>1:An "Alloy cross rigid" Frame.
Alloy means that the bike's frame is made of aluminium alloy. i.e. not steel or carbon fibre. Rigid
means no suspension. Not sure about "cross". Could mean that the frame is designed for cyclocross
racing or that it has some gimicky design feature.
> 2:Rigid Cromo Fork
cromoly is a type of steel alloy used in most steel bikes. Rigid means that it does not have
suspension. The fork is the two-pronged bit of metal that the front wheel conects two. The prongs
join at the top where they are connected to a tube which the handlebars are attached via the stem.
> 3:Shimano Tiagra with Rapid Fire - Gears
Shimano make a range of groupsets (groupset refers to the components of the bike- e.g. front and
rear gear mechanisms, hubs, chain, cogs (sprockets), wheel rims, etc...). The more you pay the
lighter and suposedly better the groupset will be. See Shimano's web page to learn more about the
Tiagra groupset and how it compares with others which they manufacture. Also see Campagnolo which is
the other major component manufacturer. Shimano is Japanese and makes excelent components. Campag is
Italian and has been around for longer. Both are equally good. Don't ask which is better because
you'll just start a flame war. Do a google groups search to see what has happened in the past when
such questions have been asked.
Rapid fire is a system for changing gears. Go to a bike shop and try different systems by Campag and
Shimano to see which you prefer.
> 4:Alloy 52/42/30x175mm Chain
I assume you mean "chain ring". The chain rings are the large "cogs" attached to the cranks (the
straight bits of metal to which rotate around the bottom bracket and to which the pedals are fixed).
Most bikes have either two or three chainrings. The setup you describe has three. The numbers refer
to the numbers of teeth on the large, medium and small chainrings. The 175mm refers to the distance
between the center of the pedal axel and the center of the bottom bracket axel (the fixed bearing
around which the cranks rotate). Cranks usual come in lengths between 170 and
175mm. Track bikes usually are 165mm. Some racing bikes for large riders have up to 180mm
long cranks.
> 5:Alloy 'V' type Brakes
This is a brake design that acts on the wheel rim. Other varients are cantelver. It would be easiest
to see difference if you went to a bike shop and saw the designs at work. Mountain bikes are
increasingly coming fitted with disk brakes- which work like motorcycle brakes.
> 6:700c alloy double wall rims with quick release front & rear hub - Wheels
700c refers to the wheel diameter. 700c is standard for a road bike. Mountain bike wheels are
slightly smaller at 650c. Quick release means that the axel is hollow and has a simple mechanism
skewered through it to allow the wheel to be removed rapidly without tools. That's very useful if
you puncture or want to pack the bike in the boot, but it also means that the wheels can be easily
stolen if you leave the bike locked to a railing
> 7:Adjustable 'comfort' stem.
> ******************************************
The stem is the bit of metal the links the handlebars to the forks. If it's adjustable, that
probably means that the angle can be changed to allow control over the height of the handlebars.
Performance and reliability are dependant on the exact components we're talking about. e.g. the
bottom end Shimano road groupset - Sora - is made with a lot of plastic, is heavy, and will wear
relatively soon. Their top end road groupset - Dura Ace - is made mostly of metal and carbon fibre
with a lot "exotic" metals like titanium. A complete Dura Ace groupset will set you back over £1000.
Campagnolo provide better quality at the same price (in my opinion).
If you want to learn more about various aspects of cycling, take a look at our club web page-
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~cycling
There are many links there which you will find useful.
Rob
