It _is_ about the bike

On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 09:17:40 +0000 (UTC) someone who may be Ian G
Batten <[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

I'm not sure if I'm pleased (``hey, that money was worthwhile''😉 or depressed (``never mind how
hard I try, better gear makes a bigger difference''😉.

Be pleased. Life is much better with a positive outlook:-)

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E I will always explain revoked
keys, unless the UK government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

Ian G Batten said:

Lance claims it isn't.

Yes, but he's wrong. We Darksiders have known that it's about the bike for agesandagesandages...

--

Dave Larrington - legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uklegslarry.beerdrinkers.co.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================
Editor - British Human Power Club Newsletter
bhpc.org.ukbhpc.org.ukOpen ↗
===========================================================

Ian G Batten said:

Lance claims it isn't. For the rest of us, switching from a <200 quid hybrid to a >2000 quid FS
mountain bike took my ride to work from a shade over two hours working hard to an hour and three
quarters arriving quite chipper. OK, I've not done the ride for a few months and I'm probably
fitter than I was in November, but this was the non-trivial ride on the new bike: I picked it up
on Friday afternoon and only pottered around near home over the weekend. And that's with one long
section of the tow path positively glutinous.

I had much the same experience when I switched from a fifteen year old rigid mountin bile (quite
good in its day and well loved) to a brand new, very good, full suspension bike. On rough ground
they really do flatter your riding ability.

Quoted message said:

I'm not sure if I'm pleased (``hey, that money was worthwhile''😉 or depressed (``never mind how
hard I try, better gear makes a bigger difference''😉.

The money was worthwhile. But a lardy gut bucket on your new full susser still couldn't beat you on
your old hybrid.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗ Wannabe a Web designer?
<URL:http://userfriendly.org/cartoons/archives/97dec/19971206.html

In article <[email hidden]>,

Ian G Batten said:

Lance claims it isn't. For the rest of us, switching from a <200 quid hybrid to a >2000 quid FS
mountain bike took my ride to work from a shade over two hours working hard to an hour and three
quarters arriving quite chipper.

I learned this as an undergrad. Spent £100 on a nice new bike with drops and derailleurs, and the
journey between Girton and town got suddenly shorter - and I could much more comfortably keep up
with friends on 'real' bikes.

--
Nick Kew

Ian G Batten posted ...

Quoted message said:

Lance claims it isn't. For the rest of us, switching from a <200 quid hybrid to a >2000 quid FS
mountain bike took my ride to work from a shade over two hours working hard to an hour and three
quarters

I'd guess that's as much to do with the level of difference the cost brings. The difference between
a £1000 to a £2000 bike would have been much less I reckon ..

A change from a £200 to a £1000 bike would still have produced a marked difference in times
and 'feel' ..

What bike did you get ?

--
Paul

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

What bike did you get ?

Marin Mount Vision. With Goodrich brake hoses, which are lovely.

ian

Nick Kew said:

In article said:

Lance claims it isn't. For the rest of us, switching from a <200 quid hybrid to a >2000 quid FS
mountain bike took my ride to work from a shade over two hours working hard to an hour and three
quarters arriving quite chipper.

I learned this as an undergrad. Spent £100 on a nice new bike with drops and derailleurs, and the
journey between Girton and town got suddenly shorter - and I could much more comfortably keep up
with friends on 'real' bikes.

On a similar note...

Can anybody estimate how much difference moving from a MTB to a Road bike will make? I'm currently
riding around on a hardtail MTB (front suspension, 26x2.1 combination tyres), and have just got to
the stage that I can average 16-17mph over decent distances (30+ miles). I'll soon be moving to a
road bike (light frame, 622x25 tyres) and I'm wondering how much difference it might make.

Anybody care to stick their neck out and guess?

Cheers!

Pete

"Ian G Batten" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What bike did you get ?

Marin Mount Vision. With Goodrich brake hoses, which are lovely.

Ah, that'll make it faster than mine then, I've only got yer basic Kevlar reinforced
Parker hoses ;-)
--
Regards, Pete

Ian G Batten said:

Lance claims it isn't. For the rest of us, switching from a <200 quid hybrid to a >2000 quid FS
mountain bike took my ride to work from a shade over two hours working hard to an hour and three
quarters arriving quite chipper. OK, I've not done the ride for a few months and I'm probably
fitter than I was in November, but this was the non-trivial ride on the new bike: I picked it up
on Friday afternoon and only pottered around near home over the weekend. And that's with one long
section of the tow path positively glutinous.

I'm not sure if I'm pleased (``hey, that money was worthwhile''😉 or depressed (``never mind how
hard I try, better gear makes a bigger difference''😉.

If it's on a towpath, I reckon my old 21.5lb rigid Cannondale could do it even quicker :-)

On 16/2/04 5:25 pm, in article
[email hidden], "Ningi"

Quoted message said:

On a similar note...

Can anybody estimate how much difference moving from a MTB to a Road bike will make? I'm currently
riding around on a hardtail MTB (front suspension, 26x2.1 combination tyres), and have just got to
the stage that I can average 16-17mph over decent distances (30+ miles). I'll soon be moving to a
road bike (light frame, 622x25 tyres) and I'm wondering how much difference it might make.

Anybody care to stick their neck out and guess?

My personal rule of thumb is

knobbly-> slick MTB + 5kph slick MTB -> road bike +5kph

So I'll stick my neck out and say that your average will go up to near 20 mph.

..d

Somewhere between 18 and 19 mph.

Simon

Ningi said:

Nick Kew said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Ian G Batten <[email hidden]> writes:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Lance claims it isn't. For the rest of us, switching from a <200 quid hybrid to a >2000 quid FS
mountain bike took my ride to work from a shade over two hours working hard to an hour and three
quarters arriving quite chipper.

I learned this as an undergrad. Spent £100 on a nice new bike with

Quoted message said:

drops and derailleurs, and the journey between Girton and town got suddenly shorter - and I
could much more comfortably keep up with friends on 'real' bikes.

Can anybody estimate how much difference moving from a MTB to a Road bike will make? I'm currently
riding around on a hardtail MTB (front suspension, 26x2.1 combination tyres), and have just got to
the stage that I can average 16-17mph over decent distances (30+ miles). I'll soon be moving to a
road bike (light frame, 622x25 tyres) and I'm wondering how much difference it might make.

Depends on the surface. On good quality tarmac the road bike should be of the order of 5% faster,
perhaps more. But the wins are largely from better aerodynamics - your torso will probably be more
horizontal - and possibly lower rolling resistance (if you're running knobblies on tarmac then the
rolling resistance is pretty high, but if you're already using slicks then it may not make much
difference).

Your front suspension isn't costing you anything except possibly when stonking on hills, and the
extra weight of the MTB isn't costing you very much - if it's a good, light, MTB, there won't be
that much difference anyway.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

;; when in the [censored], the wise man plants courgettes

Ian G Batten posted ...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What bike did you get ?

Marin Mount Vision. With Goodrich brake hoses, which are lovely.

ian

Nice one, Ian .. you know it makes sense ... 😉

--
Paul

Simon Brooke said:

Ningi said:

Nick Kew said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Ian G Batten <[email hidden]> writes:

Quoted message said:

>Lance claims it isn't. For the rest of us, switching from a <200 quid hybrid to a >2000 quid FS
>mountain bike took my ride to work from a shade over two hours working hard to an hour and three
>quarters arriving quite chipper.

I learned this as an undergrad. Spent £100 on a nice new bike with

Quoted message said:

drops and derailleurs, and the journey between Girton and town got suddenly shorter - and I could
much more comfortably keep up with friends on 'real' bikes.

Can anybody estimate how much difference moving from a MTB to a Road bike will make? I'm currently
riding around on a hardtail MTB (front suspension, 26x2.1 combination tyres), and have just got to
the stage that I can average 16-17mph over decent distances (30+ miles). I'll soon be moving to a
road bike (light frame, 622x25 tyres) and I'm wondering how much difference it might make.

Depends on the surface. On good quality tarmac the road bike should be of the order of 5% faster,
perhaps more. But the wins are largely from better aerodynamics - your torso will probably be more
horizontal - and possibly lower rolling resistance (if you're running knobblies on tarmac then the
rolling resistance is pretty high, but if you're already using slicks then it may not make much
difference).

Your front suspension isn't costing you anything except possibly when stonking on hills, and the
extra weight of the MTB isn't costing you very much - if it's a good, light, MTB, there won't be
that much difference anyway.

Thanks for all the replies. I was hoping that a new bike should be good for another couple of mph
average speed, and several of you seem to think that's about right. I might almost be able to keep
up with some of the groups round Richmond park.

Any further improvement will have to come from the engine.

Cheers!

Pete

"Ningi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can anybody estimate how much difference moving from a MTB to a Road bike will make? I'm currently
riding around on a hardtail MTB (front suspension, 26x2.1 combination tyres), and have just got to
the stage that I can average 16-17mph over decent distances (30+ miles). I'll soon be moving to a
road bike (light frame, 622x25 tyres) and I'm wondering how much difference it might make.

My guess is perhaps 1 to 1.5 mph depending on your current tyres. That'll make give you up to 18.5
mph which I think is pretty respectable for a solo rider on rolling roads.
--
Regards, Pete

Peter B said:

My guess is perhaps 1 to 1.5 mph depending on your current tyres. That'll make give you up to 18.5
mph which I think is pretty respectable for a solo rider on rolling roads.

<sigh>

I've been feeling pretty chuffed, until i realized you guys were talking mph, not kph...

Eugenio

--
If at first you don't succeed, call in air support

In article <[email hidden]>,

Peter B said:

"Ian G Batten" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:c0qomu$rtc$1@news-
out.ftel.co.uk...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

What bike did you get ?

Marin Mount Vision. With Goodrich brake hoses, which are lovely.

Ah, that'll make it faster than mine then, I've only got yer basic Kevlar reinforced Parker
hoses ;-)

I only had them done because I'd used them on motorbikes in the past. When I collected it, I was
told that they'd all had to feel the brakes in the shop and were going to recommend them to all
customers. Certainly, compared to the new `standard' MV parked next to it the brakes were very
different. As it better or worse, I don't know, but this is the hi-fi logic: it's different, it's
more expensive, it must be better.

ian

Ningi <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Thanks for all the replies. I was hoping that a new bike should be good for another couple of mph
average speed, and several of you seem to think that's about right. I might almost be able to keep
up with some of the groups round Richmond park.

I should think that's highly likely. Some of the roadies in the Park though race at a high level, so
don't get too depressed if a few of them blow you away.

--
Dave...

"Ian G Batten" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Re braided hoses:

Quoted message said:

As it better or worse, I don't know, but this is the hi-fi logic: it's different, it's more
expensive, it must be better.

They do look businesslike.
--
Regards, Pete