I quote, verbatim, from
<URL:http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/special_events/cycling/newsid_3039000/3039786.stm>
or
<URL:http://qurl.com/e4p1mm>:
"Road bikes
These are the kind of bikes used in the Tour de France.
Also known as racing bikes they are designed to go as fast as
possible over a flat tarmac road.
Everything is kept to a minimum to cut down on weight and reduce air
resistance.
This is called improving the aerodynamics.
Road bikes have quite a lot of gears..."
It goes on to say:
"The bottom and the rest of the low gears are for climbing hills.
The top and the other high gears are for descents..."
But the best bit is:
"A basic road bike starts from around £150 but if you want to use it
to race you'll need to splash out at least double that."
Well, you don't say.
--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth
;; knowledge increaseth sorrow.." - Ecclesiastes 1:18