Reasons why I'm faster than you in rank order

SamWise72

(Or "Bad news for weight weenies")

1) I'm just faster than you; I can take on more oxygen, my muscles process it better, I've got bigger more effective muscles, or I'm bigger full stop, and can use that to my advantage. Let's face it, this is really numbers 1-9, almost always, when you get owned, it's superior strength and fitness. Particularly, if you're in team kit, riding an expensive looking Cannondale, and carrying only a backpack, and you can't shake me, on my Brompton, in work clothes, carrying a big bag off your wheel as we jointly annihilate everyone else over Waterloo Bridge, it's definitely that I'm better.

2) I know how to ride my bike. I know how to start effectively and quickly, I'm pushing a sensible gear, I backed off and preserved momentum so I went through the lights fast when they changed, while you were grinding. When someone beats you, almost always they beat you in a race; their bike didn't beat yours.

3) I have a more favourable gear ratio. I you ride SS or fixed, chances are that on any geared bike I'll have an advantage off the line, and again at speed, even if I'm on a 3 speed. If you've got plenty and chosen wrong, you're a muppet.

4) I maintain my bike properly. If I've cleaned and lubed my chain, and I grease the other bearings now and then, you're in trouble if you don't.

5) I have appropriate tyres. They're not so wide a tractor could use them, they're not covered in ridiculous knobbles, and I've inflated them to a sensible pressure. Maybe you should try that?

6) I'm more aero than you. Clothing might be a factor, but if I've got drops and you haven't, then even if we're equal in every other area, after 20 mph I'm going to start running away from you.

7) My bike is lighter. Alright, if you're sure you've eliminated everything else on the list, then go ahead and buy a TI seatpost or a carbon fork. But even then, don't forget that you could get the same effect cheaper by eating one less sausage a meal, or leaving your iPod at home instead of putting it in the bag.


Sorry for the rant, but I do get bored of people agonising over what to spend huge sums on next. My road bike is probably nearly 30 years old, cost £25 on eBay, and eweighs 22lb. I don't care if you get a bike which floats away with the wind, if I'm faster than you today, I still will be tomorrow. (Ps, I know that we want shiny bikes because they're gorgeous, but let's be honest about that, eh?)

jonginge

Interesting, interesting.

DDD will be along shortly with his gauntlet image.

*sits back*

Stuey01

Wow I wish I was as awesomely fast and cool as you. You are my hero.

Will you sign my pants?

dhope

SamWise72 wrote:

I don't care if you get a bike which floats away with the wind, if I'm faster than you today, I still will be tomorrow.

But I might be faster than me tomorrow.

And yes, shiny stuff is, well, shiny.

SamWise72

NB - these rules can be applied to why ANYONE is faster than you. It's meant aas a critique of bike weight obsession, rather than a boast about my (undoubtedly titanic) physical prowess.

Also, when you're faster than me, it's STILL not cos your bike is 50g lighter than mine.

Uchiga

And here we go back to the old policy of. "It ain't what you ride it's the way you ride it!"

However once you get to a certian level it then does become a matter of what you ride. However that only applies to Elite cyclists really. Hence the tiny weenie weight saving things like slightly lighter bolts that shave a total or 30g over the total weight of a bike...

And to some degree i agree with you. But then where would be the fun in over taking someone on your beat down bike when they're on there fab bike if you tell them our little secret!

Little ramble of my own now...

I ride an old Carrera Subway 1. This was one of the first Carrera Subway 1 Models Halfords released. So essentially the Subway 1 and the Subway 2 back then had exactly the same frame (They both had IS disc mounts on the frame but the paint job differed slightly... ie number 1 was swapped for 2). It is now a completely differant bike. It's riding with only the frame, seatpost, bottom bracket and cranks being the only original parts on it. I have really heavy jump forks on it, Flat bars and bar ends courtesy of Ritchey. Some MTB wheels i stole from my XC bike and some lovely Schwallbe Marathon Plus on them. And it is now riding as a singlespeed bike with hydraulic discs.

I ride with a local group who all ride with their drop down race bikes. I singlespeed faster than them up every hill. And leave them in my dust. Down every downhill i can tuck in just as much as them and due to the heavy bike i do catch up quite damn quickly. On the flat its noticeable that i am spinning quite quickly but i keep up and if anything i always up the pace when i cycle at the front. I also happen to kow my way round traffic better than any of that lot do as well... Well from what ive seen.

Is it me or has the art of being able to judge speeds and gaps been lost? I get over taken by many a parent just before a junction or round about and i go whizzing past them simply because ive timed it correctly based on the other cars speeds...

SimonAH

SamWise72 wrote:

(Or "Bad news for weight weenies")

1) I'm just faster than you; I can take on more oxygen, my muscles process it better, I've got bigger more effective muscles, or I'm bigger full stop, and can use that to my advantage. Let's face it, this is really numbers 1-9, almost always, when you get owned, it's superior strength and fitness. Particularly, if you're in team kit, riding an expensive looking Cannondale, and carrying only a backpack, and you can't shake me, on my Brompton, in work clothes, carrying a big bag off your wheel as we jointly annihilate everyone else over Waterloo Bridge, it's definitely that I'm better.

2) I know how to ride my bike. I know how to start effectively and quickly, I'm pushing a sensible gear, I backed off and preserved momentum so I went through the lights fast when they changed, while you were grinding. When someone beats you, almost always they beat you in a race; their bike didn't beat yours.

3) I have a more favourable gear ratio. I you ride SS or fixed, chances are that on any geared bike I'll have an advantage off the line, and again at speed, even if I'm on a 3 speed. If you've got plenty and chosen wrong, you're a muppet.

4) I maintain my bike properly. If I've cleaned and lubed my chain, and I grease the other bearings now and then, you're in trouble if you don't.

5) I have appropriate tyres. They're not so wide a tractor could use them, they're not covered in ridiculous knobbles, and I've inflated them to a sensible pressure. Maybe you should try that?

6) I'm more aero than you. Clothing might be a factor, but if I've got drops and you haven't, then even if we're equal in every other area, after 20 mph I'm going to start running away from you.

7) My bike is lighter. Alright, if you're sure you've eliminated everything else on the list, then go ahead and buy a TI seatpost or a carbon fork. But even then, don't forget that you could get the same effect cheaper by eating one less sausage a meal, or leaving your iPod at home instead of putting it in the bag.


Sorry for the rant, but I do get bored of people agonising over what to spend huge sums on next. My road bike is probably nearly 30 years old, cost £25 on eBay, and eweighs 22lb. I don't care if you get a bike which floats away with the wind, if I'm faster than you today, I still will be tomorrow. (Ps, I know that we want shiny bikes because they're gorgeous, but let's be honest about that, eh?)

1) Absolutely true, Chris Hoy could probably kill me on a bmx.
2) I ride fixed and quite a tall gear, but I'm invariably rolling when the lights change - stand up for a few strokes if need be - but I'm fecking shifting. OK, I have the advantage of lighter-than-London traffic, but if you put your foot down at lights then you need some lessons in timing.
3)See two
4)Obsessive
5) 700 24C at 100PSI exactly.
6) I've got flats on the fixie, but zero rise, upside down stem, tight to the wheel forks and flat bars. I'm about a third up from the drops to the hoods relative to my road bike.
7) Now at 8Kg with mudguards and armageddon puncture resistant tyres.

8) See 1), must train a bit more! Still got a full head of hair though if you don't count the odd scooter. You don't do you?

rml380z

It's all about performance.

And no, I'm not linking to the video.

SamWise1972

It occurs to me that I've responded in an insufficiently manly way. Let me sort that out.

JonGinge wrote:

Interesting, interesting.

DDD will be along shortly with his gauntlet image.

*sits back*

Pah. I'm the kind of guy that has a bowl of gauntlets for breakgast, with a liberal dousing of MTFU.

Stuey01 wrote:

Wow I wish I was as awesomely fast and cool as you. You are my hero.

Will you sign my pants?

No, I'm not going anywhere near your pants. If that's the kind of thing you're into, you can sign mine, but they're a trifle stinky after the ride home.

dhope wrote:

But I might be faster than me tomorrow.

Madam, you make my point for me. I suppose that's not Debs, is it?

uchiga wrote:

now riding as a singlespeed bike with hydraulic discs.

I ride with a local group who all ride with their drop down race bikes. I singlespeed faster than them up every hill.

These people need to get some nuts. What's becoming of the world?

SimonAH wrote:

4)Obsessive

To be fair, I don't do those things very often at all. But then it's not me crying for carbon when I'm riding something that creaks like sailboat rigging in a storm!

acidstrato

you sound as bad as those who you are ranting about....

dhope

SamWise1972 wrote:

dhope wrote:

But I might be faster than me tomorrow.

Madam, you make my point for me. I suppose that's not Debs, is it?

Debs?

If you're [one is] faster than me that's okay fine, plenty are. If I can be faster than me tomorrow then I'll get closer to you. Shinier bike is a good enough end in itself, but if it makes it more enjoyable and I push a bit harder then that's a better end. If someone on a better bike goes past I can normally gauge if it's the bike, the person or both. Either way, mtfu and try to catch them

My bike is good enough that I'm pretty sure if someone goes past then it's because they're quicker, and I need another kilo of muscle rather than a kilo less bike.

ride_whenever

SamWise72 wrote:

1) I'm just faster than you; I can take on more oxygen, my muscles process it better, I've got bigger more effective muscles, or I'm bigger full stop, and can use that to my advantage. Let's face it, this is really numbers 1-9, almost always, when you get owned, it's superior strength and fitness. Particularly, if you're in team kit, riding an expensive looking Cannondale, and carrying only a backpack, and you can't shake me, on my Brompton, in work clothes, carrying a big bag off your wheel as we jointly annihilate everyone else over Waterloo Bridge, it's definitely that I'm better.

2) blah blah

3) blah blah

4) blah blah

5) blah blah

6) blah blah

7) blah blah

That is the sole reason. it's what training and preparation for any race come down to.

Jay dubbleU

I ride a Globe Carmel - the concept of faster or lighter means nothing to me - I will arrive in my own time 8)

Gazzaputt

SamWise72 wrote:

(Or "Bad news for weight weenies")

1) I'm just faster than you; I can take on more oxygen, my muscles process it better, I've got bigger more effective muscles, or I'm bigger full stop, and can use that to my advantage. Let's face it, this is really numbers 1-9, almost always, when you get owned, it's superior strength and fitness. Particularly, if you're in team kit, riding an expensive looking Cannondale, and carrying only a backpack, and you can't shake me, on my Brompton, in work clothes, carrying a big bag off your wheel as we jointly annihilate everyone else over Waterloo Bridge, it's definitely that I'm better.

2) I know how to ride my bike. I know how to start effectively and quickly, I'm pushing a sensible gear, I backed off and preserved momentum so I went through the lights fast when they changed, while you were grinding. When someone beats you, almost always they beat you in a race; their bike didn't beat yours.

3) I have a more favourable gear ratio. I you ride SS or fixed, chances are that on any geared bike I'll have an advantage off the line, and again at speed, even if I'm on a 3 speed. If you've got plenty and chosen wrong, you're a muppet.

4) I maintain my bike properly. If I've cleaned and lubed my chain, and I grease the other bearings now and then, you're in trouble if you don't.

5) I have appropriate tyres. They're not so wide a tractor could use them, they're not covered in ridiculous knobbles, and I've inflated them to a sensible pressure. Maybe you should try that?

6) I'm more aero than you. Clothing might be a factor, but if I've got drops and you haven't, then even if we're equal in every other area, after 20 mph I'm going to start running away from you.

7) My bike is lighter. Alright, if you're sure you've eliminated everything else on the list, then go ahead and buy a TI seatpost or a carbon fork. But even then, don't forget that you could get the same effect cheaper by eating one less sausage a meal, or leaving your iPod at home instead of putting it in the bag.


Sorry for the rant, but I do get bored of people agonising over what to spend huge sums on next. My road bike is probably nearly 30 years old, cost £25 on eBay, and eweighs 22lb. I don't care if you get a bike which floats away with the wind, if I'm faster than you today, I still will be tomorrow. (Ps, I know that we want shiny bikes because they're gorgeous, but let's be honest about that, eh?)

I've read some bollox in this forum but you just trumped it.

Are you the Bhima the 2nd?

secretsam

Frankly, I believe cycling - any cycling (unless it's your living) - should be fun, first, last and always. So if riding a 100g superbike made of gnat's gossamer is your bag, fine, on you go, and if you're obsessed with riding at 30mph everywhere (and I mean you, sad tw&t riding Oh-so-considerately down a canal yesterday) then so be it.

But as for all this "I'm fitter and faster and will flay you at the lights", well whoop-ee doo for you, I'm sure your other half will be SO pleased at what a total stud that makes you. Now, don't get me wrong, I like going fast but most of the time I ride at my speed. If you want to go faster, fine.

The saddest thing I ever read was an article in C+ a while back about some twonk who was entering the national 10 mile TT championship. It was all blah blah, special diet, blah blah, super bike, blah blah, early nights no sex no booze no this no that, blah blah preparation and sacrifice.

And you know what? He came 6th. Wow. So he's the UK's 6th fastest bell-end over 10 miles. But still a bell-end.

Now I feel so much better, thanks SamWise.... :P

lost_in_thought

Samwise, did you mean to post this in 'road' where people actually agonise over weight saving?

Sure, I own a light bike, but I just had a slice of rocky road for breakfast.

jonginge

SamWise1972 wrote:

It occurs to me that I've responded in an insufficiently manly way. Let me sort that out.

JonGinge wrote:

Interesting, interesting.

DDD will be along shortly with his gauntlet image.

*sits back*

Pah. I'm the kind of guy that has a bowl of gauntlets for breakgast, with a liberal dousing of MTFU.

A lod of other stuff

There's a phrase about protesting too much but I can't quite recall it.

SamWise1972

Heh, perhaps I mistargeted it. People seem to have taken it ever so seriously, in the home of MTFU, and SCR!

I am overweight and hardly the picture of the worlds fittest man, though I do manage to keep my hair on in most rides, so I hope this doesn't come across as a serious RAWR I AM AWESOME thread.

gtvlusso

Perhaps you are jealous of people with lightweight bikes and kit?

I know I am! Make life a bit easier day to day!

UndercoverElephant

Wait a minute, weren't you the guy who until yesterday rode everywhere in a suit with a hi-viz bib on?

If you were faster than me, I'd throw my bike in the canal.

MonkeyMonster

lost_in_thought wrote:

Samwise, did you mean to post this in 'road' where people actually agonise over weight saving?

Sure, I own a light bike, but I just had a slice of rocky road for breakfast.

But you also have "high torque" legs - quote from yourself

mroli

I have a choice with bikes - one bike costing £5k or a number of bikes totalling £5k.

I like bikes, I like messing about with them and I like them to do different things. Therefore I would go with the number of bikes option every time. This doesn't stop me from really wanting a £5k bike, but it doesn't make me see people with those sort of bikes and thinking they're dicks or that I'm better than them if I'm quicker than them.

I rode with a bloke who had a DI2 Cervelo with lightweight wheels at the weekend. We kept the same pace (I was on a bike costing 1/5 of his). Not once did it cross my mind that I was "better" than him because of my bike - it just gave me a very nice bike to look at when he was in front of me.

I don't get in my Ford Focus and see a BMW or Mercedes driver and think that I must drive as fast as them, or that I'm better than them if I do.

Just ride.

Mr Dog

Sad but true.. I get a kick out of waiting for the postie with my new shiny shiny. Yes I am wasting time and money.. but it makes me feel like a kid again.. on Christmas morning. Whats more cycling healthy, clean and sometimes brings a smile to my well lined face. 8)

SamWise1972

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Wait a minute, weren't you the guy who until yesterday rode everywhere in a suit with a hi-viz bib on?

If you were faster than me, I'd throw my bike in the canal.

Not yesterday, but a week ago, yes. And I'm fairly sure I've broken some hearts. I remember kicking past a guy on a very shiny road bike on Blackfriars Bridge, in my suit, on my Downtube folder, with my Ortlieb Office Bag 2 on the rack, big rucksack on my back with a ukulele strapped to it, and flapping like a cape behind, tied to the straps (cos I'd run out of space) my hi-viz rain jacket. Must have been heart-breaking for him

il_principe

Mr Dog wrote:

Sad but true.. I get a kick out of waiting for the postie with my new shiny shiny. Yes I am wasting time and money.. but it makes me feel like a kid again.. on Christmas morning. Whats more cycling healthy, clean and sometimes brings a smile to my well lined face. 8)

+1.

Also 'fast' is rather subjective. I quite often scalp roadies on my SS on the commute, but then I only travel 7 miles, whereas they might have done 20. I couldn't hold my commuting pace for much further than 10 miles I reckon.

SamWise1972

Mr Dog wrote:

Sad but true.. I get a kick out of waiting for the postie with my new shiny shiny. Yes I am wasting time and money.. but it makes me feel like a kid again.. on Christmas morning. Whats more cycling healthy, clean and sometimes brings a smile to my well lined face. 8)

I'm not even against people spending a fortune on their bikes. I just have a healthy disrespect for the idea that it'll make anyone significantly faster. Unless they're Laurent Fignon and have Greg Lemond to beat that is.

lost_in_thought

MonkeyMonster wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Samwise, did you mean to post this in 'road' where people actually agonise over weight saving?

Sure, I own a light bike, but I just had a slice of rocky road for breakfast.

But you also have "high torque" legs - quote from yourself

Quote from myself quoting epic cycles....

Come on MM, I know you're relatively new here, but do your homework!

Gazzaputt

SamWise1972 wrote:

Mr Dog wrote:

Sad but true.. I get a kick out of waiting for the postie with my new shiny shiny. Yes I am wasting time and money.. but it makes me feel like a kid again.. on Christmas morning. Whats more cycling healthy, clean and sometimes brings a smile to my well lined face. 8)

I'm not even against people spending a fortune on their bikes. I just have a healthy disrespect for the idea that it'll make anyone significantly faster. Unless they're Laurent Fignon and have Greg Lemond to beat that is.

You have a lot to learn. I suggest do some Google research on power to bike weight ratios.

greg66_tri_v2.0

SamWise1972 wrote:

I just have a healthy disrespect for the idea that it'll make anyone significantly faster.

Don't underestimate the psychological effect of riding a high end shiny bike. It *can* compel you to push yourself that little bit harder, and go that little bit faster, simply to maintain a sense of self-respect.

andy83

i often scalp people on my fixed.

One bloke came out on a really nice cervello (cant remember model) and I just rode hard on my fixed and i started to get a little annoyed that he was drafting me and i was on a fixed. 3 or so miles later he goes to turn off

cervelo guy "you in a hurry"

me "no just going the gym, why"

Cervelo guy "no reason just I coudlnt catch you"

I think you will get some snobbery with bikes but if i had the money id love a 5k bike. The guy i ride with rides a 90s raleigh frame, im on a 2011 trek but never any problems, although i am quicker than him cos he is 14 years older than me lol

SamWise72

Gazzaputt wrote:

SamWise1972 wrote:

Mr Dog wrote:

Sad but true.. I get a kick out of waiting for the postie with my new shiny shiny. Yes I am wasting time and money.. but it makes me feel like a kid again.. on Christmas morning. Whats more cycling healthy, clean and sometimes brings a smile to my well lined face. 8)

I'm not even against people spending a fortune on their bikes. I just have a healthy disrespect for the idea that it'll make anyone significantly faster. Unless they're Laurent Fignon and have Greg Lemond to beat that is.

You have a lot to learn. I suggest do some Google research on power to bike weight ratios.

Well, I've done that. And as every other time, it looks like the only thing that makes any difference is rotating weight (and rotating weight at the rim, at that), which is worth about twice the saving anywhere else. So I can lose a stone off my belly, or half a stone off the rims for the same effect. Dammit, I needed to start with heavier wheels! That aside, it doesn't matter where the weight goes from. Bag, ar$e, bike. No difference.