D
Deleted member 121159
Guest
Just a thought experiment - would you install a weightless motor to your bike that'll, say, increase your power by 50%?
The point of this experiment is to think about what we feel is a legitimate upgrade to the bike and what's 'cheating'.
Some of us will say we don't want an e-bike because it's heavy and handles differently to a normal bike. So suppose the motor didn't weigh anything and the bike feels exactly the same, but it silently boosts your power by 50%. Suppose you can easily afford the upgrade - would you do it? Is that cheating? If other riders noticed that you were faster because of the weightless motor, would that make you feel like you're cheating?
How about other upgrades that make the bike lighter and more aero? What about high-end tyres with low rolling resistance? They make you faster too, so is that also cheating? Do you feel differently about the imaginary weightless motor upgrade and normal (actually feasible) upgrades? Would you feel a little bit guilty if you noticed that you were faster up hills overnight because your new bike weighs 5kg less and your tyres are just faster?
Now think about upgrades that don't affect the weight or aerodynamics, but indirectly increase your speed by making the bike comfortable to ride. Say you invested in getting a bike fit, a saddle that's comfy for you, or a suspension stem, and so on. Is that also cheating?
Please note, I'm not trying to say that you shouldn't make upgrades to your bikes. Noticing some single speed riders on audax rides prompted this question, that's all. I'd love to hear what people think.
The point of this experiment is to think about what we feel is a legitimate upgrade to the bike and what's 'cheating'.
Some of us will say we don't want an e-bike because it's heavy and handles differently to a normal bike. So suppose the motor didn't weigh anything and the bike feels exactly the same, but it silently boosts your power by 50%. Suppose you can easily afford the upgrade - would you do it? Is that cheating? If other riders noticed that you were faster because of the weightless motor, would that make you feel like you're cheating?
How about other upgrades that make the bike lighter and more aero? What about high-end tyres with low rolling resistance? They make you faster too, so is that also cheating? Do you feel differently about the imaginary weightless motor upgrade and normal (actually feasible) upgrades? Would you feel a little bit guilty if you noticed that you were faster up hills overnight because your new bike weighs 5kg less and your tyres are just faster?
Now think about upgrades that don't affect the weight or aerodynamics, but indirectly increase your speed by making the bike comfortable to ride. Say you invested in getting a bike fit, a saddle that's comfy for you, or a suspension stem, and so on. Is that also cheating?
Please note, I'm not trying to say that you shouldn't make upgrades to your bikes. Noticing some single speed riders on audax rides prompted this question, that's all. I'd love to hear what people think.