Stand up the adult at the back there who just said there is no cycling fun to be had any more because the roads are so busy nowadays, and are not safe for cyclists.

My answer to that is to get off the streets and get some cycling fun in around the cycle paths of the many towns and cities that are catering more and more for the needs of leisure cycling and necessity cycling.

Just go to New York’s Central Park and see how much cycling fun is being had by so many people. There are a lot of people using the many paths and byways of New York’s 2 square mile green patch.

Even on the streets, the numbers of cyclists are growing steadily year on year.

Perhaps to look at it another way; cycling fun can be looked at as to how many dollars you can save by leaving the car in the garage and cycling into the city or doing the shopping, instead of one big shop, little and often every day.

In Paris and London over in Europe, a network of cycle routes and free bicycle ‘hire’ has proven to be a huge success and is expanding to meet demand. Indeed, some cycling fun must be had by some people, it can’t all be work related.

When I was a little boy (too many years ago to mention) one of my favorite bits of bicycling fun was to sit my best friend on my handlebars (or vice versa), and let the bike roll down the slope of the field, and see how fast we could go before we tumbled off in a heap on the floor giggling and laughing. Looking back I sometimes wonder how we NEVER broke our necks.

However, you don’t have to practice dangerous sports on a bicycle to have loads of fun. Just out riding with friends, taking a small picnic between you makes for great bicycling fun, especially in the summer when the days are long and warm, and the evenings light and balmy (especially in Alaska where the days in high summer seem to go on forever, but beware the mosquitoes).

If you want to have some bicycling fun now is the time to buy a new bicycle, get the legs, lungs and other bits of the body on standby and get out there in the wide open world. Cycling opens up a whole new world of aromas of flowers and grasses, and sounds you just don’t hear from the inside of a moving car.

Go on, buy a bike now, or get the old one out, clean it up and get riding. You won’t regret it.

Look no further than here for the bicycle resource that is second to none. Do you need information on where to buy a mountain bike? Are you looking for a comparison between different manufacturers and models? Or maybe you are searching for the best online bicycle resource to buy a new or used bicycle?

One click and the biggest and best bicycle resource are available to you, from information about safe cycling routes in crowded city centers, how to choose the correct size bicycle for you to ride, and where to buy the best value cycling clothing to get the most out of your bicycling experience.

Buying a bike is not something one does every day, and like an automobile should be a considered purchase. Size of frame should be dictated by inside leg measurement, and a comfortable saddle; after all, if you are riding for any distance, a sore butt is the last thing you will need. And take it from an old stager; get the size and the seat right first, then everything will fall into place.

A good bicycle resource should have a list of ‘do’s and don’ts’ for looking after a bicycle, how and where to store it, and what preventative maintenance you can administer to ensure continued safe and secure bicycling.

Bicycling shouldn’t just be considered a pass time or a means of keeping oneself fit; bicycling is a real door to door mode of transport, is environmentally friendly, and apart from the layout of good old hard cash at the purchase stage, costs dollar for dollar VERY little to run.

But a good bicycle resource center will not force anything on to you, neither will you be bombarded with information that you do not need. A good resource center will provide you with factual information, quality merchandise whether new or used bicycles, well made specialist clothing for warm sunny summer days, or those days in the Fall when the weather is turning and just doesn’t know what to do.

And the knowledgeable staff that haunts the corridors of their physical bicycling domain will be providing you with relevant insider knowledge on their website too.

If you are a newbie, don’t be embarrassed to ask the question “is that bicycle seat likely to cut me in two” because they will have heard it a million times.

And if you are an old pro, believe me you know there is something new to learn every day of your life.

Have fun bicycling, and don’t be afraid to use the resource center; you never know what handy hints and tips you will get.

You may just end up buying a bicycle too.

Formulating a road bike training schedule, regardless of whether you are an ultra fit, professional cyclist, or like me, a regular rider that takes part in regular daily cycling, or the odd event for charity, emphasis should be on all round fitness and strength.

Whatever cycling discipline is your forte, be it long distance team event, individual time trials or multi stage races staged over several days, the emphasis of a road bike training schedule should be to build up and enhance aerobic fitness.

Different ‘strengths’ are required for different disciplines; however the one pre-requisite of any cycling discipline is all round aerobic conditioning, and should be high in the list of priorities one should be concentrating on when drawing up a road bike training schedule.

Professional road team and individual cyclist possess exceptional endurance traits, and many cyclists are born with these in the genetic code. But in truth, regardless of genetic makeup and ‘luck or lack of it’, aerobic training makes easier strength training, by increasing and making more efficient the transfer of oxygen from the lungs to the bloodstream to the muscles.

A well thought out and carefully prepared road bike training schedule should include strength training as well as aerobic, because without the strength, not just in the legs, but also the back and upper body it will be difficult for the body to reach its full potential.

However, combined with aerobic fitness for efficient oxygen transfer, and strength training, a strict diet should also be adhered to. A road bike training schedule should incorporate a balanced diet suitable for endurance athletes (not of ‘Tour de France’ standard) and sufficient for the metabolic processes that occur within the body during training and event conditions.

This article cannot recommend dietary requirements it is best to seek professional dietary advice; however for endurance training, one of the best methods of increasing aerobic fitness is to train the body by using ‘short sharp bursts’ of energy in one or two training sessions every week. Regular training runs incorporating two or three minutes of intensive, high speed burst and then back to normal cycling every few minutes during the duration of the training session.

Incorporating this with hill work will rapidly build up aerobic fitness, strength in the upper body and legs, AND aid recovery periods.

But one of the most important items in any training schedule should be rest periods. Too much exercise before the body is ready can damage components. Too much rest negates the benefits of the training regime.

At least ONE day a week should be kept free for a rest day, but also try and keep the training times each day to within an hour either way. Ultimately, it is down to each individual to find their own level; but seeking advice from a dietician and a medical practitioner BEFORE undertaking any athletic training program should be the first port of call.

Remember to get fit, you have to stay healthy.

Do you prefer road cycling, mountain biking or cyclo-cross? Whatever your preference, the best cycling resource for information on cycles, equipment and clothing, and events and organizations is the good old internet.

What is the difference between the disciplines mentioned above? Where are these facilities for me to indulge in any of these disciplines? How do I find out if they are suited to me or indeed I am suited to them?

A good cycling resource should be like a favorite old book, or a favorite uncle, somewhere where you can go not just to buy something, but to get good old fashioned, common sense advice.

A cycling resource could be the old guy down the road who has ridden a cycle for as long as you can remember, will know all the best roads and routes to take, and can give many handy hints and tips on how to care and maintain a cycle.

A good cycling resource is one that not only sells new and uses cycles, but also has available all the peripherals you will need, not just for personal safety, but also the equipment to keep you legal. And as well as selling you everything you need for your cycling adventure, be you a keen amateur club rider, back and forth to work cyclist or just cycling for fun, they should have a good resource center for information on maintaining and servicing the cycle as well.

There is many a cycling resource down Main Street of your local town, but to have a truly awesome collection of equipment including cycles and peripherals, tips and information look no further that here.

Need information on dedicated cycle routes through and around your city, information on event, races and clubs in the area? Look no further than here.

A good resource center for cycling and cyclists should not limit itself to stocking and selling cycles and consumables, but should be able to provide information about local laws pertaining to cycling, where it is prohibited and allowed; in fact, anything that a cyclist should need to know or want to know should be available at a resource center.

And the internet is a ready made resource center; at the click of a mouse button, more information is available in almost an instant than you could ever need.

So for all you keen amateur cyclists, fun cyclists or budding professional cyclists reading this, you are only a click away from cycling heaven.

Bicycling fun can be had by kids and adults, from 3 to 93 years of age. My father in law is 82 and is still riding his bike 3 miles into town to get his shopping and back, visit his friends and generally do all the things that we do in our cars; except of course he no longer performs wheelies or stands on the crossbar when freewheeling downhill.

Hands up all of you reading this whose bicycling fun has (or still does) include standing on the crossbar, freewheeling down hills with your legs splayed out to the side, laughing and giggling with your friends.

If you haven’t had that sort of bicycling fun then that is as good a reason as any buy a bicycle today and get out there and have some bicycling fun on us.

Cycling is much more fun than walking, you can cover longer distance in the same amount of time, AND you can do wheelies and skids on gravel on country roads; wheelies are not so easy to do when you have no wheels below you.

Other bicycling fun to be had as a kid (or adult if you want) is to place a heavy duty piece of cardboard onto the rear wheel support, secured by a clothes peg or bulldog clip; and there you have it, one turbo charged bike when the card is rested against the spokes of the moving rear wheel.

To the ears of a child a super charged engine, better that any ‘go faster stripe’ or American muscle car; more cycling fun than you can shake a stick at.

And talking of stripes, kids have immense fun with multi colored adhesive tape made out in patterns on their bikes; custom paint jobs on cars are no competition to a kid with a stripy bike.

But the ‘piece de resistance’ or the granddaddy of any cycling fun to be had for kids (or adults, just let the imagination wander a little) is a length of wood or an old door propped up at one end on a pile of old bricks; there you have a ramp available to break the world record for jumping over buses or your friends lying very bravely (or foolishly) at the business end of the ramp.

Now is the time to buy a bike, get out in the fresh air and exercise lungs, legs and heart.

Having fun has never been so much fun, and you will get fit into the bargain too.

Owning a bicycle doesn’t just mean owning two wheels, a frame and a seat with a chain drive attached.

Specialty bicycles come in all sizes and flavors, from production hybrids designed with the comfort of a town bike but the performance of a road or mountain bike, with the inbuilt strength one associates with modern bicycles.

On my little island in Greece where I live there are many people, especially older women, that ride tricycles, specialty bicycles designed with the hills in mind, and the not so good roads. Fitted with gears to help combat steep inclines for older legs, and fitted with shopping baskets at the front and the back, one could say it is the modern version of the donkey; ready to carry loads up steep hills with little fuss.

Available from the local cycle shops for less than a 150 dollars, a much more economic method of shopping, without necessitating the use of a car on narrow roads.

Other specialty bicycles that spring to mind are what one can term as ‘bike cars’, four wheeled vehicles with two or four comfortable, upright seats and maybe a canopy over for shade from the sun; seen in many coastal tourist resorts in Europe where the streets are narrow in small towns, and a much cheaper mode of travel than a car, taxi or bus.

Specialty bicycles known as ‘pedicabs’ or more commonly rickshaws, are a green alternative to the common taxi, and can be found in many Far Eastern country’s conurbations, as well as many tourist areas in European countries such as France, Italy, Spain and Portugal; however the general rule is that the rider is a younger person, us oldies tend to lose the fitness over the years, and if any hills are encountered, the knees buckle and give way.

Recumbents, specialty bicycles that are almost as old as the original two wheeled chain powered bikes, are a three wheeled version with a sit upright comfy seat complete with back. Not as fast as two wheeled bikes, however very comfortable to ride because of the sitting up position; so comfortable in fact you may just doze off if you stop somewhere for too long to admire the view.

Last but not least, although this is only a few specialty bikes mentioned from the many that are available, are solar power assisted bicycles. Not generally in production, but available from a few outlets here and there.

They have normal pedal power, but also solar cells which charge a battery which supplies power to a drive mechanism (no tech specs available here). Probably work a treat in the sunshine states and countries that have lots of direct sunshine hours.

But what is the type of bike racing accessories that are required to keep a race going, or indeed a cycle going with maximum performance and as little down time as necessary?

Well, first of all defining bike racing accessories is pretty subjective; if you are a professional rider and member of a team, taking part in races across the world such as the Tour of Flanders and the Paris-Roubaix, or one of the more well known pro cycling tours such as the Tour de France, Giro d’ Italia or the Vuelta of Spain, a team car, spare bikes, team masseuse and racing cycling clothing and shoes would be expected.

However, for those of us on a limited budget, the bike racing accessories budget unfortunately doesn’t stretch to anywhere near the resources and bike racing accessories budget carried by today’s professional teams.

However, there are bicycle resources and accessories that you and I need to get the most from our cycling and road racing experience.

First of all, the road racing bikes are the thing, without one of those, no racing will take place; however one cannot ride and race in ordinary cycling clothing. Road racing bicycle resources number one priority is Lycra; yes, I know Lycra doesn’t always flatter (me included in that category) however to get the most aerodynamic profile, one needs tight fitting clothes.

One could ride naked, but it may be a little painful on the butt, and it may result in some blisters in acutely tender places.

Bicycle resources and accessories for road racing also include shoes that are aerodynamic in design, are rigid to maximize power to pedal to drive train, and are clip on to the pedals to stop avoid any chance of feet slipping off pedals, resulting in the crunch on the crossbar (we’ve all been there boys, huh?).

Finally, I cannot emphasize enough; buy a cyclist’s crash hat. As I say to my many friends that cycle, if you do have an accident, it is easy to mend a broken arm or wrist; not so easy to mend a broken head. And while accidents are, thankfully, very rare they do happen.

Be like a boy scout and “be prepared”

Now get out there, flex the legs, fill the lungs and get the heart, body and soul racing.

Left click on the link to transport yourself instantly to the best bicycles online store in the known galaxy. And who is to say that when the aliens arrive here and make first contact at the UN, they will not have brought their own cycles bought from their own version of a bicycles online store.

I say the UN, because seriously, if you were a visitor here from another star system, would YOU want to meet any of the elected politicians? Exactly my point.

But let’s not veer too much away from the point of this article which is about the bicycles online store availability and how to locate the best bicycles online store.

A bicycles online store shouldn’t just be the place to search for bicycles; remember all the peripherals you will ever need to make your cycling experience one of pleasure and great fun.

Cycling clothing and shoes, padded gloves that absorb the vibration from the handlebars, rain proof clothing for those days when the sun decides not to shine, pannier carriers and bags for stowing groceries or anything else that you may buy if you go shopping using your bicycle.

A safety crash hat is a good buy from a bicycle resources online store, the chances of falling off bicycle and hitting one’s head is a very remote possibility, but always a good idea; and any online bicycle resources store will have a very large selection available.

A bicycle resources online store should also be the place where you can buy maintenance and repair kits, and books and magazines dedicated to keeping the bike of yours in tip top condition with the minimum of fuss.

Many online bicycle resources stores will have regularly updated information referencing cycling events such as sponsored charity rides, competitive racing events, cross country and BMX events for kids and adults of all abilities.

Finding good bicycles online resource center can be challenging with many promising the Earth, but failing to deliver a small water biscuit.

It is all down to quality of product available on the site, prices and after sales service, and as with any store, the lower the price of a product, the less that is left in the margin for a reliable after sales service.

But if you choose the correct bicycles online store in the first instance, the less need for that after sales service, except to find out what other cycling goodies they have available.

How are road racing bikes defined from what the less well informed among us (me included) understand of cycle design?

From the plethora of cycle designs and variations available, how does one define road racing bikes from hybrids, mountain, cyclo-cross and BMX bikes? One would be forgiven for holding hands up in the air a thinking “they’re all the same”.

However, the definition of road racing bikes is something which has evolved over many years, and the design is governed by the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale), but in general, road racing bikes have certain characteristics which separate them from any other type of bicycle design.

Road racing bikes in general are lighter than their counterparts, more commonly being constructed from aluminum or an aluminum alloy, composites or carbon fiber, which most of the top professional cyclists use in their sport.

A road racing bike differs from specialty bicycles in as much the frame will obviously be much lighter, but also stiffer in design; with less flex built into the frame, the rider can transfer much more power from his or her body down through the pedals and into the drive train, and subsequently into the wheels.

In terms we can all understand, a road bike is designed to ‘go faster’ and be more efficient at high speeds.

However, a road racing performance bike gives up much of its flexibility in terms of how and where it can be ridden; for example a mountain bike can transfer from being ridden on a road to wet, muddy country terrain instantly, and is equally at home on the road or off road. Not so a road racing performance bike.

It is pretty much like the comparison that can be made between a sports road car and a utility vehicle; the latter has more flexibility in its performance and where and how it can be driven at the cost of speed and power. The same is true of a road racing performance bike and a mountain bike comparison.

Road racing performance bikes also sacrifice comfort for speed, in as much the rider will sit on the seat in a low position when holding the (lower than the seat position) slung handlebars, to create a more aerodynamic profile when riding.

Wheels and tires are different too; a minimum of 12 spokes on low profile alloy wheels, fitted with low profile, low tread tires to make maximum efficiency with a lower drag coefficient against the road.

So there you have it; when cycling crops up in polite parlor conversation, and someone asks “what is the difference between a racing road bike and any other bike?” you can bore the socks off all of your friends with these answers.

But don’t forget to revise for the quick fire challenge round of questions.

What is a performance bike?

As with automobiles, the sheer number of manufacturers and models sometimes offers a bewildering choice for the buying public and consumer. And as with automobiles, there is available a wide variety of utility, family, fun bikes; then there is the performance bike.

Pretty much like a performance car, a performance bike has a low weight to power ratio, that is to say the frame is made varyingly of aluminum alloy, aluminum or composites and carbon fiber.

A performance bike by the very nature of its name will be made with the aim of providing a vehicle for those among us who take their cycling more seriously, perhaps indulge in racing events, but on the whole will be more athletic and driven in nature.

A performance bike will generally have a low profile, be made from one of the above mentioned materials, have little in the way of extras, that is to say wheel guards, lights or other safety equipment, and will have alloy spokes and wheel rims, fitted with low profile tires.

All of the design of performance road racing bikes is geared to aid the cyclist getting the maximum performance from the cycle, regardless of whether the cyclist is a professional athlete or amateur athlete, Tour de France standard or club cyclist.

Road racing bikes and specialty bikes such as cyclo cross and mountain bikes, are designed for the athletes that use them to obtain best times, performance and return for the effort and training put in to get their maximum potential.

A performance road racing bike will not come cheap either; one can expect prices for a low end machine to start at anywhere around a thousand dollars, rising to as much as seven to ten thousand dollars for a custom made to measure machine.

And then there is the maintenance to consider too; most cyclists that own and ride a machine such as this will take it apart piece by piece, completely clean and service it before putting it back together again to ensure a long life for the machine.

But if this is competitive road racing or off road cycling is something you have been considering taking up, do not be fooled into buying a hideously expensive machine to start.

A good online bicycle resources store will offer trade in deals, so you can start with a lower priced machine, and if competitive cycling is the sport for you, there is the opportunity to upgrade without too much extra cost involved.