cycle noun Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes
The chainguards protect clothes from oil on the chain while preventing clothing from being caught between the chain and crankset teeth. Off-road tires are usually between 1.5 and 2.5 inches (38 and 64 mm) wide, and have treads for gripping in muddy conditions or metal studs for ice. Saddles also vary with rider preference, from the cushioned ones favored by short-distance riders to narrower saddles which allow more room for leg swings. A higher gear allows a cyclist to make fewer pedal turns to maintain a given speed, but with more effort per turn of the pedals.
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- Track bicycles do not have brakes, because all riders ride in the same direction around a track which does not necessitate sharp deceleration.
- Starley’s 1885 Rover, manufactured in Coventry is usually described as the first recognizably modern bicycle.
- The bicycle has had a considerable effect on human society, in both the cultural and industrial realms.
- 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.
- 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.
- The combined center of mass of a bicycle and its rider must lean into a turn to successfully navigate it.
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 front triangle consists of the head tube, top tube, down tube, and seat tube. Drag can also be reduced by covering the bicycle with an aerodynamic fairing. Drag can be reduced by seating the rider in a more aerodynamically streamlined position. A human traveling on a bicycle at low to medium speeds of around 16–24 km/h (10–15 mph) uses only the power required to walk.
Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) also has a specific Technical Committee, TC333, that defines European standards for cycles. Bicycle lights, reflectors, and helmets are required by law in some geographic regions depending on the legal code. Toe-clips and toestraps and clipless pedals help keep the foot locked in the proper pedal position and enable cyclists to pull and push the pedals. Bicycles can also be fitted with a hitch to tow a trailer for carrying cargo, a child, or both.
cycling
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. Most bikes have two or three chainrings, and from 5 to 12 sprockets on the back, with the number of theoretical gears calculated by multiplying front by back. Bamboo, a natural composite material with high strength-to-weight ratio and stiffness has been used for bicycles since 1894. Historically, materials used in bicycles have followed a similar pattern as in aircraft, the goal being high strength and low weight. Furthermore, it was considered "unladylike" for women to open their legs to mount and dismount—in more conservative times women who rode bicycles at all were vilified as immoral or immodest. The rear triangle consists of the seat tube and paired chain stays and seat stays.
The "dandy horse", also called Draisienne or Laufmaschine ("running machine"), was the first human means of transport to use only two wheels in tandem and was invented by the German Baron Karl von Drais. The design of the bicycle was an advance on the velocipede, although the words were used with some degree of overlap for a time. The word bicycle first appeared in English print in The Daily News in 1868, to describe "Bysicles and trysicles" on the "Champs Elysées and Bois de Boulogne". The bicycle's invention has had an enormous effect on society, both in terms of culture and of advancing modern industrial methods.
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Morris Motors Limited (in Oxford) and Škoda also began in the bicycle business, as did the Wright brothers. Bicycles helped create, or enhance, new kinds of businesses, such as bicycle messengers, traveling seamstresses, riding academies, and racing rinks. In addition, by serving as a platform for accessories, which could ultimately cost more than the bicycle itself, it paved the way for the likes of the Barbie doll.
Her designs featured frame geometry and wheel sizes chosen to better fit women, with shorter top tubes and more suitable reach. As bicycles became safer and cheaper, hour cycle studio more women had access to the personal freedom that bicycles embodied, and so the bicycle came to symbolize the New Woman of the late 19th century, especially in Britain and the United States. In cities where bicycles are not integrated into the public transportation system, commuters often use bicycles as elements of a mixed-mode commute, where the bike is used to travel to and from train stations or other forms of rapid transit.
Maintenance and repair
The chain stays run parallel to the chain, connecting the bottom bracket to the rear dropout, where the axle for the rear wheel is held. In terms of the ratio of cargo weight a bicycle can carry to total weight, it is also an efficient means of cargo transportation. This lean is induced by a method known as countersteering, which can be performed by the rider turning the handlebars directly with the hands or indirectly by leaning the bicycle. The combined center of mass of a bicycle and its rider must lean into a turn to successfully navigate it. This steering is usually provided by the rider, but under certain conditions, may be provided by the bicycle itself. Military uses of bicycles include communications, reconnaissance, troop movement, supply of provisions, and patrol, such as in bicycle infantries.
