just started riding

[carlfergy]

just started riding with the intention of getting fit and improving my performance, i have a steel framed bike with decent kit but quite old. How much would a good quality road bike improve my average speed and performance.

 

[gaz]

not by much at first, if your bike is in working order then continue to use it and build up your base fitness.
Then when your fitness is up it's time to reward your self with a better bike where you should be able to feel the benefits straight away.

 

[Klaus]

just started riding with the intention of getting fit and improving my performance, i have a steel framed bike with decent kit but quite old. How much would a good quality road bike improve my average speed and performance.

Hi & welcome, I have started riding today, with a city bike I managed to get free via the local FREEGLE list, as suggested I would build up the base fitness first for which any half-way decent bike should be good enough.
In my case fitness is (currently non-existent ...) but a few more months and I am hoping to do the odd cycle to work (15 miles each way .....).

 

[carlfergy]

thanks for the advice, at what fitness level would you upgrade? I can go out for a 22 mile ride on a undulating route averaging 16.8 mph in 1 hour 17m

 

[accountantpete]

Basically the more you pay for a bike the more of the energy that you use goes towards pushing the bike forward instead of being gobbled up by heavy and dull bike components.

The holy grail is a light but stiff frame (especially in the bottom bracket area) which readily transmits force through its structure and doesn't flex thereby wasting energy - this depends a lot on design and materials used which is why bikes made by Pinarello, Cervelo and Ridley etc are much in demand as the designers know just what is needed.

You then add on similarly stiff wheels and lightweight components elsewhere to complete the package.

Get a good frame etc and your average speed would be 20mph without too much improvement on your part and the confidence you get knowing that energy wastage is minimised encourages you further.

The only problems are the cost and building up enough knowledge about bikes so that you can make an informed purchase.

 

[mossy]

Hi and welcome.
All the above info is correct.
Look at bike maintenace here for tips.
I returned after years out .have now built a bike myself.Got frame and bits fom all over.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Welcome to CC ...

An old steel frame bike (providing it's not gas pipe stuff) with decent kit is still be a good bike. Pete's right and like he says a big factor is the cost - you can spend as much as you could ever imagine.

 

[HJ]

just started riding with the intention of getting fit and improving my performance, i have a steel framed bike with decent kit but quite old. How much would a good quality road bike improve my average speed and performance.

Best thing is just to get some Km's in first and worry about getting new bike later, of course the ideal number of bike is always i=n+1

 

[bauldbairn]

Welcome to the CC forums carlfergy.

I agree with all the above comments.

 

[Dan B]

Let me put the other view: a better lighter stiffer bike will be more fun to ride and reward your effort better, and you may find for that reason that you use it more and get fitter faster.

 

[hotmetal]

Let me put the other view: a better lighter stiffer bike will be more fun to ride and reward your effort better, and you may find for that reason that you use it more and get fitter faster.

I have to agree with Coruskate there, although it very much depends on what kind of individual you are with regard to self-motivation, and how much spare cash you have.

I have ridden mountainbikes for years. One cost £350 when new, my latest would have been £4000 if I hadn't got it 2nd hand. And yes, it does make a massive difference IF YOU'RE RIDING HARD. If I wanted to ride the same trails the rest of the guys I ride with were doing, I needed a bike that could keep up. And there's no way my old bike could cope with what the new one will do. Mountain bikes are a bit different in that respect – with a road bike there's no real 'suspension' as such, so you're really talking about different degrees of lightness and stiffness.

I am one of those less-disciplined people who feels much more inclined to do something if its fun. I knew that if I didn't buy a bike that rode well and shifted well, it would lose its appeal. As I have had the fortunate experience of knowing how much difference decent shifters and wheels make (to say nothing of the frame), I decided it would be better to wait, save up more money, and then buy 2nd hand. Of course you do need to get the right size, and be able to tell if it's knackered.

Another way of deciding when to upgrade is to ride what you have (assuming it's rideable) and waiting until you can put your finger on exactly what it is about the bike that's holding you back: weight? shifting performance? frame flex? shopping basket on the front? Once you've got to the point when you know how much you would benefit from newer kit, it's probably time to do it. If you bought a bike with a great frame but the cheapest level kit, it might be worth doing it bit by bit - maybe a decent wheelset, maybe later some better shifters/mechs. Often though, it's better to take your time finding something that suits, and keep the old un as a winter hack (if you have the space and will actually ride in bad weather anyway).

Not sure that answers your question specifically, just my twopennorth.