Top Race Spec Bike

Dave195817

I am fairly new to racing and have been competing in TT's and other small events locally. I currently ride a Giant TCR Advanced with 105 and Askiums. I will be looking to start racing either this year or next as a 4th Cat. I have been offered a bike with dura ace and carbon wheels for a very decent price. However I don't want to look like the person who has all the gear but no idea!! Would it be a waste of 3k??

proto

Providing your current bike is a decent fit, my advice would be to buy some decent wheels and tyres and race what you've got. See how it goes. Keep your Aksiums for training/winter. Look for some Fulcrum 1 or Ksyrium SL and you'll be sorted wheelwise for years.

If you move up the ranks then get your cheque book out, but to be honest, within reason it really isn't about the bike. Training/coaching much more important.

Chip \'oyler

proto wrote:

Providing your current bike is a decent fit, my advice would be to buy some decent wheels and tyres and race what you've got. See how it goes. Keep your Aksiums for training/winter. Look for some Fulcrum 1 or Ksyrium SL and you'll be sorted wheelwise for years.

If you move up the ranks then get your cheque book out, but to be honest, within reason it really isn't about the bike. Training/coaching much more important.

+1 on the coaching. A donkey on a C59 Colnago will be slower than a thoroughbred on a £500 Halfords Carrera!

Dave195817

I have just bought a set of mavic ksyrium sl premium so would keep them for hill climb events and general racing. I was looking at upgrading to an Ultegra groupset but this isn't a cheap option.

danowat

Don't race anything you can't afford to replace.

mroli

I just did my first 4th Cat race at hillingdon and I can tell you that people were on bikes ranging from steel frame winter bikes to spanking Isaacs/Colnagos with Sram Red. I must say it made no noticeable difference to anyone! I'm sure it does, but I rode a Condor Squadra with Sram Rival, mavic aksiums and Conti 4000s and I can tell you for absolute certain that the major contributing factor in me finishing 19th was the fact that I rode well for 95% of the race, but in the last half of the lap got in the wrong position and then got boxed in for the sprint. I could have had all the kit in the world and it wouldn't have made any difference.

Having said that - no-one sneered at the blokes with great kit, no-one sneered at the blokes with "rubbish" kit.

Ride what you want and what makes you happy.

proto

Dave195817 wrote:

I have just bought a set of mavic ksyrium sl premium so would keep them for hill climb events and general racing. I was looking at upgrading to an Ultegra groupset but this isn't a cheap option.

If you've got some SLs then use them, good enough for any class of domestic racing, and if you reach the dizzy heights of Elite/1st Cat then more than likely you'll be on a sponsored team and be riding on team issue kit, carbon wheels and all.

Difference between 105 and Ultegra (and Dura Ace for that matter) is not massive, I'm guessing 200 gms or so. Performance wise they all work very well. Stick with your 105, and when you break something crashing, or just wear it out, then upgrade that component. Or buy secondhand. You can mix and match any Shimano parts, so if you fancy a DA chainset, get one. For example I recently bought a very nice condition DA chainset for £80.00 and some DA brakes for £55.00.

Monty Dog

I concur with the "only race with what you can afford to crash" - some people seem to think that there is a direct correlation with the cost of your kit and your performance - you see guys riding with Powertaps and SRMs in 4th cat racing - no end of high-end kit will teach race-craft or tell you where to position yourself. By all means buy the fancy kit, but don't kid yourself it will make you 'faster'. Ride a few races and see how you get on - I know people who gave up racing because the 'expensive' experience of their first races.