This is a picture of a Road Bicycle. You will notice a couple
of things about this bike. The tires are very thin, smooth, and
tall. The thinness and smoothness cuts down on the friction from
the tires. This allows for a more efficient ride. The height
of the tire provides added speed for the rider. A taller tire does
not have to spin as many times to cover a distance pedaled.
Also, the handlebars provide riders with many options on their sitting position. Each position that you place your hands changes the angle at which you are sitting. The brake levers are also very easy to reach in every hand position.
One thing that you can not notice from this picture is that the frames on these bikes are very lightweight. The Road Bike is built for speed!
Summary- If you do a lot of long
distance riding on pavement, this is a good bike to use. Also, if
you are using your bicycle to compete in a speed sport, this is the
option you would want. However, these bikes are not designed for
off-road riding at all. Even many of the limestone lined
Rail-Trails will provide trouble due to the smooth tires.