Expensive light bicycles do not get you to work faster

[Bollo]

People ... it's a lighthearted article designed to be skim read and raise a wry chuckle or two. It's not a scientific study and it's not designed to make people sell their carbon rockets. And the most important bit - which everyone seems to have missed - is that he says he enjoys riding his old steel bike more. It really doesn't matter wjhich one is faster, given that.

But it's been posted in Commuting! NOTHING is lighthearted in commuting!

 

[DrSquirrel]

People ... it's a lighthearted article designed to be skim read and raise a wry chuckle or two. It's not a scientific study and it's not designed to make people sell their carbon rockets. And the most important bit - which everyone seems to have missed - is that he says he enjoys riding his old steel bike more. It really doesn't matter wjhich one is faster, given that.

Little do you know that it's sponsored by Asda so they can sell more £50 bikes...

 

[jay clock]

I did my own version of this test a week back. I went to Lanzarote in March and again last week. First time round I took my Trek 1.2 "cheap" road bike. Second time was my BMC Racemaster. I have analysed the climbs to the nearest second from the GPS files and there was the tiniest of difference. I think 11 secs on a 48 min climb (faster on the Trek!).

Of course conditions were identical blah blah.....NOT. But it showed me that the lard on my body makes much more difference than a kg here or there on the bike

 

[BentMikey]

I think it's mostly the same effect on cars - top speed means little in the urban context. I quite often keep up with cars over miles and miles of journey, on average, and I'm not a particularly fast rider. For that matter sometimes people on sit-up-and-beg bikes will keep up with me over the course of several traffic lights, again on average, despite my higher top speed and acceleration.

 

[handsome joe]

Maybe we all have to admit that new 1000+ bike is not gonna get rid of the middle age spread. I bought some baselayers from Lidl, which are great. But i am starting regret getting something so figure hugging.

 

[John the Monkey]

Reminds me of people who spend thousands of pounds on a top of the range sports car. They've probably seen it on Top Gear being raced around Nevada or the French Riverea and then decided they've get one. Only it doesn't feel or look the same in London. Racing from traffic light to traffic light, struggling to get over 40mph. Its like buying a sleek Ocean Sailing Yaght only to take it up and down the local canal.

I can see the advantage of saving a minute or two if your a racing your bicycle for a club or doing a time trial. But commuting is different. There is so many other factors like road suface, traffic lights, the weather and the volume of traffic itself. These factors will effect your journey. I'll rather use my Marin MTB and get some enjoyment out of my ride to work. I've got enough clock watching to do when i am at work.

There's lots of spots on my commute where the ability to travel quickly is a huge advantage - travelling at 20pmh results in far less p*** taking from motorists than travelling at lower speeds (I know this because days where I carry more kit, or have a headwind result in far less pleasant commutes).