Road Cycling

[Martynt74]

I just like the eye test. If I think something looks cool, I'm in. I like the Tarmac SL8 not because I think it'll make me faster than the ultimate, it just looks cooler than my ultimate. At the speeds I ride the difference could be put down to better tyres.

100%
I think weight probably comes into it on certain things more than others too. From posts from more knowledgeable folk on here. Saving 500g from a better wheelset will be more noticeable vs 500g from frame weight.

Ultimately, there's people cycling all around the world with bikes loaded to the brim weighing 40kg cycling >100km every day on bike packing trips. They're using relatively budget basic bikes with cable gearing and rim brakes and could probably wipe the floor with many of us just because of their volume. There was a Cade Media podcast with a guy who cycled round South Africa. He said he entered a race and won (i think, if not won then certainly very highly placed) just because he'd spent months cycling 1000km a week with a heavy ass bike, so when he removed all his bags etc the bike felt like a feather!

 

[AndyCr15]

the heavier you are, the less weight savings like this make sense

Yep, I agree with everything you said and that's why I'd said I wouldn't worry unless they are in the Kg's. My point still stands, if I can save a kilo, why wouldn't I save a kilo?!

There are A LOT of variables, some we have direct control of, some we don't. Some have financial costs, some have weight or aero costs some have comfort or convenience costs. We pick the variables we want to achieve what we want. Sometime you just want the most comfortable ride. If I'm off doing a big climb, I pick mainly the lighter stuff. It's just simple logic. It seems like some people say 'why bother, you weigh 100kg...'. Yes, so if I can keep the whole equation at 109kg instead of 111kg, why wouldn't I want to do that?! (And yes, I will try and get my bodyweight as optimal as I can. If it's not in this thread, it's in the Losing Weight thread, I'm often commenting 'My next target is cycling in Mallorca in March, so I want to get weight down for then')

 

[fez]

I just like the eye test. If I think something looks cool, I'm in. I like the Tarmac SL8 not because I think it'll make me faster than the ultimate, it just looks cooler than my ultimate. At the speeds I ride the difference could be put down to better tyres.

That said, I keep looking at the Addict RC Pro. Sounds like my ideal type of bike. The benefits of the Aethos but just looks a bit snazzier. Give me a lightweight bike over an aero bike any day.

Yeah, this is how everyone buys. Theres just a small but vocal minority on social media who have convinced themselves that the 50 year old overweight guy who spent £7k on a lightweight aero bike thinks its going to magically transform him into a beast. He doesn't, he just likes the bike and has the disposable income or finances to afford it. Imagine if we applied the same logic to people and cars. "Who does that **** think he is in his £50k BMW, Lewis Hamilton? I go past guys like him on the motorway all the time in my £3k hot-hatch".

We buy what we like and can afford, not what actually makes sense in any way shape or form.

 

[Pants]

I got my first ever road ride done on Tuesday, 22K in 1:08 (19.3km/h), was a bit of a disrupted ride as I was periodically messing with seat configuration and trying to trim the gears to stop skipping!

Tried again on Sunday and got it down to 59:45 (22.1km/h), which is at least now faster than I used to be able to do it on a mountain bike when I was much fitter.

As soon as my *** recovers I'll try again.

This is being fit in between learning to swim almost from scratch and run without aggravating my achilles tendinopathy.

Nothing like signing up to a sprint triathlon having been a couch potato since lockdown to get one motivated.

 

[labbby]

I got my first ever road ride done on Tuesday, 22K in 1:08 (19.3km/h), was a bit of a disrupted ride as I was periodically messing with seat configuration and trying to trim the gears to stop skipping!

Tried again on Sunday and got it down to 59:45 (22.1km/h), which is at least now faster than I used to be able to do it on a mountain bike when I was much fitter.

As soon as my *** recovers I'll try again.

This is being fit in between learning to swim almost from scratch and run without aggravating my achilles tendinopathy.

Nothing like signing up to a sprint triathlon having been a couch potato since lockdown to get one motivated.

Welcome to the world of triathlons, you will get hooked.

If you think road cycling is an expensive hobby.... just you wait

Good on you for giving them a try.

 

[Junglist]

Yeah, this is how everyone buys. Theres just a small but vocal minority on social media who have convinced themselves that the 50 year old overweight guy who spent £7k on a lightweight aero bike thinks its going to magically transform him into a beast. He doesn't, he just likes the bike and has the disposable income or finances to afford it. Imagine if we applied the same logic to people and cars. "Who does that **** think he is in his £50k BMW, Lewis Hamilton? I go past guys like him on the motorway all the time in my £3k hot-hatch".

We buy what we like and can afford, not what actually makes sense in any way shape or form.

Yeah you see it on Reddit a lot where sormeone posts their fancy S-Works, Factor, colnago etc and you can just tell they’re excited about their new toy and you have everyone ******** on them because they’re not a pro. People just like to treat themselves to nice things