01. THE EARLIEST BIKES DIDN’T HAVE CHAINS (AND SOME STILL DON’T)
Most of us are vaguely familiar with the Victorian-era penny-farthing bikes. If you take a close look, you’ll notice that they didn’t have chains. To move forward, cyclists turned pedals attached directly to the front wheel, and they could only increase their speed by pedalling faster or getting a larger front wheel.
Some bikes still forego chains in favour of Gates Carbon belt drives (which look a bit like tank treads), or even more rarely, shaft-drive systems.
02. CHAINS ARE MORE COMPLICATED THAN YOU MIGHT EXPECT
With up to 116 links in a standard bike chain, it has more moving parts than any other bike component.
Of course, you’ll need to remove some links; your chain should be long enough that it can be shifted onto the largest front chainring and the largest cog on your cassette without jamming, but not so long that it has too much slack in the smallest chainring and cog. The quickest and easiest way to figure out the proper length for your bike is to use your old chain as a guide.
03. IT CAN BE USED AS A WEAPON
In 1954, a Scottish man was sentenced to three years in prison for assaulting a Glasgow movie theatre manager with, you guessed it, a bicycle chain. Across the internet, you can find accounts of bike chains used as de facto whips or weapons.
Denne historien er fra January / February 2024-utgaven av Bicycling South Africa.
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Denne historien er fra January / February 2024-utgaven av Bicycling South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
GEAR FOR THE AGES
Some bicycle components, tools and accessories - by design, luck or a bit of both - become icons of performance, reliability and permanence in cycling.
A RACE LIKE NO OTHER
IN KENYA'S MAASAI MARA, KNOWN MORE FOR SAFARIS THAN CYCLING, THE MIGRATION GRAVEL RACE CHALLENGES RIDERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD THE WORLD WHILE FORGING A FUTURE FOR BIKE RACING IN AFRICA.
WAR ON WHEELS
IF YOU GO FOR A RIDE IN CAPE TOWN AT THE WRONG TIME, YOU COULD FIND YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF A CYCLING GANG WAR, WHERE THE WEAPONS OF CHOICE ARE STRAVA RECORDS AND SALTY COMMENTS ON INSTAGRAM. THIS IS THE TALE OF THREE RIVAL ROADIE CREWS AND A REMINDER THAT CYCLING IS A SPORT BEST TAKEN WITH A SENSE OF HUMOUR.
GET TOUR DE FRANCE FAST IN FOUR WEEKS
HAVE YOU GOT TOUR FEVER? If you have a good fitness base, let the pros inspire you to take your riding to the next level.
THE SECRET TO MAKING A COMEBACK? JUST START
\"THIS IS WHAT DECONDITIONING LOOKS LIKE,\" I said out loud to no one, as I looked at the heart-rate reading on my phone and gasped for breath. \"This shouldn't be so hard.\"
DEAR MARK CAVENDISH
WHEN I FIRST STARTED FOLLOWING professional road cycling around 2014, you were at the top of your game.
HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR POWER-TOWEIGHT RATIO
POWER-TO-WEIGHT RATIO IS one of the most telling metrics in cycling - and thanks to indoor trainers, many more cyclists are now familiar with it. Right now it's never been easier to calculate your power-to-weight ratio and use it to improve your performance.
EASY RIDER
A FEW YEARS AGO, my wife and I along with her parents, brother and his wife-cycled down the Danube River in Europe.
LEADING THE WAY - RYAN GIBBONS, 29, SA PRO RIDER, MULTIPLE SA & AFRICAN ROAD CHAMP
AFTER JOINING LIDLTREK from UAE Team Emirates, South African national champ Ryan Gibbons aims to be the best lead-out man he can be - while also helping his new team in their quest to climb the World Tour rankings.
6 WAYS TO BEAT THE HEAT THIS SUMMER
TOP TIPS TO KEEP YOU COOLER AND RIDING STRONGER... NO MATTER WHAT THE TEMPERATURE.
