GCN proves 90s Trek bike as fast as $10k aero super bike
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#27
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If I'm following, OP is supposed to be some type of troll? I don't hang around here enough to know who's who. But I'm going to provide a bit of practical real world experience that I think illustrates that all the hand-wringing over wheels/weight for a lot of cyclists is a bit overblown. Recently, I rode a loop on my entry level Allez, stock rims. The same day and within a few minutes of my own ride (I started at 11:41am and he started the loop at 11:49), a friend of mine who is an accomplished masters racer with a carbon bike and carbon aero wheels. He and I are about the same size and build. I completed the loop in 37:52 averaging 212w (max 558w), he completed the loop in 38:10 also averaging 212w (max 565w). I don't know his NP, but I can't imagine it would be much different, we were both doing steady endurance and no interval work. This is probably as close to a real life experiment one can get and the difference likely came to my body position vs his. So I do think in quite a few cases, folks are spending a lot of money for almost no perceptible gain.
Even with stock wheels eh. Very interesting. I suppose the course you are on can negate any aero advantage.
#28
wears long socks
Spoiler alert. The fundamental design of the bicycle was literally perfected over a century ago.
Companies need "reasons" to sell bikes. We like new and cool, so if it's also a tiny bit "better" that's enough to justify giving in for new and cool.
All of the marginal gains supposedly added since this picture would have certainly increased the speed of pro cyclists by at least 50% by now right?
Wanna know the year an hour record rider broke 45km per hour? 1935.
What year was 50kph broken? 2014.
80 years with a 10% increase in speed.
Meanwhile in running, the closest thing I can think of to the hour record is the half marathon, which has improved around 9 minutes since 1960, which is around a 15% increase in speed in 60 years.
I think new bikes are cool, I like the new technologies, but to think the bike has drastically evolved is kind of silly.
Companies need "reasons" to sell bikes. We like new and cool, so if it's also a tiny bit "better" that's enough to justify giving in for new and cool.
All of the marginal gains supposedly added since this picture would have certainly increased the speed of pro cyclists by at least 50% by now right?
Wanna know the year an hour record rider broke 45km per hour? 1935.
What year was 50kph broken? 2014.
80 years with a 10% increase in speed.
Meanwhile in running, the closest thing I can think of to the hour record is the half marathon, which has improved around 9 minutes since 1960, which is around a 15% increase in speed in 60 years.
I think new bikes are cool, I like the new technologies, but to think the bike has drastically evolved is kind of silly.
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Spoiler alert. The fundamental design of the bicycle was literally perfected over a century ago.
Companies need "reasons" to sell bikes. We like new and cool, so if it's also a tiny bit "better" that's enough to justify giving in for new and cool.
All of the marginal gains supposedly added since this picture would have certainly increased the speed of pro cyclists by at least 50% by now right?
Wanna know the year an hour record rider broke 45km per hour? 1935.
What year was 50kph broken? 2014.
80 years with a 10% increase in speed.
Companies need "reasons" to sell bikes. We like new and cool, so if it's also a tiny bit "better" that's enough to justify giving in for new and cool.
All of the marginal gains supposedly added since this picture would have certainly increased the speed of pro cyclists by at least 50% by now right?
Wanna know the year an hour record rider broke 45km per hour? 1935.
What year was 50kph broken? 2014.
80 years with a 10% increase in speed.
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Spoiler alert. The fundamental design of the bicycle was literally perfected over a century ago.
Companies need "reasons" to sell bikes. We like new and cool, so if it's also a tiny bit "better" that's enough to justify giving in for new and cool.
All of the marginal gains supposedly added since this picture would have certainly increased the speed of pro cyclists by at least 50% by now right?
Wanna know the year an hour record rider broke 45km per hour? 1935.
What year was 50kph broken? 2014.
80 years with a 10% increase in speed.
Meanwhile in running, the closest thing I can think of to the hour record is the half marathon, which has improved around 9 minutes since 1960, which is around a 15% increase in speed in 60 years.
I think new bikes are cool, I like the new technologies, but to think the bike has drastically evolved is kind of silly.
Companies need "reasons" to sell bikes. We like new and cool, so if it's also a tiny bit "better" that's enough to justify giving in for new and cool.
All of the marginal gains supposedly added since this picture would have certainly increased the speed of pro cyclists by at least 50% by now right?
Wanna know the year an hour record rider broke 45km per hour? 1935.
What year was 50kph broken? 2014.
80 years with a 10% increase in speed.
Meanwhile in running, the closest thing I can think of to the hour record is the half marathon, which has improved around 9 minutes since 1960, which is around a 15% increase in speed in 60 years.
I think new bikes are cool, I like the new technologies, but to think the bike has drastically evolved is kind of silly.
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You are not gaining that much speed in a 2019 orbea $10k usd aero bike versus a cheap aluminum race bike from the late 90s. GCN had a good vid about this..and while there was a very slight gain in performance in that video once they updated the components on that old trek bike....
I really think if they put the aero wheels on the older aluminum trek(and lighter components found on the orbea )it would probably have even been about equal in performance to the 10k USD orbea super bike. But of course they did not want to do that to hurt their sponsors sigh...
its a great video even though by not putting the aero wheels on the trek bike it gave it a big disadvantage. What I would like to see is put the same aero wheels on that trek frame and same component group on the trek that is found on the orbea...
https://youtu.be/facmiPgeMNM
I really think if they put the aero wheels on the older aluminum trek(and lighter components found on the orbea )it would probably have even been about equal in performance to the 10k USD orbea super bike. But of course they did not want to do that to hurt their sponsors sigh...
its a great video even though by not putting the aero wheels on the trek bike it gave it a big disadvantage. What I would like to see is put the same aero wheels on that trek frame and same component group on the trek that is found on the orbea...
https://youtu.be/facmiPgeMNM
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/2019-Trek-E...UAAOSwVXRdJmcH
Drool
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Even 3% time savings is a huge margin when you consider the additional power saved since the power required to increase your speed that same amount has squared velocity component
#46
Jedi Master
A very big deal in a race, but for the average joker like me, I could finish a solo century in 5h 50m or 6 hours. Whatever. Nobody cares.
#47
Newbie
I have to admit, I also don't really care about GCN comparison.
What I do care about, is comparing my Trek 1400 with my new Trek Domane.
In my mind, the perceptible difference is considerable.
But I am also a firm believer in confirmation bias, so take this with a grain of salt. Sure, I ride "stronger" and "feel" better, but there are so many factors playing into this - bah, who cares. As long as I'm riding and having fun.
Last edited by Dingman; 08-07-19 at 04:47 PM. Reason: Wow, I can finally attache pics!
#49
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I ride a lot of miles, so I choose bikes that are comfortable and durable. For short distances, I ride a crappy beach cruiser my roommate gave me when I graduated in college in 1992.
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By my logic, I shouldn't be on a ten-thousand dollar super bike because the marginal improvements over cheaper bikes aren't worth it to me. If someone else thinks it's worth it, then they should buy a superbike. I couldn't care less how other people spend their own money.
I ride a lot of miles, so I choose bikes that are comfortable and durable. For short distances, I ride a crappy beach cruiser my roommate gave me when I graduated in college in 1992.
I ride a lot of miles, so I choose bikes that are comfortable and durable. For short distances, I ride a crappy beach cruiser my roommate gave me when I graduated in college in 1992.