A new bike or not?

[KateK]

If you still want to stick with steel, as you mentioned you preferred earlier in the thread, I'd recommend like biggs that you pick up a nice Reynolds steel frame. It sounds like your current bike may be made of standard steel which may be ok for the odd pootle about, but it's a bit heavy to go anywhere fast.

If you know anyone with a lighter Alu road bike maybe you could ask if you could borrow it for the day and see how you get on?

Yup it doesn't claim to be anything special: it was an entry level mixte bike in the 80's when everyone was riding racing bikes.
I don't know anyone well enough to borrow their bike! I can imagine the conversation "Hi, I'm a complete novice with a tendency to half avoid potholes and nearly ride into the bushes, oh and I can crunch gears in an alarming way at junctions. I've just progressed to lubing my chain and half toe clips. Would you like to lend me that lovely bike of yours? - oh, that's strange, they seem to have disappeared."

I think I've been feeling a bit demoralised because I cycled all winter looking forward to summer and longer rides and both wishes have been a bit unfulfilled. I'm just getting my head round starting back trying to build up my distances again and consoling myself that at least I haven't lost any speed over short rides. I will get in touch with a club I think in a few weeks, I've realised the cycling club ,as opposed to the CTC, meets on Sunday morning which would be better as we don't usually do much at home until the afternoon. I was thinking that now at the end of the summer they are probably at their fittest and if I could carry on working I could perhaps join once the autumn winter sets in (I don't mind rain too much, except at corners!)

I reckon the Wisp has probably been good for me because anything after will seem pretty smart. I do hanker after a lighter one, and I do like steel, it's just how I go about it, there are new ones as well as old. I'm not mechanically experienced: I haven't even mended a puncture in years (thank you Marathon tyres!). I think if I joined a club I could pick people's brains a bit, and see what they ride.

And thanks everyone for the advice and encouragement.

 

[KateK]

Is it Christmas already?

And lo, out of the East there came wise men bearing bicycles saying where is this Wiggins of whom we have heard.....

 

[Fab Foodie]

I remember the Raleigh Wisp! I wish Mixte frames were still made, they're lovely.

Anyhow, YES is the answer to your question. A modern bike will make a huge difference and will take you into club riding lovliness.
Then the only issue is which bike. A Triban 3 will be a great step up for low cost, it will take mudguards and a rack if required and at £300 won't break the bike. Above that in Aluminium, there's no end of choice. If you're looking for a sprightly ride and all day comfort then a decent steel bike would be a good investment, something like this would be perfect for long fast rides and light touring:
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/road/equilibrium/equilibrium-20

There is a cheaper version with the same frame.

 

[KateK]

Thanks for that: mudguards and rack possibilities are a definite plus as some of my rides are en route to meetings etc and I really can't turn up in t shirt and cycleshorts. I'll look at Genesis too, I think I've heard of the name but I've been googling around recently trying to find what steel bikes are out there, don't think I'd actually looked it up.

 

[freewheelwilly]

Your average speed is pretty good i'd say and a new lighter bike would increase that especially if it was a road bike!!!
If you want more speed then thats the way to go
Do it!

 

[KateK]

[
http://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bikes/road/equilibrium/equilibrium-20

Oooh, that looks nice... My daughter says it's awesome.
Sorry I'm going to have to go away and drool a bit. (it's my age you know, teeth don't fit like they used to)

 

[RWright]

That is a sharp bike, it has STI shifters. I really like the STI shifters on my Trek.

 

[Christopher]

You're plenty fast enough for a club, Kate. You might get lucky and find a few other people who ride at your speed to go out with in addition to club rides.

 

[Mao]

Kate, you may have seen the link below in another post on here, worth a read if you havent... you may find that a new lighter bike would not make too much difference....

http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c6801.full

Objective To determine whether the author’s 20.9 lb (9.5 kg) carbon frame bicycle reduced commuting time compared with his 29.75 lb (13.5 kg) steel frame bicycle.
Design Randomised trial.
Results The total distance travelled on the steel frame bicycle during the study period was 809 miles (1302 km) and on the carbon frame bicycle was 711 miles (1144 km). The difference in the mean journey time between the steel and carbon bicycles was 00:00:32 (hr:min:sec; 95% CI –00:03:34 to 00:02:30; P=0.72).
Conclusions A lighter bicycle did not lead to a detectable difference in commuting time. Cyclists may find it more cost effective to reduce their own weight rather than to purchase a lighter bicycle.

 

[KateK]

Kate, you may have seen the link below in another post on here, worth a read if you havent... you may find that a new lighter bike would not make too much difference....

http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c6801.full

Oh well!
Very interesting though.
I suspect a new bike would make me a bit faster, the gears would change more smoothly, the brakes would be better, it wouldn't rattle as much....
hmm. Oh well back to Plan A: Learn to mend a puncture, buy some leg warmers, keep on cycling, work out how to strengthen my knees without knackering them.

 

[Mo1959]

Kate, you may have seen the link below in another post on here, worth a read if you havent... you may find that a new lighter bike would not make too much difference....

http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c6801.full

Objective To determine whether the author’s 20.9 lb (9.5 kg) carbon frame bicycle reduced commuting time compared with his 29.75 lb (13.5 kg) steel frame bicycle.
Design Randomised trial.
Results The total distance travelled on the steel frame bicycle during the study period was 809 miles (1302 km) and on the carbon frame bicycle was 711 miles (1144 km). The difference in the mean journey time between the steel and carbon bicycles was 00:00:32 (hr:min:sec; 95% CI –00:03:34 to 00:02:30; P=0.72).
Conclusions A lighter bicycle did not lead to a detectable difference in commuting time. Cyclists may find it more cost effective to reduce their own weight rather than to purchase a lighter bicycle.

Just out of interest I did same route two days in a row. First day on 8kgs Specialized Ruby carbon fibre, second day on Dawes Discovery 301 hybrid 13kgs. Considering I'm still quite unfit and legs were tired the second day there was only five minutes and half a mile an hour difference. Not much really.

http://app.strava.com/rides/21336209
http://app.strava.com/rides/21336208

 

[KateK]

it's tricky isn't it. and the researcher did the same route about 60 times to even out weather differences.
Even on the same bike my average speeds over 30-35 miles vary by up to a mile an hour from ride to ride. Today It felt like I was cycling in a wind tunnel all the way out, then on the way back met three lines of traffic crawling behind dustbin lorries, two sets of roadworks with temporary lights, and almost every traffic light against me. All pain and no gain. Still, didn't get wet.