It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
itaa
Posts: 50
Joined: 13 Mar 2017, 10:33pm

It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by itaa »

https://www.gribble.org/cycling/power_v_speed.html
Probably the best cycling app there is to see how weight/dynamics affects your performance,spend 30minutes comparing different things there and you will come to revelation...

In short, save your pennies it's all damn marketing hype/tricks..You can't really re-invent a bicycle (unless its an e-bike :D )

-Want to go fast?
Get in a good aero position to achieve the least surface contact area,
after you go past 15km/h it's all about aero (Mostly Aero OF YOU (~80%) , not the bike(~20%)
Under 15km/h it's all about the tyres you have, so the only thing you should invest in is a good set of tyres with good rolling resistance,
you can find info about most of the tyres here with all data: https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com

-Wear good fitting clothes( don't need any special stuff) , loose some weight of yourself( less aero drag), and you will be just as fast on a cheap $50 Used 15kg mtb with NICE tyres ( Yes,just the tyres not some expensive Rims) than someone on a 7kg $5k bike wearing ridiculous outfit - as long as you have the same Aero Drag and aren't going up-hills.

-Going up-hills? Again a heavy MTB with GOOD tyres + Taking a poop before you set off will give almost the same results (2-3% difference) The weight of your bike/kit ONLY matters when you go up a hill (barely), in straights- almost 0 difference.

-Still Getting anxious about the weight of your bike/kit? It's not actually the weight of the bike.. It's The Weight of YOU+ the Bike, count those 2 together and you will realise that Just taking a poop or eating 2 less Doughnuts before you get on a bike is a much better strategy than spending money to reduce the weight of the bike.

*Does not applies to Pro-Racers which you see on TV (maybe 0.001% of all cyclists? ), the kit actually gives an edge over others (2-5% gain ,perhaps in most cases?)
So Unless you are one of those, Just Play around with your Data and see for yourself that it's all pointless.
Just go out and Enjoy cycling.
PH
Posts: 13122
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 12:31am
Location: Derby
Contact:

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by PH »

I am not a machine.
Well I am, but there's more to it than that.
mnichols
Posts: 1465
Joined: 22 Apr 2013, 4:29pm

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by mnichols »

Reads like a Management Summary of every bike magazine of ever read but minus the adverts

That's a compliment and not a criticism
whoof
Posts: 2519
Joined: 29 Apr 2014, 2:13pm

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by whoof »

Are you aware that tap water will fulfill all of your hydration needs? Anyone drinking tea/coffee or even more wastefully beer/wine are squandering their money and do so because they are being manipulated by advertising.
Tompsk
Posts: 195
Joined: 6 Nov 2014, 9:35am

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by Tompsk »

Agree with your post but would add reducing tranmission losses by using a bit of lube and replace drive train components when worn. This isn't rocket science and wont keep the marketing people in employment so they come up with all sorts of reasons for you to spend your money. The latest I saw (I jest not) was a downhill 7 speed cassette (instead of 11) so as to speed up gear changes across the cogs...

"its compact design ensures gear steps to give each shift more purpose and ensure a faster transition through the gears."

That is what I'll say when ever anyone asks why I stick to 7 speed :-)

Edit to add quote.
mnichols
Posts: 1465
Joined: 22 Apr 2013, 4:29pm

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by mnichols »

Tompsk wrote: The latest I saw (I jest not) was a downhill 7 speed cassette (instead of 11) so as to speed up gear changes across the cogs...

"its compact design ensures gear steps to give each shift more purpose and ensure a faster transition through the gears."


LOL. It's got to be simpler and therefore more robust, and probably a lighter cassette as well. I don't know why we need as many gears. I'd sacrifice the front mech and go 1 x 7 if it had the same range of gears
alexnharvey
Posts: 1924
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:39am

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by alexnharvey »

I'm curious as to whether this is a 7 speed spaced 7 speed or 11speed spaced 7 speed!?
Tompsk
Posts: 195
Joined: 6 Nov 2014, 9:35am

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by Tompsk »

alexnharvey wrote:I'm curious as to whether this is a 7 speed spaced 7 speed or 11speed spaced 7 speed!?


From what I've read it's 7 cogs with 11 speed spacing so you can still use your nice new 11 speed shifters. They can only eat so many of their own words in one go.

Give it time and they will bring out a high strength chain that requires wider cog spacing and then a bit later a slightly narrower freehub so less dishing on the back wheel...
reohn2
Posts: 45182
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by reohn2 »

mnichols wrote:
Tompsk wrote: The latest I saw (I jest not) was a downhill 7 speed cassette (instead of 11) so as to speed up gear changes across the cogs...

"its compact design ensures gear steps to give each shift more purpose and ensure a faster transition through the gears."


LOL. It's got to be simpler and therefore more robust, and probably a lighter cassette as well. I don't know why we need as many gears. I'd sacrifice the front mech and go 1 x 7 if it had the same range of gears

Presumably you don't mind the yawning gaps between ratios or or your ratios are close and the range of gearing is small because of the topography where you ride.
TBH 3x8 with a range of 20in to 90in is a minimum for where I ride.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
djnotts
Posts: 3062
Joined: 26 May 2008, 12:51pm
Location: Nottingham

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by djnotts »

reohn2 wrote:
mnichols wrote:
Tompsk wrote: The latest I saw (I jest not) was a downhill 7 speed cassette (instead of 11) so as to speed up gear changes across the cogs...

"its compact design ensures gear steps to give each shift more purpose and ensure a faster transition through the gears."


LOL. It's got to be simpler and therefore more robust, and probably a lighter cassette as well. I don't know why we need as many gears. I'd sacrifice the front mech and go 1 x 7 if it had the same range of gears

Presumably you don't mind the yawning gaps between ratios or or your ratios are close and the range of gearing is small because of the topography where you ride.
TBH 3x8 with a range of 20in to 90in is a minimum for where I ride.

8 or less covering 20 to 90 would be fine for me. Or even just 20,30,50,60,70,80. Couldn't care less about size of the gaps.
reohn2
Posts: 45182
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by reohn2 »

djnotts wrote:
reohn2 wrote:
mnichols wrote:
LOL. It's got to be simpler and therefore more robust, and probably a lighter cassette as well. I don't know why we need as many gears. I'd sacrifice the front mech and go 1 x 7 if it had the same range of gears

Presumably you don't mind the yawning gaps between ratios or or your ratios are close and the range of gearing is small because of the topography where you ride.
TBH 3x8 with a range of 20in to 90in is a minimum for where I ride.

8 or less covering 20 to 90 would be fine for me. Or even just 20,30,50,60,70,80. Couldn't care less about size of the gaps.

Some people dont mind the gaps,personally in the most used and higher range I don't like anything more than a two tooth gap,climbing it's different three tooth is OK for me,my favoured 8sp cassette is 14/17/19/21/23/25/28/32 with 24/34/46t chainrings,you'll notice a big gap between 14 and 17 but its a sacrifice for the much favoured 17 to 25t range.
I've recently bought some S/H 9sp DT levers to fit in the Kelly Take offs which will allow me to plug the gap between 14 and 17 with a 15t cog but I haven't got around to fitting them yet.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
nsew
Posts: 1006
Joined: 14 Dec 2017, 12:38pm

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by nsew »

reohn2 wrote:
djnotts wrote:
reohn2 wrote:Presumably you don't mind the yawning gaps between ratios or or your ratios are close and the range of gearing is small because of the topography where you ride.
TBH 3x8 with a range of 20in to 90in is a minimum for where I ride.

8 or less covering 20 to 90 would be fine for me. Or even just 20,30,50,60,70,80. Couldn't care less about size of the gaps.

Some people dont mind the gaps,personally in the most used and higher range I don't like anything more than a two tooth gap,climbing it's different three tooth is OK for me,my favoured 8sp cassette is 14/17/19/21/23/25/28/32 with 24/34/46t chainrings,you'll notice a big gap between 14 and 17 but its a sacrifice for the much favoured 17 to 25t range.
I've recently bought some S/H 9sp DT levers to fit in the Kelly Take offs which will allow me to plug the gap between 14 and 17 with a 15t cog but I haven't got around to fitting them yet.


You’ll need to use 9 speed cassette spacers and a 9 speed chain. Unless you’re ok taking the 32 cog out. 24 28 low is a nice enough climbing gear unloaded. That is a nice progression for an 8 cassette. Building custom cassettes is do-able in 7 and 8 speed as they’re located so cheaply from Germany.
nsew
Posts: 1006
Joined: 14 Dec 2017, 12:38pm

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by nsew »

Or just sticking a 9 speed block on with 9 speed chain! Campy and Wippermann make strong 9 speed chains. I like 8 from 9 on a 7 speed freehub.
reohn2
Posts: 45182
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by reohn2 »

Nsew
Im aware of the spacer and chain issues.
I've been using 9sp chains on 8sp custom cassettes for over ten years and making 7,8 and 9sp custom cassettes for longer on tandems and solos.
Thanks for the input anyway :)

Going off people's experience on here Campag chains are the best there is,but are no more cost effective than the Sram chains I use.
Last time I checked Campag C9 chains cost twice as much as the Sram 971 I use.
But if you consider I get three chains before the cassette needs changing,a C9 and cassette doesn't give me that mileage I did some figures on the issue a few years ago and it didn't pan out,plus the C9 even if it did go the distance elongation-wise the side slop would be off the scale.
Whereas at £11 a pop a Sram 971 seems to wear and side slop at about the same rate over 4k to 4.5k miles before it needs changing,three chains and the cassette needs changing total mileage usually around 13k miles for £33 and the price of a custom cassette @ at about £25.Say C9 does 9k to 10k miles for £23 plus a cassette @ £25 it doesnt work out.

I'm not convinced about Wipperman,I tried their better all nickel(?) plated 808 one and found it didn't last any longer than the Sram 971 I've used for donkeys ears.
I have a 10sp KMC on my MTB which seems to be holding up well in the muck and grime and promised myself I'd try one on my other bikes but I still have a couple of Sram 971s in stock yet.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Tompsk
Posts: 195
Joined: 6 Nov 2014, 9:35am

Re: It Doesn't matters, It's not the bike/kit you have...

Post by Tompsk »

Oh no! It's turned into another gear & chain selection thread!
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