New Bike - Aero, Lightweight or Endurance?
You could say where the hell do I start?
Well let's start with the reality of everything, as human beings we want more for less so that means more speed, comfort and everything else for less money.
We are lead by marketing in a hugely commercial world. We read reviews from all sorts of people we don't know and for some reason, we believe everything they say.
Everything we hear we take on face value. Our friend buys an aero bike, tells us it's the best thing ever and that's what we do, we buy the same. But the thing is, we all need something ever so slightly different. We need to think about what it is we're doing, while we're doing it and how we should make the first step from there.
Start with a Bike Fit - PLEASE
You can ride around the roads and quickly see so many unsuitable bikes out there with all sorts of compromises and adaptations and it's fairly obvious that a wrong decision has been made somewhere along the line. Aero bikes that have cost £10k, saved 8 watts, but you give the 8watts back with a baggy Jersey and a helmet that makes you look like a dork. Don't get me wrong we're all guilty of it. If someone is adamant about buying an aero bike, we may try and talk them out of it but ultimately if that's what they want, then that's what they'll get. So education really is the key upon which to start your decision making journey to which kind of bike to buy, and not being bowled over by marketing or a "Good Deal" on something.
Understanding your limitations, your flexibility, the hours you're going to do, the mountains you're going to climb, the speed you're going to reach, the races you're going to appear at, or the races you're not going to appear at more to the point. At the beginning of your journey, you probably couldn't even imagine going to a Gran Fondo, or could you? Is a Gran Fondo a race? Some people say it is. The sane ones disagree. Which event are you gonna choose? And how are you gonna attack it and realistically does it make any difference to your choice of bike?
It's hard to deny it for racing, the guys who want to go quick need to go quick. To gain the extra watts. Not to buy an aero bike that can go quicker for less energy for less power to get them to the finish line slightly faster, that one's hard to deny. But for pretty much everyone else realistically, that's not what they need, even those that are going to Gran Fondo's, not doing races but turning up to events. I mean let's be honest now, the difference between an aero bike and an endurance bike over a 60 mile course. Take a second to take a guess. What do you think that will be. Let's call it 3.5hrs of effort in total:
Well, it might be a couple of minutes maybe in reality, does this really matter? Wouldn't you rather just be more comfortable and more intact and be able to walk the rest of the day or would you rather that two minutes ahead of your buddies for bragging rights.
I think the day has come where we need to re-look at what we do in our decision making and not just follow the broad marketing that all these companies are putting out there. Really delving into thinking about our bodys ideal riding position, the comfort that we need, the speed that we want and how we can make up the right package to suit your needs. This is one of the big reasons to buy bikes locally and who you choose to buy it from - who you trust.
Get yourself fitted up
Take the time to gather information, get yourself fitted up, speak to the guys and girls who know, those that ride the bikes are generally the ones who work in the shops. Speak face to face, grab a coffee, sit down and work out the details. You might save a couple of quid online, but you'll save a whole lot more by getting it right, and choosing the place where you can return to time and time again for service, support and community.
Richard
Ex-Aero dork, now middle aged riding 32mm tyres and finishing mid pack, when he turns up...
More from the Journal
