Road Bike Classifications
There are many different classifications that road bikes can fall under. The following are the classifications and a brief description of each. Click on the heading of each classification to view bike bars stock.
Road Bike
Road bicycles have drop handlebars and multiple gears, although there are single and fixed gear varieties. Road bikes also use narrow, high-pressure tires to decrease rolling resistance, and tend to be somewhat lighter than other types of bicycle.
Triathlon Bike
Triathlon bicycles are a variant of road-racing bicycles, designed primarily to optimize aerodynamics. Since in most triathlons, cyclists do not draft as in many other forms of road racing, triathletes can gain a significant advantage by riding a bicycle which reduces wind resistance. The most obvious features of a triathlon bicycle are the handlebars, commonly known as aero-bars.
Time Trial Bike
Generally, components are designed to be as aerodynamic as possible, as most of the rider’s effort goes into overcoming aerodynamic drag. The rider’s position makes the greatest difference, and most use the now-standard tuck position, using tribars to allow the rider to position their arms inline with the wind and allow their back to sit as low and flat as possible, reducing frontal area and improving air flow around the body. TT bikes often have lower handlebars than normal road racing bikes to facilitate this. Also, the saddle is sometimes moved forwards relative to the handlebars and bottom bracket to allow the hips a more natural angle of motion, improving performance (for UCI-sanctioned events, the saddle must be a certain distance behind a vertical line drawn through the centre of the bottom bracket).
Touring Bike
A touring bicycle is a bicycle designed or modified to handle bicycle touring. To make the bikes sufficiently robust, comfortable and capable of carrying heavy loads, special features may include a long wheelbase (for ride comfort and to avoid pedal-to-luggage conflicts), frame materials that prioritize flexibility over rigidity (for ride comfort), heavy duty wheels (for load capacity), and multiple mounting points (for luggage racks, fenders, and bottle cages).
*Definitions provided by Wikipedia contributors. “Road bicycle.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 6 Jan. 2010. Web. 2 Mar. 2010.