Reasons why I'm faster than you in rank order

SimonLyons

Give it a few years and samwise can turn "I am..." into "I was ..." and some other person will be "I am..."

I am quite happy to be passed by / follow a mtber on my commute.
Lifes a marathon not a sprint.

SimonAH

SimonLyons wrote:

I am quite happy to be passed by / follow a mtber on my commute.
Lifes a marathon not a sprint.

Aaargh! Heretic! Get the kindling and a stake!

I'm not happy to be passed by a GSXR750 - that's how we compress 20 miles into 5!

SamWise72

SimonLyons wrote:

Give it a few years and samwise can turn "I am..." into "I was ..." and some other person will be "I am..."
.

Argh! The point was not "I'm faster than you". The point was "Lots of things are more important than how light your bike is". Read it again and replace "Reasons why I'm faster than you" with "Reasons why someone's faster than you".

rjsterry

Just a thought, but maybe the reason people think this is an "I'm faster than you" thread is because it is entitled "Reasons why I'm faster than you in rank order" and not "Lots of things are more important than how light your bike is".

Mr Dog

The fact that I invest so much in my bike makes me want to ride more and hence does make me faster. I may not be as fast as you.. or maybe I'm faster. It only matters in a race not a journey. 8)

SamWise72

rjsterry wrote:

Just a thought, but maybe the reason people think this is an "I'm faster than you" thread is because it is entitled "Reasons why I'm faster than you in rank order" and not "Lots of things are more important than how light your bike is".

Yeah, I just thought it'd be more fun that way. Maybe it is.

SamWise72

Mr Dog wrote:

The fact that I invest so much in my bike makes me want to ride more and hence does make me faster. I may not be as fast as you.. or maybe I'm faster. It only matters in a race not a journey. 8)

Let me remind you of rule #2 of SCR. You are ALWAYS racing.

Mr Dog

Racing the oblivious is not racing. 8)

kelsen

SamWise72 wrote:

Let me remind you of rule #2 of SCR. You are ALWAYS racing.

Or at least YOU will always be racing now that you're a marked man because of this thread!

woodford2barbican

SamWise72 wrote:

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.

I have never lusted after a new bike or component because it was lighter - the only reason has been that it looks nice / is something I want to ride.

Same applies to my attitude to food, hence why I will eat that extra sausage, because it looks nice!

Headhuunter

Well all I have to say is that I've never, ever been passed by anyone on a Brompton (spits on floor), let alone someone wearing a suit (OMG). In fact I barely ever get passed at all on the commute. Perhaps once a month and then it's usually someone who can't maintain the pace for long and drops back within a couple of hundred metres. I only ever really get passed by fellow club mates on weekend club rides. I love the morning race through London and if I can't do it at all out pace I'm not doing it at all.

SamWise72

kelsen wrote:

SamWise72 wrote:

Let me remind you of rule #2 of SCR. You are ALWAYS racing.

Or at least YOU will always be racing now that you're a marked man because of this thread!

God I hope so. Some mornings there's just nobody trying at all! I have the advantage (in a way) that I'm generally not doing more than 3 or 4 miles in London, so I have more sprint left in my legs than most. So yeah, if you see a big bloke in a red softshell on a Brompton, have a go! I did get skinned on my first day out on it, but not since. Sometimes I'm on a chrome single-speed, or a blue 80's Gazelle road bike, or frankly one of a number of other bikes, but most often, the Brompton.

gtvlusso

Perhaps this comes down to a cash divide:

If I had the money readily available (well, I kinda do - but I would get killed for spending it) - I would have an expensive road bikt - that by definition would be light!

However, I have 2 steel framed bikes that are light'ish and I am content without spending a shedload of cash.

Ultimately, it is up to the individual and how much they want to spend.........and chapeau to them!

SamWise72

I'm with you on that. I've got a 531 road bike which would have been top tackle when I was 15, and I love it. I've got a single speed which is light, fast, and lovely. I've 3 different folding bikes. I've got a 531 tourer which I've fitted with a Nexus 7, I've got an old sit up and beg Raleigh Roadster, and there are a pile of half finished projects. The only bikes that have cost more than £150 are the folders, and I'm happy that way. Give me £5k to splash on a Wilier or a Cervelo, and I'd love it, and I'm sure I'd be a bit faster, but the number of duels where it would be the key factor would be very, very few.

SimonLyons

Sorry - guilty of not reading the whole. I have the attention span of a sparrow sometimes and can only manage

1.the title
2.about 4 lines scanned of the main.
3. a few of the short replies.

DonDaddyD

SamWise72

DonDaddyD wrote:

Thanks, but I'm still full from this morning's bowl of gauntlets.

Gazzaputt

SamWise72 wrote:

I'm with you on that. I've got a 531 road bike which would have been top tackle when I was 15, and I love it. I've got a single speed which is light, fast, and lovely. I've 3 different folding bikes. I've got a 531 tourer which I've fitted with a Nexus 7, I've got an old sit up and beg Raleigh Roadster, and there are a pile of half finished projects. The only bikes that have cost more than £150 are the folders, and I'm happy that way. Give me £5k to splash on a Wilier or a Cervelo, and I'd love it, and I'm sure I'd be a bit faster, but the number of duels where it would be the key factor would be very, very few.

I think you miss the point that there are people riding expensive bikes to work as commuting forms part of their training.

I sometimes ride my race bike into work and when I used to ride into central London and I'd get quite a few like you wanting to race a sprint. If I could be arsed I may have a sprint with them but more than often than not I laugh to myself at their small mindedness.

The bike isn't everything but in a proper race it helps.

Headhuunter

Gazzaputt wrote:

SamWise72 wrote:

I'm with you on that. I've got a 531 road bike which would have been top tackle when I was 15, and I love it. I've got a single speed which is light, fast, and lovely. I've 3 different folding bikes. I've got a 531 tourer which I've fitted with a Nexus 7, I've got an old sit up and beg Raleigh Roadster, and there are a pile of half finished projects. The only bikes that have cost more than £150 are the folders, and I'm happy that way. Give me £5k to splash on a Wilier or a Cervelo, and I'd love it, and I'm sure I'd be a bit faster, but the number of duels where it would be the key factor would be very, very few.

I think you miss the point that there are people riding expensive bikes to work as commuting forms part of their training.

I sometimes ride my race bike into work and when I used to ride into central London and I'd get quite a few like you wanting to race a sprint. If I could be arsed I may have a sprint with them but more than often than not I laugh to myself at their small mindedness.

The bike isn't everything but in a proper race it helps.

I went out on a club ride a couple of months ago and some guy had bought some new carbon wheels for a couple of grand or something and had then removed the ZIPP or whatever stickers from them as they added rotating weight!

SamWise72

Gazzaputt wrote:

I think you miss the point that there are people riding expensive bikes to work as commuting forms part of their training.

I sometimes ride my race bike into work and when I used to ride into central London and I'd get quite a few like you wanting to race a sprint. If I could be arsed I may have a sprint with them but more than often than not I laugh to myself at their small mindedness.

The bike isn't everything but in a proper race it helps.

You're sort of spoiling my fun with your reasonable points.

(I like to think that I can tell the difference between people who are trying, and those who aren't interested - regular shoulder checks and then attempts to accelerate are a clue - but I could be wrong. And on a Brompton, I still count every scalp over a fancy bike!)

gtvlusso

Headhuunter wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

SamWise72 wrote:

I'm with you on that. I've got a 531 road bike which would have been top tackle when I was 15, and I love it. I've got a single speed which is light, fast, and lovely. I've 3 different folding bikes. I've got a 531 tourer which I've fitted with a Nexus 7, I've got an old sit up and beg Raleigh Roadster, and there are a pile of half finished projects. The only bikes that have cost more than £150 are the folders, and I'm happy that way. Give me £5k to splash on a Wilier or a Cervelo, and I'd love it, and I'm sure I'd be a bit faster, but the number of duels where it would be the key factor would be very, very few.

I think you miss the point that there are people riding expensive bikes to work as commuting forms part of their training.

I sometimes ride my race bike into work and when I used to ride into central London and I'd get quite a few like you wanting to race a sprint. If I could be arsed I may have a sprint with them but more than often than not I laugh to myself at their small mindedness.

The bike isn't everything but in a proper race it helps.

I went out on a club ride a couple of months ago and some guy had bought some new carbon wheels for a couple of grand or something and had then removed the ZIPP or whatever stickers from them as they added rotating weight!

Manufacture fail - should have engraved the logo; would have saved weight as some material would have been removed.....

dhope

gtvlusso wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

I went out on a club ride a couple of months ago and some guy had bought some new carbon wheels for a couple of grand or something and had then removed the ZIPP or whatever stickers from them as they added rotating weight!

Manufacture fail - should have engraved the logo; would have saved weight as some material would have been removed.....

Extra drag though from the uneven surface, probably would cost half a second over a few hours.

greg66_tri_v2.0

gtvlusso wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

SamWise72 wrote:

I'm with you on that. I've got a 531 road bike which would have been top tackle when I was 15, and I love it. I've got a single speed which is light, fast, and lovely. I've 3 different folding bikes. I've got a 531 tourer which I've fitted with a Nexus 7, I've got an old sit up and beg Raleigh Roadster, and there are a pile of half finished projects. The only bikes that have cost more than £150 are the folders, and I'm happy that way. Give me £5k to splash on a Wilier or a Cervelo, and I'd love it, and I'm sure I'd be a bit faster, but the number of duels where it would be the key factor would be very, very few.

I think you miss the point that there are people riding expensive bikes to work as commuting forms part of their training.

I sometimes ride my race bike into work and when I used to ride into central London and I'd get quite a few like you wanting to race a sprint. If I could be arsed I may have a sprint with them but more than often than not I laugh to myself at their small mindedness.

The bike isn't everything but in a proper race it helps.

I went out on a club ride a couple of months ago and some guy had bought some new carbon wheels for a couple of grand or something and had then removed the ZIPP or whatever stickers from them as they added rotating weight!

Manufacture fail - should have engraved the logo; would have saved weight as some material would have been removed.....

Ahhh, but then for Zipp, aero fail - all that lost material would disrupt uniformity of their dimples and so disrupt precious airflow.

[scepticism:on]

SamWise72

dhope wrote:

Debs?

I know a Deborah Hope. It might have been you, but I guess not

gtvlusso

Greg66 wrote:

gtvlusso wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

SamWise72 wrote:

I'm with you on that. I've got a 531 road bike which would have been top tackle when I was 15, and I love it. I've got a single speed which is light, fast, and lovely. I've 3 different folding bikes. I've got a 531 tourer which I've fitted with a Nexus 7, I've got an old sit up and beg Raleigh Roadster, and there are a pile of half finished projects. The only bikes that have cost more than £150 are the folders, and I'm happy that way. Give me £5k to splash on a Wilier or a Cervelo, and I'd love it, and I'm sure I'd be a bit faster, but the number of duels where it would be the key factor would be very, very few.

I think you miss the point that there are people riding expensive bikes to work as commuting forms part of their training.

I sometimes ride my race bike into work and when I used to ride into central London and I'd get quite a few like you wanting to race a sprint. If I could be arsed I may have a sprint with them but more than often than not I laugh to myself at their small mindedness.

The bike isn't everything but in a proper race it helps.

I went out on a club ride a couple of months ago and some guy had bought some new carbon wheels for a couple of grand or something and had then removed the ZIPP or whatever stickers from them as they added rotating weight!

Manufacture fail - should have engraved the logo; would have saved weight as some material would have been removed.....

Ahhh, but then for Zipp, aero fail - all that lost material would disrupt uniformity of their dimples and so disrupt precious airflow.

[scepticism:on]

Jeez your good.....

Hmmm - how about engraving an aerodynamically efficient logo - Does not have to be the name of the Manuacturer.....just a symbol?!

DonDaddyD

I ride differently depending on the bike.

It's too simplistic to say that I'm faster on one than the other (even though I know which one).

More importantly I look at why I'm faster.

That way when I buy the next bike, I look at the for and against attributes against the usuage.

rjsterry

gtvlusso wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

gtvlusso wrote:

Headhuunter wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

SamWise72 wrote:

I'm with you on that. I've got a 531 road bike which would have been top tackle when I was 15, and I love it. I've got a single speed which is light, fast, and lovely. I've 3 different folding bikes. I've got a 531 tourer which I've fitted with a Nexus 7, I've got an old sit up and beg Raleigh Roadster, and there are a pile of half finished projects. The only bikes that have cost more than £150 are the folders, and I'm happy that way. Give me £5k to splash on a Wilier or a Cervelo, and I'd love it, and I'm sure I'd be a bit faster, but the number of duels where it would be the key factor would be very, very few.

I think you miss the point that there are people riding expensive bikes to work as commuting forms part of their training.

I sometimes ride my race bike into work and when I used to ride into central London and I'd get quite a few like you wanting to race a sprint. If I could be arsed I may have a sprint with them but more than often than not I laugh to myself at their small mindedness.

The bike isn't everything but in a proper race it helps.

I went out on a club ride a couple of months ago and some guy had bought some new carbon wheels for a couple of grand or something and had then removed the ZIPP or whatever stickers from them as they added rotating weight!

Manufacture fail - should have engraved the logo; would have saved weight as some material would have been removed.....

Ahhh, but then for Zipp, aero fail - all that lost material would disrupt uniformity of their dimples and so disrupt precious airflow.

[scepticism:on]

Jeez your good.....

Hmmm - how about engraving an aerodynamically efficient logo - Does not have to be the name of the Manuacturer.....just a symbol?!

Mind you, if it's really classy stuff, it won't need any kind of logo as the design of the thing itself will be instantly recognisable. OTOH, even my Shimano R550s have the logo/name printed (screen printed?) on the hub - no sticker, no engraving - pretty sure a high end wheel could manage this.

waddlie

Greg66 wrote:

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.

+1. Try commuting on a bike with Rapid written all over it!!

SamWise72

I'm thinking of painting SCALPED! on the back of my helmet in hi-viz reflective paint. That should remind me to man up.

UndercoverElephant

Best training top I own (other than the dodgy zip and naff material):