-
- Road to Paris: Paved With Gold
- This year, the Tour de France may have ended in Nice. But for the hard-working athletes involved, the road led straight to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. With a backdrop worthy of a classic film, where champions speed from Montmartre, past the Arc de Triomphe, onwards to the history books. With the Time Trial starting just north of the tower, in Invalides.
Bikes come in a huge array of styles so part of feeling comfortable is choosing a bike design that fits with your body and the type of riding you want to do.
If you have lower flexibility and want an upright, relaxed view of the world as you pedal try a step-through frame. The low frame design allows you to gently lift yourself into the saddle without having to lift or swing your legs so is ideal for anyone with hip, back or leg mobility problems.
Hybrid and commuting bikes have a higher top tube so jumping on your bike means swinging your leg behind you. Once on your bike there is a gentle reach to the bars with a little more forward lean than on the step-through style frames.
If your main cycling goal is to be fast and increase your fitness then your bike position is likely to be lower and more stretched out, which requires you to have good flexibility and strength in your torso.
