Cycling Equipment · Public discussion

Re: Any bike recommendations?

Benjamin Lewis · 2005-05-17T17:40:17+00:00

On Mon, 16 May 2005 16:44:38 -0700, Benjamin Lewis Why not a tourer? I think you may be overestimating the difference lightness will make. Recent estimates in another thread here in r.b.t. put the speed difference at approximately 0.1 mph up a 10% grade for a 3 pound difference in weight. The main reason I don't want a tourer is because I had one before - a Dawes Mirage - and it was nothing but a dissapointment. Replaced the brakes, gears and wheels a fair few times, but nothing would make it right. OK, maybe the problem was terrible mechanics which never kept the chain on the spogs, later indexed gears which never worked properly, and maybe the whole thing was the wrong size for me anyway (I got it second hand). These don't sound like problems with touring bikes in general. But I love a good, hard blast periodically, and like a dabble every now and then when I see another biker up for it. Even on the mountain bike, it makes for a good race for short distances, but the racers always leave me behind and those fun competitions and the personal lift from seeing an impressive speedo/times does mean a lot to me, sad though I may be to have to admit it. Unless you're going uphill, the extra weight should make no significant difference, and even uphill the difference is small. Going downhill, the heavier bike will have the advantage. Not to impugn your cycling ability, but what makes you think that it is your bike that is making the racers leave you behind? I also enjoy the occasional "good hard blast"; my touring bike is great for this. This is why a bordering-on-racing bike is the sort of bike I'm interested in, rather than something that will kill you after 80 miles and/or will be considered a throwaway if you ride it over a sixpence. To me it sounds like your ideal bike would be an "audax" aka "sport touring" bike. -- Benjamin Lewis Although the moon is smaller than the earth, it is farther away.

Started by Benjamin Lewis · 17 May 2005 · Last activity 17 May 2005 · 3 posts · 196 views

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Original section: Cycling Equipment
Published: 17 May 2005
Last activity: 17 May 2005
Original author: Benjamin Lewis
Posts: 3
Discussion status: Public discussion
Total views: 196
Views / 30 days: 0
Topics: Touring Gear indexing

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Original post
Benjamin Lewis
Archived post

17 May 2005, 17:40 UTC #1

James said:
On Mon, 16 May 2005 16:44:38 -0700, Benjamin Lewis <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:

Why not a tourer? I think you may be overestimating the difference
lightness will make. Recent estimates in another thread here in
r.b.t. put the speed difference at approximately 0.1 mph up a 10% grade
for a 3 pound difference in weight.
The main reason I don't want a tourer is because I had one before - a
Dawes Mirage - and it was nothing but a dissapointment. Replaced the
brakes, gears and wheels a fair few times, but nothing would make it
right. OK, maybe the problem was terrible mechanics which never kept
the chain on the spogs, later indexed gears which never worked
properly, and maybe the whole thing was the wrong size for me anyway
(I got it second hand).
These don't sound like problems with touring bikes in general.
Quoted message said:
But I love a good, hard blast periodically, and like a dabble every
now and then when I see another biker up for it. Even on the mountain
bike, it makes for a good race for short distances, but the racers
always leave me behind and those fun competitions and the personal
lift from seeing an impressive speedo/times does mean a lot to me, sad
though I may be to have to admit it.
Unless you're going uphill, the extra weight should make no significant
difference, and even uphill the difference is small. Going downhill, the
heavier bike will have the advantage.
Not to impugn your cycling ability, but what makes you think that it is your
bike that is making the racers leave you behind?
I also enjoy the occasional "good hard blast"; my touring bike is great for
this.
Quoted message said:
This is why a bordering-on-racing bike is the sort of bike I'm
interested in, rather than something that will kill you after 80 miles
and/or will be considered a throwaway if you ride it over a sixpence.
To me it sounds like your ideal bike would be an "audax" aka "sport
touring" bike.
--
Benjamin Lewis
Although the moon is smaller than the earth, it is farther away.

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James
Archived post

17 May 2005, 18:55 UTC #2

On Tue, 17 May 2005 10:40:17 -0700, Benjamin Lewis <[email hidden]>
Quoted message said:
James wrote:

[...]
Quoted message said:
These don't sound like problems with touring bikes in general.
In fairness, it's not even a problem with Dawes bikes in general. I
had a bad run of luck and mechanics, I think.
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
But I love a good, hard blast periodically, and like a dabble every
now and then when I see another biker up for it. Even on the mountain
bike, it makes for a good race for short distances, but the racers
always leave me behind and those fun competitions and the personal
lift from seeing an impressive speedo/times does mean a lot to me, sad
though I may be to have to admit it.
Unless you're going uphill, the extra weight should make no significant
difference, and even uphill the difference is small. Going downhill, the
heavier bike will have the advantage.
Not to impugn your cycling ability, but what makes you think that it is your
bike that is making the racers leave you behind?
Impugn away! My cycling legs have attrophied badly in the past 6
years since I was going regularly. The mountain bike is taken out all
too occasionally. I think the MB is partially responsible for my
being left behind by racers, mainly because they've got 1/2" slicks on
(or whatever) compared with my 3" nobbly tires, and the mountain bike
does weigh a fair bit more. I don't think the riding position on MB's
are ideal for speed either.
Quoted message said:
I also enjoy the occasional "good hard blast"; my touring bike is great for
this.
Quoted message said:
This is why a bordering-on-racing bike is the sort of bike I'm
interested in, rather than something that will kill you after 80 miles
and/or will be considered a throwaway if you ride it over a sixpence.
To me it sounds like your ideal bike would be an "audax" aka "sport
touring" bike.
Audax, eh? Well, it sounds like you're right - I'm definitely
leaning in the direction of that Specialized.
Thanks for writing!
James.

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Benjamin Lewis
Archived post

17 May 2005, 19:20 UTC #3

James said:
My cycling legs have attrophied badly in the past 6 years since I was
going regularly. The mountain bike is taken out all too occasionally. I
think the MB is partially responsible for my being left behind by racers,
mainly because they've got 1/2" slicks on (or whatever) compared with my
3" nobbly tires, and the mountain bike does weigh a fair bit more. I
don't think the riding position on MB's are ideal for speed either.
I think you'll find the knobby tires make a much larger difference than the
weight. Before I got my touring bike, I rode several brevets on a mountain
bike with high pressure slick tires, and bar ends that allowed me to
stretch out a little. In fact, it was on this bike that I got my best ever
200 km brevet time, although I confess I was drafting another cyclist who
promised me a ride home for the entire second half of the ride. The main
disadvantage to this bike was the lack of hand positions, and the
difficulty of getting an aerodynamic profile in head winds.
--
Benjamin Lewis
Although the moon is smaller than the earth, it is farther away.

Report

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