5 ms·

I can almost assuredly tell you one thing -- the x% weight savings of whatever material that costs $1000+ more is not the limiting factor preventing your or my

I can almost assuredly tell you one thing -- the x% weight savings of whatever material that costs $1000+ more is not the limiting factor preventing your or my average out-of-shape body from achieving its fullest right now. We could only wish that buying some special material would make us go appreciably faster.

bennyelv 6y ago
The strangest question that I always get asked about my (quite fancy) bike is: "Is it fast?" Well that depends what engine you put on it sir...
- andreareina 6y ago
  Which isn't to say that the bike doesn't make a large difference. I just replaced a bike with an all-steel frame and garbage drivetrain with one with an alloy/carbon plus shimano 105s, and the difference is absolutely remarkable.
  - jacquesm 6y ago
    The difference to your wallet is probably a lot larger than the difference to your waistline :)
    - Cockbrand 6y ago
      There's also usually a quite noticeable difference in sheer fun, and that's what cycling is mainly about. More money can buy a lot more fun.
    - andreareina 6y ago
      Given that I'm hoping the difference to my waistline to be 0, that should be trivially true ;) But the hit to my wallet wasn't as bad as it could have been, in general I'm a big fan of buying second-hand. Local bike shop gets to charge me for fixing the previous owner's lack of upkeep, I get a lot more bike than I'd otherwise get for the same money. Not to mention that new bikes are hard to come by these days.
      - jacquesm 6y ago
        That's a good way of buying things in general. Especially high end racing bikes, a relatively large number of which are bought on impulse only to end up gathering dust. I bought a very nice Guerciotti like that, as good as brand new, and for a price that made me check the stolen bike registry first.
- algesten 6y ago
  I know what you mean, but I think there definitely is a difference riding cheap versus expensive bikes. As with most sports requiring tech, the more you spend, the less you tend to fight the tech itself (friction, weight, etc). Granted it's diminishing returns.
mariusor 6y ago
Of course, but as anyone will notice if they go from a bicycle shaped object that weighs 30 pounds and has fat tires to a road bike (even an aluminum one), the difference is quite significant.
- exporectomy 6y ago
  I hope this isn't flame-war material but why do recreational cyclists bother spending big money on lighter bikes or thinner tyres or anything at all? If you want to make it easier to ride, you can get a motor and Li-ion battery, often more cheaply. I did that when I used to cycle to work for practical reasons. But then why are you cycling instead of driving in the first place?
  - mariusor 6y ago
    You answered your question yourself: for recreation. Putting a motor on feels like cheating, getting a lighter bike is the easiest way to see improvements in your ride. Your weight and fitness levels are much more difficult to assess than changing to a different bike.
  - mpol 6y ago
    Good question. When you are commuting and need to be practical, you might prefer electric. But cycling for fun on a roadbike is about being outside, enjoying the surroundings, and putting your legs to work. It can make you feel alive and just give sheer joy putting your body to work and have your legs be the engine of your bicycle.
    - KozmoNau7 6y ago
      You still do all of those things on an e-bike, all it does is provide assistance, which means you can go farther, spend more time outside and see more of the world around you. You can adjust or even completely turn off the assistance. There's an argument to be made for purism, but where do you draw the line? Do click shifters ruin the purism of cycling? The presence of multiple gears? Freewheeling hubs? Are clips, straps or clipless pedals just crutches for people with bad technique? Does the presence of a chain and gearing decouple you from the raw and pure connection to the wheel? Where does one draw the line?
dfgdghdf 6y ago
On the flip side, you would be still be faster on the $10000+ machine, and you don't even need to train to get the benefit!
- postalrat 6y ago
  10% faster for the low low price of $10,000.
lormayna 6y ago
It's not only a matter of weight savings. I had an iron bike, an aluminium bike and now I am riding a carbon bike. The differences in comfort and maneuverability are impressive: the iron bike was comfortable but not reactive at all, the aluminium bike was very rigid and uncomfortable, but light and very reactive, the actual one is comfortable and reactive. I can afford long trip (more than 100km) without any pain at the end.

bennyelv 6y ago

The strangest question that I always get asked about my (quite fancy) bike is: "Is it fast?" Well that depends what engine you put on it sir...

andreareina 6y ago
Which isn't to say that the bike doesn't make a large difference. I just replaced a bike with an all-steel frame and garbage drivetrain with one with an alloy/carbon plus shimano 105s, and the difference is absolutely remarkable.
- jacquesm 6y ago
  The difference to your wallet is probably a lot larger than the difference to your waistline :)
  - Cockbrand 6y ago
    There's also usually a quite noticeable difference in sheer fun, and that's what cycling is mainly about. More money can buy a lot more fun.
  - andreareina 6y ago
    Given that I'm hoping the difference to my waistline to be 0, that should be trivially true ;) But the hit to my wallet wasn't as bad as it could have been, in general I'm a big fan of buying second-hand. Local bike shop gets to charge me for fixing the previous owner's lack of upkeep, I get a lot more bike than I'd otherwise get for the same money. Not to mention that new bikes are hard to come by these days.
    - jacquesm 6y ago
      That's a good way of buying things in general. Especially high end racing bikes, a relatively large number of which are bought on impulse only to end up gathering dust. I bought a very nice Guerciotti like that, as good as brand new, and for a price that made me check the stolen bike registry first.
algesten 6y ago
I know what you mean, but I think there definitely is a difference riding cheap versus expensive bikes. As with most sports requiring tech, the more you spend, the less you tend to fight the tech itself (friction, weight, etc). Granted it's diminishing returns.

mariusor 6y ago

Of course, but as anyone will notice if they go from a bicycle shaped object that weighs 30 pounds and has fat tires to a road bike (even an aluminum one), the difference is quite significant.

exporectomy 6y ago
I hope this isn't flame-war material but why do recreational cyclists bother spending big money on lighter bikes or thinner tyres or anything at all? If you want to make it easier to ride, you can get a motor and Li-ion battery, often more cheaply. I did that when I used to cycle to work for practical reasons. But then why are you cycling instead of driving in the first place?
- mariusor 6y ago
  You answered your question yourself: for recreation. Putting a motor on feels like cheating, getting a lighter bike is the easiest way to see improvements in your ride. Your weight and fitness levels are much more difficult to assess than changing to a different bike.
- mpol 6y ago
  Good question. When you are commuting and need to be practical, you might prefer electric. But cycling for fun on a roadbike is about being outside, enjoying the surroundings, and putting your legs to work. It can make you feel alive and just give sheer joy putting your body to work and have your legs be the engine of your bicycle.
  - KozmoNau7 6y ago
    You still do all of those things on an e-bike, all it does is provide assistance, which means you can go farther, spend more time outside and see more of the world around you. You can adjust or even completely turn off the assistance. There's an argument to be made for purism, but where do you draw the line? Do click shifters ruin the purism of cycling? The presence of multiple gears? Freewheeling hubs? Are clips, straps or clipless pedals just crutches for people with bad technique? Does the presence of a chain and gearing decouple you from the raw and pure connection to the wheel? Where does one draw the line?

dfgdghdf 6y ago

On the flip side, you would be still be faster on the $10000+ machine, and you don't even need to train to get the benefit!

postalrat 6y ago
10% faster for the low low price of $10,000.

lormayna 6y ago

It's not only a matter of weight savings. I had an iron bike, an aluminium bike and now I am riding a carbon bike. The differences in comfort and maneuverability are impressive: the iron bike was comfortable but not reactive at all, the aluminium bike was very rigid and uncomfortable, but light and very reactive, the actual one is comfortable and reactive. I can afford long trip (more than 100km) without any pain at the end.