Will That New Bike Make all the Difference?

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John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
One cyclist exchanges his $1,500 aluminium bike for a $5,000 carbon bike in an attempt to find out.

I wanted to know what a $5,000 road bike with “crisp, tight handling” and also with “forgiving ride characteristics” felt like on the same roads I ride several hundred miles every year (which I typically do on a $1700 “recreational” aluminum frame/carbon fork Lemond). And more to the point: for an average recreational cyclist like me (60-80 miles ridden on a good week, in the 16-17mph avg speed range), does a $5,000 bike really improve your speed all that much?

Full article here.
 

walker

New Member
Location
Bromley, Kent
Lol, if he only does a few hundred miles a year whats the point in upgrading? its only when your doing thousands of miles is it worth the upgrade
 

topcat1

vintage Mercian 2012
Location
here
That's a very interesting article, although i've had the same gains just by changing the wheels on my roadbike.
 

mondobongo

Über Member
Its almost like he tries to talk himself out of it at the end that the gains were small a recreational cyclist would be looking for 20-25% gains. Then bang he's hooked with the overall feel of the bike and buys an RS. Thank god he did my missus spotted the article and bookmarked it to read at a later date if he had said no difference future upgrades may well have been difficult.
 
OP
OP
John the Monkey

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
mondobongo said:
Then bang he's hooked with the overall feel of the bike and buys an RS.

That's the thing that interested me, tbh. "Feel" is such a subjective thing - I knew I had to have the bikes I bought as soon as I'd gone a mile or so on them. I wasn't really thinking in terms of being x% faster at all, just "Gosh, this is really quite fun..." :biggrin:
 

Melvil

Guest
I agree with JTM above - the 'feel' of a bike is always more important to me than straight weight or specs. If you feel comfortable on it and want to extend your journeys because it feels good then the bike is for you.

It's a case of diminishing returns in nearly every product to the right of the 'normal curve' in terms of money. But then some people want that little bit extra...
 

Dave5N

Über Member
alecstilleyedye said:
he said he rides on the pavement ;) ;)

AND?
 
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