How does ageing affects your purchasing prospects?

[Levo-Lon]

I haven't bought a new bike for weeks...

 

[Blue Hills]

You don't get it back on the down hills due to wind resistance otherwise hilly rides would not take longer / be slower.

Time also depends on the nature of the downhills of course. I often ride in the lumpy NW - you have to brake on many of the downhills because of bends/dodgy surfaces. When riding there I do sometimes long for gently rollinh where you do get more of your climbing effort back.

 

[Dogtrousers]

A lighter bike feels different and puts you in a different frame of mind. When I take my (steel, but not heavyweight) bike out for a quick unladen spin it's a quite different feel/ experience to when I've put on two water bottles and a rack pack and set out for a 100 mile ride.

Edit: but you never even come close to getting back on the downhills what you put in on the climbs. Life's not fair.

 

[vickster]

A lighter bike feels different and puts you in a different frame of mind. When I take my (steel, but not heavyweight) bike out for a quick unladen spin it's a quite different feel/ experience to when I've put on two water bottles and a rack pack and set out for a 100 mile ride.

That’s hardly loaded

 

[StuartG]

Do you feel that, as you get older, it gets harder to justify spending a fair amount of money, new bike for instance, or other things that will not improve your performance due to your body not being as responsive as years gone by? I certainly do and often wish I had gone into cycling when I was much younger instead of starting at 60 and now being 69.

Nope, the opposite. I returned to cycling when I was 59 on my ancient (1979) Dawes Galaxy. At 60 I replaced it with a Condor Fratello which was ideal for my type of riding and has done around 30,000 miles. On a whim last year at 69 I bought an ex-demonstrator Condor Super Accaicio for £1800. It's supposed to be a racer but with a rear mudguard blade and a Carradice Pendle it serves well as an ultra-light tourer.

While the Fratello is a beautiful bike the Accacio has taken at least 5 years off my age going faster, further and not fearing hills as much. £1800 is cheap for an extra five years of challenging rides!

 

[Dogtrousers]

That’s hardly loaded

Makes a fair difference. One oversize bottle, plus one small bottle plus a pack containing a ridiculous quantity of tools (see other threads) sandwiches, peanuts, snack bars, lock, waterproof, spare batteries, spare GPS, phone charger, keys, other random crap that has taken up residence in my bag ... I could go on.

Easily adds up to the difference between a "light bike" and a "heavy bike".

 

[Ajax Bay]

Why is weight not important?

(You actually suggested that "weight [is one of the] two [most] important things".) I didn't say it wasn't important; I merely opined that 'weight' wasn't one of the two most important things. There's design for a start: in particular clearances, and material, as well as 'rigidity' (which I thought was going to degenerate into a @Fnaar discussion, but it didn't).
Why is weight one of the two important things?

You've still not answered why not? [less weight = bike easier to ride]

See answer above. Weight is a consideration, but it's well down the importance list (for me). And with your motorised assistance uphills, I wouldn't have though weight would be particularly important. When it matters (up hill) you have extra power to switch on.

trying to answer the OP's question 'How does ageing affects your purchasing prospects?'
I now have to ride a eroad bike, and lower weight was a serious factor in my decision to buy an Orbea Gain.

I suggest the main factor in this purchase was not 'how light is it?' The Orbea Gain is 12-13kg.
An Orbea Gain is a "versatile road-oriented e bike . . [with] a slightly racier geometry [and a] neatly integrated battery pack hidden inside the downtube, with [a discreet] control button on the top tube. There are no bulky components to 'take away from the aesthetics of the frame', so the Gain looks as good as it rides." "The X-35 motor is remarkably quiet" and gives up to 40Nm bonus torque (stomping on the pedals uphill normally might be about 100Nm - have not checked this (75kg rider, 175mm cranks)).
@youngoldbloke wanted a bike that looked like a 'racing bike' but gave you extra 'whats!?' uphill. And those were the "two most important things" (for him). In a few years, when I am 72 (as he is now) I'll likely be in the same boat, and make a similar decision (especially if it's also good value - not sure I could bring myself to pay £3000+ for a bike).

 

[youngoldbloke]

I have only been riding an assisted bike for 16 months, so my comments regarding bike weight are based the many years experience of unassisted riding.
Regarding the Orbea Gain - the road bike configuration was an important factor, as I have always ridden drop bar road bikes* , but it was very closely followed by weight. At the time I bought it, it was one of the lightest ebikes available. I would not have purchased it if it had been heavier. Up hill assistance is handy of course, but overuse will restrict your range, and being a relatively heavy bike I find it hard work to ride far unassisted.
*if that's what you mean by 'racing bike' - I always called the bike you raced on a 'race bike', Touring bikes had drop bars too.)

 

[12boy]

I ride a bike for exercise and for the high. I have around 6 that I ride as my whimsy takes me, but they all serve a different purpose and/or have a different flavor. I can't recall ever buying a bike so my ride would be easier, but rather because I wanted to sample a different kind of riding. My neighbor and I ride together a lot and we were whining about how much harder riding is now that ten years ago but we realized ten years from now we'll wish we do what we can now, and we that we enjoy it at least as much now as then. The last 3 new bikes I've bought have been a Brompton, a Xooter Swift (another folder) and a 300 buck minivelo, none of which are easier than my Surly Steamroller or my estate sale Holdsworth Special, but like them are lots of fun. I am 70 now and at my last physical my Doc answered my question of "how long can I continue riding?" With the bad news of "Probably not more than 30 years". Of all the vices I've had riding a bike has been the best for me. It is like dope, though.

 

[PaulSB]

Not my experience, especially riding with a group, and as I said, as one ages and muscle strength inevitably drops I believe it is worth paying more for the lighter bike.

I'd agree with this 100%. I'm 65 and regularly ride with people 20+ years younger. On my summer bike keeping the pace and taking a turn on the front is no problem. On my winter bike I'm working throughout the ride and leading and maintaining the pace is very, very tough.

The bike makes a huge difference.

 

[Stompier]

I'd agree with this 100%. I'm 65 and regularly ride with people 20+ years younger. On my summer bike keeping the pace and taking a turn on the front is no problem. On my winter bike I'm working throughout the ride and going leading and maintaining the pace is very, very tough.

The bike makes a huge difference.

What is the spec of your winter bike?

 

[PaulSB]

O

What is the spec of your winter bike?

I can't easily answer this as I'm not a person who retains all this knowledge. Secondly it's a bespoke bike built for club riding and touring. It's five years old.

My summer bike is a Cervelo C3 with upgraded tubeless carbon wheels. Before the wheel upgrade it performed better than my winter bike. Upgrading the wheels put at least 2mph on my average, descending is at least +4mph and significantly improved my climbing. On the climbing to the point I'm starting to challenge one of the club's best climbers - in our age range.

I can't give science to this, just what I experience every time I get on my bike. I'd never dispute the science but feel my personal, practical experience is more relevant to me as an individual.

 

[Stompier]

O

I can't easily answer this as I'm not a person who retains all this knowledge. Secondly it's a bespoke bike built for club riding and touring. It's five years old.

My summer bike is a Cervelo C3 with upgraded tubeless carbon wheels. Before the wheel upgrade it performed better than my winter bike. Upgrading the wheels put at least 2mph on my average, descending is at least +4mph and significantly improved my climbing. On the climbing to the point I'm starting to challenge one of the club's best climbers - in our age range.

I can't give science to this, just what I experience every time I get on my bike. I'd never dispute the science but feel my personal, practical experience is more relevant to me as an individual.

I just mean does it have mudguards, a rack, panniers, lights, touring tyres like Schwalbe Marathons, that kind of thing. There's lots of reasons why one bike might be slower than another, but weight usually has very little to do with it.

 

[PaulSB]

Do you feel that, as you get older, it gets harder to justify spending a fair amount of money, new bike for instance, or other things that will not improve your performance due to your body not being as responsive as years gone by? I certainly do and often wish I had gone into cycling when I was much younger instead of starting at 60 and now being 69.

This is a question I have started to ask myself. My children know the house will be theirs but not to expect money in the bank. In other words at 65 I've reached the stage where I value enjoyment and time more than money and I am prepared to spend it.

To date every bike I've purchased has improved my riding. I'm now reaching the stage when I question if I can get improved performance? I know the bikes I ride today make me a better rider. If/when I look at a new bike one question to the LBS will be "Will this make me a better rider?" If the answer is "Yes" I'd make the purchase.

 

[PaulSB]

I just mean does it have mudguards, a rack, panniers, lights, touring tyres like Schwalbe Marathons, that kind of thing. There's lots of reasons why one bike might be slower than another, but weight usually has very little to do with it.

Sorry misunderstood you. It has mudguards, I use the same lights on both bikes, the tyres are Gatorskins which I've ridden for years. I only do racks, panniers etc when I'm touring and performance is not an issue.