bonzobanana
Guru
I'm sure similar threads have been posted before but I've always been curious about this but despite so much information about bicycles on the web this information is not clearly stated anywhere. I.e. different riders on different levels of road bike and expected speeds they would get etc.
I saw this article;
https://cyclingtips.com/2020/04/the-top-20-fastest-road-bikes-in-the-world-according-to-strava/
plus this;
https://www.bikebiz.com/strava-reveals-uk-cycling-habits/
and I've also seen this video;
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow7MdsSVQuw
I've been left with an impression that there isn't much difference in reality but just wondered with so many people riding with Strava and having a higher spec summer bike and a lower spec winter bike if there is much user experience of the different speeds obtained with different level bikes.
What would be a realistic difference between lets say;
1) The very cheap basic steel road bikes, typically 14 tourney gears using a freewheel, 52/34x14-28T about 13kg
2) Step up Claris road bike based on an aluminum frame, carbon forks and maybe 52/34x11-32T about 11kg - 4% faster than above?
3) Performance budget road bike - open mould carbon frame and forks, Shimano 105,52/34x11-32T about 8-9kg 2% faster than above?
4) High end road lightweight road bike with ultegra/dura ace less than 7kg 1% faster than above?
5) High end aero lightweight road bike with ultegra/dura ace less than 8kg 0-1% faster than above?
Where is the sweetspot where you get the most bang for your buck? Are my guesstimate percentages realistic or completely out?
I notice in the all-time fastest strava bikes there is a budget 105 aluminium road bike but its mainly sold in the relatively flat Netherlands. You wonder if all the fastest bikes are sold in the Netherlands. You also wonder if all the high end bikes have high performance riders too. Many people buying their first road bike would also be relatively slow and unfit and buying a low end bike I would of thought, generally.
I guess the best source of information would be people who have two or more different road bikes from different price points and how their times vary on strava but I can't see where you get that information or is it all a big secret the bike industry is suppressing somehow.
I saw this article;
https://cyclingtips.com/2020/04/the-top-20-fastest-road-bikes-in-the-world-according-to-strava/
plus this;
https://www.bikebiz.com/strava-reveals-uk-cycling-habits/
and I've also seen this video;
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow7MdsSVQuw
I've been left with an impression that there isn't much difference in reality but just wondered with so many people riding with Strava and having a higher spec summer bike and a lower spec winter bike if there is much user experience of the different speeds obtained with different level bikes.
What would be a realistic difference between lets say;
1) The very cheap basic steel road bikes, typically 14 tourney gears using a freewheel, 52/34x14-28T about 13kg
2) Step up Claris road bike based on an aluminum frame, carbon forks and maybe 52/34x11-32T about 11kg - 4% faster than above?
3) Performance budget road bike - open mould carbon frame and forks, Shimano 105,52/34x11-32T about 8-9kg 2% faster than above?
4) High end road lightweight road bike with ultegra/dura ace less than 7kg 1% faster than above?
5) High end aero lightweight road bike with ultegra/dura ace less than 8kg 0-1% faster than above?
Where is the sweetspot where you get the most bang for your buck? Are my guesstimate percentages realistic or completely out?
I notice in the all-time fastest strava bikes there is a budget 105 aluminium road bike but its mainly sold in the relatively flat Netherlands. You wonder if all the fastest bikes are sold in the Netherlands. You also wonder if all the high end bikes have high performance riders too. Many people buying their first road bike would also be relatively slow and unfit and buying a low end bike I would of thought, generally.
I guess the best source of information would be people who have two or more different road bikes from different price points and how their times vary on strava but I can't see where you get that information or is it all a big secret the bike industry is suppressing somehow.