Why Bike Tubing Matters to the Commuter

Anthony Carter

Description

https://www.rockwestcomposites.com/round-tubing/round-carbon-fiber-tubing/bicycle-carbon-frame-tubing - The eco-conscious era in which we live is seeing more and more people take to their bicycles for the daily commute. Rather than being stuck in traffic first thing in the morning and at the end of the work day, people are relying on their bicycles to keep them out of gridlock and get their daily exercise at the same time. Why do we care? Beyond the health and environmental benefits of commuting by bike, we care because bike tubing is part of our livelihood.

Informations

• Publié par: seorumer
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• Langue: English

Extrait

Why Bike Tubing Matters to the Commuter The eco-conscious era in which we live is seeing more and more people take to their bicycles for the daily commute. Rather than being stuck in traffic first thing in the morning and at the end of the work day, people are relying on their bicycles to keep them out of gridlock and get their daily exercise at the same time. Why do we care? Beyond the health and environmental benefits of commuting by bike, we care because bike tubing is part of our livelihood.

Stupid Dope's Jesse Jamespublished a great piecein early November looking at five different bicycles that commuters could choose from if they want to escape the gridlock of daily traffic. We will not focus on the entirety of the article here, but we do think it is interesting to note the composition of the bicycles in question.

It turns out that two of the bike frames are aluminum, one is steel, one is carbon fiber, and the last is a carbon fiber- wood hybrid. That got us to thinking about why growing numbers of bike builders areturning to carbon fiber bike tubing to replace aluminum and steel. Without a doubt, bike tubing matters to manufacturers. It matters to commuters as well, even if they don't know it.

Bicycle Weight The weight of a commuter's bicycle partly determines how fatigued that person is when he or she arrives at work. Aluminum and steel are both noticeably heavier than carbon fiber, so it stands to reason that the rider would expend more energy during his or her daily commute. That could mean a situation in which he or she is already exha usted before the work day even begins. One of the big selling points of carbon fiber bike tubing is its comparably low weight. Bikes built on carbon fiber frames are among the lightest you'll find anywhere.

Riding Comfort

Aluminum and steel are two materials that don't deal with road vibration very well. Rather than absorbing or dissipating it, both metals carry road vibration energy right up through the bicycle frame and into the seat and handlebars. That's why aluminum and steel bikes can be somewhat uncomfortable to ride in the city.

Carbon fiber is a material that absorbs road vibration much better. In addition to its natural properties, fabricators can work certain features into bike tubing to further dampen road vibration. A well-built carbon fiber bicycle is measurably more comfortable.

Retail Cost

The retail cost of a new bike is where aluminum and steel do better than carbon fiber. The fact is that manufacturing carbon fiber bike tubing is more labor-intense when you consider every stage of the process. When more labor is involved, the price goes up.

Commuters need to ask themselves how important the price factor is. If a carbon fiber bike is too expensive to make commuting by bike worth it, purchasing an aluminum or steel bike still affords the commuter the benefits of daily exercise and eco-consciousness even if that means sacrificing a bit of comfort and energy expense.

Who knew that bike tubing could be such a complicated matter? At the end of the day, whether a commuter buys a carbon fiber bike or one made of steel or aluminum is less important than the actual decision to commute by bike. Commuting by bike is an emerging trend among people who want to exercise more, help protect the environment, and reduce the number of cars on the roads. If that sounds like you, you'll be pleased to know there are plenty of great bikes out there for you to choose from.