The bicycle has firmly entered the life of an active person. Here is a short list of the benefits of riding a bike:

  • Healthy lifestyle;
  • Keeping the body in good athletic shape;
  • Economy;
  • Caring for the environment and the planet.

In addition, cycling is a great hobby, an excuse to get out of the city. The American brand Kona offers Kona bikes for city and off-road riding for every member of the family.

In order for the ride to be comfortable, enjoyable and useful, the two-wheeled vehicle and its components must be of high quality. Protective gear for cyclists and clothing for cycling also play an important role.

Bicycles

For some, a bicycle is transportation, for others it is a sport, for others it is a weekend entertainment. Here everyone finds something for themselves. But regardless of whether you ride in the city on paths or conquer the slopes of wild mountains, it is important to choose a bike for the purpose.

The most popular types of bikes are:

  • Mountain (MTV) are designed for driving off-road, on difficult terrain, but thanks to their stylish appearance and their passability, they are also popular for everyday use. MTB bikes are distinguished by wide wheels, tires with pronounced treads, the presence of a shock-absorbing fork, and a strong frame with high torsional rigidity. A prime example is the Kona Hei Hei CR/DL carbon bike. Its balanced frame design and the presence of two shock absorbers ensure passability and comfort in all circumstances.
  • City bikes or models for the city - equipped with wheels with a larger diameter, a wide comfortable seat, the geometry of their frame ensures a horizontal fit. Such bicycles are a good substitute for city transport, they are suitable for trips to work, walks in parks. The Kona Ute gives you the ability to get around town quickly and with health benefits. And its additional equipment, which includes a bag, footrest and other accessories, ensures convenience in any conditions.
  • Road bikes have high aerodynamic performance, frame and components provide good speed and handling on the road. They are distinguished by large narrow wheels, a sporty fit and light weight.
  • Double suspensions have double shock absorption - front and rear. It is an ideal solution for mountain biking, downhill, freeriding; they are designed for difficult terrain, shock absorption during jumps, landings. The 2021 Kona Operator bike is perfect for wild mountain trails, feeling your every move equally on the rocks and at speed. Despite the high cost, double suspensions are very popular.

  • Fatbikes are gaining popularity in Ukraine, they are great for difficult off-road. Their wide wheels (up to 5 inches) hold perfectly on loose surfaces (sand, snow). There are no obstacles on the Kona WO bike, it will ride through loose snow or over rocks.
  • Electric bikes or bicycles with an electric drive are a category of bikes that are gaining everyone's favor. The battery and electric motor make it possible to partially or completely remove the load from the cyclist. Such bikes are easy to ride on steep slopes, ride long distances. You can buy a Kona electric bicycle in Ukraine at our partner stores.
  • Cyclocross bikes are used for competitions, visually they resemble models for the highway, while they use tires with a pronounced tread, there are mudguards, and a lightweight frame.
  • Women's models take into account the features of the female anatomy: low frame, wide saddle, narrow handlebar. Women's city bikes can be equipped with a basket and a footrest.
  • Children's bicycles, depending on the age of the cyclist, can be three-wheeled, or the same as for adults, but smaller in size.

Components

A bicycle is not only two wheels and a handlebar. This is a complex mechanism that includes many parts, elements: switches, chains, pedals, brake pads, stars, forks, rims, connecting rods, tensioners. This is only a small part of what makes it possible to ride a bike safely and comfortably.

And when choosing a bicycle for the city or the highway, it is important to study the characteristics of each component in detail.

Brakes

The braking system of a modern bike is a complex mechanism that requires timely maintenance and, if necessary, the replacement of individual elements.

There are several different types of brakes. The most popular are:

The rims consist of two levers with rubber pads. When braking, the rubber pads compress the rim of the wheel and thus the bike slows down. There are V-Brake, pincer, and cantilever rim brakes. They do not require frequent maintenance, have a low price and effectively brake the bicycle. From the disadvantages: they do not work well with a deformed rim, in bad weather, on mud, in the rain.

In rim brakes, the pads are subject to wear the most. Braking efficiency and road safety depend on their condition. Before buying brake pads for a bicycle, pay attention to the materials and the manufacturer. The SwissStop brand offers high-quality brake pads, they have excellent wear resistance, braking efficiency and are rim-friendly. The company's engineers used cooling fins, thanks to which the pads do not overheat and have minimal weight.

Rim brakes for MTB bikes are gradually giving way to disc brakes.

Disc brakes are gaining popularity in the market. They are installed on mountain, city, children's MTB bicycles. The design and mechanics of operation are significantly different from rim brakes. The brake pads are not compressed by the rim, but by the rotor, which is fixed on the hub.

There are several types of disc brakes:

  • Mechanical disc brakes, which consist of a rotor, a caliper, a brake cable. By creating pressure on the brake lever, the biker thereby pulls the brake cable, which activates the caliper. Adjusting such brakes consists in the correct position of the caliper and the timely replacement of consumable parts - brake pads and cables. Experienced cyclists recommend buying high-quality SwissStop brake pads, they last as long as possible under any conditions, are not afraid of moisture and dirt.
  • Hydraulic brakes are more sensitive. They are used when maximum sensitivity of the braking system is required. The main elements are hydraulic line, rotor, caliper, lever. The essence of the action is that when braking, pressure is created in the hydraulic line, which in turn reduces the pads. The higher the pressure in the hydraulic line, the more effective the braking.

The main wear elements are the pads and the rotor. They ensure effective braking. SwissStop brake pads for disc brakes are popular among fans of various riding styles.

Transmission and stars

The mechanism for transferring energy from the cyclist's legs to the bike's wheel is called a transmission. The speed and efficiency of pedaling depends on it. Includes rear and front transmission. The rear is cassettes and ratchets (a set of sprockets of different sizes). The front one is a star and the right connecting rod, it has a smaller set of speeds and diameter. A correctly selected front star makes it possible to gain speed, overcome long climbs, while not spending a lot of energy.

Taking into account the heavy load on the parts of the front transmission, it is important to pay attention to:

  • Material. It can be titanium, aluminum, steel. The absoluteBLACK brand prefers anodized aluminum. By itself, such a metal has a small weight, and the external anodization ensures wear resistance.
  • Number of teeth. Depending on the type of riding, there may be 11-27 teeth for highway or 14-36 for MTB.
  • The method of attaching the ratchet to the shaft. Slots, square or wedge connections are used for this.
  • Star shape. Usually, the star for a bicycle has the shape of a circle. But the absoluteBLACK company developed oval stars. They transmit energy to the rear wheel 9% more efficiently, and significantly save power.

Bicycle accessories

In order to feel comfortable at every stage of cycling, manufacturers offer to equip the bike with various accessories. The most popular among them are:

  • Water bottles and mounts for them. It is important to maintain water balance during physical activity. In order not to stop to drink water every time while riding a bike, bicycle flasks are used. They are attached to the frame or transported in a bag. They are made from food grade plastic, tryphan mineral. The RaceONE brand uses medical polyethylene. This material is strong, is not afraid of shocks and falls, is able to maintain the temperature of the liquid inside for up to 2 hours.

  • Front and rear lights to indicate a cyclist on the road at night.
  • A footrest is an accessory used to set the bicycle in an upright position. Can be supplied as a basic kit (Kona Ute bike) or sold separately.

Clothing and protection

Proper cycling gear also includes protection and sports clothing.

Cyclist protection

Whether a cyclist is just riding around town for pleasure, using his bike as personal transportation, jumping drops or conquering mountain trails, he must have protective equipment. The basic kit includes: bicycle helmet and cycling glasses.

A bicycle helmet is reliable protection and at the same time a stylish accessory. Manufacturers pay great attention to the safety of the cyclist on the road. Different types of injuries and falls are taken into account during development, and based on this, the models use certain technologies.

By design, all helmets have basic components:

  • Outer layer: made of strong plastic, takes all the load upon impact or fall. Available with ventilation holes (for highway and some models of mountain biking) and without (for trial). Although there are exceptions, for example, the POC Cerebel helmet is designed for highway speeds, while its outer layer is not ventilated.
  • The middle layer is soft polyurethane foam, polystyrene or polystyrene. Softens the fall by absorbing and damping the force of the impact. Under load (strong impact) it can compress, thereby absorbing the shock wave.
  • The inner layer or lining is responsible for fit and comfort on the head. Thanks to this, you can adjust the helmet to size. A helmet with a removable lining and a non-removable lining are distinguished.

The main task of the helmet: to minimize the force of impact when falling. But cycling involves not only direct collisions with other road users, but also sliding falls at speed. In such falls, the victim most often gets a concussion. To reduce the risk of such an injury, the design includes additional elements.

POC, a leading manufacturer of protective equipment, equips its models with silicone pads on the inner side of the helmet. They partially smooth out the shock wave. But the most important thing is that they compensate for the rotational load during a sliding fall. Thanks to this, it is possible to avoid displacement of the cranium relative to the brain and significantly reduce damage in the event of a fall. This technology was named SPIN (Shearing Pad Inside). It is used in the creation of almost all models of POC helmets, from MTB (Octal X SPIN) to urban (Receptor) and road (Ventral AIR SPIN).

Before buying a bicycle helmet, carefully study its characteristics. Professionals recommend measuring several models from different manufacturers. This makes it possible to choose the most comfortable model.

Cycling glasses not only protect the cornea from the negative effects of solar radiation, but also protect the eyes from mechanical damage. At speed, you can "catch" small debris, dust or a small insect in your eye. At the same time, the size does not matter, because the damage can be irreparable. That is why experienced cyclists and fans of bike tours buy cycling goggles and cycling masks.

When choosing a model, it is important to pay attention to:

  • Lens material. For active sports, it is better to take models with lenses made of polycarbonate, polymer or cellulose triacetate. The latter will be the strongest. Some manufacturers cooperate with companies professionally engaged in the production of optics and lenses. The POC brand develops glasses together with the Carl Zeiss Vision company. Thanks to this, their lenses are strong, durable, and do not distort the picture.
  • Frame material directly affects the weight of the glasses. The lighter it will be, the more comfortable it will be to ride. Grilamid, plastic, polymers are used for frames. For greater comfort, some manufacturers, for example, the POC brand, use rubber brackets and fasteners on the nose. They provide a soft fit and good fixation, the glasses do not slip off the face, even if the skin is wet.
  • The fit on the face should be selected individually. The glasses should fit tightly and not come off. When trying on, pay attention to the side fit, the cycling glasses should not hang down.
  • Comfort use with a helmet. It is optimal to measure these two accessories together. Helmet straps should not interfere with wearing glasses. Some cyclists choose a helmet with a visor, this solves two questions at once - how to choose a helmet and how to choose bicycle goggles.

Bicycle clothing

Regardless of the level of riding and the season of training, cycling clothing provides comfort and protection from external factors. In the summer season, clothing for cyclists protects against ultraviolet rays, wicks away moisture, and protects against wind and bad weather. In winter, it retains heat, provides a comfortable microclimate on the surface of the skin, prevents overheating and hypothermia. The use of modern technologies makes it possible to create comfortable and convenient equipment for various conditions of use.

Features of clothing for cyclists:

  • Anatomical cut ensures freedom of movement, does not constrain the body while riding. Most often, cycling clothing is body-hugging for excellent aerodynamics. POC jerseys and shorts are made from soft, stretchy materials for maximum fit. For certain types of riding (trial, mountain biking), athletes choose a looser cut, because aerodynamics are not so important there. The POC Resistance Enduro Shorts have a relaxed fit and are compatible with protective knee pads.
  • Wind and moisture protection provides comfort even in bad weather, prevents hypothermia. Removable arm and leg warmers are particularly popular. The POC brand has a separate line of such heaters.
  • Moisture removal. During intensive training, the body releases a large amount of heat and moisture. To ensure comfort and keep the skin dry, technological materials are used that effectively remove moisture from the surface of the body to the outer layers. Buff multifunctional headbands, which many cyclists use as a helmet, provide a comfortable microclimate. Also, buffs from the Italian manufacturer are used to protect the neck from cold, moisture, and the scorching sun.
  • "Pampers" or a special insert in the groin area provides comfort while riding. It protects against impacts, softens the seat, and removes moisture. Regardless of the riding season, you can buy cycling shorts with a diaper or pants for winter cycling.
  • The extended back of jerseys, jackets, cycling jerseys protects the lower back from wind and rain. The use of such a cut is determined by the geometry of the body when sitting on the bike.
  • The presence of reflective elements makes it possible to see the cyclist to other road users. Most often, they are placed on the back, sleeves, pockets
  • Extended tight cuffs are designed to protect the wrists from the wind and prevent cold air from blowing.
  • Compactness and light weight are one of the most important criteria. The compact cycling jacket can be stored in a backpack or saddlebag when not needed.

Cycling today is a separate world of speed, drive and emotions. To get the maximum result, it is important to choose the right bike and its components. And to make riding comfortable, buy cycling clothing and cycling protection.

The SMG wholesale company is the official supplier of American Kona bikes and components from leading manufacturers. Our warehouses include SwissStop brake pads, absoluteBLACK round and oval stars, RaceONE bicycle flasks, Blike bicycle lubricant and sealant. For comfortable and safe skiing, we offer clothing and protective equipment from the company POC and Buff.

You can buy goods for cyclists in stores.