any point in upgrading?

dodgyknee

First post so go easy, currently have a specialized secteur 2012 and was thinking of new bike through cycle to work such as the carbon boardman bike just under the 1000 , however i am probably about 2 stone overweight so is there any point upgrading to a newer lighter bike or should i lose weight increase my fitness and save myself a grand? Have a turbo trainer and do around 100 miles per week on road so could lose the weight with a bit of effort and diet adjustment.

Rigga

You've answered your own question, stick with the secteur lose some weight, get fitter then treat yourself

crescent

Rigga wrote:

You've answered your own question, stick with the secteur lose some weight, get fitter then treat yourself

Agree 100%. You have a perfectly good bike there, one that will serve you well and allow you to achieve your immediate goal of losing some weight. Why not set yourself a target weight and reward yourself with a nice new bike when you achieve it? Losing weight from your bike tends to be measured in grammes, losing weight from yourself can easily be measured in kilogrammes, plus all the other benefits it brings to your general fitness and wellbeing. Keep up the mileage and adjust your diet (if necessary, just going by your own comments there) and you will do it. What's more it is very enjoyable, relieves stress etc etc. I think you knew the answer already Good luck.

cyclinghaggis

Just stick with the bike you have IMO! Also, you might just find that, rather than being faster, all the Boardman makes you is uncomfortable due to it's more aggressive geometry so make sure you test ride it before buying if you ever do upgrade in future.

I'm sure others on here who've upgraded from alloy to carbon could comment but I doubt the move would even add 0.5 mph to your average speed. IMO there are too many companies trying to upsell people the latest ultra aggressive aero carbon frames that won't really benefit the average revreational rider!

Only worry about upgrading if you ever start racing competitively and feel that your bike is holding you back or isn't fit for purpose. If you really feel the need for a bit of bike retail therapy why not try buying a mountain bike for a change of scenery to mix things up?

keef66

I bought a carbon frameset just to see what all the fuss was about. The finished bike might be a kilo lighter than the alloy one, and a tad less buzzy over rough surfaces, but I post the same times over the same routes on both bikes.

This year I have lost just over 8 kg doing the 5:2 diet, and that's made hill climbing a lot easier / quicker!

So I'd agree with the other posters, set yourself a realistic target weight and reward yourself when you reach it

ai_1

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19631830#p19631830]dodgyknee[/url] wrote:

First post so go easy, currently have a specialized secteur 2012 and was thinking of new bike through cycle to work such as the carbon boardman bike just under the 1000 , however i am probably about 2 stone overweight so is there any point upgrading to a newer lighter bike or should i lose weight increase my fitness and save myself a grand? Have a turbo trainer and do around 100 miles per week on road so could lose the weight with a bit of effort and diet adjustment.

IMO discussions of losing weight instead of buying new equipment are absurd. They're different topics. Doing one dies nit impact the other. If losing weight on the existing bike is a realistic aspiration you could do it with a new bike too. They're not mutually exclusive.

g00se

Sod it - N+1 and all that. Buy the new bike for the summer - use the Secteur as a winter bike. You only live once.

If you want to reward yourself after loosing the weight, buy some decent light wheels next spring.

keef66

To be fair, I did it that way round. Carbon bike 2 years ago, proper weight loss this year.

Just pointing out he'd likely be disappointed expecting to see performance improvements by buying a new bike, but that significant weight loss does bring tangible benefits.

supermurph09

Buying a new bike will probably want to make you ride your bike more, ergo lose weight.

ai_1

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19632191#p19632191]keef66[/url] wrote:

To be fair, I did it that way round. Carbon bike 2 years ago, proper weight loss this year.

Just pointing out he'd likely be disappointed expecting to see performance improvements by buying a new bike, but that significant weight loss does bring tangible benefits.

Agreed. Weight loss from a bike upgrade will rarely be more than 2kg to 3kg and this only when upgrading from something pretty beefy or to something very exotic. Often the weight reduction will be less. Also, you'll only get a measurable performance benefit on hills. I think people's expectations of performance improvements from purchases are unrealistic in many many cases. Especially where frame or wheel weight are concerned. However feel is a very different thing and while I may not go much faster on my better bike, I usually enjoy it more.

dodgyknee

Thanks guys think i kind of knew the answer just need to get out more and get the weiht off. Curretly doing the 5.2 diet as well whats the thoughts on doing a big ride 30 mile plus when only eating 600 calories that day?

keef66

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19632529#p19632529]dodgyknee[/url] wrote:

Thanks guys think i kind of knew the answer just need to get out more and get the weiht off. Curretly doing the 5.2 diet as well whats the thoughts on doing a big ride 30 mile plus when only eating 600 calories that day?

I seem to be able to manage it, but I'm not you. Best build up to riding that far on a fast day, and maybe stick some emergency food in a back pocket just in case?

g00se

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19632529#p19632529]dodgyknee[/url] wrote:

Thanks guys think i kind of knew the answer just need to get out more and get the weiht off. Curretly doing the 5.2 diet as well whats the thoughts on doing a big ride 30 mile plus when only eating 600 calories that day?

I do the 5:2 when I can but I'd say so the long rides on a 'normal' day.

Especially when you're getting big rides in, you'll need fuel from the digested carbs. Unless you're doing it at recovery pace, in which case you can get it from burning fat.

Also, after strenuous exercise, you need carbs and protein to rebuild your muscles - ideally eaten within 20 minutes of finishing.

Finally, after you've exercised, your body will continue to but calories at a faster rate for a good remainder of the day. So it makes sense to exercise on a day when you're eating - and save the fasting days for when you're taking it easy.