Is there really that much difference?

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pepecat

Well-Known Member
I was reading this months Cycling Plus, which had some interesting stuff in it, but this month, as always, i was somewhat irked by all the product reviews.
They're all so bloody expensive!!!! The cheapest base layer reviewed was £35!! Sorry, but mine cost about half that. And as for the bib shorts.......

I feel like emailing them and suggesting they do a 'cycling on a budget' issue...

Anyhow, it got me wondering. Apart from the differences between carbon, aluminium or steel frames, is there REALLY that much difference to be gained from all these fancy componants? Really??? What makes wheels costing £500 better than the ones that you got with your bike?
Or between shorts costing £35 or £250??
I have a beginner level bike (trek 1.2 wsd- £550). I haven't changed a thing on it yet - have some look pedals to go on but they were second hand. And it's fine for me. I cycle about 3 times a week, doing a sportive this summer.......
i don't really see what the fuss is about with new bits of 'stuff'......

Ok, i guess I'm going to be shot down in flames here..... and yes, I'm a girl, so don't get all the techy stuff that blokes seem to love, but come on, there can't be THAT much difference in components........

Cars, i get - engine size, aerodynamics, horse power, braking, etc etc etc, I can see how all those can have an effect on performance. But the basic frame shape of a bike is the same whether you have a cheap thing like mine or a trek like the tour riders use. There's not so much scope for change on a bike. It's a pretty basic shape as it is. I would have thought it's more about the engine (the cyclist) than the actual bike. You could stick me on andy schleck's bike, and i still wouldn't be able to ride better than i do now, i don't think.

But feel free to put me right on this one - i'd love to 'get' what all the fuss is about.....
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
There isn't much difference between the OK stuff and the fancy stuff. Main performance changes you'll really notice are in the tyres and wheels.

Wheels - doesn't have to be mega bucks - wheels over 2kg a pair are heavy. Your getting fairly light at 1.5kg, and down to 1kg for super expensive. You can get 1.5kg wheelsets for £300-£400.

Component wise - the more expensive stuff generally works that little bit slicker and is lighter, and usually better made so will last longer.

There is always a trade off. Lighter is usually less robust - wheels/tyres are a prime example.

E.g. I wouldn't use top end tyres for commuting, I use them for the weekend bike, but the commuter I'll use some slightly heavier with better puncture protection. I won't however, use these really 'heavy duty' tyres as I don't like the ride (23mm tyres).

Wheels - depends upon use - if you are racing and or climbing lots, then lighter the better. If it's all purpose then some robust but mid weight wheels.

You can change a lot on a bike - how big is the budget ! :whistle: Oh and don't forget N+1,2,3. I'm at 4 bikes but can see a need for at least another two. :tongue:
 

upsidedown

Waiting for the great leap forward
Location
The middle bit
With some stuff you do definitely get what you pay for, i'm thinking luggage where Ortlieb, Carradice etc will last a lifetime.

Saddle quality is also dependant on price, up to a point.

In racing bike terms money usually buys you weight (less of it), and stiffness (more of it). Again this is only to a point, you then start throwing money at grammes.

Clothing's a funny one, i swear by my Decathlon merinos and Aldi tops, but i also wear Humvee shorts that cost 50 quid and think they're great.

The thing is, the best bike in the world will still cost 3 or 4 grand less than a basic Fiesta so if people want to spend it, good luck to them, i would if i could.
 

ThePainInSpain

Active Member
Location
Malaga, Spain
I feel like emailing them and suggesting they do a 'cycling on a budget' issue...

Unfortunately their budget is usually somewhat different to the 'normal' person.

I totally agree with you in the most part, however usually the more expensive items are made from better quality materials or have better quality control. Although not always the case.
In addition to your comments, why pay for a 'name'.
A lot of the time it is just pure snobbery, and we do unfortunately see a lot of examples of that on here.

I almost always shop at Decathlon (not a lot of choice over here) and always for the cheapest. Which at my level is quite adequate.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
The engine is the most important, and a bit of knowledge.

I was chatting to a guy this week on one of the older Pinnarello Dogma's (the magnesium and carbon ones :tongue: ) at the traffic lights - lovely bike, but he usually rode into work on his MTB. As I'd just flew past him on my fixed gear, he said his bike was great, but the engine less so - we had a little laugh about it.
 

Twizit

CS8 lead out specialist
Location
Surrey
He he - same with any hobby - the magazines love to push all the lovely new high end kit you can buy - something to aspire to I guess. Photography is my other main hobby and the amount you can spend on kit there is ridiculous.

Am sure others will come along with much more detailed replies, but I think it all boils down to weight saving plus slightly slicker / more efficient design, and more longevity. Law of diminishing returns as you get much less back at the top end for much more outlay, but I guess if you're into serious racing and TT then every little bit of weight loss helps.

Personally at a tad over 15 stone (but reasonably fit with it - legacy rugby player
whistling.gif
) it's far cheaper for me to lose a bit of personal weight first, before more ££££ outlay on lighter kit
biggrin.gif


That said, the el-cheapo MTB I picked up from eBay does have some Deore XT kit on it and it changes gear quicker and slicker than a very quick and slick thing. Definitely a big step up from my Shimano 2300 equipped Secteur, but then the 2300 kit still does the job.

Horses for courses and all that.
 

evilclive

Active Member
He he - same with any hobby - the magazines love to push all the lovely new high end kit you can buy - something to aspire to I guess. Photography is my other main hobby and the amount you can spend on kit there is ridiculous.

Something to aspire to, maybe, but more importantly something for their advertisers to sell you.

Spending a couple of grand on a hobby is now fairly normal - whether it be a posh bike, camera, stereo, whatever. Despite the headlines, a lot of people have that sort of level of disposable cash, and sellers will carry on coming up with ways to liberate it :-)
 

yello

Guest
Yes, I'd say there's a difference. Whether you'd notice/appreciate/benefit from that difference is another matter.

As pointed out earlier, generally you pay more for less difference at the top end of the scale. But those little differences make a deal of difference to some. The R&D that goes into top spec goods means they attract a premium price. The benefit for the likes of me-and-thee is that there is 'trickle down' as those advances get used in the cheaper next year/year after models.

Again generally speaking, and also touched on, is higher price tends also to mean better quality and/or longer durability. This needn't mean quality stuff is outside the range of all budgets, you can find quality in lower to mid price range too. Buy once buy right sort of thing.

Cheap has its place too - not knocking it at all.

I think the thing that sometimes bugs me about reviews is when the fit gets criticised. Sometimes there is clearly wrong, true, but to mark something down because the sleeves could be longer, for example, is a bit harsh imho. Unless the reviewer includes their arm length with the review then it can be something of a meaningless remark!

I know from my own experience, and wardrobe, that different brand bibs - for instance - fit differently. My preference can be due to fit and not quality or performance. I shouldn't say that my Brand X are 'better' than my Brand Y ones when both do the job really well, the difference being my preference for the slightly longer leg length (or whatever) of Brand X.
 

Moodyman

Legendary Member
I don't think the ordinary person will detect any difference between mid-range and the top end stuff.

But I know a few people who race, and they swear that they can tell the difference between a very good item and the absolute best.

One guy found his factory made £3K carbon bike lacking, so he got a £6k custom build. Says he can definitely feel the £3k difference when he races.
 

evilclive

Active Member
But I know a few people who race, and they swear that they can tell the difference between a very good item and the absolute best.

I suspect a robot couldn't see as much difference, but since people aren't robots, there is value there.
 

Angelfishsolo

A Velocipedian
I have noticed a huge difference with high and low end forks. The ride quality and reliability of my Fox forx is quite outstanding whereas riding a similar bike with old Marzocchi forks was a nightmare. Most other components seem to go up in cost as the weight comes down. Tyres are a bit hit and miss when it comes to price. I have ridden on some sub £10 tyres and £40+ tyres and TBH I have decided the best are somewhere in the middle (for the kind of riding I do). Disk Brake Pads do seem to last longer if you pay more fore them.

Biggest difference I noticed with any cycling related gear though was jerseys. I was very happy with my Aldi stuff until I put on a top I bought to show I was a CTC member. The wicking was far better, the fit and cut superior and the general feel much better. That said I woudl never pay more than £40 for a top or £25 for a pair of shorts. Shopping around is all part of the fun.
 
This is why I stopped reading C+. It used to be a great mag, full of interesting articles on how to build your own Li-ion battery lighting system on a budget, and so forth. Now you'd think it was impossible to go cycling without spending many thousands of pounds before even getting on a bike. Is it bollocks. Cycling for the huge majority of people is entirely possible without spending over a couple of hundred quid on a halfway decent secondhand bike and a couple of pairs of lycra shorts. (I'm not talking about racing or time trialling here, although it's possible to do those on a budget too.) Any suggestion that you need a special bike just for going shopping (£900) or whatever is actibvely damaging, I think, and should be discouraged at all costs.
 

gavintc

Guru
Location
Southsea
I have a nice carbon bike with decent wheels and a reasonable alu framed bike. I would place the alu framed bike as a mid range bike. I can definitely feel the difference between the two. Indeed , I find myself on my commute thinking that the alu bike is really not fun - sluggish and just does not dance about as much. As a result, I occasionally take my good bike to work. My commute is good - with no stops and I can secure the bike next to my desk.

So, to sum up. I can definitely feel the difference. But, zoom back 6-7 years when I started with a Ribble winter trainer. I loved it, thought it was the best bike I had ever owned, it was fast nippy etc etc. I compare it drinking wine. As long you only drink the 5GBP Tesco special - great, you are happy the wine is good and the price reasonable. You then start drinking some 8GBP bottles and suddenly you find the cheaper bottles a little bit harsh.
 

dragon72

Guru
Location
Mexico City
Agree 100% with the OP.My only bicycle is an entry-level tourer (a 2005 Dawes Horizon) which cost me about £400. I did upgrade the saddle (to a B17) and the pedals (to SPDs).
I use it for everything - commuting, shopping, going out in the evening, daily chores and camping touring in the spring and summer.
I've not had to replace anything except the handlebar tape and the chain, in spite of the fact that I clean it only about twice a year.
The other day I calculated it's done about 20,000km, including most of the highest TdF passes with a full camping load.
I'm not really sure what advantages spending >£1,000, which most people do on tourers, would have got me that I didn't get with the bog standard one.
 
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