Comparison E-Motion 36V 14Ah 350W vs LikeBike Loon

— Steel. Steel is distinguished by high strength and rigidity, in terms of resistance to deformation, it noticeably surpasses other alloys and is inferior only to carbon fiber. At the same time, such frames dampen vibrations well, are inexpensive, and in the event of a breakdown, they are easily repaired. On the other hand, steel is heavy, three times heavier than aluminium and twice as heavy as titanium; therefore, such frames are found mainly among inexpensive mountain and city bikes, for which a lot of weight is not critical. It is also worth considering that this material is susceptible to corrosion if the protective coating is damaged.

— Chromium molybdenum steel(Cro-Mo). An advanced variation of the steel described above. By themselves, chromium-molybdenum alloys have high strength and reliability, and frames made from them can have different wall thicknesses (depending on the load that a particular section is subjected to) — this allows you to slightly reduce weight. Thanks to this, Cro-Mo alloys are found even among fairly advanced road bikes, and they are also popular in touring models. At the same time, such frames cost much more than “ordinary” steel ones.

— Aluminium. Actually, bicycles do not use pure aluminium, but various alloys based on it. They differ somewhat in characteristics, but they have a number of common features, the main of whi...ch is low weight combined with good strength characteristics. Due to this, aluminium alloys are widely used in road bikes, as well as in touring mountain bikes (see “Intended Use”). The main disadvantage of these materials is rigidity: they absorb vibrations worse than steel, which is why they are poorly suited for models without shock absorption (see below), and with a strong impact, such a frame will break rather than bend.

— Carbon. Resin-bonded carbon fiber composite. It is used in high-end bicycles, as it is very expensive, but it is characterized by very high strength combined with low weight. Moreover, the properties of carbon fiber make it possible to increase strength not just in certain areas, but in certain directions, which contributes to even greater reliability. Note that carbon frames can be either solid (monolithic) or composite — in the latter case, individual elements are connected by metal parts, which reduces the cost, but makes the structure susceptible to corrosion. It is also worth considering that the quality of carbon in general depends on the price category of the bike, and relatively inexpensive frames can be sensitive to strong point impacts. This material is almost impossible to repair.

— Titan. A fairly advanced material that combines high strength, elasticity (which provides soft vibration damping), corrosion resistance and very low weight. However, the cost of such frames is quite high, and therefore they are used mainly in premium mountain and road bikes.

— Magnesium alloy. This material is notable primarily for its very low weight (many times lighter than aluminium), while it has good stiffness and elasticity characteristics, dampens vibrations well, and its price is relatively low. At the same time, magnesium alloys have a number of significant drawbacks. In particular, they do not tolerate impacts, especially point impacts, and are also extremely sensitive to corrosion even with minor damage to the protective coating, which is why such frames are very demanding for care and storage.

Possibility to fold the bike. This feature greatly simplifies storage and transportation — you can easily transport the bike in the boot of a car, train, etc. At the same time, the folding design inevitably loses in strength to the one-piece non-folding one, and therefore such bicycles are quite rare and are designed for simple conditions like city driving.

A type of rear brake fitted to a bicycle. Here are the main types of brakes found today:

— Obodnoy. Rim brakes are those that work by pressing the brake pads against the rim of the wheel. They transfer the braking force from the handle to the pads via cable traction. The common advantages of all rim brakes include simplicity of design, light weight, low cost, good interchangeability of parts, as well as minimal load on the hub and spokes. On the other hand, such brakes wear out the pads and rim, require periodic adjustments, and lose effectiveness if the rim becomes dirty, icy, or bent.

Structurally, the differences between the subtypes of rim brakes lie in the way they are attached to the bicycle frame. Moreover, each variety has found its own area of application. Thus, V‒brake is common in teenage, recreational and budget mountain bikes, the pincer subtype is used in road and city bikes, and U-brake is practiced in BMX bicycles.

— Disk mechanical. A kind of mechanical brakes (see above), in which the pads are pressed against a special brake disc (rotor) rigidly fixed to the wheel hub during braking. Such brakes are much more efficient than rim brakes, they are not as sensitive to dirt and retain their full performance even with rim curvature. Among the disadvantages of disk systems, one can note greater weight and cost, increased load on the bushing and spokes, as well as dif...ficulty in repair.

— Disc hydraulic. Disc brakes (see above), in which the force on the pads is transmitted not by a cable, as in mechanical systems, but by means of a hydraulic circuit. They are the most advanced option in terms of performance: the use of a disc provides high braking efficiency, and the hydraulics give excellent modulation and allow you to accurately dose the force on the handle. At the same time, such systems are not cheap, and in addition to the general disadvantages of disc brakes, they add sensitivity to damage: a violation of the tightness of the circuit leads to fluid leakage and brake failure.

— Drum. Brakes in which the pads are pressed from the inside to a special drum; in this case, the role of this drum is usually played directly by the wheel hub. One of the advantages of such systems is that almost the entire mechanism is hidden inside the drum and protected from dust and dirt, making it virtually maintenance-free. In addition, drum brakes do not wear out the rim and can work even with a bent wheel. On the other hand, such systems are rather bulky and their effectiveness is lower than that of rim and disc brakes. In addition, the drum brake on the rear wheel can be used with either a single speed cassette or a planetary hub (see below) — these brakes are not compatible with classic multi-star cassette derailleurs.

— Roller. A variation of the drum brakes described above, in which the pressing of the pads to the drum is ensured by the so-called. roller mechanism. The drum in this case, usually, is performed separately from the sleeve. Due to this, it was possible to achieve higher efficiency (comparable to disc brakes) while maintaining the main advantages of the drum circuit — unpretentious maintenance, good protection against dirt and independence from rim curvature. However, roller brakes are not cheap, and besides, they have a number of their own drawbacks — in particular, they worsen the roll and make it possible to spin the wheel back when the brake is pressed. Yes, and with classic speed switches, such systems are poorly compatible.

— Pedal. In fact, it is a variation of the drum brake described above, controlled not by a handle, but by pedals: braking is carried out by pressing the pedals in the opposite direction. This method of control greatly simplifies the design, eliminating unnecessary handles and rods. At the same time, in some moments it is not very convenient and practical. So, the effectiveness of the brakes is directly dependent on the position of the pedals — for maximum efficiency, they must be horizontal at the time of braking, and in a vertical position, difficulties may arise. In addition, when the chain falls off, the cyclist, in fact, loses the brake. Thus, pedal mechanisms are used relatively rarely — mainly in city bikes that are not designed for particularly high-speed riding.

The number of speeds (gears) provided for in the design of the bicycle. Each transfer has its own so-called gear ratio — in this case it can be described as the number of revolutions that the driven gear (rear, on the wheel) makes in one revolution of the leading gear (associated with the pedals).

Different gear ratios will be optimal for different conditions: for example, high gears provide good speed, but are poorly suited for overcoming obstacles, because. the effort on the pedals increases significantly and the frequency of their rotation decreases. It has been scientifically proven that a cyclist develops maximum power at a cadence of about 80-100 rpm. Thus, the presence in the bike of several speeds allows you to optimally adjust it to different driving modes and features of the tracks in order to provide optimal pedaling force and frequency of their rotation. For example, on smooth asphalt it is best to drive in a high gear, and when overcoming a rise or entering a dirt road, you can lower it in order to effectively overcome resistance.

The number of gears in classic systems is directly related to the number of stars of the system (on the bottom bracket with pedals) and the cassette (on the rear wheel); it can be obtained by multiplying two numbers — for example, 3 stars of the system and 6 on the cassette give 18 gears. However, there is also the so-called planetary hubs — there are stars one at a time, and gear shifting is carried out by a mec...hanism built into the rear hub.

Note that the optimal number of gears depends on the purpose of the bike (see above), and it is not always necessary to have several of them. So, in mountain models, depending on specialization, there can be from 8 to 30 gears, in road ones — within 20-30, and some inexpensive city bikes and most BMXs do not have a gear shift system at all.

The number of stars (gears) of different sizes in a bicycle cassette. A cassette is a part of the rear hub that interacts directly with the chain, in other words, a gear or a set of gears mounted on the hub. In classical gear shifting systems, the number of gears directly depends on the number of stars in the cassette (for more details, see "Speeds"); a single chainring is used either in single speed bikes or in planetary hubs (see System Stars for more on these).

Model of the derailleur (derailer) installed on the rear wheel cassette as standard on the bike. For more information on why you need to know the model of a particular bicycle component, see paragraph "Cassette Model".

Type of shifters — devices that control gear shifting — installed on a bicycle. To date, the following types of shifters are used:

— Trigger. The design of this type is based on the use of 1 or 2 levers, as well as (sometimes) buttons located in close proximity to the hands of the cyclist. Trigger shifters can have different designs with varying degrees of convenience (usually, this is directly related to the price category of the device), located above or below the steering wheel, however, a number of common features are characteristic of all such models. Their main advantages are the traditional design and comfort when holding the steering wheel — the shifters are located outside the handles (grips) and do not affect convenience. In addition, they are quite simple in design and installation. On the other hand, this type also has a number of disadvantages. Thus, the presence of protruding parts increases the risk of equipment failure or injury to the cyclist in an accident. In many models, especially the low-cost level, in some cases, you have to take your hand off the steering wheel to change gear, which can lead to loss of control. In addition, shifting gears more than 2-3 "clicks" per press in trigger shifters is somewhat difficult and requires skill. However, in most cases, these disadvantages do not play a decisive role, and this type of levers is by far the most popular.

— Grip shift. By design, the grip shift is somewhat reminiscent of motorcyc...le gas regulators: part of the handle is made movable, and gear shifting is carried out by turning it in one direction or another. Since the grip shift rings are actually combined with handles (grips), you don’t need to remove your hand from the steering wheel to control the gears — just move it a little to the side, and you can switch speed (and in some cases you can even keep your hands on the rings all the time). Such systems are devoid of protruding parts, which increases reliability and safety. Another advantage over triggers is the ease of shifting gears to any number of speeds. The main disadvantage of this type is the increased risk of accidentally shifting gears on a difficult section of the track, when you have to hold on tightly to the grips (especially with large palms and short grips) — you can accidentally turn the shifter, which is fraught with a sharp shift, breaking the chain from the sprockets and loss of controllability. In addition, contact with water or dirt on the ring can lead to slippage of the hand when working with gears, and the rings themselves increase the dimensions of the steering wheel and for some may cause inconvenience in the grip.

— Dual control. An original system that combines the control of brakes and gears in one lever — the brake lever. In this case, braking is carried out by moving towards you, and gear shifting is carried out by shifting up or down. The advantages of such a system are the constancy of the grip of the steering wheel — 2 fingers are enough to control both the brakes and the gears. At the same time, dual control shifters are quite complex in design, as a result, they are expensive and poorly compatible with “non-native” brakes and switches. And the ergonomics of such systems is very ambiguous, ease of use largely depends on the individual tastes of the cyclist. Therefore, this type of shifters is rather uncommon.

— Electronic. The competitive advantages of electronic shifters include the absence of a cable and levers to transfer physical force to the switch. In fact, these are ordinary buttons that send signals to the gearshift control unit. Such shifters work in conjunction with electronic switches that are installed on board advanced bicycle models. They can be placed in any convenient place with quick and comfortable access to the switches.

The model of the shifters (see “Shifter type”) that are fitted to the bike as standard. For more information on why you need to know the model of a particular bicycle component, see paragraph "Cassette Model".

— Straight. This category includes all handlebars that do not have bends in the vertical plane — in other words, they look straight when viewed from the front. Some of these models may have a curve visible from above. These handlebars are convenient for placing additional equipment, and in general, they are well-suited for various types of bicycles. Due to this, this variety is very common.

— Curved. A variety of handlebars in which the pipe between the grips has bends in the vertical plane — in other words, the grips are located above the point where the handlebar is attached to the stem (see "Adjusting the handlebar stem"). Such steering wheels are designed for a high seating position and are poorly compatible with an additional body kit. Therefore, they are found predominantly in city bikes (see "Specialization (type refinement)"), where you do not need to bend your back and use special equipment, as well as in children's and teenage models (see "Age group").

— Drop bar. This handlebar is designed primarily for road bikes (see "Specialization (type refinement)"), where speed is of the essence. This handlebar allows you to change the grip and fit while riding. So, if good visibility is important, and speed is not critical, you can ride with a high seating position, holding on to the transverse horizontal part of the steering wheel; and at high speed, you can lean forward by holding the "horns" — this improves aerodynamics, that is, reduces air re...sistance, and makes the ride easier. There are other varieties of drop bars. They have a pair of tubes placed forward, and special stands on the steering wheel itself — you can put your elbows on these stands, and put your hands forward. In addition, they are usually not compatible with standard handlebar equipment (shifters, brake levers, etc.) and require specialized components.

— Butterfly. The name of this type is due to the characteristic shape resembling the wings of a butterfly; also such handlebars are known as "tracking". They are considered the most versatile, because without additional adjustments provide about 3 – 4 options for the position of the hands, with varying degrees of inclination of the body of the rider. However the "butterflies" are expensive.