Comparison Formula Atlas 24 2019 vs Formula Dakar DD 24 2019

The maximum load allowed for a bicycle is, in other words, the maximum weight that it can normally carry in normal use. Of course, when calculating the load, the weight of both the cyclist himself and the additional load that he carries with him is taken into account.

The permissible load must definitely not be exceeded: even if the bike does not break down immediately, off-design loads can weaken the structure, and an accident can occur at any time. Also note that it is desirable to have a certain weight margin — at least 15 – 20 kg: this can be useful in case of transporting heavy loads and will give an additional guarantee in emergency situations (for example, when a wheel gets into a pit). Considering that the average weight of an adult is about 70 – 80 kg, bicycles with a permissible load of up to 100 kg can be classified as "lightweights", from 100 to 120 kg — to the middle category, more than 120 kg — to "heavy trucks".

Frame size refers to the distance from the saddle attachment point to the bottom bracket attachment point (axles with gears and pedals). The main parameters that determine the choice of a bike for frame size are the height of the user, the purpose of the bike and the intended riding style.It is also worth considering the female frame, which is lowered, which allows you to ride comfortably even in a skirt or dress.

User height is the most significant factor. In general, the taller the user, the larger the frame should be. The universal formula that allows you to calculate a specific size is as follows: the length of the leg from the groin to the heel in centimeters must be multiplied by 0.6, and then divided by 2.5 — you get the approximate size of the frame in inches. But in the characteristics of brands, the frame can also be indicated in the usual form for measuring size XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL and XXL.

However, note that this value is very arbitrary and approximate, it can only be used for simple bicycles not intended for extreme driving (for example, city bikes, see "Destination"). If you choose a more specialized model (mountain, road, BMX) — it is better to refer to the tables for th...e appropriate type, because. sizes for one height can vary significantly depending on the destination. In addition, different manufacturers have different frame geometry and measurement methods, and therefore, for the most accurate selection, it is recommended to use the manufacturers' own tables.

Note that the optimal frame size is not absolute — in most cases, for the same height, “neighboring” sizes are quite suitable. And here it is worth paying attention to the intended driving style. It is believed that small, well-controlled frames are better suited for extreme variant, and larger and more stable ones are better suited for long-term calm movement.

The presence or absence of a depreciation system on a bicycle, as well as the type of this system.

— Without depreciation (rigid). In such models, the wheels are fixed directly to the rigid elements of the frame; there are no depreciation devices. Due to this, the design of the bicycle is simple, the weight is small, the cyclist feels all the features of the road topography as much as possible, and the maximum efficiency of pedaling is also achieved, which is important, for example, for road models (see "Destination"). At the same time, structural rigidity is a "double-edged sword". On the one hand, "feeling for the road" is important for BMX and some mountain models (see "Purpose"); on the other hand, the lack of shock absorption significantly increases the load on both the structure and the rider himself, leads to increased wear, fatigue and some risk of injury on rough roads.

— Depreciation of the front fork (hard tail). The most popular type of cushioning in adult bikes (see "Age Group"), especially urban and mountain types (see "Purpose"). In accordance with the name, in such bicycles, the shock-absorbing device is installed only on the front fork, while the rear wheel is rigidly fixed. The presence of a shock absorber somewhat increases the weight of the structure and complicates its maintenance, however, the advantages of such a scheme significantl...y outweigh the disadvantages: hard-tails combine good handling, “road feel” and ride comfort, including and on rough terrain.

— Rear fork. Bicycles in which only the rear wheel is damped, while the front wheel is rigidly fixed. The rear shock absorber is designed to provide additional comfort when hitting various bumps, and the absence of a front shock absorber reduces the overall cost of the machine. This option is found mainly in urban models, including electric bicycles (see "Application"); in other varieties, the use of rear shock absorption is not practical.

— Two-suspension (full suspension). Bicycles equipped with shock absorbers on both wheels — a fork in front and a special suspension in the back. Such models are as comfortable as possible for driving on rough terrain, because. They dampen the vibrations felt by the cyclist best and provide the best grip on uneven tracks. At the same time, the presence of a rear shock absorber "eats" part of the energy coming from the pedals, and you have to spend more effort to ride. To avoid this, many two-suspension bikes can be provided with front and rear suspension lockouts (see below), but full suspension complicates the design anyway, increases its weight and price. Therefore, this type of cushioning is relatively rare, mainly in certain varieties of mountain bikes (in particular, for cross-country and freeride; see "Purpose").

— Aluminium. In this case, aluminium is the simplest and most unpretentious option. Its advantages include light weight; on the other hand, in the absence of shock absorption, the steering wheel with such a fork is highly susceptible to vibrations, and in terms of durability, aluminium is somewhat inferior to steel.

— Steel. Another relatively simple option, which at the same time is considered more advanced than the aluminium described above, and is found even in fairly expensive pro-level bikes. This is due to the fact that steel is noticeably stronger and more durable, as it is not as susceptible to "metal fatigue". However such forks weigh a little more than aluminium ones.

— Chromium molybdenum steel. A type of steel that is more advanced than more traditional grades. Among the main advantages of such alloys are high strength and reliability; at the same time, due to such properties, individual elements of the forks can be made thinner, and the forks themselves can be made lighter than ordinary steel ones. The main disadvantage of Cro-Mo steel is the rather high cost.

— Carbon. Lightweight and high-strength carbon fibre forks effectively dampen small bumps in the road under the wheels of the bike and slightly spring on small potholes, thereby providing cushioning on bumpy roads. The carbon fork facilitates the design of the front of the bike. Most often it is found on board "highways" and "gravel roads", less often it is installed in o...ff-road fatbikes. Vulnerable point — carbon forks break under the influence of strong point impacts.

Type of rear suspension damping in full suspension bicycles (see "Suspension"). To date, there are such options:

• Spring-elastomer.
• Spring-oil.
• Air-oil.
• Air.

The first three options are described in detail above in the "Type of cushioning (fork)" section above. In air systems, as the name implies, the working element is air, which acts as both a damper and a shock absorber. This is very convenient due to the ability to change the stiffness of the suspension by adjusting the pressure in the system — the higher the pressure, the harder the damping. However, such shock absorbers are prone to rapid failure due to wear of the seals and require more careful maintenance than similar air-oil shock absorbers in many respects.

The type of brake fitted to the front wheel of a bicycle. The first word in the name of the brake indicates the place of application of the braking force, the second — the design feature of the entire braking system.

— Rim (V-brake). Rim brakes are called brakes that work by pressing the brake pads against the wheel rim. They transfer the braking force from the handle to the pads by means of a cable pull. The common advantages of all rim brakes are the simplicity of design, light weight, low cost, good interchangeability of parts, as well as the minimum load on the hub and spokes. On the other hand, such brakes wear out the pads and rim, require periodic adjustment, and lose effectiveness when the rim is dirty, iced or warped.

Structurally, the differences between the subtypes of rim brakes lie in the way they are attached to the bicycle frame. In addition, each variety has found its own scope. So, V‒brake is common in teenage, touring and budget mountain bikes, the clamp subtype has found its way into road and city bikes, and the U-brake is practiced in BMX bikes.

— Disk mechanical. In disc systems, braking is carried out by pressing the pads not to the wheel rim, but to a special brake disc rigidly fixed on its axis. The braking force, as in mechanical rims (see above), is transmitted to the pads through a special cable. The main advantages of disc systems are significantly more power than rim systems, as we...ll as better modulation (for modulation, see "Rim hydraulic" above). In addition, they are less sensitive to weather conditions (because the disc is quite high and clogs less than the rim), they easily carry the “eights” on the rims, and the elements of the system wear out more slowly and are not so demanding to adjust. Among the disadvantages are greater weight, high cost, a tendency to overheat, an increase in the load on the spokes and wheel hub, as well as difficulty in repair — the last point is aggravated by the fact that different models of even one manufacturer are often not compatible in terms of spare parts. However, despite all this, disc brakes are quite widely used in extreme riding bikes, especially mid-range and high-end models.

— Disc hydraulic. A variant of disc brakes (see above), in which not a cable is used to transfer force from the handle to the pads, but a hydraulic system — a sealed structure filled with liquid and including a piston system. One of the main advantages of hydraulics is excellent modulation, it allows you to very accurately control the braking force. On the other hand, such a drive is more complicated and more expensive than a mechanical one, and if the circuit is damaged and the hydraulic fluid leaks, the brakes become useless. Therefore, hydraulic systems are used relatively rarely, mainly in professional bicycles.

— Drum. Brakes using a special drum, inside which brake pads are installed; in bicycles, the role of the drum can be played directly by the wheel hub or a special part of the hub. Anyway, the pads are pressed against the drum from the inside, and the entire brake structure is closed. This is one of the main advantages of this option: the mechanism is protected from pollution, external factors such as dirt or snow practically do not affect the effectiveness of the brakes. In addition, the advantages of drum mechanisms include the fact that they practically do not require maintenance, do not wear out the rim and do not lose efficiency when it is bent. On the other hand, such brakes turn out to be quite bulky, and in terms of efficiency they are inferior to rim and even more so disc counterparts. Therefore, this option is found mainly in urban bikes.

— Roller. A variety of drum brakes (see above), in which the pressing of the brake pads to the drum is ensured by a special mechanism — roller. In this case, the brake drum is often performed separately from the bushing. Such solutions were developed as an attempt to combine the advantages of disc and drum brakes in one mechanism, and partly succeeded: roller systems are noticeably more powerful than classic drum brakes, they are well protected from dust and dirt, require virtually no maintenance and work effectively even with a curved rim. On the other hand, the weight, dimensions and price of such brakes turned out to be very significant, they worsen the roll and get quite hot with constant use; and protection against pollution is not as high quality as in drum systems.

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.

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".