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| Consultings of Bernard |
| Ten consultings before acquiring a bicycle |
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1) The choice of the frameWhich material ?Steel:Steel is often choosen in making milddle-of-the-range and top-of-the-range frames. Steel is a traditional material which always evolved during time. You will be able to notice this evolving with the Italian giant "Colombus" or others well-known manufacturers of pipes like "Reynolds", "Dedicai". The purchaser is sure to find the elements necessary to the manufacture of a resistant, rigid and even light frame if his wallet is well furnished. (Avoid the bottom-of-the-range). Another advantage of steel is well to age like being easily reparable...Average price of a framework: from 380 euros to 1300 euros (even more...) NB: Think of checking that the twelve pipes are same steel. It frequently happens that only the 3 principal pipes are made of a " noble " steel and others out of bad quality steel. Aluminium:Aluminium is another fashonable material this past few years. It has been formely put aside because of its lack of rigidity and its doubtful reliability. But, aluminiium became an extremely interesting choice, erasing its defects. Indeed, the longevity of the frame "aluminium" became noticable and if the frame "low price" can be always a little too flexible for a use in race, those built in "Aletc 2 plus" equal easily steel or carbon frame. Also, we can notice that many candidates choose "aluminium" because of its interesting weight (some frame weight around 1 kg without the fork).Average price : from 450 euros to 1250 euros. Carbon:Contrary the aluminium, carbon has been less fashonable this past few years. The principal reason is that there was such a passion for composite materials at the begining of the nineties that manufacturers started producing bicycles with doubtful design and especially catastrophic reliability.However, some manufacturers ("Look" for exemple) continue to offer solid and well thought frame. But, carbon is a specialized choice which can be disadvised to the cyclotourist ot those which have a bad abck. If not, carbon appears like a fantastic material by its qualities of rigidity and lightness. Average price : from 610 euros to 1370 euros. Which size 1 The fame The size of a frame corresponds to the lenght of the vertical pipe.
We speak about size between-axis when measurement is taken between the
axis of the pedal and the intersection between the center of the horizontal
and vertical pipes.
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2 The wheelsWheels are a fundamental element of a bycicle. Their choice don't allows the mediocrity. You don't need to make a very heavy investment (150 euros is more than enought), but avoid bad hubs and rims.Bycicle equiped with middle-of-the-range wheels (Shimano 105 or Campagnolo for exemple) have already a satisfactory quality. The purchaser will have leisure, to consult the catalog of manufacturers as well-known as Mavic, and to choose products such as light or rigid and shaped wheels for speed's amateurs...
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3 The Handle-derailleur gearThe derailleur of the frame have become completely obsolete. At first, you will have to choose a system of handles (at Shimano or Campagnolo) then the adequate derailleur.By this choice, you will be at the time of the debriefing of Sunday morning, a member of the Shimano club or Campagnolo clan. The handles of the middle-of the-range allow to use the 9 gears (10 for Campagnolo receod) with already a lot of precision and ease.
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4 The bottom bracketThe sporting user will be satisfied with two plates. On the other hand, for the more peaceful user or in mountainous areas, triple plate will save you delicate situations. The length of the cranks is also significant and the cyclist whose size borders 1.80 m will préfèrera cranks of 175 mm (standard size 170 mm) which will bring an addition of power to him.
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5 the saddleFrom a hundred francs, completely correct products are on sale. The hiker or the amateur of long-haul will choose a model furnished with freezing or other damping matter while the sportsman will be also surprised by the comfort of certain models however superlight (avoid carbon!!!).
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6 The handle barIt is initially appropriate to be supplied in a serious manufacturer (I.t M, 3 TTT...) and to choose the good size. This one corresponds has little close at the distance between your two clavicles. Standard size being of 42 cm (size between axis).
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7 The stemThere still, the principal evolution comes to us from the VTT by the Aheadset intermediary. The principal advantage of this kind of stem is their lightness (no expandor) and their «look». On the other hand it is necessary to saw its fork to adapt it to the stem and thus to have few chances to adapt this fork to another bicycle. Also take care not to exceed 150 mm for the length of your stem. Beyond that, at the time of the rises «as a dancer »the rigidity of the unit is likely to be random.
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8 The forkDo the remarks made on the choice of the frame apply in the same way for the forks, but one can announce the importance (fashon effect) of the sales of carbon forks. This accessory that is right or curved then brings a significant addition of effectiveness during the revivals or sprints.
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9 Plays of direction and pedalsInvisible parts or almost, these elements are however subjected to very significant constraints and there still, if you deviate from the traditional choices suggested for example on complete bicycles, do not make false economies and adopt a serious hardware which will be able to resist the bad weather (water being a frightening enemy for these parts however considered tight...) and your devastating blows of pedals.
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10 TiresTo finish, this small inventory, a word on the tires (it should well be admitted that the bowels in spite of their undeniable qualities of output and comfort from now on are supplanted). the price spread is broad (from 6 euros to 46 euros) and the neophyte will understand even less this price difference when it knows that a low end tire with a rigid rod probably has a life expectancy higher than the most expensive models! However it is enough to alternate two pairs of wheels assembled with the two extremes to understand the difference and to realize of all qualities of comfort, output or of hangs which these tires with the tariff close to those of our (small) cars can get. A solution (adopted for a long time by the writer of these lines) is to equip a pair with wheels with modest tires for a hard use (drive on roads damaged by the winter, way residence - work) and to fit another pair of wheels with top-of-the-range tires for the special occasions such as, races cyclosportives or quite simply " flock " between buddies!!! The manufacturers recommend tires of 23 mm while putting forward their higher comfort and of their output equivalent to the 20 Misters. this is true, but a tire of 23 mm when it wears much more quickly becomes a " roll " with the modest output than a tire of 20 mm to the tread increasingly narrower.
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