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Bike Frames 101

The year that the first bicycle was built was 1817. This first bicycle was invented by German, Karl von Drais, and was called the "swift walker." This name was given to this bicycle due to the fact that it did not have any pedals and people "walked" rather than rode on them. The first bicycles were constructed of a wood bike frame that had two wheels to support this frame. The bike frame was covered by leather for comfort. These first bike frames and the materials that they were constructed of have undergone many changes in the years since this first bicycle was invented.

Tubular steel bike frames began to replace the wooden frame during the latter part of the 1800s. These bicycles were very strong, but they were also very heavy, which made them difficult to control and ride. Steel is still a widely used material for bike frames, but there are other materials that are very popular as well, including titanium, carbon fiber, and aluminum. These lighter materials are mainly used in manufacturing the more expensive, high-end bike frames.

Material properties are important to keep in mind when designing your bike. Each material has its own unique properties and knowing their elasticity, ultimate strength, and yield strength is essential in create the perfect bike for you. These properties need to be in the proper ratio for you to have a bike that will withstand the type of riding that you do.

Steel is the strongest material that you can get for bike frames. The strength of steel makes it safer in a crash for a ride. It is also less expensive and easy to find, which is a benefit for many riders. Steel is easy to work with and can be made into a variety of different sized bike frames, including different tube widths to help make the bike lighter or heavier, depending upon your preferences.

A lighter weight option would be aluminum. This material is very light, but it also has a big deficit. Due to the lightness of this material, it is also very easy to bend and this can be very bad. The high yield strength of aluminum is why a larger diameter tube is used to help decrease the chance of the bike frame bending.

The most popular material for bike frames is titanium. Titanium has a natural shine and it will take you very little effort to keep it looking beautiful. It is on the high end of the price range, though, and this is why it is not readily available to everyone. The strength of titanium is amazing and it will keep its frame even after a wreck.

Carbon fiber is one more material that is used for bike frames. This material has been widely used to build boats for a long time and it is a strong material that holds up well to weight. It is even more expensive than titanium, though, which means that it is only purchased by the rich or a professional racer.

Bike frames come in several different designs, but the most popular design is the double triangle or diamond frame. Designers of bike frames have tweaked the design a little since the invention of the 1880s, especially with different materials. This has helped make the bike lighter and more aerodynamic. Changes may have been made to make it more comfortable, but for the most part, it is the same design as the very first bike.

Alastair Hamilton contributes adding long articles on bicycle parts for http://www.bikecyclingreviews.com . Find more publications about bike frames at his website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alastair_Hamilton

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