speed?

[Novice Cyclist]

Any suggestions on a Trek bike that offers fast speed?
Budget:4500

 

[screenman]

Any suggestions on a Trek bike that offers fast speed?
Budget:4500

It is the engine not the bike, a road bike will be faster than an mtb of course.

 

[Mo1959]

You can't buy speed unfortunately. I'm only marginally faster on my best carbon fibre bike compared to my cheap hybrid. It's the legs that count.

 

[gzoom]

'Free' speed is now possible thanks to the magic of electricity!!

https://www.trekbikes.com/gb/en_GB/domane-plus-lt/

I have a cheapo Boardman hybrid but using the same electric motor.....I can average over 18mph will rolling terrain (1400ft ish of hills over 20 miles) despite really cheap wheel set, and close to 18kg (17.7kg) total weigh as I have mudguards/lock holder and aero bars on the hybrid.

The Trek will have a much better frameset, drivetrain, aero position and a good 5kg+ lighter. I recon on the Trek I could hit 19mph average speed over rolling terrain.

Am currently trying to decide between the eDomane or a used 2019 Emonda SLR at under 7kg.....

 

[Lovacott]

Any suggestions on a Trek bike that offers fast speed?
Budget:4500

Every bike ever made will go as fast as you want it to if your legs can keep up.

 

[DRM]

Whatever you get, don't spend the lot on the bike, keep some to one side to upgrade the wheels/saddle as these will improve a good bike no end, personally I'd be looking at an Ultegra groupset tops, with a saddle that suits you, then get a good quality wheelset & tyres, plus think on that the stem may need changing to give a perfect fit too.

 

[the_mikey]

Any suggestions on a Trek bike that offers fast speed?
Budget:4500

Depends how much you want to part with your cash, but your question is suggesting that you've already made up your mind and you want to spend £4.5k, however Trek are quite pricey, their 'Race' bike is the Madone, and most of these are out of your price range, the next best option is the Trek Emonda SL7 which is their lightweight bike, probably won't be their "fastest" but in reality we're talking very marginal differences and creative marketing, or you could simply get better value for money on a different brand.

 

[Lovacott]

Whatever you get, don't spend the lot on the bike, keep some to one side...

I'd keep double the bike cost to one side (and that's being conservative).

I've spent more on my bike in the last month than I have on food.

If I carry on at this rate, I will have spent more money in the last ten years than NASA has spent since the 1960's.

£30 for this, £20 for that, £85 for another bit and £65 for the part that goes next to it. Not to mention the special tools (that's another ton at least).

 

[Vantage]

I'd keep double the bike cost to one side (and that's being conservative).

I've spent more on my bike in the last month than I have on food.

If I carry on at this rate, I will have spent more money in the last ten years than NASA has spent since the 1960's.

£30 for this, £20 for that, £85 for another bit and £65 for the part that goes next to it. Not to mention the special tools (that's another ton at least).

Something tells me you're exaggerating, upgrading or doing it wrong.
Bikes are relatively simple machines needing little more than a clean and a drop of oil now and then.

 

[winjim]

Whatever you get, don't spend the lot on the bike, keep some to one side to upgrade the wheels/saddle as these will improve a good bike no end, personally I'd be looking at an Ultegra groupset tops, with a saddle that suits you, then get a good quality wheelset & tyres, plus think on that the stem may need changing to give a perfect fit too.

Saddle's obviously a personal thing, but does a £4.5k bike really have such a poor wheelset?

Personally for that money I'd buy a frameset and components and build it up myself, including probably building my own wheels, but I like building and tinkering.

I would say that if you're fast and consistent enough for the bike itself to make an appreciable difference to your speed, then you should be experienced enough to have some thoughts about the bike you want or need. If not then I would buy a cheaper bike, bank the rest of the cash and come back to it when you've more of an idea. Four and a half grand isn't exactly novice money.

 

[Lovacott]

Something tells me you're exaggerating, upgrading or doing it wrong.

It's a five year old Halfords Apollo MTB and everything began to go wrong about a week after lockdown started.

Bottom bracket bearings, crankset, freewheel, chain, disc brake callipers, tyres, gear shifters, cables and wheel bearings all needed replacing with the bike having less than 500 miles under it's wheels.

Then there are the add ons like mud guards, rack, lights

It would have been cheaper to buy a new bike but nobody had any decent bikes left for sale.

On the plus side, the lumpy old steel framed MTB I used to loathe has become the new love of my life.

 

[rivers]

Personally, I would buy a 105 or Ultegra equipped bike with that money, get a decent, lightweight wheelset (something like DT Swiss PR1600), a turbo and a zwift/trainingpeaks/trainerroad/sufferfest/whatever online training program floats your boat, and start working on the engine. It's not the bike that is going to make you faster, it's working on you. I increased my FTP over lockdown by 20 watts with 3-5 weekly turbo sessions, and will do the same throughout winter (plus commutes for as long as I'm going to work in person).

 

[vickster]

Whatever you get, don't spend the lot on the bike, keep some to one side to upgrade the wheels/saddle as these will improve a good bike no end, personally I'd be looking at an Ultegra groupset tops, with a saddle that suits you, then get a good quality wheelset & tyres, plus think on that the stem may need changing to give a perfect fit too.

Or with that money, just get a frameset and build to your spec, far better

 

[vickster]

It's a five year old Halfords Apollo MTB and everything began to go wrong about a week after lockdown started.

Bottom bracket bearings, crankset, freewheel, chain, disc brake callipers, tyres, gear shifters, cables and wheel bearings all needed replacing with the bike having less than 500 miles under it's wheels.

Then there are the add ons like mud guards, rack, lights

It would have been cheaper to buy a new bike but nobody had any decent bikes left for sale.

On the plus side, the lumpy old steel framed MTB I used to loathe has become the new love of my life.

It’s hardly a 4.5k machine. It would have been built on the cheap to start with. You would have been able to get or build a 4.5k bike even during lockdown, that’s about all that was available, but perhaps that wasn’t the market you were looking at

 

[winjim]

We don't even know what kind of riding the OP is planning on doing? Careening off-road down a mountain? Hill climbs on tarmac? TTs? Endurance rides? Commuting? Shopping? Touring? General leisure riding?