Your health and safety should be your top priority when venturing out in the winter for cycling. So, after you choose the most comfortable bike for your ride or daily commute, here are the tips you need to keep in mind for safe ride:

Ensure Visibility

One of the very first safety precautions you should take is to ensure you are visible, in some way or the other. Remember you are not the only road user, and other users are also suffering from poor visibility and unpredictable roads. Reinforce your bike with lights that alert other road users to your location and direction.

Stay Warm

It is absolutely vital for your health to keep warm and dry while cycling in the winter. Carefully outfit yourself in insulated layers and waterproof clothing. Don’t forget the gloves and eye protection, too. Present at the front of your mind should be your choice in footwear. The last thing you need is your feet going numb as you cycle. Wear waterproof shoes to eliminate chances of soggy shoes and socks. You have to be careful not to be too warm, though. You could be in danger of becoming overheated as you ride is you are already too warm as you step outside.

Ensure Proper Bike Maintenance

A thorough bike check-up is crucial in the winter. Even if your bike has been pronounced in tip-top shape at your regular check, you should schedule another one if you plan on cycling in the winter. Things to check include your tire pressure and functional fenders. Keep your bike as clean as possible in this period with regular washes and proper sheltering. Remember that salt is an effective corrosive agent against your bike’s body.

Be Weather Conscious

Prior preparation is a must, especially in the winter. Preparation does not involve just spare gear and proper clothing. Familiarize yourself with your planned routes, and check the weather for the day before heading out. Calculate your estimated time of arrival at your destination to know if you might run into any weather snags, and make adequate preparations.  This way, you might also have an idea of what the weather would be like for your return trip, and make adequate planning. Stay prepared for any sudden and unexpected changes in the weather, and if you feel overwhelmed by any situation, don’t hesitate to park and wait out the weather.

Ride Carefully

All of these tips are vital for your safety in the winter, but the ultimate safety tip is to ride carefully, and with the other road users’ safety on your mind. Remember that winter conditions are more unpredictable and hazardous than cycling any other season. Pedal carefully; keep in mind that the roads and your pedals get a bit more slippery with the cold. Brake more often to clear your rims and avoid treacherous puddles.

Be even more careful when cycling in poorly lit or obscured conditions as motorists may have trouble spotting cyclists.

If you are a man, you can choose from this vast collection of men’s bikes for your winter biking.

image source: here

We’re not just BikeBandit.com—we’re Bike Bandits, the guys and gals who built a life out of the things that we love. We can confidently say that we’re one of the best resources online to get all of your premier OEM motorcycle parts, no matter what brand you’re sporting. Those hard-to-find parts from your models that are thirty or forty years old—yeah, we specialize in those, too.

Aftermarket parts just don’t cut it for some models. Unless you’re sporting a specific brand that can withstand aftermarket parts, you’re going to suffer in terms of dependability. You need an ace in the hole—you need OEM motorcycle parts that you can afford, that you can rely on. That’s where we come into play. Aficionados that know their stuff, because we’re using the exact same parts as you are in our bikes. When you shop on BikeBandit.com, you’re not just taking care of your motorcycle—you’re becoming part of the family. There’s nothing that we love more than ensuring you find the right part, at the right price, and have a killer experience every single time.

When you’re riding into the wind, enjoying the clean sound of a freshly-revamped motorcycle with the parts you ordered, you’ll know one thing: there’s a Bike Bandit on your shoulder, and we’re ready to rock and roll whenever you are.

You save on petrol.

If you want to be a practical spender, riding your bike to work even for several times a week can give you a lot of savings from your commuting expenses. First, it is free as opposed to taking a bus or driving your car. Second, you will not need to consume petrol unlike if you will go to work on your car. These are on top of feeling the air on your face and enjoying the sights, if you live in the countryside.

You do something good for the environment.

With one car out of the road for a day or several days, there will be lesser carbon emissions in the air. Imagine if most people will walk or pedal their way to work. The emission of these green gases will be reduced as well as the carbon footprints in the environment. Consequently, noise and air pollution will also be diminished.

You will be healthier.

Cycling is a great form of exercise without the hassle of going to the gym. By riding your bike for at least 30 minutes a day, you strengthen your endurance and keep your blood pumping. These are all good for your heart and well-being. With a healthy heart, you’ll live longer. Also, it is good for your mental health since it reduces stress and anxiety.

So, instead of keeping your bike in your garage, why not ride it to work soon and enjoy the benefits of cycling.

Coming with an angry and quite futuristic design, this powerful bike can generate a ludicrous 300 horsepower with its supercharged engine, surpassing BMW’s popular HP4 superbike, which comes with 193, and even the new Alfa Romeo sports car, the 4C, which comes with 237. Because of its speed, there is a catch to it—this new Ninja is not street legal! However, Kawasaki has stated that it would create a slightly toned-down version of the bike soon.

To achieve such an extraordinary power output, Kawasaki tapped into its supercharging technologies, which is a form of forced induction that has not been used in production bikes yet. The company has a vast industrial complex that includes an aerospace division developing foremost designs of turbine technology that many jet engines are using today. These capabilities have surely played a significant role in creating a centrifugal supercharger, rather than the common twin-screw-type and scroll designs.

Another notable feature of the supercharged engine is that it seems to be directly driven off internal gears within it, and patent applications from the company indicated a design using a 2-speed gearbox that allows the supercharger to spin at high speeds at lower RPMs for better torque and to spin at lower speeds at higher RPMs for a flatter torque curve and better efficiency.

Now, you might question why the company bothers making a toned-down version of the H2R, but as you can see, superlatives are a great selling point in the world of vehicles. Also, Kawasaki would just sell a limited number of this new super-Ninja for the track, at a powerful profit margin, of course.

What has caught the interest of people here is that Kawasaki is seemingly toying with a form of unspoken agreement among motorcycle manufacturers not to push power capabilities too far. Over the years, the company, along with other popular motorcycle makers like Ducati and Yamaha, have limited top speeds and just concentrated on creating models that are more efficient, agile and technologically advanced.

However, the new H2R might change all that!

Fighting for Gender Equality

As a young girl, she had always been fascinated with motorcycles but she never thought she can drive it on her own since it is not unlikely for a woman, especially in Iran, to engage in an activity that is supposed to be for men. When they visited the Zanjan province when she was 15 years old, she saw a young woman riding an old motorcycle from house to house. And so she tried her hand to learn while they were there. And so as they say, the rest is history. She became one of the first Iranian women to be officially permitted by the Motorcycle and Automobile Federation of Iran to practice motocross off-road and has become the first female Iranian to participate in professional road racing. She gets sponsorships, teaches and trains to make a living now. Along with five other female riders, she is pushing and fighting to give women the legal right to race professionally and showcase their skills in motocross.

Milan Experience

Her passion and skills gave her a lifetime experience when she was invited to a night festival in Milan, Italy. This was called Women Rides. Among the 300 attendees, she was the only Asian and Middle Eastern Woman. What was great about this experience was the fact that it was the first time for her to ride legally in the street without having to worry of being apprehended or questioned. Moreover, she never had to pay anything for all her expenses were paid for by the organizers.

Up to now, she is not yet allowed to compete in professional races in Iran but Shafiei is hopeful this is possible in the future.

The cruiser is one of the best choice for cyclers being a stylish, comfortable and durable ride. Since there’s a bunch of cruisers out there, it proves helpful to learn a couple of tricks to get the best cruiser your money can buy.

Find the Right Size

When riding the cruiser, you need to sitting in upright position. The bike has to match your size or else it won’t be as comfortable to maneuver as it should. There’s no need for expensive fitting, though. Cruisers come in a wide range of sizes so there should be a size that fits you perfectly. They also come in separate designs for men and women. Generally, the step over and seat heights are lower for women. Also, there are cruisers for adults and kids. It pays to test out a unit and make several rounds to check on its level of comfort and maneuverability.

Choose the Right Gear

Gears on a cruiser can vary, depending on your requirements. You can pick single, three, six or seven speed gear for your bike. Consider your routes and your bike routines. If biking around for some fresh air is all you need, a single or three-speed bike is ideal. If you want speed go for a cruiser with a higher speed capability.

A single speed cruiser is the classic beach cruiser bike with a traditional coaster brake, which is also called foot brake or back pedal brake. It isn’t for uphill or downhill rides, but is a great bike along the beach and running short distance errands around the neighborhood.

A multispeed cruiser usually has front and rear hand brakes, and a derailleur or gear hub for selecting speed. It’s adaptable for uphill-downhill rides and for those that require speed. It offers a more comfortable ride than a single speed cruiser, as it doesn’t have much resistance.

Pick the Right Make

Cruisers may come in steel or aluminum. Steel frames are heavier than aluminum, prone to rust, but generally cheaper. Aluminum frames are lightweight, come with high-end components, and do not rust. They’re relatively expensive, too. Serious riders usually choose an aluminum cruiser bike, which is great value for money in the long term.

The post Why Buy a Cruiser Bicycle? first appeared on De Luxo Sphere.]]> https://deluxosphere.com/2-iconic-motorcycle-brands-of-all-times/ Tue, 22 Sep 2015 14:44:51 +0000 https://deluxosphere.com/?p=3171 Over the years, seeing motorcycles on the road has been a familiar scene. Many brands have come up in the market but there are two...

According to the Italian firm, the Fuoriserie was inspired by the custom cars of the 30s. In fact, the leather used for the covers of the handlebar and seat interiors of the Pininfarina design emulates Lancia’s Astoria Bocca 1936.

Pininfarina Electric Bike

The Fuoriserie will be manufactured by the Italian company Milano 43 bicycles. Its frame is made of steel tubing Dedacciai Zero DR, hand-soldered. Other unique features include Campagnolo Veloce brakes and tires of Panaracer Kevlar reinforced Rimbo.

It also has a LED lighting system 250-lumen (driven dynamo) hub motor Zehus Bike + 250 watts and a lithium-ion battery that is recharged by the action of the pedals. As it’s being designed by one of the companies that contributed to the success of brands like Ferrari, we anticipate that Fuoriserie will not have a cheap price.

You can notice whether a fixie is there

In case it’s not clear: in a “normal” bike (note the quotes), if you stop pedaling the bike continues moving while you leave the pedals; you can even pedal backwards without it affecting the bike’s running! This is because the “normal” bikes have a freewheel mechanism that prevents the rear wheel rotation to spread to the chain. In a fixie, however, the fixed gear causes that all the movement of the rear wheel gets transmitted to the pedals (and vice versa, including backward pedaling). So, if you’re going downhill with a fixie, your feet will keep moving not for the effort you’re doing but by the movement of the wheel.

Advantages and disadvantages

This system has almost as many fans as detractors. The advantages include greater lightness and simplicity for the lacking derailleur system and rear brake (you don’t need it cause you brake the rear wheel with the pedals). Those who love fixies also love the feeling of oneness with the bike that happens when your body paces the speed. Fewer parts also means less to pay (at least in theory), less to maintain and to be damaged and, ultimately, less to be stolen if you park your bike on the street.

Those who aren’t tempted by the fixie often speak disadvantages related to security, for that you have to be blocking the rear wheel every few minutes and the discomfort of not being able to stop pedaling at any time. Furthermore, in a fixie you only have one gear, so facing hard inclines can be pretty complicated.

The nirvana of hipsters

The fixies owe much of their popularity to the iconic bicycle postmen in New York, who avoided the terrible traffic in Manhattan in their narrow handlebars and without brakes fixies (many people who seek the utmost simplicity don’t use front brake either in their fixie), balancing at the traffic lights (a track stand). It’s difficult to know if what works for a particular group, or to perform acrobatic adventures, is also suitable for any urban cyclist… surely the best way to know if fixies are for you is testing them.

The problem of price

Curiously, fixies’re usually not especially cheap. They have a very large component of “whim” and those who use them tend to see it as a long term investment, so it’s not surprising that the most common models exceed 1,000€. To avoid these high prices, many choose to craft their own fixies from old road bikes.

Different Types of Bikes

Road Bikes

If you only cycle on the road, primarily for commutes or racing then it’s the road bikes you need to look at. They are designed for speed and their lightweight, aerodynamic frame will get you around swiftly with very little effort.

Mountain Bikes

Mountain bikes are designed for those who do most of their cycling off road and need features such as shock absorption, suspension and wide tyres. Mountain bikes are one of the cheapest ways to get around and very effective in keeping you fit with their versatility meaning you can head to the nearest rural cycle track and still have an easy ride whilst enjoying the scenery.

Hybrid Bikes

A hybrid is a combination of a road bike and a mountain bike, if you require some versatility in your bike’s offering then the hybrid would be perfect for you.

Folding Bikes

If your daily commute to work combines both cycling and public transport you may find that a folding bike is ideal for you, especially if the bike space on public transport is limited. Folding bikes are lightweight for convenience and you will typically find that the wheels are smaller for convenience. Due to this the riding experience may feel different to what you are used to so, if you can try out a folding bike before you buy.

Electric Bikes

Electrical bikes are a relatively new development made for those who are commuting over longer distances. A motor powers the bike when you are travelling at less than 15 mph or going through a particularly tough part of your journey, such as a steep hill where you would benefit from some additional power. There are various categories of electric bikes: Electric Mountain Bikes, Electric Street Bikes &  Urban Electric Bikes.

Electric bikes are significantly more expensive than a normal bike but in the long term could work out cheaper cycling this way than travelling by car over longer distances.  

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