Comparison Ardis Florence CTB 28 vs Ardis Tour D CTB 28

Nowadays, there are many types of bicycles. So, city bikes are provided for asphalt (including fixed-gear bikes and cruisers, touring and commuter bikes models can also be included here (universal version combining urban comfort and mountain passability)). Road bikes are also suitable for hard surfaces (with separate subspecies cyclocross, gravel and triathlon bikes). For rough terrain, it is better to pay attention to mountain MTB bikes (there are different types: cross-country, downhill / freeride / enduro, trail, street / dirt). A separate niche is occupied by electric bicycles, BMX and fat bikes.

— Electric bicycles. Bicycles equipped with electric motors and batteries. The method of using such equipment can be different: in some models it only helps the cyclist, reducing the effort on the pedals, in others it allows you to ride without pedalling at all, like on an electric moped (for more details, see "Operating modes"). In terms...of purpose, most of these machines are closest to city bikes, but there are exceptions - in particular, some models combine the capabilities of an electric bike and a fat bike. Electric drive provides additional convenience and reduces the cost of effort when driving; moreover, even a dead battery is not terrible for such a bike - you can continue to move in the usual way, on the pedals. On the other hand, electric bikes are much heavier than classic ones, and they are noticeably more expensive.

- Mountain (MTB). Abbreviation for MountTain Bike. In this case, two types of bicycles are included. The first is the classic “miners”, designed mainly for driving over rough terrain without specific loads typical for specialized varieties (see below). Such bicycles are built on a thick, durable frame, equipped with wide wheels, and tyres with deep treads. Many mountain models are quite suitable for driving on a flat road; of course, here they lose to road models (see below), but if you often have to drive both on the highway and off the asphalt, it is better to choose the MTB. The second variety is models that are close in characteristics to specialized ones (see below), but for one reason or another do not fit into a certain class - for example, due to heavy weight (cross-country), poor adaptability to high jumps (dirt ) and so on.

- Cross country. A type of mountain bike designed for cross-country racing. Some sections of cross-country trails are somewhat simpler than similar elements in competitions such as downhill or trials (see below), but the trails themselves are very diverse. Therefore, a bicycle of this type must combine speed, manoeuvrability, “tenacity” to the ground, and convenience on ups and downs. In practice, this is achieved by using lightweight materials for frames (aluminium, titanium, carbon, see "Frame material"), tyres with deep tread, hardtail or full suspension suspension with lockout functions (see "Suspension", "Rear suspension lockout"). ") and so on.

Downhill/freeride/enduro. A specialized type of mountain bike designed for downhill skiing. Types of such descents differ in the type of surface: downhill uses pre-prepared tracks, while more extreme freeride is carried out on complete off-road, and enduro - on the most difficult sections. However, for all varieties of bicycles, the characteristic features are common: these are wide wheels and heavyweight. The latter is due to the reinforced design: during descents, the weight does not play a decisive role, but the loads on the machine are very high, which requires increased strength and maximum reliability of all components. There is usually only one gear selector - only on the cassette (rear), respectively, there are few speeds. But the suspension on both wheels (see "Amortization") is almost mandatory.

- Trail. The trail is a specific way of riding that combines overcoming obstacles over rough terrain, conquering and descending medium peaks, road over stones and free riding on a flat road. Trail bikes have strong and heavy frames, reinforced wheels and tyres. Most of them are full-suspension with a large range of shock absorber travel (about 130 - 150 mm).

- Street / Dirt. A type of mountain bike designed for stunt riding and in some places approaching BMX. They can be designed for different styles: street acrobatics using urban elements like curbs and stairs; dirt - jumping from earthen springboards with performing tricks in the air. However, all such bicycles are characterized by common features: a small frame, one speed, as well as a minimum of depreciation or its complete absence.

- City. This class of bicycles is designed for city driving. This implies the usual movement on roads with a smooth surface, without any "extreme". City bikes are often equipped with accessories designed to increase ride comfort and enhance the bike's capabilities, such as spring saddles, racks/panniers, full-size fenders, chain guards, and so on. (see "Complete set"). For long trips and difficult conditions, city bikes are poorly suited, and therefore they can be recommended to adherents of a calm style of riding along city arteries and for pleasure riding along park paths.

— Fix. Single-speed fixed bikes were originally created as sports equipment for riding on cycle tracks. But in some subcultures of riders, they are used for the urban rhythm of travel. A distinctive feature of the nature of fixes is that the pedals of the bicycle always spin as long as the rear wheel rotates.

— Cruiser. Models with a characteristic elongated frame geometry, vertical seating, a soft comfortable saddle and a wide handlebar moved forward. When designing cruisers, they were inspired by the design of retro motorcycles. They are positioned as successful walking solutions.

— Commuter. Bicycles of this type are a cross between mountain bikes (MTB) and city bikes. On the one hand, fitness bikes provide a “sporty”, inclined landing and a large number of gears, on the other hand, there is no depreciation in the design, and additional “chips” can be provided, such as a trunk or baskets on the steering wheel, and the wheels are large (usually 28 "). This allows you to accelerate to fairly high speeds, while the bikes perfectly adapt to uneven roads and increased loads."Road" can be used to move around the city, if speed is important in such trips and the classic city bike is too slow for this, to recover and keep fit, etc.

- Touring. Bicycles designed for long-distance travel on different types of roads - both on a hard surface and on primers or rough terrain. Outwardly, they are most similar to road, gravel and cyclocross bikes, but in fact they combine the properties of mountain, road and city models. So, most tourist bikes have a more massive and durable frame than "road bikes", which allows you to more or less successfully move off paved roads. The steering wheel can be either straight or road (see "Steering wheel shape"). In addition, many models are equipped with front racks (see "Complete set") or at least mounts for them; also, the design often provides wings, a footboard and other additional equipment that provides additional comfort on long-distance bike trips.

- Road. A specialized class of bicycles designed to move on smooth roads over long distances. Road models feature a “recumbent” rider position (more forward lean) for better aerodynamics, are equipped with narrow wheels and handlebars with a characteristic curved design (see "Steering wheel model"), and do not have any shock absorbers (see "Suspension"). Thanks to all this, high speed of movement with minimal resistance is ensured - on good road surfaces, road bikes are better than any other models for long trips (suffice it to say that this type of bicycle is used in large-scale cycling races like the Tour de France). At the same time, all the advantages appear only on smooth, dry roads.

— Gravel. Bicycles that combine the features of road and mountain machines; in fact - devices designed to comfortably ride both on and off-road. The key point in this case is comfort: the “gravel road” loses to the “road” in speed, and the MTB in cross-country ability, but it is more versatile and comfortable on different types of surfaces. Note that specific criteria for gravel bikes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. However, common features can be identified in all such models: this is a combination of a “road” steering wheel with a relatively high landing, rather thick soft tyres and disc brakes. We also note that at first glance, the “gravel roads” are similar to the cyclocross described below, but this impression is deceptive: the cyclocross is primarily a sports apparatus.

— Cyclocross. In the most general terms, this variety can be described as a modified version of road bikes (see above) with increased cross-country ability, suitable for off-road travel - grass, sand, gravel, etc. Being outwardly very similar to traditional "road bikes", cyclocrosses in at the same time, they differ from them in wider and thicker wheels and a smaller inclination of the rider when landing. In addition, cyclocross as a sport discipline provides that riders have to overcome part of the distance on foot, with a bicycle on their shoulder. In light of this, specialized bicycles for such races are also made based on the convenience of carrying on the shoulder (wide frame, traction cables hidden inside the frame). And from gravel models (see above), cyclocrosses differ primarily in that they are designed not so much for comfort as for speed and maneuverability.

For triathlon. A specialized type of road bike with a less “recumbent” rider posture and a more pronounced aerodynamic fit that allows you to maintain high speed with minimal effort. A huge bonus to aerodynamics is also given by high profile wheel rims. The weight of such bicycles is small (about 8-10 kg), they are also equipped with hydrators so that the rider can drink without changing the seat. A triathlon bike is an effective weapon to achieve your sporting goals. For everyday trips, such bikes are not customary to use at all.

— BMX. Bicycles designed to ride in the style of BMX (Bicycle Moto Cross - bicycle motocross). There are several varieties of BMX, but all of them are characterized by high loads on the structure and the performance of acrobatic stunts, which are practically inaccessible to other types of bicycles. Accordingly, BMX models have a low and very strong frame, wide wheels of small diameter (for good grip and powerful torque) and, most often, one gear (for ease of control and reliability). They can also be equipped with additional devices - for example, an axle of the front wheel extended in both directions, which the athlete uses as a step when performing tricks. Note that for normal driving on roads, BMXs are poorly suited, their purpose is acrobatics.

- Fatbike. Powerful mountain bikes designed specifically to overcome difficult obstacles such as loose snow, sand or impassable mud. First of all, they are distinguished by extremely wide tyres (see "Tyre width") and low tyre pressure, which improves grip. When riding on loose surfaces, the wheels of the bike do not fall through, and the lower pressure allows you not to get stuck in the ground.

Front fork travel on bicycles with damped suspension (see "Suspension"). Roughly speaking, the travel of a fork is the maximum distance that its size can be reduced by compression during shock absorption. The longer the fork travel, the better the shock absorption and “soft” ride it provides, but not all bikes require a lot of travel. Even within the same type (see “Purpose”), depending on the specific application and riding style, the optimal fork travel will be different — for example, freeride mountain bikes need good shock absorption, and for cross-country, on the contrary, a long fork travel will be redundant.

In general, if you do not plan on extreme cross-country riding or doing cycling tricks, this parameter is not critical. However, when choosing a bike for serious cycling, it is worth checking the recommended fork travel values (according to specialized literature or from professionals) and making sure that the desired model corresponds to them.

The presence in the design of the bicycle of a separate shock absorber under the saddle. The seatpost cushioning significantly reduces the vibration and shock felt by the rider, which is especially important when riding on uneven terrain.

Tyre model supplied with the bike as standard. Different tyres have different purposes and characteristics; knowing the tyre model, you can clarify these points and check how they correspond to your wishes. This is especially important when choosing a machine for serious cycling.

Varieties of rims are determined by the number of horizontal jumpers in the design.

— Single. The simplest type of rim, similar in cross section to the Latin letter U. It is used mainly in entry-level bicycles.

— Double. Such a rim differs from a single rim by the presence of an additional horizontal bridge. Figuratively speaking, it resembles the same letter U, but with a double bottom. The features of this design are such that it is able to provide increased strength even with less weight than a single one. On the other hand, double rims are more difficult to manufacture and therefore more expensive. They are used primarily in bicycles where high resistance to stress is required — in particular, mountain varieties (see "Intended use") for freeride and cross-country.

— Triple. A further development of the idea of a double rim is a design with two additional horizontal bridges. This provides even greater strength, however, the weight increases quite noticeably. In addition, initially the second jumper was provided to strengthen the side surface, in order to avoid damage during the operation of rim brakes (see "Front brake", "Rear brake"); however, today most powerful brakes are disc brakes, and this problem is losing its relevance. Because triple rims are quite rare.

The model of the hub used in the front wheel of a bicycle.

The hub is the central part in the wheel through which the axis of rotation passes. Features of the behavior of a bicycle depend on its characteristics, in particular, “rolling” (the ability to move by inertia, without pedaling). Knowing the model of the front hub, you can clarify its characteristics according to the manufacturer's documentation, find reviews from other users, etc., in order to determine how this model suits you.

Model of the hub used in the rear wheel of a bicycle. See Front Hub Model for details.

Model of a cassette — a system of rear wheel gears — mounted on a bicycle. Cassettes of different models differ in characteristics and can belong to different classes — from entry-level to professional. Knowing the cassette model, you can get acquainted with its features in more detail (according to official documentation, reviews, user reviews, etc.). This is especially important when choosing a bike for professional cycling.

Model of the carriage installed on the bike as standard. The bottom bracket is the part that connects the system (front sprockets with pedals) and the frame; roughly speaking — an axle with bearings.

For details on the meaning of the model of a particular part, see "Cassette Model".