Racing Frames, commonly known as a road bike or road frame, is a frame designed for road cycling. They have drop handlebars and drop brakes and usualy run a high gearing range for better speed on the road. The most important things about a racing bicycle are its light weight and the aerodynamic efficiency and ergonomics of the rider's position. The front and back wheels are close together so the bicycle has quick handling. The derailleur gear ratios are closely-spaced so that the rider can pedal at his or her optimum cadence. Racing bike frames are lighter, faster and more responsive than mountain bikes priced at the same price point. Road bike frames have come a long way in recent years with new technology and materials available. Aluminium, carbon fibre, and titanium are all used now as well as the more traditional steel tube sets. They all have their advantages: aluminium offers a very stiff responsive frame with good performance at a reasonable price, steel offers comfort over performance and is a long term investment, titanium offers ultimate all round performance and comfort while carbon fibre offers superb comfort, low weights and high performance. Some manufacturers like to mix the materials to give the benefits of all the materials in one frame - a carbon fibre rear end on an aluminium frame, for example is a very popular design.