All About Bikes

Grab your bike and hit the road!
上山下海飛輪樂 - 騎上自行車上路吧！

When did you first learn to ride a bike? Even if it was long ago, chances are you still remember how. With bikes available for many different styles of riding, there's no excuse not to get out and ride!

Bikes for commuting
For getting to work, you'll want a bike that's comfortable and sturdy. Choose one that can handle going across holes in the road. Popular choices include mountain bikes and hybrid bikes, also known as cross bikes. Of the two, hybrids offer a more comfortable ride since they are lighter and have smoother tires. A cheaper alternative is a city bike. It may be less attractive, but it offers a more comfortable seat.

Bikes for exploring
For riding through mud and over rocks and surfaces that aren't paved, nothing beats a mountain bike! These bikes are designed to be ridden on dirt or rocky trails. They have low gears that help riders handle steep trails. Nearly all mountain bikes offer a front shock. Bikes with both front and rear shocks can handle large humps. 

Bikes built for speed
If going fast is your goal, you'll want to choose a road bike. These bikes are lighter than other bikes, so riders can go faster. The downside is that their frames aren't made to handle riding over small holes in the road. But for pushing the limits of speed, nothing beats a road bike. The style of handlebars normally used on road bikes forces riders to bend forward while pedaling. This position offers less wind resistance and makes faster speeds possible. Road bikes come with more gears than other bikes, so riders can go up and down steep mountain roads more easily.

Bike care and maintenance
Whatever bike you choose to ride, bike company Merida suggests doing a few things before every ride. These include checking and greasing the chain, checking the tire pressure and testing the brakes. For new bikes, Merida recommends an inspection after three to six weeks of riding. The reason? Several parts on the bike will shift and change, so fixing them will help your bike last longer.

Getting the appropriate fit
Choose a bike with a frame height that fits your body. When you are standing over the bike, there should be a comfortable distance between the top bar and your body. The recommended distance is 25 to 50 millimeters for road bikes and 40 to 100 millimeters for mountain bikes. Next, adjust the seat height. Getting the right height will help you feel comfortable while pedaling. Move the seat until your leg is slightly bent when the pedal is at its lowest point.Finally, adjust your bike's handlebars so that you can reach them with your elbows slightly bent.

Supporting the biking community
If you're eager to start riding, Merida sponsors several community activities that help spread the love of biking. This past summer, they sponsored a bike DIY camp for youth in Taipei. Participants gained experience in bike assembly and maintenance as well as learned proper riding techniques. The company also encourages bicyclists to ride in 1919's annual charity bike event.

Whether you're young or old, there's nothing like biking. Get out and pedal today!

Grammar Gym:
'chances are' - probably. 
Even if it was long ago, you probably still remember how.
Chances are it's going to rain.
Chances are he's still on his way.
I don't think I should call my friend; chances are he's in bed already.

Vocabulary Tips:
hit - 打击。
hit the road - get start it, get going, 上路，出发。
*If we don't hit the road now, we're not going to reach our next stop before sunset.
hit/hit/hit/hitting: 现在式/过去式/过去分词/现在分词。
*I want to stay longer, but I guess I need to be hitting the road now.
commute - travel from home to work or school, travel from one place to another place. 通勤，通车。
*Darren commutes between New Jersey and New York every day.往返通勤于。。。
commute (n)-通勤。
*Betty makes use of her long commute to study French.利用陇长的通勤机会学。。。
gear (n) - a thing that allow to change the speed. 汽车的排挡。
* I changed to a lower gear when we started to go downhill.
*Kevin shifted gears to reverse to back up the car. 换倒挡。。
shock (n)-汽车的避震器。
*The mechanic suggested that I get new shocks for my van.
shock -冲击力。
*The airbags will absorb the shock when the car is hit.
study - strong, not easy to break, truly reliable. 牢靠，坚实，可靠，靠得住，
alternative - have other option.
exploring - discovering.
nothing beats... - nothing is better than it.
cross - mix.
hybrid - two different things combined.
frame - The structure of the body (something), here refer to the structure of the bike. 骨架，框架。
*Faith has the frame of a dancer.
*The timber frame of the house is decaying because of termites.
frame -画框，眼镜架框。
*Alex is wearing new glasses with a titanium alloy frame.钛合金的
wind -风
resistance - 阻拦，阻力。抵挡。
wind resistance - against by wind. 风阻力。
*The shape of the car was designed to lower the wind resistance.
*If you open the windows while you drive, the wind resistance will increase.
grease (n)  - oil. 润滑油，油脂。
*Grease stains can be easily removed with this detergent.油脂
grease (v) - to grease is to add or put oil on something. 涂上，加上润滑油，抹上油。
*Grease the pan with butter.
*The door needs to be greased. It creaks a lot.
inspection - check carefully by a specialist or a profession person.检查，审查。
*The newly remodeled restaurant didn't pass the safety inspection.
inspect (v) -检查，
*Make sure you inspect the merchandise when it arrives.
pushing limits - everything has its limit, try to make it to the most of the limit or go beyond the limit, pass that limit boundary.
handle - control.
to shift - to change the position.
whether something  (young, fast, rich ) or something (old, slow, poor) - no matter what..
DIY - do it yourself.
appropriate -
*Barbara's outfit wasn't appropriate for the official meeting, so she was told to go home and change.
inappropriate -
*It was inappropriate of you to gain when the boss was talking.
adjust -make it to fit.使调适，调整。
*Irene adjusted her chair to fit the new desk.
adjust （v）-作生活上的调适。对某环境上，工作上的适应要用"to", adjust to something.
*Derek hopes to adjust to his new job as soon as possible.
assembly -put things or pieces together. 组装，组合。
*The new mechinery can increase the speed of assembly by 30 percent.
*Arnold worked on an assembly line for years.
assembly - people gathering together.聚集，聚会。
*The assembly was found to be illegal and was terminated.
bicyclist - the person who riding the bicycle. 自行车骑士。'list" refer to "person".人。
*Bicyclists are advised to wear bright colors at night.
motorcyclist -摩托车骑士
*Motorcyclists in Taiwan are required to wear helmets.帽子，头盔。
recommended - suggested.
love of something - like and enjoy of something that will share with others.
slightly - just a little bit, very small.

Language Tips:
city bike -城市自行车（座椅虽舒适但不及越野脚踏车来的出色好看轻巧）
You can't have your cake and eat it too - 不能同时拥有蛋糕有想吃了蛋糕。（中国）鱼与熊掌不能兼得。
You can't have it both ways. -不能同时拥有，不能二者都要。（中国）不能要求马儿好，又要马儿不吃草。
You can't have your cake and eat it too = You can't have it both ways. 这就是人生。
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sticky ball -藉由有兴趣的事物用来连接到学习枯燥乏味的事物上而帮助自己的学习。如学习英文：把对骑脚踏车的热爱应用到学习英文上：
frame/handle bar/ gear/ chain/ tire/ brake - bike. 先找出与骑脚踏车有关的字，当作是球的最内层。再由内而外的 ，加以运用这些基本的单字而造出简单的句子来，慢慢向外扩大。
My bike has 21 gears.
The tire is flat.
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bike etiquette -骑自行车的礼仪。
always keep to the right -（自行车的礼仪） 1。总是要仅靠右边关骑。
ride in a single file -（自行车的礼仪）2。二人以上，要各自前后骑，不宜并排骑。
pull off the path completely - don't stop in the middle of the road. （自行车的礼仪）3。要把车骑到路边停妥，不要想停就停，还停在路当中。
*** 若是就教导小孩从小就学会在享受骑自行车乐趣的同时，学会bike etiquette （骑自行车的礼仪）将会使小孩终生受益无穷，尤其是在他们日后在骑车，开车上。




Notes taking of Studioclassroom