mfbroom

Riding faster and faster is big part of the fun for me! The fun riding is, the more I want to ride and the fitter I get! The lighter the bike, the faster I can go. My bike weight 20lbs including the wheels. Nice!

Sorg67

Shave a few pounds with a fancy bike. Add a few pounds back with the lock you have to carry..... hahahaha

bikejrff

Please do not ever utter this sentence in the presence of my wife.

Sorg67

So honey, I am not sure if I should get this red Porsche for $90,000 or this red Specialized for $4,000. What do you think?

fietsbob

Porsche or a tandem if She is to be carried along..

jay4usc

sounds like you already made up your mind. Just go buy one

Outrider1

Reread your original post. You answered your conundrum.

DaverSomething

I agree with pretty much all of this. A stronger rider will be the faster rider, but the same rider can be faster on a different bike.

Road bikes really are a joy to ride. They are so much easier to ride on the road than a hybrid or MTB. So much less rolling resistance, they are born to just go. They move so effortlessly, you just want to ride them if the road is where you're gonna stay. MTB/hybrid shocks, aired down tires? Every bit of extra bounce is energy spent moving up and down instead of forward. That makes you slower.

As for the "there's no such thing as a fast bike" crowd, I used to feel that way myself until I got a fast bike. I never understood the magazine reviews talking about how some new road bike was faster than some other bike before.
Then I went from riding a BH Speedrom "comfort"/casual road bike to a TCR Advanced SL racing bike, and holy crap the TCR is a fast bike.

Fast bikes try to transfer all of your energy from the pedal spindle into the rear wheel as efficiently as possible. The chainstays are incredibly stiff to flex as little as possible and try to make the pedal to rear-wheel connection solid. This is not comfortable, but it sure makes a bike faster.

When I want to ride longer distance I'm glad I kept the Speedrom. That TCR is great for the short workouts and sprints up hills, but it's brutal over 40mi or so.

skier

I recently got a new "fast" bike. I'm not sure if it's because it's a new toy or just the enjoyment from how easily is moves, but I'm riding way more frequently than I did on my older bike. 400 miles this year before the new bike (7/26). 230 miles since getting it. Before that I was another one that thought, 'who cares if it's a little slower, I'm riding for exercise'. Now I've seen the other side and am thoroughly enjoying it

holytrousers

by fast bike do you mean a road bike ?

Biketiger

Truth is, you'll never know what type of bike works best for you until you try it. People will offer their opinions and insights but how are you really going to know if a racing bike fits your style until you get out there ride one? Go for it.

Sorg67

This is true. I think I will like whatever I get. I would not really understand subtle differences without taking bikes home and doing side by side testing over a period of weeks or months.

Just got to make the best choice I can based on the information I can gather. I am drawn to the Specialized Diverge at the moment. There is one available locally.

The Ridley Kanzo also appeals to me. But there is no local dealer and I like the idea of getting something from a local bike shop.

Trek bikes are also available locally but for some reason, the Specialized bikes appeal to me more than the Trek bikes. I do not think there is much difference between the two brands. Seems everything is made in Asia.

holytrousers

When i started cycling in Berlin, i enjoyed the freedom of just jumping on the bike and going wherever the action took place. No fees, no waiting, and it never was too late or too early. I paid no attention to the bike, it was rusty and heavy but it didn't matter at that time.
It was even better when i started riding a roadbike, another limit vanished, distances stopped being a problem, time spent travelling became addictive. I had to pay attention to mechanics and started to care about it the bike.
A roadbike is a very different experience. I wouldn't go back to a city bike now, partly because the distances i have to ride now are out of reach for a city bike, partly because it's too fun riding that fast.
The riding position is more comfortable for long distances and is much more aerodynamic, tires and gearing perform so much better.

blacknbluebikes 

Two things to add to this already "long in the tooth" thread...
1. You probably won't change much about where you ride - that's really a convenience thing - so make sure any choice is very compatible, eg: "10 miles before I'm away from traffic signals and putting my foot down every 90 seconds" or "no mountain bike trails nearby, but I'll get a car rack" mmmmm. most of us ride where we are and make the best of it.
2. Nothing beats getting on the same bike for years and still saying "this bike is really cool. I just love this bike every time I get on it." If you don't have that joy, well, what exactly are you saving for?

nicovlogg

The main thing about a fast bike is how fast it looks parked outside of your local coffee shop. Nobody in there is checking your speeds

Sorg67

Yes, you are right. I have read a lot of reviews and they seem to consistently miss this point. I am surprised there have been no studies on colors supported by surveys of passers by.

nicovlogg

Anecdotally: red > yellow > green > blue

Sorg67

I have enjoyed and learned from this discussion. Thanks for all the comments.

My initial question was do I want a light drop handlebar bike as opposed to my existing MTB and hybrid? I think my answer is yes. I think this style bike will be fun and will allow me to explore some riding have not done in the past. Now it has become a more subtle question. What kind of drop handlebar bike to I want?

I am currently drawn to the Roubaix. I do not think I will go far enough off the beaten path to justify a Gravel bike. But I read a review of the Roubaix that states that the current model has moved its design back toward performance to make a more significant differentiation from the Diverge. I am not sure that fits me.

At age 60 just coming to this kind of riding, I am far from benefiting from subtle performance considerations. Comfort is far and away my priority. Specialized claims that their Future Shock technology allows the performance elements to be enjoyed without loss of comfort. Maybe so. But it would seem that if the Diverge has the same Future Shock system and is designed with a more comfortable frame, it would be even more comfortable.

I am not a fan of the storage in the frame of the Diverge. Something to wear out or break. So maybe I circle to the Trek Checkpoint.

In summary; do I want a “fast bike”? Faster than my MTB and hybrid, yes. Fastest, no. Maybe fastest comfortable bike? Seems this is solidly in the endurance and gravel categories. Don’t need the off road capabilities of gravel, but might enjoy those bikes as a bit more comfortable than endurance bikes.

Not sure I would notice the difference.

shelbyfv

Git R Done....

Stormy Archer

You got a fast bike
But is it fast enough so you can fly away?
You gotta make a decision
Leave tonight or live and die this way

See I remember we were riding, riding on your bike
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone...

Paul Barnard

OP, have you busted out your wallet yet?

Sorg67

No, I have decided that my hybrid is perfect for the riding I am doing now. I am going to keep progressing and get a new bike when I hit the limit of my bike, bike shops are open for test rides and I have enough experience to know what I want.

Paul Barnard

In my experience, comfort translates to speed to a certain degree. You may be faster on a comfort geometry than on a racier geometry. It's a tough time to be in the market.

livedarklions

This is probably a good call right now. Shopping for any bike right now is too hit or miss, even the models in stock are limited in size selection.