Racing bikes - not road bikes please!
- Thread starter Ludwig
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
TonyEnjoyD
Guru
- Location
- Newcastle upon Tyne
Newbie here
Hi all,
Recently took up cycling again and started with "Cycle to work" (only 5 miles each way)
Must say that I hada fun time trying to get through to the shop assistant that I wanted a racing bike to commute! Ended up with a Giant SCR03.
Further to the discussion on these pages, I had my first "Racing" bike back in the 70's (after my original Purple Chopper) when there were basically three types of bike - Racer, Tourer (racer with a pannier rack and big mudguards) and "upright" bikes whoch oldies and grandads rode.
Then along came the early versions of an off-road. Basically an upright with all the bits stripped off (front brake, gears (if they had them), mudguards, panniers etc and they were purely used for off-road stunting.
I still used my Racer - as they were widely known as at the time - for basic cycling about town (to mates etc) and then one cycling holiday to Norwich (235miles) where our record was back home in a day and a half - 135 miles on day 1 and the remainder on day 2.
My current average is a lot lower but not bad considering only been cycling again for 3 months and I average around 14.5mph on most runs.
Anyway - great forum
Hi all,
Recently took up cycling again and started with "Cycle to work" (only 5 miles each way)
Must say that I hada fun time trying to get through to the shop assistant that I wanted a racing bike to commute! Ended up with a Giant SCR03.
Further to the discussion on these pages, I had my first "Racing" bike back in the 70's (after my original Purple Chopper) when there were basically three types of bike - Racer, Tourer (racer with a pannier rack and big mudguards) and "upright" bikes whoch oldies and grandads rode.
Then along came the early versions of an off-road. Basically an upright with all the bits stripped off (front brake, gears (if they had them), mudguards, panniers etc and they were purely used for off-road stunting.
I still used my Racer - as they were widely known as at the time - for basic cycling about town (to mates etc) and then one cycling holiday to Norwich (235miles) where our record was back home in a day and a half - 135 miles on day 1 and the remainder on day 2.
My current average is a lot lower but not bad considering only been cycling again for 3 months and I average around 14.5mph on most runs.
Anyway - great forum
John Ponting
Guru
- Location
- Herts
Over The Hill said:
R1, FireBlade, GSXR, are all sports bikes
ST1300, K1200GT are touring bikes
KTM 990, Tiger are trail bikes
Hornet, GSR600 are utility or hybrid bikes
Harleys are cruisers
Gold Wings are anacronisms
in modern marketing speak
Angelfishsolo
A Velocipedian
- Location
- Cwmbach, South Wales
My first 'big boys bike' was a Chopper, I loved it. Eventually traded it for a Coventry Eagle Red Dragon 10 speed drop.
I also remember the Grifter and the craze of fitting insanely wide handlebars on them. (Also seem to recall it was one of if not the first bike with a grip gear shift)
At that time a Road or Racing Bike would have been known (by my and my peers anyway) a 'drop'.
I also remember the Grifter and the craze of fitting insanely wide handlebars on them. (Also seem to recall it was one of if not the first bike with a grip gear shift)
At that time a Road or Racing Bike would have been known (by my and my peers anyway) a 'drop'.
yello said:
Twenty Inch
Guru
- Location
- Behind a desk
I'll race you on any of my bikes.
Amanda P
Legendary Member
- Location
- York. Well, York-ish...
Dunbar
Über Member
- Location
- West Midlands
Well my 'steed' is a 'lightweight tourer' then.
It used to be a racer, when I could compete. Now, as soon as it's put back into roadworthy condition it will be a 'Get-me-around' for exercise. Which might be on the road... Or more likely in Sutton Park or some other expanse of car-free land with half-decent roads.
So if you see a portly, older gent, on a metallic-copper '60s racer, in the vicinity of Sutton Park, 'Birmingham' (Warks), it won't be Howard... It'll be me... Probably.
It used to be a racer, when I could compete. Now, as soon as it's put back into roadworthy condition it will be a 'Get-me-around' for exercise. Which might be on the road... Or more likely in Sutton Park or some other expanse of car-free land with half-decent roads.
So if you see a portly, older gent, on a metallic-copper '60s racer, in the vicinity of Sutton Park, 'Birmingham' (Warks), it won't be Howard... It'll be me... Probably.
Listen to Mickle.
'Road bike',,, Short for 'Roadracing bike'. = As close as damnit what the tour pros are riding in the World cup, TdF, Giro and Vuelta.
'Track bike',,, Short for 'Track racing bike'. What the track riders at the Worlds are riding ie. NOT street legal at all.
ps 'Sports bike'. looks like a 'Road bike' but a pro wouldn't be seen dead on it. Weighs more than 16lb.
'Tourer'. Has the name 'Galaxy', 'Dalesman' or 'Randonneur' on it. Some older ones have 'Romany' on them
Everything else = Push bike.
'Road bike',,, Short for 'Roadracing bike'. = As close as damnit what the tour pros are riding in the World cup, TdF, Giro and Vuelta.
'Track bike',,, Short for 'Track racing bike'. What the track riders at the Worlds are riding ie. NOT street legal at all.
ps 'Sports bike'. looks like a 'Road bike' but a pro wouldn't be seen dead on it. Weighs more than 16lb.
'Tourer'. Has the name 'Galaxy', 'Dalesman' or 'Randonneur' on it. Some older ones have 'Romany' on them
Everything else = Push bike.
Sphericals!
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Holy Smoke this old thread has been refound 
I dont race and none off bikes are used off road so in my eyes their road bikes. Shanaze Reade races (wins) on a race bike but its nothing like my road bikes
I dont race and none off bikes are used off road so in my eyes their road bikes. Shanaze Reade races (wins) on a race bike but its nothing like my road bikes
Have you noticed bikes labeled "Audax bike"?
These are bicycles which the manufacturer consider ideally suited for riding long distances at faster than a leisurely pace. They are not 'Road bikes'. They are what were formerly known as 'sports tourers'. Marketing hype has renamed them to appeal to the ignorant.
A 'sports' bike, as has been said before, is a lower cost heavier version of a 'Roadbike'.
The term "Racer" was banded about because when and if cycling apeared on the newsreel, these were the cyclist who were shown. The public associated dropped bars and no mudguards with the Racing chappies on the moving pictures Pathe news before the main feature.
There were of course 'Tourers', which were not always equiped with derailleur gears, they were usually Sturmey Archer with small chainrings and larger than 20 tooth sprockets, racks, panniers, mudguards and a cyclimeter. Most had semi-dropped bars for comfort and the general public saw the semi-drops and incorrectly thought "Racer".
These are bicycles which the manufacturer consider ideally suited for riding long distances at faster than a leisurely pace. They are not 'Road bikes'. They are what were formerly known as 'sports tourers'. Marketing hype has renamed them to appeal to the ignorant.
A 'sports' bike, as has been said before, is a lower cost heavier version of a 'Roadbike'.
The term "Racer" was banded about because when and if cycling apeared on the newsreel, these were the cyclist who were shown. The public associated dropped bars and no mudguards with the Racing chappies on the moving pictures Pathe news before the main feature.
There were of course 'Tourers', which were not always equiped with derailleur gears, they were usually Sturmey Archer with small chainrings and larger than 20 tooth sprockets, racks, panniers, mudguards and a cyclimeter. Most had semi-dropped bars for comfort and the general public saw the semi-drops and incorrectly thought "Racer".
