Ken Aston said:Recently, I have been using my bike more and more and by now I almost
stopped using any other way of transportation. It's a lot of fun and it
made me think about buying a really nice bike. Right now I am just
using a cheap discount bike which is quite heavy.
What I still don't understand is, what are the advantages of
sophisticated, expensive bikes? Parts last longer, the weight is lower,
I understand that. But besides that, why can I go faster with a 2,000 $
bike than with a 200 $ bike?
First, it's great you're enjoying cycling. Doing it for
transportation, like you are, is a Good Thing, in my book.
But regarding the difference between cheap discount bikes and good
bikes, here's my experience, from long, long ago.
When I finished college and got a job, a new ten (count 'em - ten!)
speed was my first present to myself. I knew nothing about bikes, but
I saw a German bike at a discount store and bought it. And I rode it
for almost four years, in a part of the country where there were almost
no cyclists. I liked riding. I liked it a lot.
Then I learned my guitar teacher had a "good" bike in his basement.
Apparently, he bought it, crashed once, and never rode again. It was
rusty, parts didn't work right, wheels were crooked - but I acquired it
and spent a week getting it perfect, then took it out for a test ride.
I was amazed at the difference. The shifters and brakes worked _so_
much better. (The other bike had almost no brakes in the rain.) The
handling was nimble, not sluggish. The bike had a better choice of
gears. The tires had less rolling resistance. It was lighter, so
climbing was a bit easier. Almost all parts were aluminum instead of
chromed steel, so not only were they lighter, they wouldn't rust. The
bearings in the hubs, cranks, pedals and steering were all better. And
the aesthetics were better, too - nice lugs, nice detail paint, chrome
on the dropout wear surfaces, etc. The saddle - well, the saddle was a
narrow leather thing that I _tried_ to like, but after a couple years I
got one that fit me better.
But more to the point, overall, the bike was much more comfortable.
Now, I was lucky there, since I was buying used. My guitar teacher
just happened to be my size. If he were much taller or shorter, I
probably wouldn't have bought the bike. But the bike did fit me, and
that makes a tremendous difference.
I recall letting a couple friends test ride the bike. Even though it
was just a "middle of the line" bike, not top quality, they immediately
felt the difference between the good bike and their discount bikes.
Bike hardware has gotten better across the board. Your discount bike
is probably much better than mine was. But still, most discount bikes
are "one size sort of approximately fits all." And fit is one of the
most important things about a bike - more so than minor weight
differences, for sure.
As others have said, there is certainly a "diminishing returns" aspect
to bike buying. I'd guess that $300 or $400 will get you into the
bottom edge of decent bikes. An $800 bike will definitely be better,
but not really be twice as good (however that's measured) and a $1600
bike will certainly not be four times as good. At a certain point,
you're paying for this month's fashionable design trick, plus extra
polish on the metal parts, plus some tricky, high-tech looking
components that may be unrepairable five years from now.
I'd say, get a bike from the middle of a good company's price range.
Get a bike that fits your body perfectly. If necessary, have the shop
trade stems, or saddles, or pedals or whatever to suit you. Also, get
a bike that suits your intended use - and if you're riding for
transportation, that may mean getting stuff that's not at all stylish,
like fenders and good lights and racks and big bags.
BTW, regarding saddles: I disagree with one poster who implies that
you need an oddball bike to get a comfortable seat. What you need is a
seat that fits your personal butt, and your personal riding style. It
needs to be wide enough to support your sit bones, but not too wide.
And unless you ride only short distances (say, five miles max) I'd
advise against a very soft, cushy saddle. Those sort of swallow you in
foam, and cut off all blood and air circulation until you're in pain.
I'd advise trying for a saddle of moderate width and moderate firmness.
Finally, I'll agree with several posters who said "faster isn't
everything." (Or, in Ghandi's words, "There is more to life than
increasing its speed."😉
Speed comes from having the bike fit you well, having a good
aerodynamic position and clothing, having good tires, and being in good
shape. In my experience, if you want to get really fast, you've got to
push yourself until it hurts, and do it over and over for a few years
at least. As Lance Armstrong said "It's not about the bike."
(Well, not very much, anyway.)
- Frank Krygowski
