What is the real speed difference between high to low end road bikes?

[Grant Fondo]

Pre covid / brexit a bike with ultegra wasn't actually that much more expensive than 105

My (pre-covid) ultegra bike cost £500 less than my (pre-covid) 105 one

 

[kingrollo]

My (pre-covid) ultegra bike cost £500 less than my (pre-covid) 105 one

Difference for me was £90. I went Ultegra.

 

[TheDoctor]

I put Tourney Revoshifts on the wifes bike. Pile of crap.
View attachment 607574

Been using a Revoshifter on my touring bike for fifteen years. Still works fine.

 

[bonzobanana]

Hate to admit it, but i quite like the look of that Argos bike! Not sure I would enjoy riding it up the Clwyds near me, its 12.6kg

Yeah actually a nice looking bike and I'm sure a reasonable bike for commuting for most people, perhaps they want to have a low value bike due to possible theft or getting bashed about where its locked up. These type of bikes make a lot of sense for general riding. If its not low geared enough you can get one of those mega range freewheels, 14-34T which might help. I'm no bike snob I can see why it would be good for many people. Also when you look at the average price of a bike sold in the UK its only about £300 or so and that includes ebikes. Most of the market is at the low end although I guess that includes childrens bikes (not sure) which would skew the value downwards.

For me though the real road bikes of reasonable performance start with Claris or the similar Microshift type groupsets.

 

[bonzobanana]

My folding bike came with a RevoShift - it was crap - I replaced it with a Tourney trigger shifter - much better View attachment 607576

I've got large hands I can't use revo shifters as my hands often end up doing ghost shifts which can be dangerous. I also have to switch to trigger shifters. I did try creating a gap between the revo shifter and the actual grip but it visually annoyed me because the brake lever was on the wrong side so you couldn't slide your hand across very well. There is a walmart road bike where they cut the drop handlebars in half and put revo shifters on and then use a metal rod to join the two parts of the handlebars back together again. Probably the worst implementation of revo shifters ever. I seem to remember reading someone had one side of their handlebars drop compared to the other because they hadn't secured the joining rod correctly and the stem must have been slightly loose.

 

[T4tomo]

.

You seem to be "grading" bikes by their Groupsets, when in reality the Groupset is relatively unimportant particularly in terms of speed of the bike.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Best upgrade for the money is fast rolling tyres

 

[StuAff]

At lower speeds, weight trumps everything else. Going uphill, at least at lower speeds, still weight. At higher speeds, aerodynamic drag is the key factor- but you've got to get to those higher speeds in order to benefit- or not- from any aero gains. An increase in speed of 25% requires twice the power output. Improve your position and fit lower-drag parts, and you'll still need twice the power to go 25% faster, but you will go faster on the same power output. The biggest factor by far in aero is not the frame, or components, but the rider. For all the talk about special chain lubes, jockey wheels, etc…by far the largest mechanical factor is tyre rolling resistance.
Either that, or drop a lot of money on a velomobile and really, really lower your drag…

 

[Grant Fondo]

What about this 14.5kg beauty? The specification is hilarious

 

[StuAff]

Four nail stand horn handle? Hidden unlined bowl set tower mat brushed? Yer what?

 

[Grant Fondo]

Four nail stand horn handle? Hidden unlined bowl set tower mat brushed? Yer what?

Tourney shifter, wahay!

 

[Grant Fondo]

Please tell me no one has ever bought one for £1119.00

 

[C R]

Four nail stand horn handle? Hidden unlined bowl set tower mat brushed? Yer what?

What about positioning tower wheels? There's seven of 'em!

 

[PaulSB]

It really does depend on the engine, more than the frame, groupset, wheels or anything.
I've done exactly the same ride on a carbon roadbike with handbuilt wheels, and a Brompton (of all things). When I did the roadbike ride, I was on the form of my life, and a good 15kg lighter than when I did it on the Brompton. And a good deal less hung over.
Carbon bike -120 minutes. Brompton - 150 minutes.
The ride was to this cafe up Mont Ventoux. View attachment 607440

Please could you explain as I've read this several times and don't get your point.

You were 30 minutes slower on the Brompton yet you state it depends on the engine. Surely if it depends on the engine your times would be much closer?

 

[Grant Fondo]

What about positioning tower wheels? There's seven of 'em!

I think the mandarin translation machine went beserk