Originally Posted by
beng1
A light aero bike is not going to make a non-competitive rider competitive. I am not a competitive rider, I have no ability to win, and that goes for 99.99% of all riders. So it is a waste for anyone unless they have a chance at winning, a waste for 99.99% of all riders. So those arguing that modern bicycles are worth wasting time and money on will always be over 99% wrong. Me dumping five-grand on a time-trial bike so I can go 22mph instead of 19mph would be idiotic. And since it takes someone who can go around 30mph average or more to win most time-trials, even those little local events most will never hear of, it is also a waste of time and money for someone to dump thousands into a TT bike if it will only get them to say 28mph from maybe 25 or 26mph average. Still going from not good enough to still not good enough. And if it is a waste for those who are that fast, it is absolutely a waste for anyone who does not race at all, who just rides around the roads and city for fun. But of course lots still buy bikes which will always be much better bikes than they are riders, and if they are lucky they are common hipsters and not suckers, because at least then they will get to pose for other hipsters, where the suckers will never get anything for their money.
It is not about winning or loosing but about having fun and enjoyment. If an aero bar reduces your power output and lets you go further and feel better durning and after a ride, why is that a bad thing?
I am also of the opposite thinking in terms of "marginal" gains. Something that reduces the effort by 10 watts is more impactful on someone who averages only 100 watts versus someone who averages 200 watts.
With that said, I would argue that most all bike stuff today is way over rated. Aero this and that is mostly meaningless for people not doing 40 KPH. Your clothes and body position play a larger role than the bike. And bike weight is an even bigger scam.