Crabon bikes are fast!
06-04-19, 12:05 PM
#26
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Hello, fellow BFers.
Lately, I have been riding my steel pedalbike a lot. It is a nice ride. Steel frame of unknown provenance, Dura Ace 10-speed groupset with downtube shifters, Ambrosio Crono wheels with Vittoria Corsa tubulars (23mm.) Solid ride all around.
Today, I took out my crabon bike out for a spin, after a year laying dormant. Focus Cayo, Force groupset, Psimet crabon tubulars. I followed the same route I rode on my trusty steelstead last week and lo and behold, I went over 2 mph faster on the crabon bike!
For the nonbelievers, I shall present evidence.
Exhibit 1, ride on the steel bike:
Note the average speed (shall not be confused with cruising speed.)
Exhibit 2, same ride on the crabon bike:
That's like a 15% gain in speed!
So, is crabon faster? Discuss.
Lately, I have been riding my steel pedalbike a lot. It is a nice ride. Steel frame of unknown provenance, Dura Ace 10-speed groupset with downtube shifters, Ambrosio Crono wheels with Vittoria Corsa tubulars (23mm.) Solid ride all around.
Today, I took out my crabon bike out for a spin, after a year laying dormant. Focus Cayo, Force groupset, Psimet crabon tubulars. I followed the same route I rode on my trusty steelstead last week and lo and behold, I went over 2 mph faster on the crabon bike!
For the nonbelievers, I shall present evidence.
Exhibit 1, ride on the steel bike:
Note the average speed (shall not be confused with cruising speed.)
Exhibit 2, same ride on the crabon bike:
That's like a 15% gain in speed!
So, is crabon faster? Discuss.
06-04-19, 12:32 PM
#28
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Both have power meters, an old SRM on the steel bike (that doesn't play with Strava, plus it needs to be sent to Colorado for a battery replacement) and C1 chainrings for the Focus.
06-04-19, 02:11 PM
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I routinely swap between steel, aluminium, and carbon bikes.
Have never noticed any speed difference.
Not tried to make a proper study of it but I certainly would of noticed a 2mph difference.
Have never noticed any speed difference.
Not tried to make a proper study of it but I certainly would of noticed a 2mph difference.
06-04-19, 02:12 PM
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Obviously, you droped the hamer while riding the crabon bike.
It's simple physics, really.
It's simple physics, really.
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06-04-19, 02:25 PM
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06-04-19, 02:53 PM
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06-04-19, 03:13 PM
#35
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It's hard to draw any conclusion with the data being presented: 1. huge difference in average powers, measured by two different methods: power meters and strava estimates based velocity and weight.
A more fair side-by-side comparison would require a pedal-based power meter, which you would use on both bikes, and a AeroPod that measures wind speed and drag coefficient. Without the equipment, maybe you should just focus on comparing the climb (~1.4 mi x 600 ft elev gain) in you ride.
A more fair side-by-side comparison would require a pedal-based power meter, which you would use on both bikes, and a AeroPod that measures wind speed and drag coefficient. Without the equipment, maybe you should just focus on comparing the climb (~1.4 mi x 600 ft elev gain) in you ride.
06-04-19, 08:30 PM
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It's hard to draw any conclusion with the data being presented: 1. huge difference in average powers, measured by two different methods: power meters and strava estimates based velocity and weight.
A more fair side-by-side comparison would require a pedal-based power meter, which you would use on both bikes, and a AeroPod that measures wind speed and drag coefficient. Without the equipment, maybe you should just focus on comparing the climb (~1.4 mi x 600 ft elev gain) in you ride.
A more fair side-by-side comparison would require a pedal-based power meter, which you would use on both bikes, and a AeroPod that measures wind speed and drag coefficient. Without the equipment, maybe you should just focus on comparing the climb (~1.4 mi x 600 ft elev gain) in you ride.
It's not, just lower your standards.
06-05-19, 05:42 AM
#37
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Not a single traffic light along the way. Wind? Maybe, don't recall it being windy either day. The crabon wheels are indeed 50/60 mm deep, but Psimet said on that other thread that it doesn't matter.
Someone pointed out something important on another thread though: In the moving process, I lost one of the screws that fixes the stem in place on the carbon bike.
Someone pointed out something important on another thread though: In the moving process, I lost one of the screws that fixes the stem in place on the carbon bike.
06-05-19, 05:57 AM
#38
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Apologies, I can see how I might have cause some confusion. Fixed it for you:
Not a single traffic light along the way. Wind? Maybe, don't recall it being windy either day. The crabon wheels are indeed 50/60 mm deep, but Psimet said on that other thread that it doesn't matter.
Someone pointed out something important on another thread though: In the moving process, I lost one of the screws that fixes the stem in place on the crabon bike.
Someone pointed out something important on another thread though: In the moving process, I lost one of the screws that fixes the stem in place on the crabon bike.
06-05-19, 06:01 AM
#39
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06-05-19, 06:01 AM
#40
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Not sure if this matters but how fast is your shifting on those downtube shifters? I was pretty inefficient on my old Miyata.
06-05-19, 06:03 AM
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06-05-19, 06:09 AM
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06-05-19, 06:13 AM
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Sorry but this has little relevance. You don't even know what kind of steel bike??? Wheels come into play, weight , etc,
06-05-19, 06:35 AM
#44
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So, assuming you eliminated all other variables (I'm in serious doubt here) the difference in climb times should be purely down to weight. The steel time is 13.9% longer than the crabon one. I have no idea how heavy you are so I'll use my weight of 85kg and assume the crabon bike is the 6.8kg UCI weight limit. That would put the steel bike at 19.6kg or 43.1 lbs. Not an impossibly high number but I don't think anybody would be surprised that someone is faster on a 7kg bike than a 20kg one.
06-05-19, 06:53 AM
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06-05-19, 07:44 AM
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06-05-19, 07:46 AM
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06-05-19, 08:12 AM
#49
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BTW, I have an Evo and a CAAD 12 with very similar geometry. The EVO is 3 lbs lighter, with its components worth three times as much as the CAAD 12. I've never done any comparison based on numbers. But I could testify the difference is day and night.
