Would I notice a Difference ?

Tjgoodhew

I ride a Cannondale Caad8 Tiagra with a set of Campag Zonda's and am now looking at buying a second bike and using the Caad as my winter bike.

The question is if i was to spend 3k on a new carbon bike is this going to make a huge difference - am i really going to notice a massive shift in performance

Im guessing with the wheel upgrade my Caad8 now weighs around 9kg fully loaded so i cant see me saving a huge amount of weight and by upgrading to Ultegra or possibly Di2 is this going to make a huge difference in shifting and performance.

The bikes on my radar are either a Canyon Aeroad or Ultimate CF, Cervelo S2 or a Spec Venge.

In terms of my type of riding - 100 miles a week usually 2 short rides and 1 longer one and i am constantly trying to increase average speed. I live in Essex so i dont do a huge amount of climbing but am making an active effort to climb more (riding up and down the same 4/5 hills). Over 50 miles i will average around 17mph on a solo ride

dnwhite88

Firstly, go and ride some bikes in your budget, not just the ones you have listed above. This will give you an idea of the 'performance' of bikes in this price range. In the next month or so there will be huge sales on 2013 bikes so you will get a good deal. Don't get too hung up on weight, there are more important factors despite what some will tell you. Finally, it's your money so if you want to buy one, do it-you don't have to justify it

Tjgoodhew

dnwhite88 wrote:

Firstly, go and ride some bikes in your budget, not just the ones you have listed above. This will give you an idea of the 'performance' of bikes in this price range. In the next month or so there will be huge sales on 2013 bikes so you will get a good deal. Don't get too hung up on weight, there are more important factors despite what some will tell you. Finally, it's your money so if you want to buy one, do it-you don't have to justify it

I intend to do exactly that - i dont think i will have the cash till after xmas but might have to dust off the old credit card if i find something amazing for a good price.

I have had to justify the purchase to the OH but she is slowly coming around to the fact i need another bike

I guess i was just curious to find out if the difference is noticeable. When i first bought the caad i rode about 4 bikes around the 1k range and honestly couldnt tell any difference. I only went with the caad because i liked the paint job !!

I would say for me that weight IS a big factor. I feel i struggle a bit on hills - probably down to the fact i dont have a great selection in Essex to practice on. When i swapped over my wheels saving about a kg i noticed a massive difference in my climbing

stueys

My carbon bike (canyon ultimate cf slx) feels faster and smoother than my winter bike (Spesh allez). Guess the weight difference is about 2.5 kg between the two which helps, other main difference is quality of components (dura ace against Tiagra).

The stiffness of the canyon is noticable on climbs, I love riding the bike and, as said, it feels a lot faster. The reality when i compare rides on Strava is that the canyon rolls faster on the flat (suspect the better wheels help) and is a smidge faster on the climbs. But some of my PB's are still on the Spesh and I'd need to move to the alps for the smidge difference on climbs to translate into something meaningful like a minute or two.

Short answer is yes you'll notice a difference in how it feels but sadly the bike isn't really going to make you faster.

diamonddog

You don't need to spend 3k to get a full carbon bike with better components and which is also a lot lighter.
I could spend half that and get a full Ultegra or SRAM kitted sub 16.5lb/7.48kg T700 carbon bike, but if that's what you want to spend go for it and as mentioned above your speed may go up a bit but it's the legs & lungs that do the business.

djm501

The fact that you climbed better on those wheels may have nothing to do with their weight. Firstly there's psychology - if you think it's going to be easier, it may well be. Secondly they may be stiffer than your older wheels and you may have less rolling resistance from the tyres. There's lots of factors involved in riding faster that have nothing to do with weight.

TakeTurns

The biggest difference will always come in fitness. You can't and should not rely on upgrades to make you better. I know it's tempting and a lot easier to click 'buy' on some fancy equipment than to go out in undesirable conditions doing excruciatingly painful intervals. However, if you rely on equipment to make you go faster, you'll pick up on a downward spiral where you won't be able to stop looking for the next best thing to make you go faster. When in actual fact it's the motor that counts. We're all guilty of it though.

plowmar

It's been said on many topics that the least expensive weight loss is on yourself. Do you have any to go or are you the proverbial racing snake?.

It's a bit of give and take I've found that the quicker I get going up hill the slower I get going down - due to gravity.

But I'm also with the others in that if you've got the cash - research and research, by Christmas this years models will be bargains - then splash. You may be able to save a little to treat the forgiving OH.

uberkraaft

I should think so! I guess it depends on what a massive difference is to you. My riding is very similar to yours on paper. I generally do 50 milers around the breezy mean streets of Essex, I try and seek out climbs where I can or will do some hill loops now & again. You don't 'need' a new bike. If you're training for fitness, you should really be looking for a heavier one no?

I went from a 9.5kg 853 steel with Ultegra & Ksyrium Elites to a 7.1kg Focus Izalco with DA & Ksyrium SRs. Average speed over a 50 mile went from 17.5mph to 19.5mph. So it depends on what you're after. I'm covering the same distance in a shorter time and it's pretty meaningless ...

The main difference I've noticed personally, is the massive increase in enjoyment. I really love having a bike that always responds to my efforts & really wants to go and I want to be out on it all the time, so for me, buying a 'premium' bike was absolutely the right decision. Maybe a 2K bike would've been as good, I'll never know ... Yes a new bike will make you faster, put a smile on your face and make your life complete ... but it's up to you how you justify it

Tjgoodhew

Thanks Uber. It looks like we ride pretty much the same routes and i am currently at your pre Focus level riding around the 17mph mark over 40-50 miles. The fact that it has made a noticeable difference to you on the same roads i ride kind of shows that i would no doubt get an improvement.

plowmar - Funny you should say that. last time i weighed myself pre taking up cycling i weighed close to 14st and i am 6ft. The OH has started some diet thing and went out to buy some scales so i jumped on and i now weigh 12st. I was absolutely shocked !!!

I absolutely love my caad and i want to be out riding it as much as possible and i can only imagine that with a premium bike im going to want to ride even more which will im sure will make me faster simply for the fact i am riding more.

The problem i have now is i spend most of the day looking at bikes on the net and havent been getting much work done. oops

mpatts

The short answer is yes it will make a difference. I am faster around a given route on my 7.5kg carbon bike with aero wheels than I am on my winter allez - but not as much as you would think!

Fitness and your weight is the key - I'm 67kg and pretty fit now.

socistep

Tjgoodhew wrote:

I ride a Cannondale Caad8 Tiagra with a set of Campag Zonda's and am now looking at buying a second bike and using the Caad as my winter bike.

The question is if i was to spend 3k on a new carbon bike is this going to make a huge difference - am i really going to notice a massive shift in performance

Im guessing with the wheel upgrade my Caad8 now weighs around 9kg fully loaded so i cant see me saving a huge amount of weight and by upgrading to Ultegra or possibly Di2 is this going to make a huge difference in shifting and performance.

The bikes on my radar are either a Canyon Aeroad or Ultimate CF, Cervelo S2 or a Spec Venge.

In terms of my type of riding - 100 miles a week usually 2 short rides and 1 longer one and i am constantly trying to increase average speed. I live in Essex so i dont do a huge amount of climbing but am making an active effort to climb more (riding up and down the same 4/5 hills). Over 50 miles i will average around 17mph on a solo ride

This is me! I bought my first road bike in Jan, cannondale CAAD8 105 through bike to work scheme and then a couple of months ago upgraded to campag zonda wheels. The wheels made a big difference for me, faster and smoother ride with a decent weight saving.

I've done about 3.5k miles this year through commuting and longer weekend rides, living in Leeds hills are unavoidable so I think about 210k ascent - but the CAAD 8 has been great and an enjoyable ride most of the time, a couple of problems with creak and clunks from the bottom bracket the only negative.

I'm too looking at a carbon bike from 2-3k, the variety of choice is staggering and I also wonder how much better it will be, I've heard that a carbon bike gives better comfort on longer rides - my plan is to use the CAAD8 all year and then get a better bike into next year and convert the CAAD8 into commuting/backup bike

Bobbinogs

uberkraaft wrote:

...I generally do 50 milers around the breezy mean streets of Essex...I went from a 9.5kg 853 steel with Ultegra & Ksyrium Elites to a 7.1kg Focus Izalco with DA & Ksyrium SRs... Average speed over a 50 mile went from 17.5mph to 19.5mph...

Uberkraaft, given that your average rides are pretty flat by most standards, I would suggest that the weight drop of 2 kg from a reasonably light 9.5kg is not the reason why you are 2mph quicker. Also, despite what the marketing men say, the aero benefits of an Izalco won't bring about anything like that increase either...and a decent well made steel framed bike with Ultegra and Elites will perform very nicely indeed such that the new bike's performance won't bring a 2mph improvement in speed on that front...which just about leaves the "boost" of getting a new bike, enjoying riding it and thrashing it (all of which often bring improvement).

So to the OP, splash the cash, but in my opinion the new bike itself won't make a massive difference given that you have a decent bike already (Caad8, Tiagra, with Zondas), but riding the new bike will feel great, which is the best reason in the world

wandsworth

uberkraaft wrote:

I went from a 9.5kg 853 steel with Ultegra & Ksyrium Elites to a 7.1kg Focus Izalco with DA & Ksyrium SRs. Average speed over a 50 mile went from 17.5mph to 19.5mph. So it depends on what you're after. I'm covering the same distance in a shorter time and it's pretty meaningless ...

The main difference I've noticed personally, is the massive increase in enjoyment. I really love having a bike that always responds to my efforts & really wants to go and I want to be out on it all the time, so for me, buying a 'premium' bike was absolutely the right decision. Maybe a 2K bike would've been as good, I'll never know ... Yes a new bike will make you faster, put a smile on your face and make your life complete ... but it's up to you how you justify it

This. Unless you're racing (including SCR), actually being faster for the same effort doesn't really matter. It's better to go faster by being fitter. But having a more responsive, nippier bike is just more fun. I recently moved from a Boardman Hybrid Comp to a Focus Cayo Evo 6. Yes, I can cut a couple of minutes off my commute, and I can get around Richmond Park faster, but so what. My times ahve been dropping anyway as I have got fitter. The fact is that I enjoy riding the Focus much more, and so will do more miles on it.

Tjgoodhew

socistep wrote:

Tjgoodhew wrote:

This is me! I bought my first road bike in Jan, cannondale CAAD8 105 through bike to work scheme and then a couple of months ago upgraded to campag zonda wheels. The wheels made a big difference for me, faster and smoother ride with a decent weight saving.

I've done about 3.5k miles this year through commuting and longer weekend rides, living in Leeds hills are unavoidable so I think about 210k ascent - but the CAAD 8 has been great and an enjoyable ride most of the time, a couple of problems with creak and clunks from the bottom bracket the only negative.

I'm too looking at a carbon bike from 2-3k, the variety of choice is staggering and I also wonder how much better it will be, I've heard that a carbon bike gives better comfort on longer rides - my plan is to use the CAAD8 all year and then get a better bike into next year and convert the CAAD8 into commuting/backup bike

Jesus this is like reading a carbon copy of me. Even to the point of the creaking BB which I can finally say seems to have been sorted !!

simon_masterson

Bobbinogs wrote:

uberkraaft wrote:

...I generally do 50 milers around the breezy mean streets of Essex...I went from a 9.5kg 853 steel with Ultegra & Ksyrium Elites to a 7.1kg Focus Izalco with DA & Ksyrium SRs... Average speed over a 50 mile went from 17.5mph to 19.5mph...

Uberkraaft, given that your average rides are pretty flat by most standards, I would suggest that the weight drop of 2 kg from a reasonably light 9.5kg is not the reason why you are 2mph quicker. Also, despite what the marketing men say, the aero benefits of an Izalco won't bring about anything like that increase either...and a decent well made steel framed bike with Ultegra and Elites will perform very nicely indeed such that the new bike's performance won't bring a 2mph improvement in speed on that front...which just about leaves the "boost" of getting a new bike, enjoying riding it and thrashing it (all of which often bring improvement).

So to the OP, splash the cash, but in my opinion the new bike itself won't make a massive difference given that you have a decent bike already (Caad8, Tiagra, with Zondas), but riding the new bike will feel great, which is the best reason in the world

This exactly.

uberkraaft

Just want to say - I'm not attributing anything to having a 'lighter' bike ... It wouldn't make any difference here?! Nor did I say anything about it being aero?? The Izalco isn't an aero frame - personally, I have to disagree that a 2mph instant improvement is "new bike boost" ... May be a little but come on, really? To me, on feel alone, it's more down to a mixture of improved stiffness & responsiveness, slightly lower weight, better componentry, lighter wheels and some new shoes - But what would I know, I've only ridden them ...

buzzwold

I'm in a similar position but and honest to realise this is not about getting faster but being able to buy a shiny new bike which may make me go faster because, as has been pointed, I'll feel great riding it.

Personally I'm going to go sub -£2k.

By the way, waiting til post Xmas to swoop for a bargain might be too late this year. The sales appear to have started already and I've already seen a £2k Trek Madone on sale for £1.5k.

DM222

TakeTurns wrote:

The biggest difference will always come in fitness. You can't and should not rely on upgrades to make you better. I know it's tempting and a lot easier to click 'buy' on some fancy equipment than to go out in undesirable conditions doing excruciatingly painful intervals. However, if you rely on equipment to make you go faster, you'll pick up on a downward spiral where you won't be able to stop looking for the next best thing to make you go faster. When in actual fact it's the motor that counts. We're all guilty of it though.

+1