straight handle bar and comfortable sitting position (resembling the city bike), have moved into the high-performance spaces, and high production volumes have brought down costs significantly.

Owing to the lower air resistance and better body stance for pushing, road bicycles tend to be more efficient for use on smooth roads. Cyclo-cross bicycle

Cyclo-cross bicycle

A cyclo-cross bicycle is a bicycle specifically designed for the rigors of a cyclo-cross race. Cyclo-cross bicycles roughly resemble the racing bicycles used in road racing...

s, which are used for racing on off-road circuits, are closer to racing bikes than to mountain bikes. They have wider, treaded tires and cantilever brakes instead of caliper brakes but are still less efficient than racing bikes at higher speeds.

UCI rules

The UCI rules currently specify that a racing bicycle have the following characteristics, :

be a vehicle with a front wheel steered by a handlebar
Bicycle handlebar
Bicycle handlebar or often bicycle handlebars refers to the steering mechanism for bicycles; the equivalent of a steering wheel. Besides steering, handlebars also often support a portion of the rider's weight, depending on their riding position, and provide a convenient mounting place for brake...

and a rear wheel driven by a system comprising pedals
Bicycle pedal
A bicycle pedal is the part of a bicycle that the rider pushes with their foot to propel the bicycle. It provides the connection between the cyclist's foot or shoe and the crank allowing the leg to turn the bottom bracket spindle and propel the bicycle's wheels...

and a chain
Bicycle chain
A bicycle chain is a roller chain that transfers power from the pedals to the drive-wheel of a bicycle, thus propelling it. Most bicycle chains are made from plain carbon or alloy steel, but some are nickel-plated to prevent rust, or simply for aesthetics. Nickel also confers a measure of...

by the legs moving in a circular movement
that the only points of support are the following: the feet on the pedals, the hands on the handlebars and the seat on the saddle
wheels must be of equal diameter, between 70 cm and 55 cm, and must have minimum 12 spokes; spokes can be round, flattened or oval, as far as no dimension of their sections exceeds 10 mm
maximum length 185 cm
maximum width 50 cm
the peak of the saddle must be at least 5 cm behind a vertical plane passing through the bottom bracket
Bottom bracket
The bottom bracket on a bicycle connects the crankset to the bicycle and allows the crankset to rotate freely. It contains a spindle that the crankset attaches to, and the bearings that allow the spindle and cranks to rotate. The chainrings and pedals attach to the cranks...

spindle
the saddle must be between 24 cm and 30 cm in length
the distance between the bottom bracket spindle and the ground must be between 24 cm and 30 cm
the distance between the vertical passing through the lower bracket spindle and the front wheel spindle must be between 54 cm and 65 cm
the distance between the vertical passing through the bottom bracket spindle and the rear wheel spindle must be between 35 cm and 50 cm
the maximum internal distance between the front fork
Bicycle fork
A bicycle fork is the portion of a bicycle that holds the front wheel and allows the rider to steer and balance the bicycle. A fork consists of two fork ends which hold the front wheel axle, two blades which join at a fork crown, and a steerer or steering tube to which the handlebars attach ...

ends is 10.5 cm, and of the rear stays 13.5 cm
minimum mass 6.8 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...

(14.99 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...

)
frame
Bicycle frame
A bicycle frame is the main component of a bicycle, on to which wheels and other components are fitted. The modern and most common frame design for an upright bicycle is based on the safety bicycle, and consists of two triangles, a main triangle and a paired rear triangle...

must be built around a main triangle, constructed of tubular elements (that may have non-circular cross-sections) such that the form of each encloses a straight line
The maximum height of the frame elements shall be 8 cm and the minimum thickness 2.5 cm. The minimum thickness shall be reduced to 1 cm for the chain stays and the seat stays. The minimum thickness of the elements of the front fork shall be 1 cm; these may be straight or curved. The top tube may slope, provided that this element fits within a horizontal template defined by a maximum height of 16 cm and a minimum thickness of 2.5 cm

Note that the regulations regarding the dimensions of the bike are allowed exception, given that the rider can demonstrate a morphological need for the exception based on limb size or other factors.

These rules effectively and purposely rule out recumbent bicycle

Recumbent bicycle

s, and have done so since 1934, after manufacturers of upright bicycles had lobbied to have recumbent bicycles out-lawed.

Racing bicycles for non-competitive use

Racing bicycles are built for casual recreational use, often labelled as "sportif" bicycles or "dropped-bar fitness bikes". These have much in common with a competitive racing bicycle, but the frame geometry is relaxed to make the bicycle more comfortable over long distances, though less effective for short bursts of speed; as such, they usually have more gear combinations and fewer hi-tech racing features.

Distinction between racing bicycles and others

Racing wheels and tires

Racing components

Other uses

UCI rules

Racing bicycles for non-competitive use

See also