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I've loved bike riding since before I had that much money. Also, as a data point, in Italy bike racing was traditionally a pretty blue-collar sport, and I thin

by davidw 8y ago

I've loved bike riding since before I had that much money. Also, as a data point, in Italy bike racing was traditionally a pretty blue-collar sport, and I think that goes for other European countries as well. Personally... I like to be outside and doing something active, and I love to explore and see new places. https://photos.app.goo.gl/KtG9qFJRXDBnW5XT7 https://photos.app.goo.gl/KtG9qFJRXDBnW5XT7

bhauer 8y ago
Great photo. Are those mountains the Sisters in central Oregon?
- davidw 8y ago
  Yep! It was really warm on Sunday here, so I went for a long ride with some nice views. https://photos.app.goo.gl/vLA4qkoJmbusazyx7 https://photos.app.goo.gl/vLA4qkoJmbusazyx7
  - jeddawson 8y ago
    Nice ride! We don't have Bend's views, but the gravel is good down here on the central coast of Ca. So cool to see other cyclists/athletes in the comments on HN. https://www.strava.com/activities/2108212513 https://www.strava.com/activities/2108212513
    - davidw 8y ago
      That's a nice amount of climbing! One of the few things I sort of dislike about this area is that it's not very 'rugged'; in the sense that while there's an incline towards the mountains, there aren't lots of smaller hills. My Sunday ride was comparatively flat: https://www.strava.com/activities/2108116263 https://www.strava.com/activities/2108116263
  - bhauer 8y ago
    Awesome. I am a big fan of that area. Looking forward to visiting it again soon!
    - davidw 8y ago
      Standing offer: always happy to have a beer or coffee with anyone who comes through here!
ubermonkey 8y ago
I'm a pretty serious cyclist, too. Now, I'm not rich but I'm definitely comfortably to the right on the curve, so to speak. However, I've noticed something in the groups I ride with: the vast middle of the faster, strong riders are on equipment that's all about the same level, give or take a few things. It's usually mid-grade frames from major brands sporting Ultegra or Force, so probably a $3,000US bike. This is true if the rider is, like me, a middle-aged person with significant disposable income, or a genuine millionaire, or a just-out-of-school teacher. Some of these bikes were doubtless purchased used, but still. A few folks upgrade; the most common bump is carbon wheels, followed by electronic shifting. Both make a difference, but neither are required to ride at the level we're riding at. And yeah, the very serious or very rich do splash out for nicer gear, but there are always outliers. It's not entirely on point, but I thought it was interesting anyway.
- Nelson69 8y ago
  There might be some pride, I have a fairly highend bike and I hate not riding it well. I'd much rather get dropped on one of my middle bikes than on my best weapon... The difference between some of those mid-level bikes and superbikes is also quite small compared to the price. Regardless of you wealth, the return on investment isn't there unless you're just a bike nut. They are also getting specialized to the point that they are really pro-level bikes that sort of need sponsors and mechanics behind them; how many Pinarello frames have been broken in competition the last few years? It's one thing when they pull a near exact duplicate off the car and give it to you in a race, it's something else when you call your wife for help and then take it to your dealer and 6-8 weeks later you get a new frame from Italy iff your still under warranty. I only pick on Pinarello because I think I've seen 4+ chainstays broken over the last handful of years, in competition. The second level gruppos are generally known to be identical but more durable than the top levels. this is off topic though...
  - ubermonkey 8y ago
    >The difference between some of those mid-level bikes and superbikes is also quite small compared to the price. Oh, COMPLETELY. I think the point of diminishing returns is probably the first decent carbon bike with 105 on it. Going above that gets you creature comforts -- Ultegra absolutely shifts more crisply, e.g. -- but won't make you materially faster. Around here, the oft-repeated maxim is that Ultegra is worth it if you can easily afford it, but that Dura-Ace is just showing off. I think that's probably true. There IS something to nicer wheels, but you kinda need to be fairly strong to justify the upgrade from decent alloy rims to aero carbon. I wore out the OEM rims that came on my bike, and a friend sold me his barely used ENVE 4.5s for a SONG (basically the "I need to get these out of the house, and I like you" price). They made a meaningful difference for me -- I'm quicker off the line, sure, but the bigger difference is the degree to which they feel like they just want to roll by themselves once I'm over 22-23MPH. I'm told that's more aero than weight, plus lower resistance from the hubs (DTSwiss 180). BUT this also was a jump from pretty crappy OEM alloy to, realistically speaking, nearly top of the line carbon. My pal paid as much for these wheels as I paid for my entire bike 4 years ago. I wonder how much difference I'd have felt if my upgrade hadn't been such a huge jump. >I only pick on Pinarello because I think I've seen 4+ chainstays broken over the last handful of years Here, I don't even SEE that many Pinarellos. I think it's because of a lack of dealer presence. It's a big city (Houston), but the packs are dominated by Specialized, Cannondale, Cervelo, a bit of Trek, no small amount of Giant, and then a mix of more esoteric or custom bikes. I see more Moots or Alchemy than I do Pinarello. Bianchi is almost entirely absent.

by davidw 8y ago

bhauer 8y ago

Great photo. Are those mountains the Sisters in central Oregon?

davidw 8y ago
Yep! It was really warm on Sunday here, so I went for a long ride with some nice views. https://photos.app.goo.gl/vLA4qkoJmbusazyx7 https://photos.app.goo.gl/vLA4qkoJmbusazyx7
- jeddawson 8y ago
  Nice ride! We don't have Bend's views, but the gravel is good down here on the central coast of Ca. So cool to see other cyclists/athletes in the comments on HN. https://www.strava.com/activities/2108212513 https://www.strava.com/activities/2108212513
  - davidw 8y ago
    That's a nice amount of climbing! One of the few things I sort of dislike about this area is that it's not very 'rugged'; in the sense that while there's an incline towards the mountains, there aren't lots of smaller hills. My Sunday ride was comparatively flat: https://www.strava.com/activities/2108116263 https://www.strava.com/activities/2108116263
- bhauer 8y ago
  Awesome. I am a big fan of that area. Looking forward to visiting it again soon!
  - davidw 8y ago
    Standing offer: always happy to have a beer or coffee with anyone who comes through here!

ubermonkey 8y ago

I'm a pretty serious cyclist, too. Now, I'm not rich but I'm definitely comfortably to the right on the curve, so to speak. However, I've noticed something in the groups I ride with: the vast middle of the faster, strong riders are on equipment that's all about the same level, give or take a few things. It's usually mid-grade frames from major brands sporting Ultegra or Force, so probably a $3,000US bike. This is true if the rider is, like me, a middle-aged person with significant disposable income, or a genuine millionaire, or a just-out-of-school teacher. Some of these bikes were doubtless purchased used, but still. A few folks upgrade; the most common bump is carbon wheels, followed by electronic shifting. Both make a difference, but neither are required to ride at the level we're riding at. And yeah, the very serious or very rich do splash out for nicer gear, but there are always outliers. It's not entirely on point, but I thought it was interesting anyway.

Nelson69 8y ago
There might be some pride, I have a fairly highend bike and I hate not riding it well. I'd much rather get dropped on one of my middle bikes than on my best weapon... The difference between some of those mid-level bikes and superbikes is also quite small compared to the price. Regardless of you wealth, the return on investment isn't there unless you're just a bike nut. They are also getting specialized to the point that they are really pro-level bikes that sort of need sponsors and mechanics behind them; how many Pinarello frames have been broken in competition the last few years? It's one thing when they pull a near exact duplicate off the car and give it to you in a race, it's something else when you call your wife for help and then take it to your dealer and 6-8 weeks later you get a new frame from Italy iff your still under warranty. I only pick on Pinarello because I think I've seen 4+ chainstays broken over the last handful of years, in competition. The second level gruppos are generally known to be identical but more durable than the top levels. this is off topic though...
- ubermonkey 8y ago
  >The difference between some of those mid-level bikes and superbikes is also quite small compared to the price. Oh, COMPLETELY. I think the point of diminishing returns is probably the first decent carbon bike with 105 on it. Going above that gets you creature comforts -- Ultegra absolutely shifts more crisply, e.g. -- but won't make you materially faster. Around here, the oft-repeated maxim is that Ultegra is worth it if you can easily afford it, but that Dura-Ace is just showing off. I think that's probably true. There IS something to nicer wheels, but you kinda need to be fairly strong to justify the upgrade from decent alloy rims to aero carbon. I wore out the OEM rims that came on my bike, and a friend sold me his barely used ENVE 4.5s for a SONG (basically the "I need to get these out of the house, and I like you" price). They made a meaningful difference for me -- I'm quicker off the line, sure, but the bigger difference is the degree to which they feel like they just want to roll by themselves once I'm over 22-23MPH. I'm told that's more aero than weight, plus lower resistance from the hubs (DTSwiss 180). BUT this also was a jump from pretty crappy OEM alloy to, realistically speaking, nearly top of the line carbon. My pal paid as much for these wheels as I paid for my entire bike 4 years ago. I wonder how much difference I'd have felt if my upgrade hadn't been such a huge jump. >I only pick on Pinarello because I think I've seen 4+ chainstays broken over the last handful of years Here, I don't even SEE that many Pinarellos. I think it's because of a lack of dealer presence. It's a big city (Houston), but the packs are dominated by Specialized, Cannondale, Cervelo, a bit of Trek, no small amount of Giant, and then a mix of more esoteric or custom bikes. I see more Moots or Alchemy than I do Pinarello. Bianchi is almost entirely absent.