Originally Posted by
rudypyatt
This question is why I have shied away from racing, though I still have an urge to get into good enough shape to give it a try this year, at least get to where I can do a fast group ride. I know my current bike isn’t suitable, (drop bar three speed like the ‘40s and ‘50s British club bikes; I doubt I would be permitted to join a fast group ride let alone enter a race on such a machine), but what’s the minimum that would be, away from World Tour level? Should a novice start off with an aluminum frame with rim brakes and 8 speed Claris (the current base road bikes by Cannondale and Trek being that spec), or skip to carbon frames, hydraulic brakes, etc.?
i race on an entry level Allez with claris. I am in fact faster than people who spend much more on bikes (I had two top 10 finishes in my field last year, and one of those could have been a podium with a smarter sprint). there is absolutely nothing special to groupsets, so as long as you have a range of gears to adapt to different terrain you're good to go. sure, i've made small changes like narrower handlebar and use one of the best tires available (continental gp5000s) but aside from that I've used the bike in stock condition. there's definitely a bad habit in any niche hobby community like cycling where chasing more and more expensive gear is encouraged, but you def don't have to break the bank to race and if you have the fitness and race tactics you can have a shot