MattTheHat 

It's just that we like to discourage the entire idea of need vs. want with regard to bicycles. No good can come from it!

70sSanO

Nothing will get you fitter and more skilled than your mountain bike.

John

caloso

Faster is funner.

fietsbob

Electric or your effort, as the motor?

tomato coupe

Rapider is rhapsodic.

ClydeClydeson

Bikes are more satisfying, and your motivation to ride is greater, if you get more speed for less effort, which also equals more distance for less effort. You won't get more exercise on a slower bike, you'll just be less motivated to ride it.

There is a curve you can imagine, where price is the X axis and speed and satisfaction is the Y axis. Between $100 (cheapest bike) and ~$600 (entry level bike shop bike, the curve is very steep. The curve continues up not quite as steeply for bikes between $600 and $1500, then a little less steeply between $1500 and ~$3000 or so. There is very little tangible improvement over $3000. The bike may be a little more aero, or the shifters might have slightly lighter action, or the derailleurs will be a wee bit easier to keep shifting perfectly over time.

If your friend is on a $3000 bike and you are on a $6000 bike, and your friend is stronger than you, then your friend will likely still be faster than you.

Phil_gretz

fify

Riveting

Getting the fast roadie bike will give you the "option" to ride with a fast roadie group in the future, even though you have no desire to do so at the moment. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Pop N Wood

I switched to a MTB with knobby tires when I was trying to lose weight some years ago, thinking like most people I would exert more energy in a shorter period of time. When I wore out the knobbies and switched to commuter tires on the same bike it took less effort, but found riding so much more enjoyable that I rode two or three times as long. Ended up losing weight more quickly with the smoother riding bike.

Freerojo

Food for thought :-)

Rogerogeroge

If 30 mph got your pucker factor up on a hybrid, then 30 mph on a 'faster' (i.e., road bike, with more narrow drop bars, narrow tires) is going to pucker you up even more.

Sorg67

It is less of an issue of pucker factor and more of an issue of where you ride.

I ride motorcycles. Accident research has suggested that 80 mph on a highway is safer than 30 mph on city streets.

Higher speeds would make certain trails, residential streets and sidewalks unsafe due to dogs, children, walkers and other hazards.

OTOH, I am getting to speeds that are unsafe in these environments on my hybrid anyway so moving to a faster bike may not change the equations much. And I am hearing that the speed difference is not as great as I had previously thought it would be.

Sorg67

The distinction between “need” and “want” is useful. I do not “need” a bicycle at all. It might be better phrased as the distinction between “optimal for my riding” and “want”. The more I read and listen to comments, the more I think my hybrid is optimal for my riding, but I want a cooler bike that is more fun to ride.

I finished educating my kids last year. We have a bit of discretionary income at the moment. I am selling at least a couple of my motorcycles. I have some room in the garage. I want a new toy. I am riding more.

Shake all that up and I think it yields a faster bike......

RH Clark

Go for it! Just make sure you know exactly what you want. Geometry is very important for me on a fast bike. If you need an excuse for fitness cross training works. I ride at least 5 different style bikes. My race bike requires more flexibility and balance and because I am sprinting most of the time, I only ride it a few hours at a stretch . It's a different work out than 8 hours on my touring or mountain bike. Fast is fun. Just make sure you are only as fast as you can control.

bblair

Yes, go for it! With qualifications:

The ultimate, fast as hell bike might be very uncomfortable for you. Not fun. An upright, hybrid style might be slow. So, go to a good LBS and discuss exactly what type of riding you want to do. A "club" or "sportif" type is a nice compromise that will you going all day and fast. But not beat you up too much.

Just like a car. A Corvette is fun as hell, but driving cross country would be awful. Grandpa's Oldsmobile is comfy, but not really much fun to drive.

friday1970

Go for it.

I have a few bikes in my stable. And I find myself repeating my riding every week. Tuesday, the fast bike on a short route. Fast as I can, all out, and usually 20-30 miles. Thursday, more of a casual ride with a heavier gravel bike. Saturday or Sunday, a long ride on my randonnuering bike. Having a fast bike allows for one day of good fun. And sometimes, I'll ride it more than once a week.

When it comes to bikes, options are always good.

JayKay3000

Don't forget to wear your leathers. Don't want that road rash when you fall at 30mph.

xroadcharlie

While I ride mostly for pleasure and adventure, I too sometimes think a traditional road bike might be fun. Coolness has never been a factor for my bike of choice, I buy what I like, Could care less what others think.

I love my Giant Sedona with its bolt upright riding position, 26 x 1.95" "Multi-surface" tires, suspension seat post, and 34 lbs of bulk with accessories. The most comfortable bike I've ever owned. But needless to say, speed is not one of its strong points.

It's a perfect bike for excersize because the limiting factor for speed on most of my rides is neither the bike or the engine (me). It's pedestrians on mup's, riding on sidewalks when the roads aren't wide enough for bikes and cars, Traffic, stop signs and lights, Or when I'm more interested in the scenery and choose to go slow.

That said, their are a few times when I get a chance, or the desire for a little fun too. But the only way that will happen on my Sedona is with a little assistance from a tailwind or a gradual decent.

I have thought buying a road bike for a 2'nd bike, But still want some semblance of comfort That's why they make endurance bikes like Giant's Defy Advanced 3. It's compliant carbon frame, 32" tires and vibration absorbing seatpost and handlebar stem make for a quick bike that's much more comfortable then most performance oriented road bikes.

MattTheHat 

Here's another vote for the need column...the [faster/cooler/whatever reason you like it more] bike will encourage you to ride more.

Sorg67

Yes, this is really it right here. It the moment, I am discovering a lot of new things about my early 1990’s Diamondback Apex and my 2015ish Trek Verve 3.0. That may be all I need right now. When those get stale, I will be ready for a new bike.

I am currently leaning toward a Gravel bike but I still have some things to figure out about geometry. Am I looking for a mountain bike with drop handlebars or a road bike with fat tires?

I think the thing I want most of all is drop handlebars for more hand position options.

After that is probably geometry except that I do not yet know enough about geometry to know what I want.

Next is better components. I like quality feel and smoothness.

More vibration dampening.

Lighter bike.

Currently focused on Specialized Diverge Sport Carbon and Trek Checkpoint SL5. But I do not really know why I am focused on those. But they are both available locally in the frame size that is recommended for my heights and inseam.

No rush. Maybe better deals in the fall when inventories recover a bit.

Sorg67

This is no joke. I have bicycle riding friends that think I am taking foolish risks riding a motorcycle. I look at myself in my full face helmet, full fingered gloves with armor, boots with steel shank in the sole and ankle armor, jacket with armor protecting shoulder, elbow and back and abrasion resistant pants. Then I look at them in their spandex, weenie little helmet, light weight fingerless gloves and light weight shoes and I ask; “who is taking foolish risk?”

I have a bicycle riding friend who has been in two serious bicycle riding accidents requiring trips to the hospital. I have been in one semi-serious motorcycle accident. And that did not require a trip to the hospital. Just a bit of road rash. Road the motorcycle home.

My worst two wheeled injury was on a bicycle fall at about 12 mph with no gloves. Took a nasty chunk out of the palm of my hand. Always wear gloves now.

A fall at 30 mph without protective gear can result in serious road rash.

Vintage Schwinn

Life is too short to worry. You're probably not nearly old enough to remember the SCHLITZ beer television and print, and radio ad spots from fifty years ago in the early seventies when SCHLITZ was the #1 beer in USA............'You Only Go Around Once in Life, so go for All The Gusto'.....
In case you're wondering what happened to SCHLITZ?......well some executives, product planners-marketing people and bean counters there thought that changing the formulation to improve unit cost, and increase margins would fly. They would soon after hit a homerun with sales of their Malt Liquor and several of their other brands would remain steady sellers for decades, but SCHLITZ was left dead, and even the very late last ditch effort to revive sales failed to attract youth to the brand as SCHLITZ was the sponsor of the largest concert tour of 1982 in the USA. The Who rocks America with Schlitz. Maybe in 1971 or 1973, but fans by 1982 were largely consuming the king of beers.

Have fun. You can have more than one type of bicycle.
I don't ride the electroforged Schwinns in the triathlons. I suppose I could in all but the IRONMANS and nobody would care. I once rode one aboard a bike that was painted a bright shiny gloss cobalt blue with the white waterslide decal set from '67 to '74 Varsity attached and a sticker that I had the local trophy store's graphics person make which was an exact size replica of the white oval with black schwinn headbadge, and yes I even applied the cute white schwinn darts on the front fork.
No, it wasn't a Varsity but it looked like one from the glory years of the bike boom.

Make certain that you are responsible enough to learn how to properly operate that super-fast, lightweight bicycle. It sounds simple but it really is not, if you have no prior experience hauling azzz. You cannot change the laws of physics. That fast bicycle will do everything "better" than a heavy tourist style bicycle will do. There are some exceptions and those are largely on how you, "The Pilot", actually fly the thing. I say "fly" because it is a serious matter, not unlike driving a race car at speed at Road Atlanta, or any other road course. There is more that you need to master than just being able to parallel park your Lincoln Navigator. If you want go up and around the bend, as fast as your feet can pedal, you must know how to handle that bicycle. If you choose something so lightweight and speedy, you will have to learn how to move your entire body back.....your azzz especially when in certain braking situations. This is not something that is instinctive to normal slow speed bicycle riders. That lightweight and speed can if unfortunate impact with potholes or road debris, cause the bicycle to be catapulted in a coil spring like motion off of the ground and airborne for possibly a second or two. You won't be travelling the speed of light but you'll be travelling out of control towards the pavement at a significant speed where you are going to get hurt. Wear a helmet, because if you choose not to, those situations like that could mean the difference of surviving to ride again and becoming an organ donor. Don't bite off more than you can chew, because there is no shame if you aren't yet at the point where you can run with the big dogs.
Yes, exactly what I am saying is: Do not go and obtain a super-fast lightweight bike and then immediately attempt to ride it all-out as if you're attempting to break all the world land speed records. Sure, do buy that super-fast lightweight bike but proceed cautiously at least for the first month of ownership until you get familiar and experienced with it. All too often, we as modern day consumers, expect that technology has arrived that will take care of all concerns, and we simply can just casually just point it down the road and drive. Take it seriously and learn what you need to know before you try to FLY on something really lightweight and fast because if you don't maintain control, you will FLY off of that, or still attached to the bike. airborne from the road surface, hurling and perhaps spinning before slamming back down on the pavement in a most violent crash. Reality is that just two wheels with a relatively small contact portion of rubber is all that separates you from the unforgiving asphalt.
You sure as hell had better know what you are doing if you want to fly on a bicycle. Reaction time and speed means that there likely will be NO SMALL MISTAKES.
Someone riding a balloon tired, vintage coaster brake beach cruiser at 9 mph, doesn't need to be as mindful or knowledgeable. It is the same difference between someone taking the three dogs to the dog park in the FORD F150 pickup versus someone driving a PORSCHE all-out at Watkins Glen.
Everyone with a drivers license can do the former, but you might need just a little more seat time before tackling the latter.

Everybody can tell you this or that. I'd say that you should TRY OUT AND RIDE THE EXACT TYPE OF BICYCLE, BEFORE YOU ULTIMATELY BUY IT, because you might find that you prefer something slightly different. IT SHOULD BE FUN! You gotta decide what is the right ride ( or RIDES..) for you.
Don't be afraid of anything. Just remember to take it easy until you gain the necessary mastering of skills that might be necessary to fully engage the full throttle, take it to the limit kind of thing. Hey, you know that there is nothing wrong with being a poser who has all of the latest flash, fastest equipment but never even sees the 19 or 20 mph threshhold that the rider of a 1977 $129 SEARS FREE SPIRIT ten speed eclipses. IT IS ULTIMATELY ALL ABOUT HAVING FUN & YOU CAN CERTAINLY HAVE MORE THAN ONE BICYCLE IF YOU WANT TO. As for exercise, you can get plenty from anything with pedals and two wheels. The most important thing is that the human being is self-motivated enough to actually use said exercise equipment. Bikes are fun and look at it this way, you are worth it, so whatever you do choose to spend, whether a little or a lot, will be money well spent. The time that you spend while out riding your bicycle (or Bicycles..) will do you good!! Just don't forget to wear a helmet and ride alert at all times. Don't be tempted to multi-task, such as wearing stereo earphones because I believe that they lessen your situational awareness while riding on any street with even the most minimal automobile traffic. There is too much at stake so save the music listening for home or within the car, because you cannot afford to be on the losing end of bicycle versus 3500 pound automobile...........a Mini, Fit, or Miata will likely be as bad as impacting any SUV.

Kapusta

If you have come here looking for input in whether to get another bike, the answer is always “Yes, buy it!”

MikeTé

I've bought a number of fast bikes over the years. None of them turned out to actually BE fast. I've given up.

TricycleTom

Moving is one of the basic pleasures of life, and speed usually increases it. If you are using the bike for transportation, and it is 1.5 times faster than before, you can get to over twice as many places on a grid in the same time. If you are using it for pleasure, a light bike has a better feel going over bumps. When the bike is barely taxing your power to move itself, the responsiveness encourages your efforts. A faster bike is usually a more expensive bike, and that investment can help with motivation to ride. This all has to be balanced against the risk of theft, though.