Fastboys advice
dboden
Posts: 349
Hi I have just started going out with the local bike club.
Everybody seems to have carbon frame etc.... £2k+ bikes.
I am quite heavy and am hoping to lose a bit, which may help. (13.5st)
But these lads are flying. I seem quite comfortable at around 18mph av, but they can leave me whenever they like. (esp hills)
How much of this would you say Is down to fitness and hours in the saddle, against quality of bike/components.
With my Giant Scr 1.0 (shimano105)with soon Model Bs / conti 4000s on.. can I expect to get up to their level.
Or will I seriously have to think about upgrading my bike in the future, and using Giant as a winter hack?.... Don't want to waste money unnecesarily, but want to be able to mix it with the boys in the future.
All comments welcome... cheers
Everybody seems to have carbon frame etc.... £2k+ bikes.
I am quite heavy and am hoping to lose a bit, which may help. (13.5st)
But these lads are flying. I seem quite comfortable at around 18mph av, but they can leave me whenever they like. (esp hills)
How much of this would you say Is down to fitness and hours in the saddle, against quality of bike/components.
With my Giant Scr 1.0 (shimano105)with soon Model Bs / conti 4000s on.. can I expect to get up to their level.
Or will I seriously have to think about upgrading my bike in the future, and using Giant as a winter hack?.... Don't want to waste money unnecesarily, but want to be able to mix it with the boys in the future.
All comments welcome... cheers
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Comments
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It's probably something like 99% fitness and 1% better equipment - don't know if that's good or bad news - should save you some money anyway.
Weight is a killer on hills - if you are 14.5 stone unless you are very strong you are at a big disadvantage there - I'm over 6'1 and I notice it when I'm anything over 12.5 stone.
Hours is the saddle are important but so is going out with better riders than you. It sounds like you are doing that but don't give up - in my experience the ones that never make it to race fitness are the ones who shy away from getting dropped and never ride beyond their comfort zone.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
woops.... typo..... 13.5st0
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Its great news to me thx..... I would love to be able to mix it with them on my entry level bike... and it will save me a few quid in the future...
Giant SCR1.0 - £350ebay
Model Bs £100
I bet some of these lads have £3-4k bikes...
This will give me something to aim for... to pass em!!!!0 -
It's definitely possible - their bikes will give them a little bit of an edge and in time it might be worth shelling out to get that 1% or 2% but I think sticking with the current bike is the way to go at first. If you are riding with them on the flat then they probably aren't that much better than you - they may leave you on the hills but chances are one or two at least are on the limit when they do it. Good luck.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
Agree with Tom - the bike counts for very little once you go beyond a certain quality level. You may well benefit from lighter wheels and a stiffer, lighter frame, but the first place to start is to tune the engine.dboden wrote:How much of this would you say Is down to fitness and hours in the saddle, against quality of bike/components.
It's not just hours on the bike either, but what you do with the time that's important. If your club mates are racing, they will already have puts a lot of time this season into interval training to improve their base fitness.0 -
Great... I like the sound of this.... It really does make you feel quite inferior though, when everybody has all the flash equipment...0
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Try being 15st
I'm nowhere near being fat - if you looked at me you'd guess at 13ish - I'm fit, I can sit on an 80 mile club ride at 20mph avg, but when the super serious boys put the hammer down I just get blown into the weeds. And they do it if they're on their Colnago or on their winter hack.
It's partly power to weight, which you really notice on the hills, and just pure riding strength and fitness. But I am putting in hard miles and training, and it's really beginning to show. Me now v. me at start of year - chalk and cheese.
As some bloke once said, it's not about the bike
It doesn't get any easier, but I don't appear to be getting any faster.0 -
dboden wrote:Great... I like the sound of this.... It really does make you feel quite inferior though, when everybody has all the flash equipment...
I once went ot a lecture Graham Obree did and after 3 or 4 questions based around "how much faster will X part make me?" Or "how much weight would x part save me?" he told one fella if he wanted to save weight AND go faster he should just give up crisps.
Best advice ever."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
dboden wrote:I seem quite comfortable at around 18mph av, but they can leave me whenever they like. (esp hills)
A tip a club mate gave me when I first started was to simply watch the wheel infront of me and hold it no matter what. Almost killed me the first few times but eventually you're holding on over hills and when the hammer goes down with ease, and soon enough they're holding on to your wheel when you decide to stick the boot in "A cyclist has nothing to lose but his chain"
PTP Runner Up 20150 -
I'm an 85kg, 6'4" 2nd cat and it really isn't very much about the bike.
I'm pretty strong on the flat and rolling stuff and can hold my own on most climbs used in races in the South East in 2/3 races, but I get caned on anything steeper or longer than normal - or when the E/1s are out.
The Army 3 day used to use Leith Hill on the last day and I'd go backwards on that. I rode a 1/2/3 race in France a couple of weeks back and got smashed first time up the 2.5 km climb.
Short of losing 2 stone (and looking like the starved rake I was at eighteen) - there's not a whole lot I can do about it.0 -
Getting the miles in and your fitness & strength is what matters - as long as your bike is strong and reliable, it ain't gonna make a shred of difference - the strongest, fittest and smartest riders generally win.Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
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dboden wrote:Great... I like the sound of this.... It really does make you feel quite inferior though, when everybody has all the flash equipment...
All the better for when you kick their arses.0 -
hey ur bike is still 10 times the bike mine is (giant defy 4; shimano 2200, lead wheels..) but does me grand for racing
Race what you have and treat yourself if you feel the need (and are well endowed enough financially to do so :P ), but probably dont expect a transformation in your riding 0 -
dboden wrote:Hi I have just started going out with the local bike club.
Everybody seems to have carbon frame etc.... £2k+ bikes.
I am quite heavy and am hoping to lose a bit, which may help. (13.5st)
But these lads are flying. I seem quite comfortable at around 18mph av, but they can leave me whenever they like. (esp hills)
How much of this would you say Is down to fitness and hours in the saddle, against quality of bike/components.
With my Giant Scr 1.0 (shimano105)with soon Model Bs / conti 4000s on.. can I expect to get up to their level.
Or will I seriously have to think about upgrading my bike in the future, and using Giant as a winter hack?.... Don't want to waste money unnecesarily, but want to be able to mix it with the boys in the future.
All comments welcome... cheers
It took me four weeks to stay with the fast boys and a year later I was leaving them behind, especially on short sharp hills, if you want it enough it will happen.On long hard hills I never stay in but I don't worry about it, although I do killer hills on my own and that translated very well a few weeks later. It will happen, I have the 3 grand bike even though I can't afford it.0 -
ShockedSoShocked wrote:dboden wrote:I seem quite comfortable at around 18mph av, but they can leave me whenever they like. (esp hills)
A tip a club mate gave me when I first started was to simply watch the wheel infront of me and hold it no matter what. Almost killed me the first few times but eventually you're holding on over hills and when the hammer goes down with ease, and soon enough they're holding on to your wheel when you decide to stick the boot in
+1 best advice I was ever given too.0
