Can a better bike improve results?
#101
Lov2hurdle
Can a better bike make me faster?
I’m a month old new commuter green as grass .56 haven’t biked sense 7gd dirt bike. Been a track & football coach 30yrs .seen kid buy shoes and equipment looking for performance.great gains only come to those with great talent and potential, but most proud of those with great determination and desire.i’ve seen new thing motivate those individuals in-spite of ability work harder and become the best they can be, surprising them selves and other . So if you can afford it and it motivates you to work harder do it . I’m overweight and just went upgrade crazy, and am now paying to be motivated wish me well
#102
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I’m a month old new commuter green as grass .56 haven’t biked sense 7gd dirt bike. Been a track & football coach 30yrs .seen kid buy shoes and equipment looking for performance.great gains only come to those with great talent and potential, but most proud of those with great determination and desire.i’ve seen new thing motivate those individuals in-spite of ability work harder and become the best they can be, surprising them selves and other . So if you can afford it and it motivates you to work harder do it . I’m overweight and just went upgrade crazy, and am now paying to be motivated wish me well
I'm with you on this. If new shiny things encourage us to work more often and work harder then that counts for something. And just maybe that new shiny thing will be slightly more efficient and create gains on it's own if we are lucky. I'm now just waiting on my new Bianchi Infinito to arrive. Can't wait.
Best of luck to you! I'm sure you will make some positive change happen.
#103
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I've decide to make a change. Some might say it's an upgrade. In either event, whether I'm faster, slower, more efficient, or a hack on a nice bike, It's all about having fun, and I think this will keep it fun for me
Going from the Fuji Sportif 1.5 Tiagra Disc
to...
the Bianchi Infinito CV Ultegra Disc
Going from the Fuji Sportif 1.5 Tiagra Disc
to...
the Bianchi Infinito CV Ultegra Disc
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#104
Junior Member
I went from this a 2017 Specialized Sirrus Carbon Expert (which at the time thought it was the cat's ass) to a 2020 Specialized Roubaix Pro I bought when it first came out this spring.
The difference to me is amazing. These are like two different machines, un-related to one another. I'm no racer, I'm 65 years old but my riding buddies ARE racers and triathlon competitors. They're very fast. What I found is that on the flats and downhills, I can stay with them on the Roubaix, its climbing where they take off and leave me, mostly because their athleticism is far above mine (and they are younger) and skinnier. I was miserable riding with them on the Sirrus Expert, now I'm having much more fun on the new bike and can keep them in sight most the time. A large part of the appeal on the new bike is the carbon wheels feel very fast, a noticeable difference. The SRAM electric shifters are superb and also the 2" suspension travel with the Future Shock plus the flex in the seat post, make for a comfortable bike. The gear itself won't close the gap, but it makes the ride a lot more fun and pleasant, and that's what its all about.
That Bianchi paint job is gorgeous, btw.
The difference to me is amazing. These are like two different machines, un-related to one another. I'm no racer, I'm 65 years old but my riding buddies ARE racers and triathlon competitors. They're very fast. What I found is that on the flats and downhills, I can stay with them on the Roubaix, its climbing where they take off and leave me, mostly because their athleticism is far above mine (and they are younger) and skinnier. I was miserable riding with them on the Sirrus Expert, now I'm having much more fun on the new bike and can keep them in sight most the time. A large part of the appeal on the new bike is the carbon wheels feel very fast, a noticeable difference. The SRAM electric shifters are superb and also the 2" suspension travel with the Future Shock plus the flex in the seat post, make for a comfortable bike. The gear itself won't close the gap, but it makes the ride a lot more fun and pleasant, and that's what its all about.
That Bianchi paint job is gorgeous, btw.
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#105
Senior Member
Since I bought this(see picture attached) the bike has screamed at me to ride it. Every day.
IMO, if one is firmly on the other side of the beginner stages of biking, that rider deserves the very best bike they can afford. I say the same thing about guitar players who have somewhat flattened the learning curve of playing the guitar. They deserve the best guitar that money can afford.
To the OP.... Go large. It will inspire you in many different ways. Guaranteed.
IMO, if one is firmly on the other side of the beginner stages of biking, that rider deserves the very best bike they can afford. I say the same thing about guitar players who have somewhat flattened the learning curve of playing the guitar. They deserve the best guitar that money can afford.
To the OP.... Go large. It will inspire you in many different ways. Guaranteed.
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#106
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I went from this a 2017 Specialized Sirrus Carbon Expert (which at the time thought it was the cat's ass) to a 2020 Specialized Roubaix Pro I bought when it first came out this spring.
The difference to me is amazing. These are like two different machines, un-related to one another. I'm no racer, I'm 65 years old but my riding buddies ARE racers and triathlon competitors. They're very fast. What I found is that on the flats and downhills, I can stay with them on the Roubaix, its climbing where they take off and leave me, mostly because their athleticism is far above mine (and they are younger) and skinnier. I was miserable riding with them on the Sirrus Expert, now I'm having much more fun on the new bike and can keep them in sight most the time. A large part of the appeal on the new bike is the carbon wheels feel very fast, a noticeable difference. The SRAM electric shifters are superb and also the 2" suspension travel with the Future Shock plus the flex in the seat post, make for a comfortable bike. The gear itself won't close the gap, but it makes the ride a lot more fun and pleasant, and that's what its all about.
That Bianchi paint job is gorgeous, btw.
The difference to me is amazing. These are like two different machines, un-related to one another. I'm no racer, I'm 65 years old but my riding buddies ARE racers and triathlon competitors. They're very fast. What I found is that on the flats and downhills, I can stay with them on the Roubaix, its climbing where they take off and leave me, mostly because their athleticism is far above mine (and they are younger) and skinnier. I was miserable riding with them on the Sirrus Expert, now I'm having much more fun on the new bike and can keep them in sight most the time. A large part of the appeal on the new bike is the carbon wheels feel very fast, a noticeable difference. The SRAM electric shifters are superb and also the 2" suspension travel with the Future Shock plus the flex in the seat post, make for a comfortable bike. The gear itself won't close the gap, but it makes the ride a lot more fun and pleasant, and that's what its all about.
That Bianchi paint job is gorgeous, btw.
That's really great to hear. Obviously I want to have a good time and feel comfortable on my bike, but I would also like to see some performance benefits as well. I know your situation is unique to you and I can't just expect similar results. But I do feel strongly that this new bike with its better components, lighter weight, and lack of a ginormous head tube will give me a bit of an edge over my old ride.
And I do agree. The Bianchi celeste is the bees knees for sure. Even if I'm not any faster, I'll be on a very cool bike!
#107
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Since I bought this(see picture attached) the bike has screamed at me to ride it. Every day.
IMO, if one is firmly on the other side of the beginner stages of biking, that rider deserves the very best bike they can afford. I say the same thing about guitar players who have somewhat flattened the learning curve of playing the guitar. They deserve the best guitar that money can afford.
To the OP.... Go large. It will inspire you in many different ways. Guaranteed.
IMO, if one is firmly on the other side of the beginner stages of biking, that rider deserves the very best bike they can afford. I say the same thing about guitar players who have somewhat flattened the learning curve of playing the guitar. They deserve the best guitar that money can afford.
To the OP.... Go large. It will inspire you in many different ways. Guaranteed.
I love it!
#109
Senior Member
Great answer. This is also why I tend to not care for the e-bikes. I started riding seriously at 67 and did real well for about three years. Unfortunately, and unknown to me, I started to develop aortic stenosis. Well, I got that fixed in February, and am now beginning to re-earn it and wear out some tires.
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#112
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Also, I wanted to note about my last club ride this past Thursday. I had so much of this thread floating through my head. I really tried to implement some of the advice which so many were gracious enough to provide. Top of my mind was simply to push on and work past any pansy feelings of wanting to drop and catch my breath. And next I wanted to concentrate on tucking in with the group and taking full advantage of the draft. Long story not so long...I did and I did. I can confidently say this was my best ride ever...performance results wise. I ended with an avg of 17.5 mph and after 30 miles I came in with a group that was only about 17 minutes after the A group. I say only because that's really good for me. I pushed through the whole way and never stopped except where the law required it. And also, that 17.5 mph avg was with a 6/10 of mile stretch of paved county road which we did not know was no longer paved and the dirt below was saturated with water which resulted in a thick icky layer of mud. It was a slow go to say the least. And messy (see photos). It felt great to work hard and push through and see some awesome results. Just hoping the new bike injects some adrenaline into me and I can improve even more on that route!
#113
Senior Member
I've decide to make a change. Some might say it's an upgrade. In either event, whether I'm faster, slower, more efficient, or a hack on a nice bike, It's all about having fun, and I think this will keep it fun for me
Going from the Fuji Sportif 1.5 Tiagra Disc
to...
the Bianchi Infinito CV Ultegra Disc
Going from the Fuji Sportif 1.5 Tiagra Disc
to...
the Bianchi Infinito CV Ultegra Disc
#114
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Can a better bike improve results?
So, here’s one way to think about the price you pay; you get a discount the more you ride:
I posted earlier on this thread about my $8K MSRP (bought half off):
:
I’m a month old new commuter green as grass .56 haven’t biked sense 7gd dirt bike.
Been a track & football coach 30yrs .seen kid buy shoes and equipment looking for performance.great gains only come to those with great talent and potential, but most proud of those with great determination and desire.i’ve seen new thing motivate those individuals in-spite of ability work harder and become the best they can be, surprising them selves and other .
So if you can afford it and it motivates you to work harder do it . I’m overweight and just went upgrade crazy, and am now paying to be motivated wish me well
Been a track & football coach 30yrs .seen kid buy shoes and equipment looking for performance.great gains only come to those with great talent and potential, but most proud of those with great determination and desire.i’ve seen new thing motivate those individuals in-spite of ability work harder and become the best they can be, surprising them selves and other .
So if you can afford it and it motivates you to work harder do it . I’m overweight and just went upgrade crazy, and am now paying to be motivated wish me well
I'm with you on this. If new shiny things encourage us to work more often and work harder then that counts for something.
And just maybe that new shiny thing will be slightly more efficient and create gains on it's own if we are lucky. I'm now just waiting on my new Bianchi Infinito to arrive. Can't wait.
Best of luck to you! I'm sure you will make some positive change happen.
And just maybe that new shiny thing will be slightly more efficient and create gains on it's own if we are lucky. I'm now just waiting on my new Bianchi Infinito to arrive. Can't wait.
Best of luck to you! I'm sure you will make some positive change happen.
“My new $7,000 bike and the futility of justifying the price to the average person.”
Some riders ride a lot.
It's easy to ride 250 hours a year, and not unusual to ride 400 hours or more. That's 1250 to 2000 hours over 5 years.
Bike consumables, including tires, chains, cassettes, cables, and bar tape add up. And shorts, gloves, energy bars, event rides, and other bike related items. It's easy for these to add up to at least $100 per year, and more likely $200 or $300. That's $500 to $1500 over 5 years.
So an expensive bike's cost seems more reasonable over time. A $7000 bike ridden 2000 hours is $3.50 an hour. A $2000 bike is $1.00 an hour. So that doesn't sound so bad. Although cost per mile does seem high. At 15 mph average, 30,000 miles, the $7000 bike is 23 cents a mile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think that a bike that's double what "I" paid (whatever the amount!) is often the point where the bike seems excessively expensive. One that's 30% or 50% higher kind of makes sense as a "nice bike".
Some riders ride a lot.
It's easy to ride 250 hours a year, and not unusual to ride 400 hours or more. That's 1250 to 2000 hours over 5 years.
Bike consumables, including tires, chains, cassettes, cables, and bar tape add up. And shorts, gloves, energy bars, event rides, and other bike related items. It's easy for these to add up to at least $100 per year, and more likely $200 or $300. That's $500 to $1500 over 5 years.
So an expensive bike's cost seems more reasonable over time. A $7000 bike ridden 2000 hours is $3.50 an hour. A $2000 bike is $1.00 an hour. So that doesn't sound so bad. Although cost per mile does seem high. At 15 mph average, 30,000 miles, the $7000 bike is 23 cents a mile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think that a bike that's double what "I" paid (whatever the amount!) is often the point where the bike seems excessively expensive. One that's 30% or 50% higher kind of makes sense as a "nice bike".
…My average speed stayed the same, but I think I was hampered by injuries from the accident, and I believe the new bike compensated at least to maintain my average speed. I did note that I was more inclined to sprint (successfully) to beat traffic lights before they turned red.
I further craved the smoothness of the ride, including the shifting,making cycle-commuting more pleasurable. Of greatest benefit, while long (greater than 40 mile) rides took the same amount of time as before, I felt much less tired at the end.
I further craved the smoothness of the ride, including the shifting,making cycle-commuting more pleasurable. Of greatest benefit, while long (greater than 40 mile) rides took the same amount of time as before, I felt much less tired at the end.
… Performance in this context does not mean outright speed because that is down to the person riding it and their strength and endurance.
But rather is in the quality of the shifting, braking, ride, handling through corners and over rough surfaces, aerodynamics and (dare I say it) comfort.
But rather is in the quality of the shifting, braking, ride, handling through corners and over rough surfaces, aerodynamics and (dare I say it) comfort.
Last edited by Jim from Boston; 07-29-19 at 04:37 PM.
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#115
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I'm so excited! Obviously I just want to get out on a good 30 miler or so, but also late in August I have the Hotter'N Hell in Wichita Falls, TX. I'd love to say I'm doing the century, but I'm going to start off with the 100K this year. Hopefully I'll be completely comfortable on the new ride by then. I plan on breaking it in pretty good before that time comes!
#116
Senior Member
Racing bikes are endurance bikes. They are designed to be ridden over long distances at high speeds, and unless you are planning rides of more than 5 hours per day, a racing bike is what you need to go fast in a group ride.
What is a "racing bike"? It is a lightweight road bike with a short wheelbase and steeper steering geometry. Racing bikes get your power to the tires most efficiently, and have much quicker handling than endurance bikes, which comes in handy when riding in a group. When you are heading toward and obstacle or fallen rider at 50 kph, being able to turn quickly is a great benefit.
Racing bikes can be steel frame bikes with aluminum components made when Nixon was president to the current carbon fiber rolling billboards which cost more than a decent car. A Nixon-era bike will have no problem keeping up in an average group ride if you update the gearing and brakes to something more modern. If your group rides on flat terrain in the midwest or South Florida, you can probably hang with the vintage 12 speed components.
The secret to riding faster is riding faster. On your solo rides you should add intervals. If you are familiar with your normal cruising speed on a long ride, pick up the pace by 3 mph for a set amount of time, 2 or 3 minutes should be okay. When the time is up, slow back down to your usual pace. Once you starting breathing normally, pick up the pace again for another 2 or 3 minutes. In time you can hold the faster pace for 3 or 4 minutes, or longer. Once you can do it for 5 minutes, pick up the speed a little more.
Look for a faster group ride. You may not be able to take long pulls in front of really fast guys, but riding with faster riders will make you a faster rider.
Add sprints to your rides. Choose a good place where you can ride straight and fast, and find a good target to sprint for, like a road sign, mile marker, or road marking. Go all out until you reach it. If your group doesn't do a sprint near the end of the ride, see if you can get together and find a good place to do such a sprint, you'll push much harder if you are sprinting against others.
What is a "racing bike"? It is a lightweight road bike with a short wheelbase and steeper steering geometry. Racing bikes get your power to the tires most efficiently, and have much quicker handling than endurance bikes, which comes in handy when riding in a group. When you are heading toward and obstacle or fallen rider at 50 kph, being able to turn quickly is a great benefit.
Racing bikes can be steel frame bikes with aluminum components made when Nixon was president to the current carbon fiber rolling billboards which cost more than a decent car. A Nixon-era bike will have no problem keeping up in an average group ride if you update the gearing and brakes to something more modern. If your group rides on flat terrain in the midwest or South Florida, you can probably hang with the vintage 12 speed components.
The secret to riding faster is riding faster. On your solo rides you should add intervals. If you are familiar with your normal cruising speed on a long ride, pick up the pace by 3 mph for a set amount of time, 2 or 3 minutes should be okay. When the time is up, slow back down to your usual pace. Once you starting breathing normally, pick up the pace again for another 2 or 3 minutes. In time you can hold the faster pace for 3 or 4 minutes, or longer. Once you can do it for 5 minutes, pick up the speed a little more.
Look for a faster group ride. You may not be able to take long pulls in front of really fast guys, but riding with faster riders will make you a faster rider.
Add sprints to your rides. Choose a good place where you can ride straight and fast, and find a good target to sprint for, like a road sign, mile marker, or road marking. Go all out until you reach it. If your group doesn't do a sprint near the end of the ride, see if you can get together and find a good place to do such a sprint, you'll push much harder if you are sprinting against others.
#117
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Racing bikes are endurance bikes. They are designed to be ridden over long distances at high speeds, and unless you are planning rides of more than 5 hours per day, a racing bike is what you need to go fast in a group ride.
What is a "racing bike"? It is a lightweight road bike with a short wheelbase and steeper steering geometry. Racing bikes get your power to the tires most efficiently, and have much quicker handling than endurance bikes, which comes in handy when riding in a group. When you are heading toward and obstacle or fallen rider at 50 kph, being able to turn quickly is a great benefit.
Racing bikes can be steel frame bikes with aluminum components made when Nixon was president to the current carbon fiber rolling billboards which cost more than a decent car. A Nixon-era bike will have no problem keeping up in an average group ride if you update the gearing and brakes to something more modern. If your group rides on flat terrain in the midwest or South Florida, you can probably hang with the vintage 12 speed components.
The secret to riding faster is riding faster. On your solo rides you should add intervals. If you are familiar with your normal cruising speed on a long ride, pick up the pace by 3 mph for a set amount of time, 2 or 3 minutes should be okay. When the time is up, slow back down to your usual pace. Once you starting breathing normally, pick up the pace again for another 2 or 3 minutes. In time you can hold the faster pace for 3 or 4 minutes, or longer. Once you can do it for 5 minutes, pick up the speed a little more.
Look for a faster group ride. You may not be able to take long pulls in front of really fast guys, but riding with faster riders will make you a faster rider.
Add sprints to your rides. Choose a good place where you can ride straight and fast, and find a good target to sprint for, like a road sign, mile marker, or road marking. Go all out until you reach it. If your group doesn't do a sprint near the end of the ride, see if you can get together and find a good place to do such a sprint, you'll push much harder if you are sprinting against others.
What is a "racing bike"? It is a lightweight road bike with a short wheelbase and steeper steering geometry. Racing bikes get your power to the tires most efficiently, and have much quicker handling than endurance bikes, which comes in handy when riding in a group. When you are heading toward and obstacle or fallen rider at 50 kph, being able to turn quickly is a great benefit.
Racing bikes can be steel frame bikes with aluminum components made when Nixon was president to the current carbon fiber rolling billboards which cost more than a decent car. A Nixon-era bike will have no problem keeping up in an average group ride if you update the gearing and brakes to something more modern. If your group rides on flat terrain in the midwest or South Florida, you can probably hang with the vintage 12 speed components.
The secret to riding faster is riding faster. On your solo rides you should add intervals. If you are familiar with your normal cruising speed on a long ride, pick up the pace by 3 mph for a set amount of time, 2 or 3 minutes should be okay. When the time is up, slow back down to your usual pace. Once you starting breathing normally, pick up the pace again for another 2 or 3 minutes. In time you can hold the faster pace for 3 or 4 minutes, or longer. Once you can do it for 5 minutes, pick up the speed a little more.
Look for a faster group ride. You may not be able to take long pulls in front of really fast guys, but riding with faster riders will make you a faster rider.
Add sprints to your rides. Choose a good place where you can ride straight and fast, and find a good target to sprint for, like a road sign, mile marker, or road marking. Go all out until you reach it. If your group doesn't do a sprint near the end of the ride, see if you can get together and find a good place to do such a sprint, you'll push much harder if you are sprinting against others.
Very good tips here. I will definitely incorporate the intervals into my solo rides. For the last couple of months I've only had hills, hills, and more hills in mind when it comes to training and trying to improve. I can see how the speed intervals could be really beneficial to mix in on top of climbing. Thanks!
#119
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Matching *is* important! It makes you go faster.
I have a Domane SL5 in black/red. I also like GCN, on YouTube. Their standard kit colors are black/red/white. Perfect! So I bought some from their shop.
In the last two months my FTP has increased about 20 Watts. Ergo, matching colors make me go faster.
My shoes, however, are turquoise and lime.
I have a Domane SL5 in black/red. I also like GCN, on YouTube. Their standard kit colors are black/red/white. Perfect! So I bought some from their shop.
In the last two months my FTP has increased about 20 Watts. Ergo, matching colors make me go faster.
My shoes, however, are turquoise and lime.
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Here's the short answer: No you can not close a gap of 16 mph AV to 21 mph AV with a better bike. Not even with the BEST bike will do that unless it has a mid drive electric motor. More fitness, more specifically, cycling fitness will help close that gap. There are some very knowledgeable people here regarding training methods. Have a look around for already posted material, no need to re-invent the wheel. If you're serious about going fast, get serious about your training, nutrition and rest. Then, when you've stepped thru that door and you need that last 1-2% buy a really nice bike. For now, with all the additional training it can't hurt to have a spare set of wheels but I wouldn't buy a new bike yet.
#122
Full Member
I'm so excited! Obviously I just want to get out on a good 30 miler or so, but also late in August I have the Hotter'N Hell in Wichita Falls, TX. I'd love to say I'm doing the century, but I'm going to start off with the 100K this year. Hopefully I'll be completely comfortable on the new ride by then. I plan on breaking it in pretty good before that time comes!
#123
Senior Member
A better bike will improve performance there's no doubt. I too ride with a club and there are grade levels A - D with a stop at C+. The first ride I made with this group I picked a C ride which is roughly 10 - 13 miles per hour average and the ride is generally under 40 miles. I was somewhat bored. I moved up to C+ which was about 14 miles per hour over the same duration. The B group is supposed to be 16 - 18 but it really isn't however the first B ride I did was 35 miles and hilly. We did the ride averaging 15.1 MPH on my computer and bike app. When we got back to the start I was spent. My point is that between C, C+ and B ride groups there was only a handful of miles per hour difference like 2 - 4. To jump from 16 to 20 is a lot different than from 12 - 16 and the bike is not going to get you there. The main difference in the group ride for the B range was how quickly after a stop sign or a red light did the group get back up to a 19-21 MPH pace on a flat area. The B gang has a very fast 0 to 20 whereas the C and C+ does not that's a big factor and how good they are at hill climbing. I want to hear back if you buy the Canyon Endurace I'm considering it also.
#124
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If you mentally really believe that the new bike is going to be faster, you probably will be faster.
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#125
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Mr. ridingfool,
I've actually purposely held off on updating this post as it took a little longer for my new Bianchi to get shipped to me. I really wanted to get at least one club ride in before trying to provide results. The last 2 weeks I just wasn't able to make it to the club rides...but I intend on getting in at least one this week. But...I do have 4 full rides under my belt on the new bike and most importantly I rode 100K this weekend in a large event here in Texas. So I will go ahead and tell you what I know up to this point...or maybe we should say I'm providing my "opinion" of what I have found so far.
YES, I am faster and more efficient on my new and higher quality bike! So to reset things; I went from a very entry level bike, a Fuji Sportif 1.5, to a Bianchi Infinito CV Disc Ultegra. So to me, this is apples and oranges. The Infinito is a far superior bike. Full carbon and a full 5 lbs lighter. Ultegra compared to Tiagra groupset.
I found on my very first ride, just solo on the same roads around my part of the city that I always ride, that I moved faster with the same effort as compared to my Fuji. My natural and comfortable riding position is more sporty and aero. I shattered PRs on segments I have ridden 50 times. I do however feel there was some adrenaline involved as well as just a mental edge. But there is no question I just feel faster and more athletic on the new bike.
Yesterday on the 100K I kept up with riders and a pace that I didn't know I had it in me. At this pace and with the other riders I'm with, we consistently flew by hundreds of riders while climbing. I'm looking down and see that I'm moving at more than 20 mph consistently while climbing and that was very rare before and almost never happened. I got dropped a couple of times due for one reason or another, like slowing to drink a pickle juice when my calf tightened up, and was able to kick it into gear and get caught up. Overall I finished the 100K with an average of 19 mph. For me, that just wouldn't have happened on the old bike and I'm 100% certain of that. I also feel like riding an equal distance on the new bike as compared to the old bike I am quite a bit less fatigued when I finish. Of course that may mean I now need to push it and work harder.
While there is no scientific study to my situation here at all, I can tell you beyond any doubt that this new and much better bike has made me appear to be a better rider while putting out the same energy as before. Now I can't prove the energy thing of course. The new bike probably gave me quite a bit of a mental edge from my previous self and I'm sure that counts for a couple of watts. I just know that whether it's on a level segment, or and maybe especially while climbing, I can move faster and with less stress and strain.
I'm eager to get to my next club ride and then of course update the results.
I've actually purposely held off on updating this post as it took a little longer for my new Bianchi to get shipped to me. I really wanted to get at least one club ride in before trying to provide results. The last 2 weeks I just wasn't able to make it to the club rides...but I intend on getting in at least one this week. But...I do have 4 full rides under my belt on the new bike and most importantly I rode 100K this weekend in a large event here in Texas. So I will go ahead and tell you what I know up to this point...or maybe we should say I'm providing my "opinion" of what I have found so far.
YES, I am faster and more efficient on my new and higher quality bike! So to reset things; I went from a very entry level bike, a Fuji Sportif 1.5, to a Bianchi Infinito CV Disc Ultegra. So to me, this is apples and oranges. The Infinito is a far superior bike. Full carbon and a full 5 lbs lighter. Ultegra compared to Tiagra groupset.
I found on my very first ride, just solo on the same roads around my part of the city that I always ride, that I moved faster with the same effort as compared to my Fuji. My natural and comfortable riding position is more sporty and aero. I shattered PRs on segments I have ridden 50 times. I do however feel there was some adrenaline involved as well as just a mental edge. But there is no question I just feel faster and more athletic on the new bike.
Yesterday on the 100K I kept up with riders and a pace that I didn't know I had it in me. At this pace and with the other riders I'm with, we consistently flew by hundreds of riders while climbing. I'm looking down and see that I'm moving at more than 20 mph consistently while climbing and that was very rare before and almost never happened. I got dropped a couple of times due for one reason or another, like slowing to drink a pickle juice when my calf tightened up, and was able to kick it into gear and get caught up. Overall I finished the 100K with an average of 19 mph. For me, that just wouldn't have happened on the old bike and I'm 100% certain of that. I also feel like riding an equal distance on the new bike as compared to the old bike I am quite a bit less fatigued when I finish. Of course that may mean I now need to push it and work harder.
While there is no scientific study to my situation here at all, I can tell you beyond any doubt that this new and much better bike has made me appear to be a better rider while putting out the same energy as before. Now I can't prove the energy thing of course. The new bike probably gave me quite a bit of a mental edge from my previous self and I'm sure that counts for a couple of watts. I just know that whether it's on a level segment, or and maybe especially while climbing, I can move faster and with less stress and strain.
I'm eager to get to my next club ride and then of course update the results.