how much difference does bike and equipment make

2lazytogetup

if you put a decent club cyclist or pro rider and give them a 200euro hybrid aluminum bike from argos or halfords and just a tracksuit, no clip in pedals, no aerodynamic clothes, how much different would their performance be.

Are we talking a drop of 10% or 50% in speed over say 100km distance?

magicbastarder

nowhere *near* 50%. 5-10% i think; GCN have done some videos on this.

2lazytogetup

magicbastarder wrote: »

nowhere *near* 50%. 5-10% i think; GCN have done some videos on this.

Thanks Magicbastarder. ill check that out.

im thinking of doing some big races around ireland over next few years and wondering if i need to spend money on bike and equiptment. or if its more important to just be fit.

magicbastarder

races or sportives?

magicbastarder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdb7KEc7xJI

fat bloke

GCN and youtube generally have tonnes of these type vids but none over 100k I'd say. 10 to 15 % over 100k equates to a lot of time and a lot of distance lost / gained.
If you had a cheap hybrid like you describe I'd say I'd possibly tramp along at 22-25 kph on the flat, but on a good road bike set up that would maybe 30-32+. That's a huge difference.

2lazytogetup

magicbastarder wrote: »

races or sportives?

Sportives, i like the group element of cycling. what kind of speeds over 100k would i need to average to be able to to be half way up the classification? 30 km/h, 40 km/h?? Thanks for asking.

Macy0161

Most sportives aren't timed in my experience. A lot aren't even mass start. Far too many variables for average speed. Terrain, wind, how long people stop etc. Even individually, whether you get your fuelling right (or not).

Marty Bird

The bike doesn’t make the rider.

magicbastarder

oh, sportives would be more relaxed, you wouldn't need to worry about 40km/h!

as fat bloke mentioned as well, there's lots of ifs, buts and maybes. the difference would become much more pronounced at higher speeds.
but if you're planning on doing sportives, it'd possibly be reliability (and trustworthiness of brakes) you'd need high up on your priority list.

2lazytogetup

thanks all for those responses. much appreciated.

magicbastarder

getting back to your original question; you mentioned tracksuits. that'd be the biggest error!

2lazytogetup

magicbastarder wrote: »

getting back to your original question; you mentioned tracksuits. that'd be the biggest error!

tks, ill look into that.

Tombo2001

Just something to consider - it could also be a question of comfort, rather than just speed?

Session2019!

Been cycling 3 years now. Second hand alu road bike, no clip in pedals, runners, cheapest gear possible I can get my hands on. At the time I didn't think I'd stick to the cycling so went searching for the cheapest stuff I could find but absolutely love it now. Other than my own cycling I've done a lot of the big events, ring of kerry, ring of beara, ride Dingle, ring of Claire etc. Also do triathlons with the same gear. do get a bit of stick about my equipment but it works for me and suits me, I don't know any different 😂

Might upgrade the bike this year to a second hand carbon bike if I can find a good deal.

2lazytogetup

Session2019! wrote: »

Been cycling 3 years now. Second hand alu road bike, no clip in pedals, runners, cheapest gear possible I can get my hands on. At the time I didn't think I'd stick to the cycling so went searching for the cheapest stuff I could find but absolutely love it now. Other than my own cycling I've done a lot of the big events, ring of kerry, ring of beara, ride Dingle, ring of Claire etc. Also do triathlons with the same gear. do get a bit of stick about my equipment but it works for me and suits me, I don't know any different ��

Might upgrade the bike this year to a second hand carbon bike if I can find a good deal.

im in the same boat. i dont want to put money into it and then if not used after a few months, it just sits there reminding me that i wasted so much money and not being used. or in my original question if it makes any difference in performance.

Session2019!

2lazytogetup wrote: »

im in the same boat. i dont want to put money into it and then if not used after a few months, it just sits there reminding me that i wasted so much money and not being used. or in my original question if it makes any difference in performance.

It is probably time for me to upgrade a bit of my gear seen as cycling is now a permanent fixture in my life. I can't answer the performance aspect of your question but when it comes to doing the sportives/triathlons I seem to do fairly OK timewise. I have friends that have some pretty expensive tech but suits them as they prefer the shorter distances. Long distance cycling is my preference so comfort for me is key.

Tombo2001

2lazytogetup wrote: »

im in the same boat. i dont want to put money into it and then if not used after a few months, it just sits there reminding me that i wasted so much money and not being used. or in my original question if it makes any difference in performance.

The one thing I will say is that - at the moment anyway - bikes have a very good resale value.

Interesting story: I had a decent bike stolen a few years back. I was ineligible for another 18 months for BTW, so decided to buy a stop gap hybrid for 200 euro, second hand bike that was 5 years old (though with a recognized brand, Specialized).

That was three years ago.

Sold the bike last month - when I bought it, it had come with a lock that costs 50......so says I to myself, I will put it on adverts for 150. Thinking I was being cheeky almost.

Anyway, didnt think about it again as sometimes I will put stuff on adverts and there is no response, at all....

Checked a day later - 14 bids at offer price, some of those bids asking to pay more than the offer.

Long story short, I could have made a profit on it despite having it for three years on/ off.

magicbastarder

2lazytogetup wrote: »

im in the same boat. i dont want to put money into it and then if not used after a few months, it just sits there reminding me that i wasted so much money and not being used. or in my original question if it makes any difference in performance.

as has been alluded to, a correct fit (i.e. being comfortable on the bike) is probably more important than how 'good' the bike is. cycling shorts can help *a lot* if spending hours in the saddle.
if you're doing sportives and are considering a hybrid, don't consider hybrids with a suspension fork.

CantGetNoSleep

There was a lad on our group rides (25-26kmh) pre-covid who used to ride a full-on hybrid. Not even something you would consider a flat bar road bike, but a real hybrid with rack, mudguards, etc. - must have been at least 15kg. I always wondered what he would be capable of on a road bike.

mcgratheoin

fat bloke wrote: »

GCN and youtube generally have tonnes of these type vids but none over 100k I'd say. 10 to 15 % over 100k equates to a lot of time and a lot of distance lost / gained.
If you had a cheap hybrid like you describe I'd say I'd possibly tramp along at 22-25 kph on the flat, but on a good road bike set up that would maybe 30-32+. That's a huge difference.

Yeah that's a fair estimate - when I upgraded from an entry level(ish) road bike (Al frame, Sora groupset) to a decent mid range road bike (CF frame, Athena groupset) I knocked 4 minutes off a regular 30K loop I was doing at the time. Average went from 30 to 32.5kph. On a cheap hybrid I'd probably have been knocking around at 25 max.

Alu roadbike will make a big difference - pedals and gear are up to yourself but I'd be swapping the pedals out straight away - I find it makes a huge difference personally and it's a relatively cheap upgrade to make.

Daroxtar

Many sportives have a "road bike only" rule so you may want to check that out before entering. I spent a while doing spins up to 100km on my hybrid before switching to a road bike. There's a fair bit of difference. I'd say my average moved from 25-27kmh up to 30kmh fairly instantly.

CapnHex

A change of perspective perhaps, sportives are not races. Least enjoyable I did was at my maximum ability as I saw nothing, other than the wheel of the bike in front of me. Most enjoyable, every other sportive where I visited a part of the country not seen before and chatted along the way, taking in the scenery (other than the wet days!).

ednwireland

its all about the bike

07Lapierre

Daroxtar wrote: »

Many sportives have a "road bike only" rule so you may want to check that out before entering.

Really? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sportive insist on road bikes only?

mcgratheoin

07Lapierre wrote: »

Really? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sportive insist on road bikes only?

I've definitely seen no bullhorns and no tri bars as a safety measure for hooking someone else's handlebars in a group setting. Not sure if that extends to flat bars as a general rule

Mr. Cats

07Lapierre wrote: »

Really? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sportive insist on road bikes only?

Think there was a couple of lads did the Wicklow 200 on some Dublin Bikes scheme bikes a couple of years back for charity.

MojoMaker

A change from aluminium to CF isn't necessarily an upgrade. That's a bit of a fallacy driven by the industry and devoured by the consumer.

Now a change from a low-quality heavy bike to something more sprightly built to a higher quality level where you're less likely to experience annoying 'faults', yep than would count as an upgrade.

TheBoyConor

If your bike and gear suits your needs and makes you happy, then that is enough.

I my opinion, getting into the area of dimishing returns likes spending a few hundred high the in-vogue cycling wear or a thousand or more on the latest frame so as to get a 3 or 4% increase in times or speeds is not something that I am interested in or require. But then I have no time for or interest in chasing statistics or tracking performance on apps and the like.

I have a flat bar aluminium hybrid I got a few years back. I go out and ride it in my regular gym pants and a top, I have a nice time, exercise and enjoy the spin and scenery. It suits what I want from it and that is fine for me. Spending hundred and thousands on gear that I don't want or need will not increase my enjoyment of it.

Expensive gear and equipment might get you some improvements in statistics, but unless statistics increase your enjoyment of it, it is pointless.

mcgratheoin

TheBoyConor wrote: »

If your bike and gear suits your needs and makes you happy, then that is enough.

Precisely - whatever gets you out on the road

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Expensive gear and equipment might get you some improvements in statistics, but unless statistics increase your enjoyment of it, it is pointless.

And to finish the point - if a shiny new piece of kit is what you need to get you out and enjoying it, then go for it!!

magicbastarder

Mr. Cats wrote: »

Think there was a couple of lads did the Wicklow 200 on some Dublin Bikes scheme bikes a couple of years back for charity.

including the now editor of the sunday business post, richard oakley.