How much faster would I do a Sportive in on a Carbon Bike?

[fatboy]

I don't know whether I'd push myself any harder with a faster bike, I absolutely love riding my bike and I am convinced that the difference would be the square root of very little. I just love the way that it was assumed that I would be slow on my bike and then being quick somehow made me out to be some sort of superman!

As I said at the outset I'd never buy an out and out road bike but might tempt myself with an Audax bike.

[eileithyia]

Fat(ter) are not necessarily unfit but are often stronger cos they have tp propel that extra weight around. Think about it; if you weigh 16st you have to be much stronger than I need to be to walk that weight upstairs.

Porky Bennet was no slouch on a time trial bike... there was a reason why he was nicknamed 'porky'.

Margaret Aleen was no skinny model but no one would argue that she was slow and alcked ability on a bike.

Conversely one of our lads would turn up at evening club Time Trials on his touring bike.. remove his saddle bag and ride, beating many of the lads on their race bikes.

It's not just about the bike, but strenght, training, ability, psychology.

[stewartpratt]

Lance Armstrong: It's not about the bike.

And he won all his Tours on a steel audax bike, right?

[fatboy]

Lance Armstrong: It's not about the bike.

And he won all his Tours on a steel audax bike, right?

Surely if it was the Tour he was on a tourer?

[Ayesha]

The way to prove the theory, or debunk it, is to do some simple tests.

Find a hill that you can freewheel down quite fast.

Choose a nice calm day and get a bike from Evans on testride for the afternoon.

Put a spoke magnet, sensor and computer head on your touring bike and freewheel down the hill a few times to get a good avearge.
Then transfer the bike computer to the test bike and repeat the freewheel hill tests.

How much faster is the carbon roadbike?

Note. Wear appropriate clothing. Keep the cranks at 45 degs. Ride both bikes 'On The Hoods', ( Straight arm touring ).

Note 2. If there is a 1 - 2 mph wind constant from the same direction, this shouldn't spoil the results. The tests can count as 'consistant'.

Note 3. A tourer will prob have a Cd of 0.95 - 1.05. The roadbike 'on the hoods' will prob have a Cd of 0.9 - 1.0 ( B all ).

[Si]

Lance Armstrong: It's not about the bike.

Nope, according to the US Anti-Doping Agency it was about the doctor and the medicine

[Si]

My view is that you'd go faster on the carbon bike at the start but would suffer towards the end and really feel it the next day. But after a few audaxes you'll notice your over all speed increase.

Why? Because having spent all of that money on a flash bike and having turned up at an event full of knowledgeable cyclists on your posing mobile, you will feel that you'll have to really put some effort in to go fast to justify the bike and not look like someone with all the gear and no idea! Thus fast at the start before you start to run out of energy at the end, and having done this a few times the fitness will increase and you'll be faster throughout.

[fatboy]

My view is that you'd go faster on the carbon bike at the start but would suffer towards the end and really feel it the next day.

When it came to the hill I cruised past them all! (Well not all but most). I guess that all this touring and audax stuff actually has made me fit; mind you having done a 200k Audax a few months ago I knew that 80k was going to be a doddle.

I am wondering if I should try this same post on the Bikeradar forum for example and see what happens; I'd probably get barred for suggesting anything so subversive to suggest that you can't buy speed!

Someone has suggested a 10% improvement which I think is a huge over-estimate but I could believe a one or two percent.

[stewartpratt]

My view is that you'd go faster on the carbon bike at the start but would suffer towards the end and really feel it the next day.

I beg to differ. I find a lighter, stiffer bike lets me ride further for any given effort and also leaves me in better shape afterwards.

Someone has suggested a 10% improvement which I think is a huge over-estimate but I could believe a one or two percent.

Mm, that was me, and it seems more than I'd expected, too. But try as I might on my relaxed steel bike I couldn't get my commute time below 1h45m, whereas on the alu/carbon I've had it down to 1h35m.

The difference in effort between the two for an equivalent average speed is a lot harder to measure, of course, but all I can say is that IME it's significant.

[Goosey]

Lance Armstrong: It's not about the bike.

Nope, according to the US Anti-Doping Agency it was about the doctor and the medicine

Innocent until proven guilty eh?

[Si]

My view is that you'd go faster on the carbon bike at the start but would suffer towards the end and really feel it the next day.

I beg to differ. I find a lighter, stiffer bike lets me ride further for any given effort and also leaves me in better shape afterwards.

By not taking account of the rest of my point you are comparing cheese with apples I'm afraid. Doesn't matter how forgiving the bike is - if it encourages you to over do it at the start you will suffer later.

[Si]

Lance Armstrong: It's not about the bike.

Nope, according to the US Anti-Doping Agency it was about the doctor and the medicine

Innocent until proven guilty eh?

And the US Anti-Doping Agency (the official body concerned with perusing such things) has put forward what they believe to be evidence of his guilt. Plus we also have the positive samples of the Tour de France 1999 & Tour of Switzerland, 2001. It will be interesting to see how this one goes....given that a good number of the riders on the podium below LA have been subsequently proved to be cheating.....in some cases it might be fourth or fifth placed finisher who is rewarded the race.

[Edwards]

My view is that you'd go faster on the carbon bike at the start but would suffer towards the end and really feel it the next day. But after a few audaxes you'll notice your over all speed increase.Why?

Because having spent all of that money on a flash bike and having turned up at an event full of knowledgeable cyclists on your posing mobile, you will feel that you'll have to really put some effort in to go fast to justify the bike and not look like someone with all the gear and no idea! Thus fast at the start before you start to run out of energy at the end, and having done this a few times the fitness will increase and you'll be faster throughout.

I had a laugh when I read the reason. I used to want a carbon bike now you have made me think I should really act my age.

[Ayesha]

My view is that you'd go faster on the carbon bike at the start but would suffer towards the end and really feel it the next day. But after a few audaxes you'll notice your over all speed increase.Why?

Because having spent all of that money on a flash bike and having turned up at an event full of knowledgeable cyclists on your posing mobile, you will feel that you'll have to really put some effort in to go fast to justify the bike and not look like someone with all the gear and no idea! Thus fast at the start before you start to run out of energy at the end, and having done this a few times the fitness will increase and you'll be faster throughout.

I had a laugh when I read the reason. I used to want a carbon bike now you have made me think I should really act my age.

The moral of the story is...
"Ride Audaxes and Sportives on a knackered old wreck". Then you have nothing to prove.

Also...
"The bicycle is a vehicle where the engine gets more powerful after you give it a good thrashing".

[Si]

My view is that you'd go faster on the carbon bike at the start but would suffer towards the end and really feel it the next day. But after a few audaxes you'll notice your over all speed increase.Why?

Because having spent all of that money on a flash bike and having turned up at an event full of knowledgeable cyclists on your posing mobile, you will feel that you'll have to really put some effort in to go fast to justify the bike and not look like someone with all the gear and no idea! Thus fast at the start before you start to run out of energy at the end, and having done this a few times the fitness will increase and you'll be faster throughout.

I had a laugh when I read the reason. I used to want a carbon bike now you have made me think I should really act my age.

'Tis a reason borne of personal experience I'm afraid...once someone gave me a lot of money so I bought a replica team issue bike that was much too good for my humble abilities.....I did get faster though!