Bicycle

Alina Sumets
 A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-
powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle,
having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A bicycle rider
is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century in Europe. By the early 21st
century there were more than 1 billion. These numbers far exceed the
number of cars, both in total and ranked by the number of individual models
produced. They are the principal means of transportation in many regions.
They also provide a popular form of recreation, and have been adapted for
use as children's toys, general fitness, military and police applications, courier
services, bicycle racing, and bicycle stunts.
Uses
From the beginning, bicycles have been and continue to be employed for many uses. In
a utilitarian way, bicycles are used for transportation, bicycle commuting, and utility
cycling. It can be used as a 'work horse' by mail carriers, paramedics, police, messengers,
and general delivery services. Military uses of bicycles include communications,
reconnaissance, troop movement, supply of provisions, and patrol.
The bicycle is also used for recreational purposes, such as bicycle touring, mountain
biking, physical fitness, and play. Bicycle competition includes racing, BMX racing, track
racing, criterium, roller racing, sportives and time trials. Bikes can be used for
entertainment and pleasure, such as in organised mass rides, artistic cycling and freestyle
BMX.
Technical aspects
The bicycle has undergone continual adaptation
and improvement since its inception. These
innovations have continued with the advent of
modern materials and computeraided design,
allowing for a proliferation of specialized bicycle
types, improved bicycle safety, and riding
comfort.
Types
Bicycles can be categorized in many different ways:
by function, by number of riders, by general
construction, by gearing or by means of propulsion.
The more common types include utility bicycles,
mountain bicycles, racing bicycles, touring bicycles,
hybrid bicycles, cruiser bicycles, and BMX bikes. Less
common are tandems, low riders, tall bikes, fixed gear,
folding models, amphibious bicycles, cargo bikes,
recumbents and electric bicycles.
Performance
The bicycle is extraordinarily efficient in both biological and
mechanical terms. The bicycle is the most efficient human-
powered means of transportation in terms of energy a person
must expend to travel a given distance. From a mechanical
viewpoint, up to 99% of the energy delivered by the rider into
the pedals is transmitted to the wheels, although the use of
gearing mechanisms may reduce this by 10–15%. In terms of
the ratio of cargo weight a bicycle can carry to total weight, it
is also an efficient means of cargo transportation.
Parts
Frame
The frame is the rigid heart of a bike. Traditionally bike
frames were made from steel. But these days they're mostly
made from aluminium alloy. However, carbon fiber and titanium
are used on high end bikes. Frames need to be strong, light and
stiff.
A frameset is the frame combined with the fork.
The most common style of frame is the diamond frame which
is made up of 6 tubes fashioned into two connected triangles...
Headset&Stem
The headset is a set of components that sit inside the
head tube and connect the frame and the wheel fork.
Bearings in the headset allow it to rotate so that a turn
of the handlebars produces a turn of the front wheel.
The stem is the bike part that connects the steerer
tube of the fork to the handlebars. Essentially it’s the bit
that sticks out forwards from the top of the head tube.
The handlebars run through the end of the stem.
Handlebars
The handlebars are what you use to steer the
bike. There are connected to the frame via the
stem. Flat handlebars are used on mountain
bikes, hybrids and urban bikes. Drop handlebars
are used on road bikes. But there are many other
styles too.
Brakes
There are two widely used types of bicycle
brakes: rim brakes and disc breaks. Rim breaks (so
called because they are applied to the wheel rim),
are the most common as they're light, cheap,
easy to maintain and powerful. However they
don't work so well in wet conditions.
Rim&Spokes&Tire
The rim is the circle of metal that forms the outside of the wheel.
Rims used to be made from steel, but since the 1980s they’re
usually made from aluminium alloy.
The spokes connect the rim to the hub. They apply tension evenly
in all directions, which creates a strong and stable wheel that’s able
to support your weight and the force you apply when you pedal.
The tire is mounted onto the wheel rim and provides the interface
between the bike and the road surface. Tires are made from rubber
impregnated cloth with a thicker rubber outer layer for tread.
Crankset/Chainset
The crankset is the part of the bike that your
legs push around, in order to turn the rear
wheel. It consists of the chainrings, and the
crank arms.
The crankset is attached to the frame by the
bottom bracket, to the rear wheel by the chain
and to you, the rider by the pedals.
Pedals
The pedals are the spinning interface between your
feet and the bike. You push down on them to move
forward.
There are broadly two types of pedal: flat-platform
pedals which you simply rest your feet on top of, and
clip-in pedals that you use with special shoes that have
cleats in the soles to attach them to the pedal more
securely.
Saddle
The saddle is the part of the bike that you
sit on. There are lots of different shapes and
sizes of bike saddle. They all have saddle rails
on the underside, which are used to connect
the saddle to the seat post via a saddle
clamp.
Thank you for your
attention!