Cycling

[bennydorano]

Our club abiding by it too, but think it's bucked now tbh. With the NI executive permitting up to 6 people to meet, you could drive a bus through any guidance anyway, but after the Dominic Cummings saga a lot of people's attitude will likely change pretty quickly.

[grounded]

Bad form. Seen quite a few groups 4/5 over the weekend. No club colours! although i recognised quite a few different club members. Daft and liable to get a backlash.
     Im afraid the more this thing drags on the more selfish traits i see in people.

[illdecide]

This may sound silly but is there not a common sense approach among people you trust. Say you have a close knit 6 cyclists you all trust each other and are good friends, surely if you are all well and feeling fit with no sickness or high temp is there any harm in going out as your normal group?. Not asking for a friend btw...lol, i've been solo for the last few months but i'm itching to get back out with the mates.
The obvious questions here are they going to stay away if they feel unwell?
Common sense to me may not be common sense to the next man (i know)
Of course the risk here is someone could have it and not know...(prob the biggie here)
Don't want a full debate on the virus as there is a thread for that but just more related to cycling...thanks.

[grounded]

This may sound silly but is there not a common sense approach among people you trust. Say you have a close knit 6 cyclists you all trust each other and are good friends, surely if you are all well and feeling fit with no sickness or high temp is there any harm in going out as your normal group?. Not asking for a friend btw...lol, i've been solo for the last few months but i'm itching to get back out with the mates.
The obvious questions here are they going to stay away if they feel unwell?
Common sense to me may not be common sense to the next man (i know)
Of course the risk here is someone could have it and not know...(prob the biggie here)
Don't want a full debate on the virus as there is a thread for that but just more related to cycling...thanks.

I think you've sort of answered your own question. Until CI give the go ahead we have to wait.

[thewobbler]

Somebody selling a £9k bike just appeared on my Facebook timeline.

Genuine question - who buys a £9k bike and what do they hope to achieve? Can it really improve times / endurance over a £1k bike, or is it just a rich boy's toy?

Can I assume that someone's riding style/technique doesn't differ between a £1k and £9k bike - so if there is an improvement in times, it can be traced back to the bike?

[maddog]

Somebody selling a £9k bike just appeared on my Facebook timeline.

Genuine question - who buys a £9k bike and what do they hope to achieve? Can it really improve times / endurance over a £1k bike, or is it just a rich boy's toy?

Can I assume that someone's riding style/technique doesn't differ between a £1k and £9k bike - so if there is an improvement in times, it can be traced back to the bike?

I would say the improvement would be pretty minimal over a 1k bike. Unless you are a serious racing man you dont need anything like that. The difference between a £200 bike and a 1k bike is very noticeable but once you get into the bigger numbers does something at 8k beat something at 5k ? I doubt it. The bike shops have done a great job on convincing people that they need everything to be the dog balls and where it isn't you upgrade. So for example bike shop will pitch a bike in around the 2k mark but there will be something on it they will convince you that you need to upgrade at some point. Usually the wheels, or they give you a really nice frame and wheels but use Tiagra groupset (entry level nothing wrong with it), or they give you Ultegra groupset but stock heavier wheels. Nothing wrong with wanting to improve fitness and speed but 9/10 times it is you that needs improving not the bike.
And i would know...... But if someone wants to buy a bike at 9k who am i to tell them what to do with their money. But sure i suppose it is like cars or watches for example. You can spend fortunes on them but they generally only do what a much cheaper one does.
I'd say when all this pandemic is over the 2nd hand market will be flooded with stuff as lots of people have bought bikes that will give up heading in to winter.

[thewobbler]

Thanks Maddog.

I always wonder about the mindset of golfers who spend months perfecting their driver, only to use the competition winnings from that day when it all comes together, to fund a new driver.

Seems like this notion transcends sports.

£9k is some outlay on a hobby bike all the same.

[illdecide]

Look there is a difference in a £9k bike compared to a £1k bike...no question. The question should be is the £8k difference worth it and that depends on who's riding it and at what level. If you're a top cyclist and the small percentages matter then "Yes" it does make a difference but if you're an average run of the mill cyclist a bike from £1k-£2k is more than enough.
Now i've an expensive bike and TBH it hasn't really made me any faster (don't think so anyway as we're all riding solo) than my previous one, it's much nicer to look at (for me) and i enjoy it but i know too that doesn't matter if i ride a £12k bike or a £500 bike i still have to pedal it and i'm the engine...So the answer is yes there are differences in the cheap bikes to the expensive ones but the margins get smaller the more you go up in price.
I tried to justify buying my bike with "I don't smoke, I hardly take a drink and don't gamble" so why not enjoy myself with something i like...Was it a waste of money? Don't think so, I think buying a new car is a waste of money

[thebigfella]

Thanks Maddog.

I always wonder about the mindset of golfers who spend months perfecting their driver, only to use the competition winnings from that day when it all comes together, to fund a new driver.

Seems like this notion transcends sports.

£9k is some outlay on a hobby bike all the same.

To be fair the only way to fix a bad golf swing or round of golf is to throw money at it.

[bennydorano]

I'd say the ballpark of 3k is what most people (average joe) who get into cycling in a serious way are willing to go to achieve real mechanical gains, anything significantly above that cost wise I really don't see the gains to be had on any bike tbh.  I've noticed boys on seriously expensive bikes in our club out for an evening spin (max 35/40m) with 2 full water bottles - that's 1kg of unnecessary weight right there, undoing what they were paying for.

[illdecide]

I've always wanted an S-Works Venge/Tarmac from i started cycling, currently i have the next thing below it. Based on the chat here and the chat i've had with other cyclists may times the S-Works bike will not help me be a faster cyclist compared to what i'm riding but it'll look the part, so if i can afford one i'll buy it for cosmetic purposes only. I suppose the best thing is to get fitter, stronger and lighter and that's better than any S-Works...lol.

Long story short in the short while i've been cycling i thought owning a bike like that would make a massive improvement in me but now that i've a few years under my belt and a good bike i've realised that it only helps you in small fractions and no matter what you buy and ride you're the engine. The thought of owning an S-Works bike and kitted out to the neck in the best of gear and being last in your Sunday run with the mates would be some laugh all the same.

[GJL]

3 years ago I started cycling. Bought a second hand Giant of gumtree for £450. Last September I done Mizen to Malin on it and done about 3000 miles training in the 6 months leading up to it. All on my £450 bike. Guys spending thousands on fancy bikes are doing in to be seen in a fancy bike. No great performance to be gained no matter what the cycle shop sales man tells you.

[thebigfella]

Simply the lighter you want (also Di2, Sram Wireless etc...) the components (and bike overall) the cost "probably" increases exponentially. I see people all the time spending thousands to save 1kg on a bike when they are "technically obese". If they spent more time riding their multiple bikes, they'd drop that 1kg in a week or 2 without that hit on the wallet.

That said if you want to spend 10k because you can afford it and want the best you can afford; off you go and enjoy it. It's like cars, the pleasure comes from the experiencing the engineering etc... but don't expect to push it anywhere near the limits.

Also don't expect the rest of us to listen to crap about how it improves you as a cyclist as those sorts of bike only make a difference to small percentage of elite cyclists. Those cyclists don't pay for these bikes 

This whole concept of winter bikes is another one that people need to have a good hard look at themselves 

[illdecide]

Simply the lighter you want (also Di2, Sram Wireless etc...) the components (and bike overall) the cost "probably" increases exponentially. I see people all the time spending thousands to save 1kg on a bike when they are "technically obese". If they spent more time riding their multiple bikes, they'd drop that 1kg in a week or 2 without that hit on the wallet.

That said if you want to spend 10k because you can afford it and want the best you can afford; off you go and enjoy it. It's like cars, the pleasure comes from the experiencing the engineering etc... but don't expect to push it anywhere near the limits.

Also don't expect the rest of us to listen to crap about how it improves you as a cyclist as those sorts of bike only make a difference to small percentage of elite cyclists. Those cyclists don't pay for these bikes 

This whole concept of winter bikes is another one that people need to have a good hard look at themselves

I agree with most of your comments but to be fair i don't think there's much wrong with riding a bike in the winter that you wouldn't care too much about if it fell apart and keep your nice bike clear of the grime and crap from the winter roads for the better weather. I'm not talking about S-Works here now but your nice we £1k-£3k bike. Don't see much harm in that TBH. I have two bikes but i don't class my cheaper bike as a winter bike as i'd ride it in the summer too if i was out for a stroll and it's more comfortable than my other bike which is set up differently.

[bennydorano]

Like most things in life the Genetic lucky dip plays a big part in cycling and how much effort you're willing to put in. Bikes do make a difference especially if you're doing a bit of racing, you're deluding yourself if you think otherwise. There's boys that would beat you riding a garden gate right enough, if you're one of those boys good luck to you.

Winter bikes make sense, why would the likes of illdecide want to slog through rain, frost. Sleet, snow and howling winds on an S Works with di2 etc... destroy the bike ffs. I would put my good bike away most Novembers.