How much difference does a decent bike make ?
waffle
Posts: 6
in General Chat
Hi everyone this is my first post but I have so far completed 2 triathlons, one pool sprint and an ow sprint finished the last in 1hr 32 which I was v pleased with as did it on a road bike which is about 30 years old in trainers ! Anyway I want a new bike but the boyf says its not worth it as there is nothing wrong with my bike and it now has spd-sl's on it and the owner of the bike says there is nothing wrong with it you could have won the tour de france on it in 1979 !
So how much difference would a shiny new bike make - I really want to do an OD at the end of September but I havent really been getting out on the bike much recently ! is it possible to train for that distance in the time left (I have ridden a v v hilly 40k but it took nearly 2 hours that was about 6 weeks ago ) and it didnt kill me ?
So how much difference would a shiny new bike make - I really want to do an OD at the end of September but I havent really been getting out on the bike much recently ! is it possible to train for that distance in the time left (I have ridden a v v hilly 40k but it took nearly 2 hours that was about 6 weeks ago ) and it didnt kill me ?
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how good was your bike at the time and how much you can afford/want to afford to spend on a new one.
A good 30 year old bike is still a good bike and you might be surprised how much you have to spend to find an appreciable difference.
On the other hand a good new bike should be noticeably lighter, have brakes that work better and you'll find integrated brake/gear shifters loads easier than down tube shifters. You'll notice a carbon fork riding better than steel too. Go to a good bike shop for fitting, sit on a few, see if you can get a test ride somewhere or borrow one off a similar sized friend. One thing to be aware of is you will probably want a smaller frame than 30 years ago. Bikes then had almost no standover.
I still have my 30 year old bike (Raleigh Banana) but it has mudgaurds fitted and is my winter trainer, it's like riding a plank but lugging all the extra up hills is good for the soul.
Ade
i think that getting a new bike can be great for building confidence, getting a sense of achievement by going quicker or being a better fit or more comfortable, but a lot of the time the thing that will affect your speed most is you.
if getting a new bike will get you out on it (and therefore help you get faster by riding more) then maybe it is what you need. if getting out on the bike more isn't about the steed and is about something else instead (finding the time, for example) then a new bike may be of less help that you think!
one last thought... i've been champing at the bit to buy a new bike for about a month but realised that by the time i get it (bike shortages reported!) and get used to it the season will be over and i'll be into autumn/winter. do i really want to be riding my lovely new bike in the wet, cold and salt of winter? the answer had to be no, so i'm looking to feb/march to order it so i have a new rig just as the weather improves.
anyway, i think the best way to go faster is to ride more so - if a new bike will get you out on it then maybe it is the right way forward. all new bikes are justifiable in some way!
Saying that everyone likes a new toy and as previously said - if it motivates you to get out then yes it does make a difference!
I was doing really well at going out loads but I have been doing more off road mountain biking recently a couple of weekends away and then I was really ill ! the bike is comfy and the correct size !
The problem is i keep drooling over a trek tt bike in the sale which is very sexy looking .................and making me want a 0% cc !!
Thanks for all your advice x
That said...getting a new bike is great...so bollox to it...get one bought!!!!
An MTB with 26" wheels and big tires and low gear ratio
A reasonable Road bike
Might be about 5% 10% with a given level (reasonably high) output.
For example, my MTB for my favourite 10 mile circuit 50 - 55 mins. My £700 road bike, 40-45 mins. That is a hilly circuit - up and down, all on the road, at a reasonable (HR at about 140) effort level.
Going a lot harder I can do it in 35 mins on the Road Bike.
The difference between an ancient steel road bike and a modern TT carbon bike will also be quite marked. But so will the cost. I would guess you would still be a fair bit faster on the same course, with the same level of effort. If I ever get my hands on one I will test it out.
Have a look for the "old school" time trial challenges.... some of the ancient guys were dusting off their pre-carbon 30 year bikes and having a go....
hmmm the general consensus is no need for a new bike just yet but that will make the bank managers very happy !
In my opinion if your old bike is mechanically sound then it doesn't need replacing, however if it doesn't fit properly then that's an entirely different story.
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/mountain-biker-wins-road-race-on-his-hardtail-22736
Botswana not known for a huge amount of cycling peddigree, and very conveniantly got his race entry and "only" had his MTB to race on. A sound publicity stunt and good story but it really only serves as an advert for Whyte MTBs.
Very Very depressing!