Citius
Guest
With the right rider, that bike could win a race without any issue.
Define a "racing bike"
- Thread starter classic33
- Start date
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With the right rider, that bike could win a race without any issue.
Smokin Joe
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
We'll allow that.
Scotchlovingcylist
Formerly known as Speedfreak
From another point of view-
My Felt Z100 is described as having a relaxed geometry and slightly longer wheelbase making for a more comfortable ride, therefore I guess compared to some its not an all out "racer" however when discussing my bike with a colleague I said I had a road bike to which he replied 'oh a racer, nice one I've been thinking of replacing my MTB with one"
This then got me thinking about all the terminology and all the advances in bikes. A cyclocross can be raced, is it a racer? A MTB can be ridden on road is it a road bike?
To me a racer is anything that you race regardless of type. I may be getting myself a well specced carbon jobby early next year which will certainly be capable of racing and will be designed as such, I however am not and will have no intention of doing so
My Felt Z100 is described as having a relaxed geometry and slightly longer wheelbase making for a more comfortable ride, therefore I guess compared to some its not an all out "racer" however when discussing my bike with a colleague I said I had a road bike to which he replied 'oh a racer, nice one I've been thinking of replacing my MTB with one"
This then got me thinking about all the terminology and all the advances in bikes. A cyclocross can be raced, is it a racer? A MTB can be ridden on road is it a road bike?
To me a racer is anything that you race regardless of type. I may be getting myself a well specced carbon jobby early next year which will certainly be capable of racing and will be designed as such, I however am not and will have no intention of doing so
gbb
Legendary Member
- Location
- Peterborough
If I'm talking to an average guy who isnt particually interested in bikes as 'we' are...I still initially refer to mine as a racing bike, not because that's what it is, because he will instantly understand what I mean. Tell the uninitiated its a roadbike, they won't neccessarily know what you mean.
mustang1
Legendary Member
- Location
- London, UK
1. Before figuring out what a race bike is, let's define what a race is. Road, MTB, endurance, tour divide. Raam, etc.
2. Now see which bike will give the rider a good chance of doing well in the race as specified in point one.
3. Different people will have different meanings for "doing well". Some will think coming first is all. Some will think a top 3 finish is what they desire. Others will think of finishing within a certain time. Etc.
Some weird examples:
If you have to enter a race where you're allowed to take the London Underground, then I'd be all up for a brompton rather than a drop bar road bike.
If half the race track is a mix of rough and smooth surface, I might want a cx bike.
Oh yeah, and the bike has to look cool.
2. Now see which bike will give the rider a good chance of doing well in the race as specified in point one.
3. Different people will have different meanings for "doing well". Some will think coming first is all. Some will think a top 3 finish is what they desire. Others will think of finishing within a certain time. Etc.
Some weird examples:
If you have to enter a race where you're allowed to take the London Underground, then I'd be all up for a brompton rather than a drop bar road bike.
If half the race track is a mix of rough and smooth surface, I might want a cx bike.
Oh yeah, and the bike has to look cool.
Mrs M
Guru
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
A "racer" to me (when I was young) was any bike with curly bars!
Illaveago
Guru
- Location
- Chippenham,Wiltshire.
I think it is an interesting question. Thought provoking.
Illaveago
Guru
- Location
- Chippenham,Wiltshire.
Oh! It's got to have lots of gears.
youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
- except for the track, of course
youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
- and strictly speaking if a bike is to be used for racing it must conform to the British Cycling https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/article/bcst_rulebook_and_constitution and UCI regs:
http://www.uci.ch/inside-uci/rules-and-regulations/equipment-165067/
http://www.uci.ch/inside-uci/rules-and-regulations/equipment-165067/
OP
OP
classic33
Leg End Member
Which excludes recumbents, which can be raced. Mountain bikes are visible by their absence.
Putting the "right rider" on that would be like putting Valentino Rossi on a Suzuki Hayabusa. He will indeed be extremely fast, but will he be as fast?
Citius
Guest
Nothing like it at all, to be fair.
