Fitness vs image
Discussion
A few of the guys I work with ride road bikes - fancy carbon framed lightweight things. Very nice and one guy competes regularly so I can see the point there. Others however claim to ride to improve fitness. My argument is that surely dragging around a cast-iron $100 supermarket bike with two flat knobblies and draggy brakes will make you much fitter than some $6000 race machine? If fitness is the end goal why try to make things easier? Am I wrong? Surely the heavy bike will give you the same energy expenditure in much less time and for much less money? Is it simply that they don't wan't to be seen on some cheap POS?
LimaDelta said:
A few of the guys I work with ride road bikes - fancy carbon framed lightweight things. Very nice and one guy competes regularly so I can see the point there. Others however claim to ride to improve fitness. My argument is that surely dragging around a cast-iron $100 supermarket bike with two flat knobblies and draggy brakes will make you much fitter than some $6000 race machine? If fitness is the end goal why try to make things easier? Am I wrong? Surely the heavy bike will give you the same energy expenditure in much less time and for much less money? Is it simply that they don't wan't to be seen on some cheap POS?
Nicer bike = want to ride it more = more fitnessIf you enjoy something you are likely to do it more. If its torture, you won't.
Im with the Op. I ride my winter bike all year round and have ridden it the most this summer than any other summer. Its only marginally heavier but its less aero with s
tter wheels and generally harder work. All I know is that this method of training seems to work for me as when I treat myself to the carbon bike thats more aero with deep race wheels I literally fly.
tter wheels and generally harder work. All I know is that this method of training seems to work for me as when I treat myself to the carbon bike thats more aero with deep race wheels I literally fly.
Each to their own and that, but personally i don't see why it makes any difference to the fitness aspect. Given an even amount of work, the nicer bike goes further and faster.
If you ride a lot, then you get bored of the roads local to you - better bike allows the scope to be so much bigger, that the hooby is more fun. You see more, explore more etc.
Add in group riding, and it gets even more mental to use a lame bike. If you're planning a 100k ride and want to do it with others, you can find people really easily. If you were using an mtb then the same effort gets you 40 miles not 60 - but where are you going to get a crowd of people that want to do 40 miles at mtb speeds?
If you ride a lot, then you get bored of the roads local to you - better bike allows the scope to be so much bigger, that the hooby is more fun. You see more, explore more etc.
Add in group riding, and it gets even more mental to use a lame bike. If you're planning a 100k ride and want to do it with others, you can find people really easily. If you were using an mtb then the same effort gets you 40 miles not 60 - but where are you going to get a crowd of people that want to do 40 miles at mtb speeds?
Some Gump said:
If you ride a lot, then you get bored of the roads local to you - better bike allows the scope to be so much bigger, that the hooby is more fun. You see more, explore more etc.
This is it for me. With either bike you'll probably expend the same energy. Just with the lighter/better one you'll be able to go farther in the same time so will enjoy the ride more. It's what I ride my road bike for - exploring and seeing a bit more of the country.If I want to lug around a heavier bike, I get my full suspension mtb out and ride the trails. I'll do half the distance at half the speed due to weight, tyres and surface.
Dizeee said:
Im with the Op. I ride my winter bike all year round and have ridden it the most this summer than any other summer. Its only marginally heavier but its less aero with stter wheels and generally harder work. All I know is that this method of training seems to work for me as when I treat myself to the carbon bike thats more aero with deep race wheels I literally fly.
Have you ever used the 'Preview' button, or do you just hit 'Submit'?tter wheels and generally harder work. All I know is that this method of training seems to work for me as when I treat myself to the carbon bike thats more aero with deep race wheels I literally fly.Dizeee said:
Im with the Op. I ride my winter bike all year round and have ridden it the most this summer than any other summer. Its only marginally heavier but its less aero with stter wheels and generally harder work. All I know is that this method of training seems to work for me as when I treat myself to the carbon bike thats more aero with deep race wheels I literally fly.
but effort in doesn't really change because of your bike. you put the same effort into a cheap snotter and you might go 15 miles in 1 hour, you put the same effort into a nice carbon speedster and you might go 18miles in one hour. the effort is the same, the work you do is the same, you've just gone further. I like riding my good bike in the summer as it is faster, handles better and is just more fun to ride than the heavy winter steed. The fun bit is key, because that's why I ride my bike, for fun.tter wheels and generally harder work. All I know is that this method of training seems to work for me as when I treat myself to the carbon bike thats more aero with deep race wheels I literally fly.I can kind of see what the OP is getting at.
I know a few guys who compete in various forms of road racing and quite a few will run wider tyres during their training and swap to narrower (faster) tyres on race day.
I expect there is an element of placebo effect and they tyres make a marginal impact but they try harder to maximise the benefit of them.
I know a few guys who compete in various forms of road racing and quite a few will run wider tyres during their training and swap to narrower (faster) tyres on race day.
I expect there is an element of placebo effect and they tyres make a marginal impact but they try harder to maximise the benefit of them.
Some Gump said:
Each to their own and that, but personally i don't see why it makes any difference to the fitness aspect. Given an even amount of work, the nicer bike goes further and faster.
If you ride a lot, then you get bored of the roads local to you - better bike allows the scope to be so much bigger, that the hooby is more fun. You see more, explore more etc.
Add in group riding, and it gets even more mental to use a lame bike. If you're planning a 100k ride and want to do it with others, you can find people really easily. If you were using an mtb then the same effort gets you 40 miles not 60 - but where are you going to get a crowd of people that want to do 40 miles at mtb speeds?
I agree with this to an extent but...If you ride a lot, then you get bored of the roads local to you - better bike allows the scope to be so much bigger, that the hooby is more fun. You see more, explore more etc.
Add in group riding, and it gets even more mental to use a lame bike. If you're planning a 100k ride and want to do it with others, you can find people really easily. If you were using an mtb then the same effort gets you 40 miles not 60 - but where are you going to get a crowd of people that want to do 40 miles at mtb speeds?
I have an entry level road bike. £500 new (£360 for me as it was last seasons model) so cheap compared to an awful lot of the machinery that I see when i'm out. It hasn't stopped me covering large distances, taking on tough climbs and carrying decent speed. When I compare my performance to my mates there generally isn't a great deal in it and I am faster than quite a few people I know with much more expensive bikes.
A mate of mine has the same bike as me as his winter bike. There's a climb we have both done regulalry and at the time my Strava PR was 2:45 and his was 2:22. He was on his £4k bike and I was on my £360 bike. I said that my target for this year was to do it in 2 minutes and he said that he didn't think that my bike was up to it. He's since done a 1:59 on his bike but I managed a 2:06 the other day. 2 minutes will be mine before the summer is out.
In short, I think that some cyclists place too much emphasis on the machine and not enough on the rider.
Personally I think that once bikes get up to a certain price range, it's less about performance and more about image. Unless of course you are competing and you are on top of your game in every other area.
LimaDelta said:
^^^ All seems reasonable enough, but for a car analogy, there is more to learn (and enjoy?) in driving a slow car quickly, than driving a fast car quickly. Maybe the $100 supermarket bike was taking it a bit far, but why not train with a bit more ballast?
Which will teach you more about driving, a mk1 MX5 or a diesel Astra? It's not about fast or slow; it's about which one is best suited to the task, which one gives the most enjoyment, which one rewards your effort the most.RGambo said:
but effort in doesn't really change because of your bike. you put the same effort into a cheap snotter and you might go 15 miles in 1 hour, you put the same effort into a nice carbon speedster and you might go 18miles in one hour. the effort is the same, the work you do is the same, you've just gone further. I like riding my good bike in the summer as it is faster, handles better and is just more fun to ride than the heavy winter steed. The fun bit is key, because that's why I ride my bike, for fun.
Thats not how I ride though. I aim for a good average on every ride and it takes more effort to average 19 / 20 mph on the winter bike than on the summerIts a mixture of placebo and cycling folklore/tradition (which as with many other examples - load of balls).
The good thing is that because powermeters (and HRM) are becoming more common place, people understand that a certain effort is a certain effort, you just may go further on one bike than another.
I did a 25 mile TT on the weekend in 50 minutes on x power, I know full well that the reason for this is because the TT bike and me on it is a hell of a lot more aerodynamic than me on my roadbike where I'd be lucky to get within 3 or 4 minutes of my time for the same course with x power.
The good thing is that because powermeters (and HRM) are becoming more common place, people understand that a certain effort is a certain effort, you just may go further on one bike than another.
I did a 25 mile TT on the weekend in 50 minutes on x power, I know full well that the reason for this is because the TT bike and me on it is a hell of a lot more aerodynamic than me on my roadbike where I'd be lucky to get within 3 or 4 minutes of my time for the same course with x power.
I commute on a £90 S/h rigid MTB with slick tyres on
I have 3 road bikes, one of which carbon
When you get fitter you can exploit the road bikes to much higher speeds and performance that I cant do on the MTB, I enjoy the mtb and can still get a decent pace out of it, but there is a "terminal speed" I hit on it, in that I can put 30% more effort in and go very slightly faster, where as on the road bikes that extra effort is translated into increased speed.
TBH I don't give a st what other people ride/how they do it, as long as they don't crash into me.
I have 3 road bikes, one of which carbon
When you get fitter you can exploit the road bikes to much higher speeds and performance that I cant do on the MTB, I enjoy the mtb and can still get a decent pace out of it, but there is a "terminal speed" I hit on it, in that I can put 30% more effort in and go very slightly faster, where as on the road bikes that extra effort is translated into increased speed.
TBH I don't give a s
t what other people ride/how they do it, as long as they don't crash into me. I noticed last week when riding with a colleague how much better his new cyclo-cross bike rolls down hill than my 4 year old abused 29er. (My winter and bad weather bike.) I had to pedal a bit to keep up with him free wheeling.
I've been using the road bike a lot whilst it has beeen dry for commuting and have really enjoyed it. I get a few PBs now and again too which is nice on the commute. The winter on the crap bike has made me stronger, and the result is Strava success on the good bike.
It is a training regime I like, and works for me. This winter it will be combined with slow weight loss to hit next summer 10% lighter, and hopefully a bit fitter too.
In answer to the original question, not everyone is as analytical as you or I. If having a nice bike gets you out on the bike more, then happy days.
(One of my favourite things is to go past fully-lycra-ed up roadies on a scruffy MTB with a child seat on the back, up a long hill.)
I've been using the road bike a lot whilst it has beeen dry for commuting and have really enjoyed it. I get a few PBs now and again too which is nice on the commute. The winter on the crap bike has made me stronger, and the result is Strava success on the good bike.
It is a training regime I like, and works for me. This winter it will be combined with slow weight loss to hit next summer 10% lighter, and hopefully a bit fitter too.
In answer to the original question, not everyone is as analytical as you or I. If having a nice bike gets you out on the bike more, then happy days.
(One of my favourite things is to go past fully-lycra-ed up roadies on a scruffy MTB with a child seat on the back, up a long hill.)
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