Originally Posted by
rumrunn6
what weight do you think each aspect of a bike ride affects your efficiency or speed? are they all equal, or do so some matter more?
riding surface
bike type
tires
wind
human motor
ambient temperature
bike weight
bike age
quality of components such as wheels & bearings
other
had a slow painful ~20 miles ride with a strong wind last night & started me thinking why did I perform so poorly
for me, last night, I think it was: motor, wind, tires, bike, in that order
the ride took approx. 2 hrs (30 minutes longer than it should have)
speed and efficiency 2 different things, but my take
Motor all comes down to motor for speed and effiency
Wind is impacts speed hugely... at your back you feel super human at your front you feel miserable (rode in my home town of Chinook, MT a couple of summers ago, for got about wind, had so much wind i could not coast on downhills)
Bike type, nothing more efficent and speedy than classic road bike position with drop bars....also make it easier to avoid some wind speed loss by getting in drops
Tires/wheels High end tires are the best thing for ride, efficiency, speed and efficiency bonus point for good quality, light enough wheelset
Condition of components (tuned and lubed) more important than how high or low end
Temperature: I know that I ride slower when super hot to avoid heat issues. control this by not exceeding a certain HR using an HRM
Riding surface for sure....ride slower on loose gravel, than on packed gravel or roads
weight, age don't make much difference to me
on thing not listed is elevation if you are a coastal person like me and go to the mountains speed and efficiency take a hit
of course whatever the color your favorite bike is, that is clearly faster