I met an old roadie at the weekend, former racer who was telling me all sorts of stories about racing on the continent and how things were done back then. He must have been in his late 60's at least and we got onto the topic of bikes. He said two things will make you significantly quicker: rider weight and the amount of time spent in the saddle. He said he'd never been fitter than in the early sixties when he was cycling to university in Edinburgh from Bathgate, around about 50 miles, 3 days a week, he also said without the rest days (Tues&Thurs) he wouldn't have been as good. We were sat in a cafe, about 25 miles from Glasgow and Stirling where each of us had come from, and he put away some pancakes and the biggest chocolate/raisin/nut bar I'd ever seen, and he told me himself he only weighs 53kgs! I'm sure if I'd have followed him he'd soon have lost me.
Is a full road bike quicker ?
- Thread starter J4CKO
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swee'pea99
Legendary Member
I have a very good hybrid (Koga) and a very good fixie (Dawes 653) but my very good racer (Vitus) is faster than the latter and a good bit faster than the former.
The Koga will never compete on speed, if only for its wide knobbly tyres - against 23 slicks running at 100psi+ it's no contest. And the fixie, though fearsome fast in a sprint, just runs out of gear. There's only so fast you can spin, and when push comes to shove, if the other guy can shift up (and back it with beef, of course) he's going to beat you.
The Koga will never compete on speed, if only for its wide knobbly tyres - against 23 slicks running at 100psi+ it's no contest. And the fixie, though fearsome fast in a sprint, just runs out of gear. There's only so fast you can spin, and when push comes to shove, if the other guy can shift up (and back it with beef, of course) he's going to beat you.
Adrian_K
Über Member
- Location
- Sunny Surbiton
the same
I very recently got a road bike & was more than a little disappointed that my short sunday morning run (~20miles) was slower on the road bike by about 2 minutes. I'll have to do it again now I've got used to the bike.
The hybrid is a Spesh Sirrus (i.e. light) on 23c tyres and the bars are very low so aerodynamics and road drag are less of an issue.
The road bike is a hell of a lot easier to do longers distances tho'. (and go up hills and go down hills)
I very recently got a road bike & was more than a little disappointed that my short sunday morning run (~20miles) was slower on the road bike by about 2 minutes. I'll have to do it again now I've got used to the bike.
The hybrid is a Spesh Sirrus (i.e. light) on 23c tyres and the bars are very low so aerodynamics and road drag are less of an issue.
The road bike is a hell of a lot easier to do longers distances tho'. (and go up hills and go down hills)
XmisterIS
Purveyor of fine nonsense
J4CKO said:
Are you sure its a full 7 miles?
Without wishing to be too geeky ...
7 miles in 16.9 minutes => 7*60/16.9 miles in an hour => approx. 25 mph average! (are you Lance Armstrong??!).
Yet you say that you are aiming for the elusive 20mph average, as indicated on your speedo ....
If you're nearly at 20mph, then that would be 20*16.9/60 = 5.63 miles.
summit is fishy-wise with your calculali ... cacalluli ... calcacalula ... God dammit, I'm just not that bright!
XmisterIS said:Are you sure its a full 7 miles?
Without wishing to be too geeky ...
7 miles in 16.9 minutes => 7*60/16.9 miles in an hour => approx. 25 mph average! (are you Lance Armstrong??!).
Yet you say that you are aiming for the elusive 20mph average, as indicated on your speedo ....
If you're nearly at 20mph, then that would be 20*16.9/60 = 5.63 miles.
summit is fishy-wise with your calculali ... cacalluli ... calcacalula ... God dammit, I'm just not that bright!
Sorry, I have probably mislead there, I used the average speed on my cycling computer rather than minutes versus distance, as I set off I zero it and read the result when I am on my driveway, it does all the maths, havent managed to set an average on the Road bike yet as it doesnt have a computer and its not really worth transferring it for a few days so just have to go on how it feels, it is quicker, not a vast amount but it just feels more effecient and natrual. I think a lower bottom bracket helps and I prefer drops, the tyres are marginally slimmer, it rides more smoothly and rolls a little better than my Cannondale, I think the carbon stays help in this respect, also, handling wise it feels more precise and the front end seems more grippy as if more of the weight is over the front wheel.
I miss my panniers and I cant really enjoy it totally as its worth abotu a grand and I cant afford to break anything so it makes me a bit nervous especially with it being a bit slink and me being 16.5 stones plus backpack, its that feeling of it not being mine, also I think I need a 58 frame for it to be perfect.
Basically it has convinced me I do want a drop barred bike with similar geometery but I may end up going a bit more Touring or Cyclo Cross rather than full sporty road.
sorry to drag this up again but i finally took my hybrid around my 15mile road bike route and well I'm shocked...
route: 15.01 miles (bikehike mileage)
road bike: time = 51m 49s Av = 17.38mph
Hybrid: time = 49m2s, Av = 18.37mph
so my hybrid is 1mph faster than my road bike ??? I'm putting this down to the fact that i had a point to make and so pushed hard on the hybrid.
next week i'll try it on the road bike again and see if i can beat today's time.
the point is, i don't think the hybrid is really any slower (or my road bike is shite, you choose)
this is the route... http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=11922
route: 15.01 miles (bikehike mileage)
road bike: time = 51m 49s Av = 17.38mph
Hybrid: time = 49m2s, Av = 18.37mph
so my hybrid is 1mph faster than my road bike ??? I'm putting this down to the fact that i had a point to make and so pushed hard on the hybrid.
next week i'll try it on the road bike again and see if i can beat today's time.
the point is, i don't think the hybrid is really any slower (or my road bike is shite, you choose
)this is the route... http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=11922
HJ
Cycling in Scotland
- Location
- Auld Reekie
It is a bit like trying to race a 2CV and Ferrari, on a race track it is no contest, but in the real world on real roads...
well we have all seen the Bond movie...
well we have all seen the Bond movie...
Will1985
Über Member
- Location
- South Norfolk
Drug fuelled? Either that or you think you're Tom Simpsonjimboalee said:
. Thought he'd seen a ghost.
cyberknight
As long as I breathe, I attack.
- Location
- Land of confusion
My average on a 26 " hybrid on slicks over my whole commute is around 16.5 mph including the hillier return trip .
On the way in its the reverse but i am to lazy to reset the computer to see .
On the flat i can quite easily pootle around at 20 mph with the pannier and bag of crap i carry .
I have just got a team Raleigh bannana 12 speed racer on the road after much work ( anyone got a front chain ring spare? mine i think is warped ) i intend to give it a go when i can get a seat post pannier and see how it compares.
I used to ride a TT specced racer in the early 90s and it did go like a bomb but not a good commuter
I think you have to decide whether you want comfort , speed, load carried etc before you decide on what to commute on , if you want speed sure a roady will help but at the end of the day im sure a pro cyclist would beat me on a hybrid even if i had his bike for the day , technique and fitness play a big part.
On the way in its the reverse but i am to lazy to reset the computer to see .
On the flat i can quite easily pootle around at 20 mph with the pannier and bag of crap i carry .
I have just got a team Raleigh bannana 12 speed racer on the road after much work ( anyone got a front chain ring spare? mine i think is warped ) i intend to give it a go when i can get a seat post pannier and see how it compares.
I used to ride a TT specced racer in the early 90s and it did go like a bomb but not a good commuter
I think you have to decide whether you want comfort , speed, load carried etc before you decide on what to commute on , if you want speed sure a roady will help but at the end of the day im sure a pro cyclist would beat me on a hybrid even if i had his bike for the day , technique and fitness play a big part.
ed_o_brain
Guest
HJ said:
I'm not sure you need legs for going fast down hill when you are carrying extra weight!
Sittingduck
Legendary Member
- Location
- Somewhere flat
I noticed "FBA" coming into play during the Dunwich Dynamo. Had to brake continually going downhill behind some slimmer riders who were spinning away. I wasn't close enough t be drafting either. Shame I am such a chicken when it comes to fast downhills or I might clock some quick speeds! 
In my experience FBA more than makes up for TBA going up hills. You can pull out massive chunks of time on climbs only to be overtaken and have that plus a couple of minutes taken out on the descent. FBA seems to have some magical properties on the flat where they can cruise along as 20mph forever.
My racebike is much faster than my road bike. On a long run I posted I did on a racebike it was 6mph quicker than the hybrid on average. On other runs it took 3 hours out of the century run. Three hours!
My racebike is much faster than my road bike. On a long run I posted I did on a racebike it was 6mph quicker than the hybrid on average. On other runs it took 3 hours out of the century run. Three hours!
