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What do you do if you want to take your bikes on holiday? You can’t exactly cycle there in most cases, but you’d like to cycle around once you get there. The answer is to simply attach your bikes to your car using a bike rack, and then drive them there. It’s a lot easier than taking them on public transport, and cheaper than renting bikes once you get there.

Bike racks sit on top of your car, and can hold a surprising number of bikes – sometimes as many as five on one rack. They are very useful, yet generally inexpensive, and you can buy them at any good garage or DIY store. Don’t worry too much about which model you get: as long as it can hold the number of bikes you need it to, it’ll generally be just fine.

If you’re going to fit a bike rack to your car, however, it is important to realise that it could potentially be a hazard not only to you and your car, but also to the other drivers on the road. For this reason, you need to make sure that the rack is secured to your car exactly as the instructions say and follow all the relevant safety regulations. If your rack seems unstable, you should take it to be fitted by a professional – don’t take any risks.
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Whether you’re shopping for a bike or just admiring them, the first part you notice is probably the bicycle frame. The frame is the heart of a bicycle, as well as its art. Including the basically triangular core structure that supports both seat and handlebars and the extensions that attach to the wheels, the color and the geometry of the bicycle frame not only affects the beauty of the bike, but its strength and speed as well. The pleasure and success you derive from bicycle riding will be strongly impacted by having the right frame for your physique and your purposes.

The Two Most Important Aspects of Bicycle Frames Are Their Materials and Their Configuration

Naturally, your bicycle frame will take into dramatic account whether you ride primarily on roads or off-road. Not only are so-called mountain bike frames made of noticeably bigger “tubes,” they are made of more shock resistant materials, with stronger weldings. Road bike frames have a smaller triangular geometry and the main consideration in their material is its weight. Everything on a road bike is designed to keep the rider’s resistance to a minimum in order to promote fluency and speed, while a mountain bike is designed with the primary goal of shock absorption and maneuverability in mind alongside speed-influencing factors.
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BMX racing is a fun sport for young people. For kids, the basic bike should have 20-inch wheels. Riders under age six can use whatever type of bike they have, even if it’s not a true BMX freestyle bike. These little folks might still be riding bikes with wheels as small as 12-inches. Some tracks even have races for Big Wheel bikes.

A cruiser or mountain bike with 24-inch or 26-inch wheels might be okay, too, but check ahead of time with your local track for advice. Many tracks will let you race a mountain bike in the “Cruiser” class.

Whatever bike you use should be equipped this way. Remove all reflectors. Take off the kickstand and chainguard to prevent injury in a wreck.

The bike should have pads on the top tube, stem and crossbar. Most BMX freestyle bikes already have these pads. If your bike doesn’t have them, adding this safety feature will cost about $5.

The bike should have at least one working brake. A coaster brake is fine if that’s all the bike has. The bike should be in safe working order.

Finally, tie a paper plate to the handlebars. This will be your number plate. When you get to the track, they’ll give you a number to put on it. That number will identify you to the judges and fans as you are racing.

Safety is important

For head protection, a helmet is essential. Depending on the track rules, this may need to be a full-face helmet or a helmet with a separate mouthguard. Other tracks will accept any type of inexpensive motocross-style helmet.
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BMX racing is a fun sport for young people. For kids, the basic bike should have 20-inch wheels. Riders under age six can use whatever type of bike they have, even if it’s not a true BMX freestyle bike. These little folks might still be riding bikes with wheels as small as 12-inches. Some tracks even have races for Big Wheel bikes.

A cruiser or mountain bike with 24-inch or 26-inch wheels might be okay, too, but check ahead of time with your local track for advice. Many tracks will let you race a mountain bike in the “Cruiser” class.

Whatever bike you use should be equipped this way. Remove all reflectors. Take off the kickstand and chainguard to prevent injury in a wreck.

The bike should have pads on the top tube, stem and crossbar. Most BMX freestyle bikes already have these pads. If your bike doesn’t have them, adding this safety feature will cost about $5.

The bike should have at least one working brake. A coaster brake is fine if that’s all the bike has. The bike should be in safe working order.
(more…)