Question about upgrading

jerseyrider said:

Hi all,

I currently ride a Bianchi veloche steel bike. Last week I upgraded the wheelset to a Ksyrium Elite in the back and a SL in the front (got a great deal). Ride is smoother and faster. Other than that the bike still has the original campy components it came with. It's over three years old.

My biggest problem is the weight. I am looking for advice from someone who has been in a similar situation. Should I continue to upgrade the components on the bike while retaining the frame? Or should I invest in a new bike with a aluminum/carbon/titanium frame. If I was rich I wouldn't be posting the question I would be buying the lightest custom bike known to mankind.

On the board and in talking to different people I have heard all types of comments about metals. The lack of comfort in carbon, the stiffness of aluminum, the flex in titanium....which all makes the matte very confusing. I am about 5-11 weighing around 184. I am looking for a bike that will let me move up the hills and accelerate on the flats but also give me enough comfort
to ride a century. My budget is around $2500.

Ideas and comments will greatly be appreciated.

Thanks
Sherman

Before throwing money at a lighter bike or trying to make a heavy one light, how much extra bacon are you dragging around? I ride alot of different bikes and find that a pound or two does not make much difference in everyday riding. I see many fat boys who have spent alot of money trying to buy speed,and all they do is look silly as the old guy on heavy lugged steel with 7 on the dodwntube drops em. If you are looking for 'comfort' get a rocker and a nice warm lap dog....Send me $100 for saving you $2500....TIA. 😉 😄

What was it that Eddy said: "Don't buy upgrades, ride UP grades."?

What's the weight of your current bike? What about the fit and ride quality of another bike - have you ridden anything else lately? It's not just about weight you know.

You could get a very decent 3.5 lb. steel frame, keep your current wheels and some other parts, and get a Centaur group. That would keep you around the $2500. range if you smart-shopped.

Upgrading components one at a time is a very expensive way to not accomplish much. A new bike is something to consider, but at your price range you might at best save 2-3% of your total weight.

Thanks for the feedback. Since I have been riding road seriously I have ridden only one type of frame. I have no experience with different frame metals and weights. I would much rather lose 5-10 pounds off my body that spend $3K to take 1-2 pounds off by bike. I know it is not a 1=1 ratio. Taking a pound off your body is not the equivilant of taking a pound off your bike. Also it would suck to spend $3K on a bike and realize I am not that much faster than I was before.

It would be cool if there were pound for pound stats. For example all things being equal - a rider puts in the same degree of effort to ride on the exact same distance on the exact same course with two different bikes. One bike being 2 pounds lighter than the other what type of speed increase would be noted. Assume bike geometry and fit are exactly the same as well. Would the bike that is 2 pounds less be 5% faster, 10%, 15%?

I am sure if the weight effect was minimal such as 1 pound difference is 1% gain then to the non-racer then it would not be money wise to spend $$ on those high performance parts that promise to take 1/2 pound of the weight of your bike.

jerseyrider said:

Thanks for the feedback. Since I have been riding road seriously I have ridden only one type of frame. I have no experience with different frame metals and weights. I would much rather lose 5-10 pounds off my body that spend $3K to take 1-2 pounds off by bike. I know it is not a 1=1 ratio. Taking a pound off your body is not the equivilant of taking a pound off your bike. Also it would suck to spend $3K on a bike and realize I am not that much faster than I was before.

It would be cool if there were pound for pound stats. For example all things being equal - a rider puts in the same degree of effort to ride on the exact same distance on the exact same course with two different bikes. One bike being 2 pounds lighter than the other what type of speed increase would be noted. Assume bike geometry and fit are exactly the same as well. Would the bike that is 2 pounds less be 5% faster, 10%, 15%?

I am sure if the weight effect was minimal such as 1 pound difference is 1% gain then to the non-racer then it would not be money wise to spend $$ on those high performance parts that promise to take 1/2 pound of the weight of your bike.

Well, weight is weight. A pound on your body is worth exactly the same as a pound on your bike. A lighter bike will feel a bit more responsive under you, but that's about it. Weight matters only when you're climbing or accelerating in a sprint finish. Since rolling resistance is low anyway, on flat ground saving weight makes a neglible difference in speed.

Assuming your total body and bike weight is say 200 lbs now, saving two pounds via lighter components will get you up the hill 1% faster. On a 10 minute climb, that translates to 6 seconds. Don't think I'd be able to tell the difference, but to a racer, that advantage could mean a place.

You could always go for a ride without your water bottles and see if you can feel any difference.....a full 750 ml water bottle weighs 1.6 lbs.

Also suggest you visit your LBS and test ride some different AL and CF bikes before you buy into all the cliches about ride characteristics. Try a Trek AL/CF or all-CF frame....you might be surprised to see how ride smoothness compares to your steel Veloce.

OK, so who climbs for 10 straight minutes at a rip anyway? You see what it did to M. Pantani.

😉

I just want to comment briefly on your perceptions of different frame materials. I just want to say that, just because an alloy (or composite) has certain characteristics, that doesn't mean a bike made of that alloy will mirror that. It all comes down to the frame geometry. For example, my new aluminum bike has a softer ride than my steel reynolds-853 frame (even though aluminum frames are usually "stiffer"😉. If you're ever going to upgrade your frame, just go to the lbs and test ride different bikes and you'll see which material fits you best.
For what it's worth, I spent $1100 on a motobecane (yes, I'm the spawn of satan for not buying from my LBS) at bikesdirect.com and I dropped 5 lbs from my steel iron horse. I'm just a graduate student, so money was a huge concern and that seemed like the best 'bang for your buck.'

I was in a similar situation about 3 months ago.Could not decice if I had to upgrade my old bike or buy a new one.Eventually I decided to buy a new bike.It was very nice to ride around on the new bike but then problems started.To make a long story short, make sure that you really need a new bike.Then go to a reputable dealer because if you encounter problems once you bought the new bike it is difficult to sort it out.I am not saying don't buy a new bike but be careful as it is a lot of money to spend!!!!It sounds to me that you have quite a good bike as is.Just something to think about. 😠