A road bike, also known as a racing bike, is a bike that is especially designed
for use on the road. The most important and common characteristic of a road bike are its weight and stiffness.
These determine how efficient the bike performs at high speed.
The better the design, the more energy put out by the rider
becomes motion. This is why a lot of racing bikes might be faster than they are comfortable.
The handlebars of a road bike are usually placed lower than the
saddle to make the design more aerodynamic, and the wheels of the bike are fairly close together to give it more
agile handling.
The main thing that makes road or racing bikes different from
mountain bikes is the fact that racing bikes are made
for use on the road, while mountain bikes are made for off-road use.
One of the most important aspects of a racing bike are the wheels.
Wheels heavily influence how fast a road bike can travel, which is why professional bike riders take great care to
choose the right wheels. The most common material for wheel rims is aluminum, and the tires for road bikes are
usually narrow, lightweight, and have a smooth tread. They are usually inflated to a pretty high pressure to make
riding more efficient.
Road biking is also very popular as a means of casual transportation and enjoyment. Not everyone
rides road bikes for competitive purposes, though that is what the design is for. These bikes are designed to
maximize efficiency and to gain the highest speeds on the road possible.