Bike scoring system

[Tin Pot]

With all the difficulty in comparing and choosing bikes, we should come up with a relatively objective scoring system to help ourselves and others to pick bikes.

The "4/5" type ratings you get on some sites is essentially useless.

And it has to take into account cost, so a cost/benefit analysis can be applied.

I imagine each component being graded, but also weighted in order of importance, e.g. The frame being more important and less replaceable than the tyres, for example.

And a usage dimension, road race, downhilling, city commuter etc.

Anyhow, I'm not doing any of this, I just think someone else should

 

[EasyPeez]

I'll start the ball rolling by grading the most important critera -

Metallic blue finish +1,000 points
Matt black -500 points
Everything else - somewhere inbetween.

Hope this helps.

 

[vickster]

-50000 for Matt black

 

[LocalLad]

+2000 for black.

Perhaps this is the difficulty of a grading system

 

[Tin Pot]

+2000 for black.

Perhaps this is the difficulty of a grading system

It has to be a single vision.

So, colour can have its own optional category, and points vary depending on whether you are an old fuddy duddy or not

So a scale for groupset components is easy to imagine; 2300, Claris, tiagra, 105 etc and sram/campag equivalents 1 up to 10

 

[jonny jeez]

I started putting together a chart of bikes and components to help new riders figure out what's good and what just glitters.

It was a mammoth task, and an ever shifting one.

Good luck.

 

[winjim]

It has to be a single vision.

So, colour can have its own optional category, and points vary depending on whether you are an old fuddy duddy or not

So a scale for groupset components is easy to imagine; 2300, Claris, tiagra, 105 etc and sram/campag equivalents 1 up to 10

Yes, but lose points for an unnecessarily flashy high end groupset on a bike that's not being raced. And Campagnolo gets extra points for being sexy.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

BB30 - minus rock bottom.
SRAM - minus 50
Rubbish open-cam skewers. Minus 50.
Wheels with too few spokes. Minus 100
Red Cannondale with Campag Record - Plus 1000.
White handlebar tape - minus 300.
Aluminium water bottle bolts - minus 200
Cartridge bearing wheel hubs - minus 1000.
Suntour suspension fork - minus 100
DT Swiss shock or fork - minus 10 000.
DT Swiss hubs - rather walk.

 

[Tin Pot]

I started putting together a chart of bikes and components to help new riders figure out what's good and what just glitters.

It was a mammoth task, and an ever shifting one.

Good luck.

Anyhow, I'm not doing any of this, I just think someone else should

Go on, get the old spreadsheet out and turn it into an iPhone app!

 

[classic33]

I started putting together a chart of bikes and components to help new riders figure out what's good and what just glitters.

It was a mammoth task, and an ever shifting one.

Good luck.

Glitters and gold plated!!
24 carat Gold Plated Bicycle

Yours for a mere Us$390,000 or £248,150.42!
Price may have altered since then though.

 

[Tin Pot]

Glitters and gold plated!!
24 carat Gold Plated Bicycle

Yours for a mere Us$390,000 or £248,150.42!
Price may have altered since then though.

Dry or wet lube?

 

[Drago]

See, how is this even possible. It's not unknown for the very same make and model of bike to have considerably difference riding characteristics across the frame sizes, so how can we say that the Deathkillmurder Awesome 3000 Impaler Edition is a great bike when the small size feels harsh and unforgiving, yet the large plush and compliant? Or vice versa?

 

[classic33]

Dry or wet lube?

Forgot to ask.

 

[Tin Pot]

See, how is this even possible. It's not unknown for the very same make and model of bike to have considerably difference riding characteristics across the frame sizes, so how can we say that the Deathkillmurder Awesome 3000 Impaler Edition is a great bike when the small size feels harsh and unforgiving, yet the large plush and compliant? Or vice versa?

It's a fair point, but I relegate all feelings and opinions as too subjective to be worthwhile - I'd only be interested in factors that are clearly measurable.

Admittedly, such a system is unlikely to draw the line between a cannondale x and a giant y, but then if there isn't a measurable difference, that's useful information too.

But it bothers me that people reckon cheap bikes are a bargain. There are cheap components in there that they don't realise are why the cost is low.

On the flip side, buying an ultegra rear derailleur "upgrade" for your 3rd hand triban 3 is unlikely to work out as objectively worthwhile.

 

[smutchin]

On the flip side, buying an ultegra rear derailleur "upgrade" for your 3rd hand triban 3 is unlikely to work out as objectively worthwhile.

You don't need a scoring system to tell you that.