Victoria Marcos - Discover Bicycles: Level 3 Reader

Lets go on a bike ride! But before we do, lets learn about different types of bikes, their parts and what makes them work.

This one is my favorite. Its called a city or utility bicycle. Its not designed to go fast or to ride on rough roads. Its used to get around the city or town and to carry small items. It has a basket in the front and a rack in the back. It also has gears and a comfortable seat.

This mountain bike is designed to be ridden on rough roads. It has big knobby tires and suspension (shock absorbers) on the front fork and frame between the pedals and the seat. It has many gears that can be used to go up and down a hills and bumpy or muddy paths.

This road bike can go very fast. It is used for racing and for riding long distances. It has narrow tires, many gears and a very light frame. It also had pedals that require special shoes that snap onto the pedal so you become one with the bike!

This bike is made for two. Its called a tandem bicycle. Only the cyclist in the front can steer and use the brakes. The rider in the back needs to pedal and lean in the direction the rider steers. Tandem bicycles are fun because you can keep each other company on your ride.

This boy is doing a wheely on his stunt bike. This bike is made for doing stunts like wheelies, jumping, bouncing, balancing on one wheel, etc. Stunt riding is dangerous so the rider wears proper protective riding gear like a helmet and gloves. His pants have padding at the knees to help protect them in case of a fall.

This young child is riding a bicycle with training wheels. The training wheels keep the bicycle from tipping over while he learns to ride and keep his balance. When he gets really good at riding he can take the training wheels off and ride without them.

These are childrens bicycles. The smaller one used to have training wheels but the rider no longer needs them. The larger looks more like an adult bicycle and is for a child that has outgrown the smaller one.

A tricycle is usually the first bicycle for very young children. It has three wheels so it is very hard to tip over. It helps them learn to pedal, steer and stop. They will begin to learn to balance when they graduate to a bike with training wheels.

Is there something missing from these? Handlebars, gears and hand brakes? These are unicycles. They are specialized vehicles mostly used for doing tricks. The cyclist steers by moving his body in the direction he wants the unicycle to go. He can make it turn fast and jump. Since unicycles have no handlebars the cyclist can use his arms to do tricks!

Every cyclist should wear a bicycle helmet while riding. Even if when riding around the neighborhood. A bicycle helmet is designed to protect your head in case of a fall. Make sure the helmet fits properly and isnt too big or too small. In some states it is against the law to ride without a helmet.

Although this is an old fashioned horn some cyclists still use them. It attaches to the handle bar so it can easily be reached when you need to honk. Aside from their funny sound, they are used to warn other cyclists and pedestrians that a cyclist is approaching. Different horns make different sounds.

Its a good idea to lock your bike when you leave it in public. This is a three wheel cable lock. You need the three digit combination to open the lock instead of a key. It cannot be easily opened and its cable cannot be easily cut. To secure your bicycle, run the cable around the bicycle frame and attach it to a bicyle stand or pole.

Every cyclist should carry a bike repair kit with him in case he needs to fix or adjust something on his bike. The kit usually contains a few small tools for various repairs and adjustments, a small pump and patches and glue for the tubes. Sometimes the chain will fall off the gear or the tire will go flat. With the bike repair kit the cyclist can fix his bike and get back on the road.

The bicycle wheel has several different purposes. It is a frame for the tire to rest upon. It has spokes that keep the rim or outside of the wheel from collapsing. The axel, the bar on the inside, has gears attached. When you squeeze the hand brake two pads squeeze the rim and slow down or stop the bicycle.

There are many different types of bicycle tires. This one is for a mountain bike. Tires are made not only for different bikes but have different uses. Some tires are used specifically for rain, snow, mud, hard or soft ground while others for mountain riding on steep and rough trails and even others for racing on the streets or for long distances.