How much is bike, how much is rider?

[ukdodger]

I was up in the hills of Devon on my way home some time back, and a couple of rather fit cyclists passed me up the long hill onto Blackdown on the A386. I wasn't trying very hard, and I wasn't paying attention, and they just sailed past me. Had I known they were there, I may have been trying harder.

I tried to keep up, but I was tired. I knew there was a long long long downhill to Tavistock, so I knew I could catch up - coz i'm good at downhills!

I never saw them again.
Where they went, I don't know.
I was flying! There's no way that they could have got so far ahead that I wouldn't have seen them on the long straights, but I didn't.

I like to think that they turned off and I missed them ...........

Never know why riders do that. Make it a matter of pride to keep up or overtake. Personally I couldnt care less.

In one sense I agree with you dodger but then on the other hand I must admit that it does still rattle me that I am such a wimp cyclist that I cannot keep up.I normally pacify myself by thinking that they are either younger than me or have been cycling a lot longer than I have.Either excuse may be wrong but at least it keeps me happy.

I understand. It irks me a bit when I'm riding with friends or an organised tour because I feel guilty about holding them up. But at my age, I'll be seventy next year, I already have an inbuilt excuse. The other excuse is for some reason I've never had strong legs. Doesnt matter how much cycling I do they never get any bigger. Only chickens are envious.

[Erudin]

Strava is fun to see how you compare to other riders, for instance I'm 35th on the Pork Hill descent (the fastest rider covered the 1.1 mile at 52mph!) and 421st going up Pork Hill . I find I need to be fitter than I am now to get anything out of a lighter racing bike and tend to be faster at the moment on my heavier bikes which are a more comfortable fit and lower geared.

[reohn2]

In one sense I agree with you dodger but then on the other hand I must admit that it does still rattle me that I am such a wimp cyclist that I cannot keep up.I normally pacify myself by thinking that they are either younger than me or have been cycling a lot longer than I have.Either excuse may be wrong but at least it keeps me happy.

Why do you need an excuse to keep yourself happy?
Often a rider will pass me,it's of no consequence,s/he could be out for a shortblast,Icould have been his carrot on a string for the last 5miles,s/he could be fitter,younger,stronger,etc than me.
It simply doesn't matter,I'm riding a my pace enjoying my ride doing my thing,I know my capabilities,I know how far I'm riding on any particular day.That's what I know ie;myself,I know nothing about whoever it is that passes me,(because I'm not far from Manchester where some of the pros live I'm passed by Wiggo,Geraint Thomas,Ed Clancy and others on occasion down the Cheshire lanes or out toward Whalley if I go North)so thats not strictly true .
The point is to enjoy your ride and not spoil it by riding someone else's

[reohn2]

I understand. It irks me a bit when I'm riding with friends or an organised tour because I feel guilty about holding them up. But at my age, I'll be seventy next year, I already have an inbuilt excuse. The other excuse is for some reason I've never had strong legs. Doesnt matter how much cycling I do they never get any bigger. Only chickens are envious.

Bootiful!

[Ayesha]

It always surprises me how many really fat fatties you see on lightweight bikes too.

cat and pidgeons

IIRC, Manfred Nuscheler was a "fat fattie"

[mattsccm]

Ask Lance?

[blackbike]

Lance Armstrong might be in disgrace but he was right about one thing.

It's not about the bike.

[chris_suffolk]

pennyfarthing.jpg (31.59 KiB) Viewed 461 times

Not too many of these in the TDF (much tutting of tongue in cheek)

[tyred]

pennyfarthing.jpg

Not too many of these in the TDF (much tutting of tongue in cheek)

They're just waiting for someone to market a lightweight 60" wheel.

[CJ]

pennyfarthing.jpg

Not too many of these in the TDF (much tutting of tongue in cheek)

No, but imagine if the UCI had been formed a few decades earlier...

[Ayesha]

If it is the case that it is a plastic topped saddle, its ALL the rider.

[hondated]

In one sense I agree with you dodger but then on the other hand I must admit that it does still rattle me that I am such a wimp cyclist that I cannot keep up.I normally pacify myself by thinking that they are either younger than me or have been cycling a lot longer than I have.Either excuse may be wrong but at least it keeps me happy.

Why do you need an excuse to keep yourself happy?
Often a rider will pass me,it's of no consequence,s/he could be out for a shortblast,Icould have been his carrot on a string for the last 5miles,s/he could be fitter,younger,stronger,etc than me.
It simply doesn't matter,I'm riding a my pace enjoying my ride doing my thing,I know my capabilities,I know how far I'm riding on any particular day.That's what I know ie;myself,I know nothing about whoever it is that passes me,(because I'm not far from Manchester where some of the pros live I'm passed by Wiggo,Geraint Thomas,Ed Clancy and others on occasion down the Cheshire lanes or out toward Whalley if I go North)so thats not strictly true .
The point is to enjoy your ride and not spoil it by riding someone else's

Don't necessarilly disagree with you either and the only real reason it irks me is that I am a) guilty of being overweight and b) not getting enough weekly miles in and if I was to improve on both of these cycling would be far easier and therefore that bit more enjoyable.

To answer the OP question its definitely the rider as I have bikes made from various materials and struggle on them all. As for enjoyment the way I struggle and continue to do it I must enjoy it otherwise I would have given up long ago.

[Mike McGeever]

SPORTIFFFS are expensive!
You might enjoy AUDAX.
It's LEL next year see how you fare with that.
But you might find yourself "getting mugged" by pensioners!
What's the difference betweeen SPORTIFF and AUDAX?
In a SPORTIFF the riders are pretending to race.
In an AUDAX the riders are pretend not to race.

[[XAP]Bob]

pennyfarthing.jpg

Not too many of these in the TDF (much tutting of tongue in cheek)

No, but imagine if the UCI had been formed a few decades earlier...

Yep, these df bikes are too fast, ban, ban, ban, ban.....

[timmyhiggy]

SPORTIFFFS are expensive!
You might enjoy AUDAX.
It's LEL next year see how you fare with that.
But you might find yourself "getting mugged" by pensioners!
What's the difference betweeen SPORTIFF and AUDAX?
In a SPORTIFF the riders are pretending to race.
In an AUDAX the riders are pretend not to race.

I'm sure I would get mugged by lots of people of all ages, as was the case on sunday. I don't rate myself as being particularly fast by any means!
I'll need to get better at VERY long distances before going to do LEL, never gone further than 76 miles in one day before and the following day I was an absolute wreck!