Do I _need_ a new bike?

Longshot
Longshot Posts: 940
edited September 2019 in Road buying advice
The fact that you're asking this proves that your heart wants a new bike even if your head is unsure.

Buy the bike.
You can fool some of the people all of the time. Concentrate on those people.

Comments

  • mugensi
    mugensi Posts: 559
    Short answer: Yes.

    Your TCX is not really suitable for your needs. For a start its probably quite a heavy bike, its not designed for all day sportives or endurance rides. The 1x drivetrain will limit you on hilly rides and the geometry is quite racy with low stack (for your size)

    The Canyon Endurance is a fantastic bike and you should be considerably more comfortable on it (especially on longer rides) and it'll be quite a bit lighter and so you should see an increase in your speed due to the weight difference and better spread of gears for hillier rides.
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    You say you've never been happy with the comfort and fit of the CX bike. Can you be more precise? Is it too racy a position? Is the bike the wrong size? Do you feel the alu frame is too harsh?

    Defy Advanced? Carbon frame, more upright position. Possibly narrower tyres though.

    How about a carbon framed gravel bike? Revolt Advanced? Taller front end, possibly wider tyres / lower pressures.
  • All things considered, you lost almost 50kg in weight - you bloody well deserve an upgrade!!!

    Canyons are great (I got an ultimate, very comfortable and fast) and I believe theres a review just gone up on this site of an endurace which might convince you. I reckon you'll notice the difference in all honesty
  • You've made incredible progress with your fitness but I'd still check with the manufacturer that the bike and the wheels it comes with will be fine with your current weight.
  • Joe Totale wrote:
    You've made incredible progress with your fitness but I'd still check with the manufacturer that the bike and the wheels it comes with will be fine with your current weight.


    On that note, I'm just over 100 kgs and did some checking on this before I bought my carbon Synapse and didn't find any mainstream carbon bike/wheel combination that the manufacturer suggested I was too heavy for it.

    I't is worth checking though.
    You can fool some of the people all of the time. Concentrate on those people.
  • joey54321
    joey54321 Posts: 1,297
    So if the comfort issue is related to bike fit look into improving your bike fit. Unless you KNOW you can't get a comfortable bike fit on your current bike then buying a new bike will make no difference.

    I'd argue if the position/fit on the TCX is wrong then perhaps, but otherwise you won't be more comfortable on an endurance bike. The flex/comfort from larger tyres dwarfs the flex in a 'comfortable' frame, most of it is marketing. In addition, the weight saved from a heavy, more robust cyclocross bike to a top of the range road machine will be very negligible compared to the 'system weight' (think you, in your kit, on your bike, with bottles) so not much difference in speed.

    A set of road tyres/wheels and a comfortable bike fit will see you round any sportive. However (and IMO it's a big however) if you want a new bike then buy one, just don't do it under the pretense of faster, lighter, stronger, etc..., do it with the knowledge that it may make very little difference to your riding but you want it. Also, if the current discomfort is related to fit, why would the new bike be any different?
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    You own one bike? Of course you need a new bike.... I have seven.

    A tcx is a cyclo-cross bike is it not? So not designed to be particularly comfy but to be thrashed around a muddy field for an hour.

    New bike.

    You could get a considerably cheaper one and still have it be better in lots of ways.
  • step83
    step83 Posts: 4,170
    I would probably look at a bike fit, OK if you loose weight the numbers may change but it will give you an idea what you need to look at, better paying for one of those then spanking out on a new bike an finding it uncomfortable.
  • Some places will do a bike fit and then suggest bikes that will suit your body type, it could be worth a go in your case.
  • In short, yes.
    Advocate of disc brakes.
  • chippyk
    chippyk Posts: 529
    TLDR the whole thread. But yes is the answer.