I want to buy a road bike

[Toro Toro]

I want to buy a road bike

Yeah, it's certainly an issue. The thing is, as the article does say much further down, amateurs are very unlikely to be putting the bike under anything near the same stresses as pros, unless physically they significantly exceed the maximum weight limit.

And those weight limits are one place where the manufaturers don't fudge. Firstly, because they put themselves at huge risk of very punishing lawsuits if they do; secondly, because the weight limit adds a price-premium by putting in the customer's mind that this is a pro-level, ultralight piece of kit.

As far as the pros are concerned, the UCI minimum weight makes ultralight frames a bit pointless, actually; since the weight has to be made up elsewhere, it often goes on the wheels, where it affects the bike's performance far more. I think I've noted here recently, though, that mechanics a few years ago had an ingenious trick for dealing with the weght limit; drill a small hole under the bottom bracket, then fill the tubes up with ice. It'll weigh in legal, then lose it all once the water melts...

Anecdotally, fwiw, the current generation of carbon frames are far less likely to break (I haven't seen any stats, but that's the general consensus among riders). Though a friend of mine had a severe rush to get a replacement bike under warranty before the Etape, after the seat-tube on her Trek sheared right through.

[Mumpo]

I want to buy a road bike

Toro Toro wrote: Mumpo - looks awesome, and fabulous spec for the cash! It'd be worth taking into your LBS for a service, but that's excellent value

Phew. I was waiting for someone to come on and go "ooh, those Cube Pelotons, more trouble than they're worth... give it six weeks before the top tube goes..."

They're devilishly tricky things to ride, these road bikes, aren't they. Dare say I'll have it tamed before too long, but it was bucking and frolicking all over the tarmac this evening. It didn't help that I was riding on clip pedals with regular trainers, I suppose.

[anton pulisov]

I want to buy a road bike

Don't do like I did and fall over at the first traffic light. The link didn't work for me, can you post a picture of the bike? I am curious!

@Toro Wow, I didn't realise that the difference between steel and carbon was nearly 1.5 kg, but since I'm not racing competitive (and never will) I just like to have a basic race bike but with high quality. I even have gear shifters on the downtube... but it's all Campagnolo Record!

Regarding carbon breaking. I fell once on my steel bike. The rear dérailleur was totalled and the part of the frame holding it on was bent to pieces. I walked to the nearest open bike shop (fortunately very close), had the frame bent back into the correct shape again, the chain shortened and stuck on to the middle cog on the rear gears. Hey presto, I had a fully functioning single gear bike.

[San Bernardhinault]

I want to buy a road bike

A few thoughts on this - 1.5kg difference in weight is important if you're a tiny little thing like, say, Nibali. I'm not convinced that it's really a limiting factor, even on big hills, if you're a great big lardy fuck like I am. If there's 90kg of me, the weight difference is 1 or 2%. Now, I'd love an extra 2%, but not necessarily at the cost of a lovely, smooth ride. And only, really in the hills. It's particularly true for the people who try and sell you carbon bottle cages, because that's a few grams. Which you could also save by leaving the last sip of your espresso in the morning.

On pedals, well, the page that was linked to was written by a bloke who cycles in sandals and socks! Which should tell you enough. But, from my perspective, the biggest benefit of the clipped pedals is that I actually do produce some power on the up stroke. Usually when my hammy is feeling completely knackered, changing for a few strokes where I'm pulling with my quad is a massive relief, and gets me a rest without slowing. That said, if you're uncomfortable clipped in, for whatever reason (fear of falling is the usual, and entirely sensible, one for people unfamiliar with them), it's probably again worth losing the benefits.

Finally, I've heard all sorts of anecdotes about the dangers of carbon breaking. They all seem to involve an absolutely insane amount of stress "a friend with a carbon seat post was impaled when it broke when they went over a jump downhill mtb-ing" etc. For normal people, who put much less strain on their bikes than pro riders, it's just not something to worry about.

[Toro Toro]

I want to buy a road bike

Well, yeah, the cheapest place to lose weight is always off your own arse. And the sums people will spend to save a couple of grams here or there are absolutely insane; I'll see your carbon bidon cages and raise you titanium skewers.

That said, 1.5kg more or less in the frame is very noticeable, particularly in the hills or pulling away at lights. Not a limiting factor, by any means, but you'll absolutely notice it.

Bryan, you did most of your cycling in Holland, right? One of my roadie friends over there continually asks if "uphill" is some sort of English word he doesn't know for a headwind

[Kevin S]

I want to buy a road bike

Mumpo wrote:

Mumpo - looks awesome, and fabulous spec for the cash! It'd be worth taking into your LBS for a service, but that's excellent value

Phew. I was waiting for someone to come on and go "ooh, those Cube Pelotons, more trouble than they're worth... give it six weeks before the top tube goes..."

They're devilishly tricky things to ride, these road bikes, aren't they. Dare say I'll have it tamed before too long, but it was bucking and frolicking all over the tarmac this evening. It didn't help that I was riding on clip pedals with regular trainers, I suppose.

Yeah, this looks like a steal. Been reading the Cube reviews and they have come out really strongly - there's a nice summary of their range here.

Of course you also need to know that German Continental tour Team Stölting ride Cubes, and not without success either - they have the new U23 German road race champion, and their sprinter Phil Bauhaus came third in the elite road race, behind World Tour stars Greipel and Degenkolb. So you're in good company there. They have a Facebook page if you want to keep up with them.

[Toro Toro]

I want to buy a road bike

The effect of extra weight, on you or the bike, measured.

Long story short; the difference is more significant the faster you go, but it's definitely significant either way.

[Kevin S]

I want to buy a road bike

Sheep races cyclist.

[Mumpo]

I want to buy a road bike

A commendable way to start this morning - up at six fifteen, porridge, five one-kilometer laps round the park and back home to get ready for work. Enter office still full of endorphins.

Can't see it happening every morning, but it was nice.

[Mumpo]

I want to buy a road bike

Inspired by the LC3 Criterium in Lancaster yesterday evening, by the way. Won at whatever the cycling equivalent is of a canter by Jack Pullar.

Love the difference between the horde of category 3 and 4 riders charging in a ragged formation across the width of the roads, and the 1 and 2's slick, kerb-hugging procession.

[Mumpo]

I want to buy a road bike

Wow. Just plotted this morning's route on Google Maps and it turns out that the '1km lap' was about 3.34km, giving a total distance of just over 10 miles.

Beats a lie-in.

[Mumpo]

I want to buy a road bike

Caton, Halton and Skerton. Top firm of solicitors? No, the journey I took this morning roughly to the northeast of Lancaster. Just over twelve miles. I'll post the exact route when cycle-route.com has cleared it for publishing.

[Kevin S]

I want to buy a road bike

Good stuff Mumpo, sounds like you have a new favourite thing!

[Mumpo]

I want to buy a road bike

This was also a landmark occasion as it was the first time I have revealed myself to the world wearing lycra cycling shorts. Up until now I had opted for a baggy short with a padded clip-in pant, but I now require the freedom of movement afforded by a more athletic garment.

They are not as revealing as I had imagined. The saddle-padding helps in this respect.

[Incandenza]

I want to buy a road bike

Mumpo wrote: They are not as revealing as I had imagined. The saddle-padding helps in this respect.

Unless you go the Peter Sagan route...

[Toby Gymshorts]

I want to buy a road bike

He appears to have a spare saddle down the front of those.

[Incandenza]

I want to buy a road bike

The tweet to BikeSnobNYC with that photo said he was doing his best Derek Smalls impression.

[MsD]

I want to buy a road bike

Hmm, he looks like an interesting fellow to talk to.

I'm loving riding my new, light Whyte bike. It was unnerving on the first outing, but after 10 days, I love that feeling when it's like part of your body. Haven't had that since 1996, when Marin's Sausalito was really slender and light. It got chunkier.

Carried it up many steps today without any problems.

[Mumpo]

I want to buy a road bike

Another ten miles clocked this morning, thankfully completed just as I was caught in the ragged entrails of hurricane Bertha - the tenacious presence of which probably means that further opportunities to work up an appetite for breakfast will probably be limited over the next few days.

The whole morning ride thing - or rides at any time, for that matter - are going to come to an end soon anyway. The new school term will start in three weeks, and unless I drag myself up even earlier, my mornings are going to be taken up by efforts to get the kids packed off to school. And before long, the mornings will be too dark anyway; as will the afternoons, and riding will be relegated to days of the weekend in which I am not otherwise engaged in household tasks or shopping expeditions.

Which is all a shame, as my plan was to emerge in the spring lithe and fit and raring to beat all comers on flat and slope, not back to the same pasty, feeble condition I was in a few weeks ago.

I've just had a look at the price of turbo trainers... it really is a rich man's sport, this.

[Toro Toro]

I want to buy a road bike

Well, a good basic one needn't cost the earth. It's easy to spend a fortune on bluetooth compatibility and any amount of ludicrous other shit but tbh, once it holds the back wheel in place, and provides some resistance against it spinning, it'll do the job. Mine's very basic.

[MsD]

I want to buy a road bike

Someone should develop one of those that powers a washing machine ... or something more realistic, like an aerolatte. Seems a shame not to harness that energy, as I always think at the gym. We have treadmills that are self-powering but they're not as user-friendly for me as the conventional models.

[Kevin S]

I want to buy a road bike

http://pedalpowergenerator.com/

[MsD]

I want to buy a road bike

Ha, thanks for that, but it's not very clear what it does? Will read it again.

Edit: OK, powers a 12v blender or water pump.

I'm not in the market for one, I can use bikes at the gym if necessary, but good to know they are there.

[Mumpo]

I want to buy a road bike

Toro Toro wrote: Well, a good basic one needn't cost the earth. It's easy to spend a fortune on bluetooth compatibility and any amount of ludicrous other shit but tbh, once it holds the back wheel in place, and provides some resistance against it spinning, it'll do the job

Yeah, point taken. Though the opportunity cost of a turbo trainer would be a very nice jersey that I have my eye on.

Anyway, back to basic principles. This cadence thing is a tricky little sod to get consistent - especially as I haven't even measured mine accurately yet. Though even an average might be misleading as it's generally all over the place. It's the transitions I can't seem to nail - flat to climb, climb to drop, saddle to stand, corner to straight, they all result in a stall, making the ride infuriatingly disjointed.

On the plus side, I have successfully tweaked the positioning of my saddle so that the padded rear panel of my shorts doesn't catch on the front when I stand up to pedal.

[MsD]

I want to buy a road bike

40 quid on eBay.