Originally Posted by
PoorInRichfield
Anywho... your thoughts? Are bikes that are more than a few years old worthy of the scrap heap? Is buying a brand new bike a psychological gain or a good idea? Should we all buy a new bike every two years to keep up-to-date along with our iPhones and Android phones?
If your training, diet, and weight are not optimal, upgrading your bike doesn't make much sense. When my FTP was 4.6-4.8 w/kg, I could win races on my aluminum frame / non-aero bike with 32h training wheels. At 3.6-3.8 w/kg (where I am now after a 10 year break), I struggle at the Saturday club ride with a super aero bike and the latest Zipp 404's and low rolling resistance tires. On paper, having a 290-300w FTP now with 50w worth of "savings" from the frame, wheels, tires rolling resistance, etc should equal my old 340-350w FTP with my old raggedy bike, but it's not even close. Old me would stomp the current me into the ground with a 1970's steel down-tube shifted walmart bike.