Fattman
Active Member
- Location
- Roydon, Essex
Hi All,
I'm turning 40 next Friday and as well as locking myself in the cupboard under the stairs with a bottle of gin to mourn my lost youth I am planning to go out and buy me a new road bike as a present (cheaper than a Ferrari or an affair)...
Scene setting: I ride ~120 miles/week, did the 106m Dartmoor Classic the other week in 6hrs 33m, and am targetting a Continental sportif or two next year (never done before). I currently have one bike, a 4 year-old Specialized Allez (alu frame, cf forks) which I swap some nice wheels onto for special events - the rest of the time it's smashing through potholes on the way to work in London.
So I thought "time for a summer bike". I'm very tempted by the Condor Legerro or Cervelo RS frames, probably with Ultegra 6700 and some trick bits (I've got Easton EA90SLX wheels already).
These are both CF whizzers, and admittedly neither are going to be cheap, but I reckon 4 years' worth of saving train fares will cover it (ahem).
But here's my question:
Will the cash spent actually make me faster?
Does anyone know the theoretical answer to that, given what I'm looking to achieve? And as an adjunct question - should I seriously consider some other form of bike i.e. steel or even titanium? I have never ridden those as serious propositions (or at all, in the case of titanium) so don't know whether I should even consider them.
I appreciate this is quite a broad (and lengthy!) question - I throw myself at the mercy collective wisdom of you experienced forum-goers...
Cheers dudes,
Matt
ps the Condor does look the bees' knees though!
I'm turning 40 next Friday and as well as locking myself in the cupboard under the stairs with a bottle of gin to mourn my lost youth I am planning to go out and buy me a new road bike as a present (cheaper than a Ferrari or an affair)...
Scene setting: I ride ~120 miles/week, did the 106m Dartmoor Classic the other week in 6hrs 33m, and am targetting a Continental sportif or two next year (never done before). I currently have one bike, a 4 year-old Specialized Allez (alu frame, cf forks) which I swap some nice wheels onto for special events - the rest of the time it's smashing through potholes on the way to work in London.
So I thought "time for a summer bike". I'm very tempted by the Condor Legerro or Cervelo RS frames, probably with Ultegra 6700 and some trick bits (I've got Easton EA90SLX wheels already).
These are both CF whizzers, and admittedly neither are going to be cheap, but I reckon 4 years' worth of saving train fares will cover it (ahem).
But here's my question:
Will the cash spent actually make me faster?
Does anyone know the theoretical answer to that, given what I'm looking to achieve? And as an adjunct question - should I seriously consider some other form of bike i.e. steel or even titanium? I have never ridden those as serious propositions (or at all, in the case of titanium) so don't know whether I should even consider them.
I appreciate this is quite a broad (and lengthy!) question - I throw myself at the mercy collective wisdom of you experienced forum-goers...
Cheers dudes,
Matt
ps the Condor does look the bees' knees though!