List of Bicycle Types - By Frame Design

By Frame Design

• An old-fashioned penny-farthing or ordinary has one high wheel directly driven by the pedals and one small wheel.
• On an upright bicycle, also called a safety bicycle, the rider sits astride the saddle.
• On a recumbent bicycle the rider reclines or lies supine. Recumbent bicycles (also 'bents) are designed to maximise comfort and minimise wind resistance, because the rider in a supine or semi-supine position. Whereas most of the other types of bicycle in this section are designed around a ‘diamond frame’ geometry, where the pedals and chainset are located at the bottom of the bicycle and handlebars are at the front, recumbent bicycles (recumbents) generally use a “boom” and rear triangle combination with the pedals and chainset located at the front of the boom and the handlebars are located either “over seat” or “underseat” in the center.
• On a prone bike the rider lies in a prone position.
• A crank forward bicycle has the rider upright with the pedals far enough forward that the rider can reach the ground with his or her feet without getting off the saddle.
• A Pedersen bicycle has a bridge truss frame.
• A folding bicycle can be quickly folded for easy carrying, for example on public transport.
• A small wheel bicycle, such as a Moulton Bicycle, has a traditional seating position and small wheels.
• A portable bicycle, such as a Strida, is a folding bicycle that is small and light enough to be easily carried afoot or in a cramped vehicle.
• An exercise bicycle remains stationary; it is used for exercise rather than propulsion.
• A Plastic bicycle was an attempt in the early 1980s to introduce a bicycle made entirely out of plastic materials instead of metal.
• A bamboo bicycle has a frame made of bamboo.
• A wood bicycle has a frame made out of wood.
• A Step-through frame is a type of bicycle frame, often used for utility bicycles, with a low or absent top tube or cross-bar