A Bicycle – Fundamental Facts You Need To Know

Prelude

One of my favourite leisure pursuits is cycling as you may have observed from the About Eli page. In this post, I will be sharing on one of the most important parts of cycling – the bicycle. Sit tight and enjoy the ride.

Bicycle Definition

A bicycle according to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, is “a vehicle with two wheels tandem, handlebars for steering, a saddle seat, and pedals by which it is propelled.” A bicycle is also known as a bike, cycle, two-wheeler. 

What’s a Bicycle used for?

A bicycle is primarily used for the following purposes:

1. For commuting – A bike is a common mode of transport. It can be used to take you from one location to another. For instance, you can ride from your house to work.
2. For functionality – A bike can be used for running errands, going shopping, etc.
3. For recreation – Riding a bicycle is a great fun activity for all ages. It’s a way to relax and bond with people.
4. For touring – Bicycle touring, aka cyclotourism, involves sightseeing or exploring on a bicycle.
5. As a sport – Bicycle races are a huge sport. The Tour de France is the world’s biggest and most difficult bicycle race. It holds annually and attracts the world’s best riders. Did you know that cycling was included on the first modern Olympic Games program in 1896? And that its one of only five sporting events to have featured at all the Olympic Games?
6. To keep fit – Bicycling is a great workout. It’s a wonderful way to stay healthy (mentally and physically).

Personally, I make use of a bicycle mostly for recreation and to keep fit.

Bicycle vs an Automobile

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5 Upsides to a Bicycle

1. Eco friendly – According to the United Nations (UN), a bicycle is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean, and environmentally fit sustainable means of transportation, fostering environmental stewardship and health. Conversely, the greenhouse gases emitted by vehicles contribute to climate change.
2. Cost effective – A bicycle is generally cheaper than buying a car. The costs for maintenance and replacement of bicycle parts are much lower compared to those of an automobile.
3. Easy to store – You can easily keep your bike at your house because it occupies less space. A car on the other hand, needs to be kept in a garage or a designated parking space as you’re not supposed to park on the street.
4. Keeps one healthy – Driving a car isn’t a form of exercise. In contrast, cycling keeps you physically active as your muscles and heart are engaged.
5. Easier to go on adventures – A bicycle is an excellent and fun way to explore new places and enjoy nature. A bicycle can be used on some unmotorable paths. While a car ride is best enjoyed on paved roads. Touring with a car may be restricted if there are no motorable routes.

4 Downsides to a Bicycle

1. No protection from the elements – If you’re caught in unexpected bad weather such as a heavy downpour while cycling, you’ll have to take shelter. Conversely, a car is usually able to withstand a certain level of bad weather. 
2. Easily pilfered – Bicycles are regular targets for theft, because of their value and ease of resale. If stolen, it may prove more difficult to retrieve compared to a car.
3. Lesser distances – An automobile can cover longer distances in a shorter time span with less human energy expended in comparison to a bicycle.
4. Less storage space – A car can carry, and store more than a bicycle can. 

My History with Cycles

Tricycle

A tricycle is a 3-wheeled vehicle propelled by pedals or a motor. The abridged version is a trike. I remember as a child that we had two tricycles at our house. A red and a blue one. We probably rode it at a very young age because I don’t recall riding the tricycles. What I do recall is that when we moved house, the trikes were stored in the garage and at some point, went missing. They were never found.

Bicycle

When I clocked thirteen, I received a bicycle from my father as my birthday gift. I had asked him for a bicycle to mark my entry into teenagehood and he was gracious enough to acquiesce to my request. It soon became “our” bicycle. “Our” refers to my three siblings. It took me a while to learn how to ride the bicycle. After several failed attempts, I eventually got the hang of it when I discovered a strategy that worked for me. It had to do with the positioning of the pedals particularly the right pedal. This position propels me forward and keeps me balanced when starting off.

Michael Palin aptly said:

One of the most important days of my life was when I learned to ride a bicycle.

We were only permitted to ride the bicycle within our compound. The bicycle served us well for several years before it fell apart and was beyond redemption.

I didn’t ride a bicycle again till about a decade and a half later. It wasn’t hard getting the hang of it. However, bicycling on roads took some getting used to. I overcame my fear and learnt a lot about bicycles and cycling when I began riding with Bikaholics of Lagos in 2019. My riding technique has vastly improved since the year 2019.

Thus far, I have ridden a utility bicycle, a mountain bicycle (MTB), and a hybrid bicycle. My favourite is the MTB.

Quadracycle

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A quadracycle is a four-wheeled human-powered land vehicle. It is also referred to as a quadricycle, quadcycle, pedal car or four-wheeled bicycle amongst other terms.

I saw a quadracycle for the first time at Whispering Palms Hotel and Resort, Badagry, Lagos. It was part of the tourist attraction and available for rent for specific timeslots.

I stayed at Whispering Palms while on the Badagry tour organised by Naidrenalin Adventures in July 2021. I rode on the two-seater (two riders) and the four-seater (four riders) quadracycles, and it was so much fun.

Did you know that quadracycles are often designed to look like early 20th century automobiles with a bench seat, rack-and-pinion steering, and a canopy top? They are commonly called “surreys”, due to their resemblance to horse-drawn wagons of similar appearance and the same name.

Types of Two-Wheelers

Berto, Frank J.. in his “Bicycle” article in the Encyclopedia Britannica, stated that most present-day bicycles fit into six main categories as follows:

1. Utility. Generally, characterized by heavy frames, flat handlebars, wide tires and seats, simple brakes, and usually a single speed. They are ruggedly built, easy to maintain, and inexpensive. They are primarily used for short-distance commuting, running errands, leisure, shopping, or for transporting goods. I have ridden a few utility bikes and it’s a wonderful experience bicycling on paved roads. It’s so much fun gliding down a slope. But, climbing up an incline is always an uphill task because there is no gear shifter system on the utility bike (at least on the ones I rode).
2. Touring. Touring bikes have lightweight frames, 14 to 27 speeds, narrow tires and saddles, and typically drop-style handlebars. They offer a stable ride and often have triple chainwheels as well as racks that allow the rider to carry specially designed luggage (panniers). It is designed for long distances or several days rides where you are carrying everything you need with you.
3. Racing. Road-racing bicycles have very light frames, narrow high-pressure tires, drop handlebars, and derailleur gears with at least 16 speeds. Road bikes are built for maximum speed and are best suited for cycling on paved roads.
4. Mountain. Mountain bicycles (MTB) are very versatile and can travel easily on a wide variety of surfaces. MTBs have wide low-pressure tires with knobs for traction, flat handlebars, wide-range derailleur gearing with up to 27 speeds, and powerful brakes. Their flat handlebars allow an upright riding position. I prefer an MTB because I have more control when riding, the brakes work very well, and I am better able to traverse sandy, muddy, bumpy, and bad roads. I also noticed that making turns on an MTB are smoother for me. I have had awesome adventures exploring Lagos with an MTB. Also, because I am in an upright position when riding, I get to see more and admire the places I ride through. However, the bicycle is heavier and requires more effort in pedalling. Hence, cycling fast on an MTB for an extended period is very challenging for me.
5. Hybrid. A hybrid bike combines the features of a road bike and a mountain bike. It is nearly as fast and easy to pedal as a road bike, while being almost as comfortable and versatile as a mountain bike. I currently ride a hybrid bike. It’s much lighter compared to an MTB. Pedalling is easier so I move faster especially on paved roads. Although the hybrid has flat handlebars, I find it more comfortable riding slightly bent over than sitting upright. I also found that making turns on a hybrid are not as effortless as when I ride an MTB. Lastly, its more challenging cycling on sandy paths on a hybrid because the tyres do not have knobs for traction like that of an MTB.
6. BMX. Stands for bicycle motocross. BMX-type bikes are off-road sports bicycles that are mostly used for freestyle riding with an emphasis on acrobatics/stunts. 

7 must have Bicycle Accessories

1. Bicycle lighting is a must have for riding at night or when its dark. It increases the bicycle and its rider’s visibility to other road users. Bicycles should be fitted with a white light in the front and a red light at the back, like other vehicles. The front and rear lights also serve to illuminate the road so that the rider can see the way ahead.
2. A bicycle pump is used for putting more air in a bicycle tyre. Riding a bicycle with tyres that are not properly inflated is not an enjoyable experience.
3. Bell or horn is an audible signalling device mounted on a bicycle’s handlebars to alert pedestrians, other cyclists, and drivers of your approach. Thus, preventing collisions.
4. Fenders (mud-guards) protect your legs, backside and bike from water, dirt and other road spray. This comes in very handy when riding in the rain or after it’s rained or through a puddle.
5. Bottle cages holds your water bottle on the bicycle. This is an essential accessory to have as you need to stay hydrated when cycling.
6. Kickstand keeps a bicycle upright when parked. It prevents the bike from falling over or lying on the floor. It also saves time from looking for a wall to rest the bike against.
7. Bike lock is a security device used to prevent bicycle theft.

Other notable accessories for a bicycle include baskets, luggage racks, pannier, child carrying seats, cyclometer, and a coffee holder.

A cyclometer is “a device made for recording the revolutions of a wheel and often used for registering distance traversed by a wheeled vehicle“. It’s like the instruments in a car’s dashboard.

World Bicycle Day

Recognizing the uniqueness, durability, and adaptability of the bicycle, which has been in use for two hundred years, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared 3^rd June as World Bicycle Day.

The UN noted that the bicycle contributes to cleaner air and less congestion and makes education, health care and other social services more accessible to the most vulnerable populations.  

Tips on Basic Bike Maintenance and Repair

3 Maintenance Tips

1. Protect your bike from harsh weather conditions and theft, by keeping it in a safe place.
2. Keep the tires correctly inflated.
3. Regularly lubricate the chain and pivot points for derailleurs and brakes.

Repair Suggestion

The most common roadside problem is a puncture. A roadside vulcaniser can mend a puncture. It’s advantageous to take note of vulcanizing spots when riding so you know where to go if your tyre develops a puncture.

Alternatively, you can mend the puncture or replace the inner tube yourself if you know how to do it and have a puncture repair kit on hand.

Do note that very few bicycle components can be repaired. Replacement of the failing component is, therefore, the common practice.

5 Remarkable Bicycle Quotes

As this post draws to a close, here are five remarkable bicycle quotes from Sports Feel Good Stories:

It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.

— Ernest Hemingway

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Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride.

— John F. Kennedy

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When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.

— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

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Education is a continual process; it’s like a bicycle… If you don’t pedal, you don’t go forward.

— George Weah

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Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.

— Albert Einstein

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What types of bikes have you ridden? Which is your favourite? What do you primarily use a bicycle for? What are your must-have bike accessories? Do share your thoughts in the comments section below. I would love to read your responses.