Road Cycling - What Makes A Bike FEEL Fast?

Its the rider, not the bike that makes a bicycle fast; but what is it that makes a bicycle (road bike) FEEL fast?

Cycling journalists frequently state that a bike feels fast, but they never correlate this statement to the measured reality.

Do the short rear stays on the test bike actualy make the bike faster (climbing) in the measured reality, or does the bike only feel faster?

As a final year engineering student and keen cyclist from the University of Birmingham I have taken up the question of 'What makes a bicycle feel fast' as my final year project. I hope to identify exactly what and to what extent, effects how fast the bike feels.

I start testing soon, so any comments would be welcome.

Nick Downham
University of Birmingham
United Kingdom

Hey Nick,

Good question. I'll respond based on my experience only. I'm a former Cat 2 USCF road racer. I've also toured & commuted. I've been riding "seriously", (whatever that means) for more than 30 years. My experience is limited to road bikes. I've neither owned nor ridden a Mt. bike.

We all know it's really the "motor" that determines the speed of the bike. That being said, what follows are a baker's dozen of my opinions; some tongue in cheek, some not.

1. Smaller frames feel faster. I can ride frames from 58 to 63 cm, but I always choose the smallest that will fit me properly.
2. Short wheelbases make for quicker handling. I think they feel faster.
3. Upright angles feel more responsive to power inputs. Frames with 73-74 degree head/seattube angles will feel faster than 70-72.
4. A freshly lubed and cleaned drive train, including chain, cogs, chain rings, hubs etc. feel faster than nasty, gritty, dirty one's.
5. Overall cleanliness feels faster. A bike that has just been detailed, will instill a sense of pride & speed.
6. Properly adjusted brakes & shifters will free the mind to concentrate on speed, speed, speed.
7. Frames that are stiff, but still retain a modicum of flex will feel faster than extremely ridgid frames with no flex. I rode a Cannondale for a few years. I WAS fast on it, but it FELT slow. The ride was also ridiculously hard and punishing, even with a carbon fiber fork. (Yes, I see all the pros that ride them. All I can say is that "I'm happy for them.")
8. New, spiffy handlebar tape. Gotta give you a major speed increase.
9. Turning your Avocet or other speed measuring device off will enhance your feeling of speed. You'll feel fast, & you won't feel depressed when you look, only to discover you've really only been averaging a paltry _____________(fill in the blank)MPH/KPH.
10. I'm positive that I'm much faster in my favorite jersey! Much faster!
11. Perfectly trued wheels and properly inflated tires will seem like they're flying.
12. Losing 10 pounds does wonders for my bike.
13. Last, but not necessarily least, color. If you even moderately dislike the color of your bike, it'll just never seem fast.

Hope this helps you.

Q

I just found this thread...interesting.

I agree with Q. but would like to add a few things.

1. high pressure tires, at 160, it may feel rough, but it will feel fast.
2. always ride with a tailwind.
3. always ride downhill.
4. red is always fast.
5. keep the computer, but adjust it to read faster.
6. ride with slower people.
7. never ride with a fast woman.
8. use brakes that do not work well. :rolleyes:

For those in the US - switch from mph to kph. Instant speed boost!

Getting towed by a car will make the bike feel fast.

55/Rad

A magnet on every spoke always makes me feel fast:) Pretty much what was said before, either through perceived increase in speed, or actual increase in speed.

I'll add my two cents:

I found that a bike will feel fast depending on your location.

This is more an optical illusion than anything else. For instance. If you're riding in an area where there is no lanscape or very minimal change in the road surface, can make the bicycle feel much slower. This same analogy holds true even for the motorist which is why a wide street causes the driver to go faster for they feel as though they are going slower than normal. A cyclist will feel a lot faster in the city when riding next to parked cars and other moving motor traffic.

I also find that a poorly maintained bike will feel a lot faster going downhill than one that is properly maintained. I guess the fear of death comes to mind especially one you near the bottom and have no brakes!

Before having read this thread, I was going to say more trail, which makes the handling less stable. After having read the thread, that seems to be consistent with Q's answers, #2 and #3. I think lots of bike editors have confused more trail with faster and livelier and more responsive, etc., etc. etc.

You can take your combined engineering/psychology degree and apply it to man/machine interfaces in any industry, i.e. panel design in cars, etc. Please keep in mind that I am the last person who should be offering career guidance advice!

Those little streamers you had on your bike as a kid that fit in the ends of the handlebar make your bike feel faster! :D

i'd have to say, focus on the senses.

sight: if the road has white stripes, seeing those white stripes go by quickly. looking in front of you, way ahead of you, because your'e going so fast. everything becomes a blur.

sound: the sound of the wind as it passes your ear, the faster you go, the more that sound blots out the other sounds. the hum of the tire as it goes faster is unmistakable...

smell: the air is real fresh when you're going fast..

taste: sweat, air, oxygen, pollution; it all goes in and before u know it it's out

touch: body's in the drops, the air is wrapping around your body...

sd

a stiff bike feels fast. When every ounce of power goes to the wheel without being soaked up by frame flex, or chain flex, or worn out cogs, or bad dérailleurs, etc..
A light bike feels fast. A short bike handles better and feels faster..
High pressure tires with low rolling resistance feels faster..

A fast bike is an uncomfortable bike.. :)

A really slow guy riding next to you.

2. Short wheelbases make for quicker handling. I think they feel faster.
3. Upright angles feel more responsive to power inputs. Frames with 73-74 degree head/seattube angles will feel faster than 70-72.
7. Frames that are stiff, Q

I agree, Q. By the way it's nice to have you back in our dimension -- hope you're as omnipotent as ever.

Rock hard tires, stiff wheels (deep dish), a short wheel base, or more accurately, twitchy steering, make a bike feel fast. I'll never forget the track bikes i used to have....ooooh baby....felt like a one meter wheel base.

I recently bought a frame with slightly heavier steering than I'm used to (I think mostly due to head tube angle), and the seller went on and on about stability and cornering.....blah blah blah. I know I'm still riding at the same speed, but sudden accelerations, especially out of the saddle whilst grabbing the drops, feel a bit sluggish.....i dunno. Most new bikes seem to be slightly longer than the 1980s 531 bikes.

A solid frame with little flex, a stiff crank axle, a well maintained bottom bracket, and a well maintained and properly adjusted hubs.

Bikes that fit you, have the appropriate geometry ( Trail is not the only factor that determines handling, lets not forget that ) for what you want to do with them, are comfortable and well maintained ARE fast.

Bikes that are stiff, short, steep, have a short wheelbase and 160psi in the tires FEEL fast.

Actually 'feeling' fast and 'being' fast are two completely different things.

The main part of the bike is a well fit ridder; that's what makes if "feel fast" and be fast. Not something you can buy or upgrade to. Not much else maters......most of the other stuff is just marketing hype that has infested the sport.

A solid frame with little flex, a stiff crank axle, a well maintained bottom bracket, and a well maintained and properly adjusted hubs.Add a good headset to that and you've got it

Well, as a rider of both a mountain and a road bike I can say that when I ride my road (track) bike it sure does feel damned fast.

I can pedal much more easily (on my track bike). On the mountain bike, with 24 speeds, pedaling is really hard on the large chainring/small cog gear and really slow on the granny gears.

My track bike is about 10 lbs. lighter than my mountain bike, it has 700cx23c (260 grams each) tires, whereas my mountain bike has 26"x1.5" (500 grams each) slick tires.

My mountain bike just feels extremely slow. The feeling is like the difference between running on a flat smooth surface like a track and running on sand. You know how hard it is to run on sand, that's the feeling I have when I'm riding my mountain bike. S....L....O....W......

I've also lost 25lbs. since this February (from bicycling) and that helps big time.

I use my track bike now for exercising and only use my mountain bike when I have to do errands that require me to lock my bike up.

Well, as a rider of both a mountain and a road bike I can say that when I ride my road (track) bike it sure does feel damned fast.

I can pedal much more easily (on my track bike). On the mountain bike, with 24 speeds, pedaling is really hard on the large chainring/small cog gear and really slow on the granny gears.

My track bike is about 10 lbs. lighter than my mountain bike, it has 700cx23c (260 grams each) tires, whereas my mountain bike has 26"x1.5" (500 grams each) slick tires.

My mountain bike just feels extremely slow. The feeling is like the difference between running on a flat smooth surface like a track and running on sand. You know how hard it is to run on sand, that's the feeling I have when I'm riding my mountain bike. S....L....O....W......

I've also lost 25lbs. since this February (from bicycling) and that helps big time.

I use my track bike now for exercising and only use my mountain bike when I have to do errands that require me to lock my bike up.

You're probably aware a this, but all of the 3 bikes you've described most likely have different crank lengths, with the mountain bike likely to have 175mm cranks, the road bike shorter, and the track bike shorter still.

I'd say shorter cranks make a bike feel faster.