Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

GCN proves 90s Trek bike as fast as $10k aero super bike

Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

GCN proves 90s Trek bike as fast as $10k aero super bike

Old 08-06-19, 11:30 PM
  #1  
MyTi
6-4 Titanium
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 330
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 92 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 36 Times in 31 Posts
GCN proves 90s Trek bike as fast as $10k aero super bike

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...


Last edited by MyTi; 08-06-19 at 11:34 PM.
MyTi is offline  
Likes For MyTi:
Old 08-06-19, 11:45 PM
  #2  
Seattle Forrest
Senior Member
 
Seattle Forrest's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,645 Times in 6,054 Posts
You have to be a professional racer to justify owning a 90s aluminum bike.
Seattle Forrest is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 12:15 AM
  #3  
MyTi
6-4 Titanium
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 330
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 92 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 36 Times in 31 Posts
Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
You have to be a professional racer to justify owning a 90s aluminum bike.
You are preaching to the choir but is the whole “aero” frame a bunch of marketing hype...that’s the question
MyTi is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 12:22 AM
  #4  
Pizzaiolo Americano 
Pizzaiolo Americano
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Hopefully riding my bike...
Posts: 544

Bikes: 2021 Trek Domane, Bianchi Intenso, Specialized Epic Evo, Surly Ice Cream Truck, Some other stuff

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 287 Post(s)
Liked 140 Times in 69 Posts
Originally Posted by MyTi
You are preaching to the choir but is the whole “aero” frame a bunch of marketing hype...that’s the question
Not a question...If it were, there would be a question mark in their somewhere...Are you having a good time trolling this forum? Please note the question mark...
Pizzaiolo Americano is offline  
Likes For Pizzaiolo Americano:
Old 08-07-19, 01:00 AM
  #5  
MyTi
6-4 Titanium
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 330
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 92 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 36 Times in 31 Posts
Originally Posted by yarbrough462
Not a question...If it were, there would be a question mark in their somewhere...Are you having a good time trolling this forum? Please note the question mark...
How about this, post a picture of you on your bike and I'll start using question marks.
MyTi is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 01:14 AM
  #6  
HTupolev
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Seattle
Posts: 4,261
Mentioned: 41 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1971 Post(s)
Liked 1,297 Times in 629 Posts
But is a trek bike as fast as a 90s $10k aero super bike?
HTupolev is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 02:22 AM
  #7  
Pizzaiolo Americano 
Pizzaiolo Americano
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Hopefully riding my bike...
Posts: 544

Bikes: 2021 Trek Domane, Bianchi Intenso, Specialized Epic Evo, Surly Ice Cream Truck, Some other stuff

Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 287 Post(s)
Liked 140 Times in 69 Posts
Originally Posted by MyTi
How about this, post a picture of you on your bike and I'll start using question marks.
I can’t. I had this amazing Colnago C64 with Super Record that I paid 1000.00 for because it was last years model. Unfortunately, I had to sell it because it didn’t exist...oops...I meant fit...

Last edited by Pizzaiolo Americano; 08-07-19 at 02:49 AM.
Pizzaiolo Americano is offline  
Likes For Pizzaiolo Americano:
Old 08-07-19, 05:11 AM
  #8  
shelbyfv
Expired Member
 
shelbyfv's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: TN
Posts: 11,453
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3634 Post(s)
Liked 5,311 Times in 2,699 Posts
Shameless and persistent.
shelbyfv is online now  
Old 08-07-19, 05:24 AM
  #9  
Dan333SP
Serious Cyclist
 
Dan333SP's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: RVA
Posts: 9,308

Bikes: Emonda SL6

Mentioned: 97 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 5721 Post(s)
Liked 261 Times in 99 Posts
Originally Posted by MyTi
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
Putting 2k carbon aero rims on the Trek would have defeated the entire purpose of the test, which was to keep the “cheap” bike build under a specific price point. Not sure why these types of videos are surprising to anyone... the aero frame super bike will be faster, but not by much. It’s just logic once you understand how little of your overall drag is caused by the frame, and how marginal the gains are between an aero frame and an oval tube frame. It matters to people who need that extra 2 seconds when they’re in a solo break in a big road race and they’ve achieved their best possible fitness, but not to the rest of us. No new revelations here.
Dan333SP is offline  
Likes For Dan333SP:
Old 08-07-19, 05:53 AM
  #10  
Trsnrtr
Super Modest
 
Trsnrtr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 23,387

Bikes: Trek Emonda, Giant Propel, Colnago V3, Co-Motion Supremo, ICE VTX WC

Mentioned: 107 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10886 Post(s)
Liked 4,558 Times in 2,088 Posts
Not to disparage GCN, but...
__________________
Keep the chain tight!







Trsnrtr is offline  
Likes For Trsnrtr:
Old 08-07-19, 06:09 AM
  #11  
Bandera
~>~
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: TX Hill Country
Posts: 5,932
Mentioned: 87 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1112 Post(s)
Liked 180 Times in 119 Posts
Bandera is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 06:35 AM
  #12  
TimothyH
- Soli Deo Gloria -
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Northwest Georgia
Posts: 14,782

Bikes: 2018 Rodriguez Custom Fixed Gear, 2017 Niner RLT 9 RDO, 2015 Bianchi Pista, 2002 Fuji Robaix

Mentioned: 235 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6844 Post(s)
Liked 736 Times in 469 Posts
What's with the saddle on that Trek?




-Tim-
TimothyH is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 06:52 AM
  #13  
DaveLeeNC
Senior Member
 
DaveLeeNC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Pinehurst, NC, US
Posts: 1,716

Bikes: 2020 Trek Emonda SL6, 90's Vintage EL-OS Steel Bianchi with 2014 Campy Chorus Upgrade

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 452 Post(s)
Liked 162 Times in 110 Posts
It is common for a statement of the following form to be made - "you have to be a serious racer to justify the incremental aero and/or weight gains of a high end bike". I would not exactly quibble with that one, BTW.

My experience is interesting (to me, anyway). I am in the process of adding a new bike to my existing one bike stable. That existing bike has a high end frame (Bianchi EL-OS Nivacron steel) from the mid 90's with Chorus components and pretty good Bontrager RXL wheels (when I choose to ride them). Stripped down (for comparison with manufacturers stated weights) it comes in at just over 18 pounds with the RXL's and lightweight tires/tubes.

When looking at new road bikes (as opposed to adding a gravel bike or TT bike or ...), I just wasn't willing to get one that weighed more than my upgraded Bianchi (normalized for wheel/tire weight). I can't justify that but still felt comfortable with that perspective/decision. There is a lot of that around and I don't find it unreasonable. For some there is an inherent value in owning something high end. I am kind of doing that with bikes, but the only watch I own is a $20 Casio (which I wear daily, even to a social event that is coat and tie). To each his own.

dave
DaveLeeNC is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 07:04 AM
  #14  
firebird854
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 581

Bikes: 2016 Specialized Tarmac Expert

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 258 Post(s)
Liked 114 Times in 62 Posts
Taking an alloy frame and throwing carbon Aero wheels on it to achieve nearly the same performance of a vastly more expensive bike... hmm I wonder who would do that...


Oh wait, I did! it's great
firebird854 is offline  
Likes For firebird854:
Old 08-07-19, 07:36 AM
  #15  
seypat
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,755
Mentioned: 69 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3190 Post(s)
Liked 2,460 Times in 1,489 Posts
Originally Posted by MyTi
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
Still waiting on the Ti bike that will.....
replace the fictional $1900 carbon ill fitting Trek.......
that supposedly replaced the Ti bike that people thought was ugly.
Is that right so far? Surely you have something else to add besides another troll thread?
seypat is online now  
Likes For seypat:
Old 08-07-19, 07:39 AM
  #16  
DrIsotope
Non omnino gravis
 
DrIsotope's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: SoCal, USA!
Posts: 8,553

Bikes: Nekobasu, Pandicorn, Lakitu

Mentioned: 119 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4905 Post(s)
Liked 1,731 Times in 958 Posts
My set of 50mm deep CF wheels cost $40 more than the alloy wheels on my go-anywhere bike. Cost isn't really a big deterrent for wheels until you start looking at names like ENVE and Zipp. Or Lightweight.
__________________
DrIsotope is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 07:41 AM
  #17  
TimothyH
- Soli Deo Gloria -
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Northwest Georgia
Posts: 14,782

Bikes: 2018 Rodriguez Custom Fixed Gear, 2017 Niner RLT 9 RDO, 2015 Bianchi Pista, 2002 Fuji Robaix

Mentioned: 235 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6844 Post(s)
Liked 736 Times in 469 Posts
Originally Posted by firebird854
Taking an alloy frame and throwing carbon Aero wheels on it to achieve nearly the same performance of a vastly more expensive bike... hmm I wonder who would do that...


Oh wait, I did! it's great


What's up with the guy walking on water?




-Tim-
TimothyH is offline  
Likes For TimothyH:
Old 08-07-19, 07:56 AM
  #18  
ksryder
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 2,549

Bikes: yes

Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1281 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times in 329 Posts
Any older Trek will be fast if you have some MEILENSTEIN LIGHTWEIGHT WHEELS.
ksryder is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 08:01 AM
  #19  
hubcyclist
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Boston
Posts: 2,199

Bikes: 2017 Raleigh RX 1.0, 2018 Specialized Allez

Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 471 Post(s)
Liked 631 Times in 336 Posts
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.
hubcyclist is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 08:07 AM
  #20  
himespau 
Senior Member
 
himespau's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 13,551
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4194 Post(s)
Liked 2,911 Times in 1,780 Posts
Originally Posted by yarbrough462
I can’t. I had this amazing Colnago C64 with Super Record that I paid 1000.00 for because it was last years model. Unfortunately, I had to sell it because it didn’t exist...oops...I meant fit...
Nah, it's just that your girlfriend in Canada that none of us has ever met rides it.
himespau is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 08:09 AM
  #21  
ksryder
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 2,549

Bikes: yes

Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1281 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times in 329 Posts
Well that settles it.
ksryder is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 08:10 AM
  #22  
himespau 
Senior Member
 
himespau's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 13,551
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4194 Post(s)
Liked 2,911 Times in 1,780 Posts
What I want to see is a comparison between one of those UCI-illegal Y-frame Treks from the 90's (with modern parts added) and a modern $20k superbike. Have we finally advanced in technology to the point where the Y-frame wouldn't be an unfair advantage?
himespau is offline  
Likes For himespau:
Old 08-07-19, 08:28 AM
  #23  
seau grateau
Senior Member
 
seau grateau's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: PHL
Posts: 9,948

Bikes: Litespeed Catalyst, IRO Rob Roy, All City Big Block

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1332 Post(s)
Liked 398 Times in 194 Posts
Originally Posted by TimothyH
What's up with the guy walking on water?




-Tim-
*X-Files theme plays*
seau grateau is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 08:49 AM
  #24  
Caliper
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Michigan
Posts: 990

Bikes: Many

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 385 Post(s)
Liked 58 Times in 43 Posts
Originally Posted by timothyh
what's up with the guy walking on water?


-tim-
wwjr?
Caliper is offline  
Old 08-07-19, 08:49 AM
  #25  
ksryder
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 2,549

Bikes: yes

Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1281 Post(s)
Liked 643 Times in 329 Posts
Originally Posted by Caliper
wwjr?
A cross bike, duh
ksryder is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.