Is it possible for someone on a steel shitbike to match someone decent on a real roadbike?I know my cardio is decent but I'm sick of getting smoked on the track, my 13kg bike feels fucking heavy but I don't want to spend what the bikeshops quoted me for a real roadbike.My friends are really pushing towards buying more and more gear...
>>77422069Yes.
>>77422069no not really. The road bikes are very light, tiny tires to reduce weight and rolling friction. I am fit and ride an aluminum mountain bike with my back pack and get passed by fat women all the time on hill climbs. The only time someone with a heavy bike and match or exceed someone on real roadbike is if the roadbike is ridden by on older or older person and the shitbike is ridden by a young person. Age is the biggest difference. I did not think this would be the case but like I said if you saw me next to a fatty you would never expect the fatty to pass me on a hill climb. Dont worry about a real roadbike unless you plan to race it. If you are just doing exercise then the exercise is the important part not looking fast or beating some fatty on a hillclimb.
>>77422069When you say steel shitbike do you mean an old roadbike or a city bike? If it’s the former yeah probably, it’s more a matter of who’s more fit. If it’s the latter, nah.
>>77422180> Dont worry about a real roadbike unless you plan to race it. If you are just doing exercise then the exercise is the important part not looking fast or beating some fatty on a hillclimb.You’re not wrong, but a decently modern road bike is a lot more fun to ride than an old shitbike. You don’t need to get anything brand new, you can get a good used one for like 500-600 bucks.
>>77422069no
No, a road bike is made for efficiency, that includes a light frame, light narrow tires, a more aerodynamic position, loads more gears, you spend less energy and move faster since you are more efficient.But you need to remember that efficiency doesn't build muscle mass. You'll get a way better workout/strength gains/calories burned doing uphill sprints on high gear on your old shitbike than cycling on a road bike.I love riding my old rusty 15kg mountain shitbike shirtless in the summer. Upright position, I flare my lats for more drag/resistance as if I'm ready to take off. Mogging DYEL skellies in lycra and plastic helmets is always funny and never gets old.
>>77422069Adjusting your riding posture and fitness level will have a far greater impact on speed than any bike ever could. In order of effectiveness:>ride 5h+ per week>stay low in the drops>back horizontal, head down>hydration and nutritionDoing these for one season will get you way above average. I got into cycling on a cheap, heavy french mail order bike I rode in running shoes. I just rode it a lot and progressed into the sport. The above is responsible for 80% or more of your total speed. Yes, a good bike does make a big difference but it pales in comparison to simply adjusting your posture and fitness level.You didn't state your current gear so idk if you have clip ins or not and whatever else, but assuming you do then do the above. Otherwise get clip ins and a helmet first.
>>77422278watching MegaAvalanche vids are great. I wish I got into mountain biking many years ago.
>>77422069>My friends are really pushing towards buying more and more gear...cycling has become like golf were people spend to show offyou shouldn't really need more than a low end 7 entry level race bike to trainidk if that's what you were quoted onthe Trek, Giant etc have entry level road bikes that have everything you need
>>77422069if you really need to, buy carbon shit from aliexpress. you can get a carbon frame and deep wheelset under $1000, electronic groupset for like $400. parts are so cheap on there. i'm on a steel bike and i got my spd-105 dupes for $13, cleats for $40, heart rate monitor for $2 (with a coupon)>>77422941for training i use an 80s steel bike with dura-ace 7900. when i do a triathlon in the future i'll have to reevaluate but until then it doesn't matter
>>77422069i have a 10kg steel bianchi road bike with downtube shifters. I upgraded the tires to some pzeros and I absolutely mog everyone on bikes costing 20x what mine did.
>>77423128>pantanimaxxing
>>77422069Just make sure your bike is in good working order. Brakes are good, it shifts well, tires are pumped up and aligned properly, and you're good to go. I just got my bike all fixed up a few weeks ago.
https://youtu.be/M3QaI-CJ3rw?is=KhvduuEL6P16VHxDJust watch this guy and ask your question again.
Are these kind of bikes much harder to ride than a standard bike?
>>77423584A road bike gives you on average +10kph/6mph when pedallong with the same effort
>>77423584Your center of gravity is higher and farther forward, and the handlebars extend farther forward from the stem (the point of rotation of the front fork). It requires more balance at slow speeds. Steering is less direct, but also more stable at speed. The ride is a lot firmer if you have an old school bike with 19mm tires, but modern road bikes are going up to 30mm which is much cushier.
>>77422069Unless your friends are pretty strong cyclists or your current bike is a real piece of junk then you can easily match them. Getting nicer new wheels is a more affordable upgrade that will make a big difference
>>77423584It’s literally a built for a purpose bike. I’m riding technical trail rides on a Canyon Stoic hardtail and can barely keep up with my full suspension buddy. He’s nice enough to stop at times so I can catch up but he just glides over everything while I’m doing what I can to survive. A road bike is a much smoother ride and you can glide through the headwind because you sit so low with your upper body. Weight doesn’t matter tho unless you’re at elite levels or can’t reduce any more body weight. I rode 1500km on my gravel bike and it weights 35kg with camping gear in while I weight 115kg at 194cm tall. I averaged 27km/h for 19hours last trip.
>>77423584The real skill in using them on casual rides is knowing what the largest curb or bump you can take without warping your rims otherwise they're just a normal bike.
>>77423593>>77423596Ah I wondered.>>77423645Yeah I've ridden Trail for about 15 years on and off.>>77423640Nice.Thanks for the replies guys, helpful.
>>77422069The things that matter for speed in order of importance:1. How much wind your body catches, this is a constant drag on you and will rob the most energy2. Weight of the wheels and how far out the weight is from the center of rotation, bigger wheels are harder to accelerate3. Gear ratio, is your gearing + wheel diameter the same as theirs?4. Weight of the frame, a carbon frame will reduce your overall weight by ~6kg which is not nothing, but its not as big of a deal as lighter wheels and not something that will affect you once you are up to speed
Love my bike. It wasn't that expensive.
the difference is HUGE https://www.swissside.com/blogs/aero-tech-tips/gravel-report
>>77422069on a flat yesmass only affects acceleration on a flatif you get roadbike wheels+tires and gears you'll be 90% there on flats
>>77422069You aren't going to compete with the newest sub 7kg bikes with that. Just go on Facebook Marketplace and find yourself something halfway decent for 400-700.
>>77423243Pantani and other elite riders of his day rode ultralight aluminum frames. In fact the frames were so fragile they couldn't last more than a few stages. In fact some TdF bikes were under the current 6.8 kg weight limit.
>>77423636>nicer new wheelswhat do you look for in wheels? I have big knobbly wheels I could probably do with a new set
>>77422069Depends on the other persons fitness, but probably not
