Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

How much is speed worth to you?

Search
Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

How much is speed worth to you?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 06-29-16, 12:54 PM
  #1  
wears long socks
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1,614
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 503 Post(s)
Liked 19 Times in 11 Posts
How much is speed worth to you?

Let's say there was a non debatable, proven product that would add a certain speed per $ spent. Kind of like the weight weenie $/gram figures.


How much would you pay to gain an average mile per hour?


Not using doping or a motor, but some watt saving tech?
69chevy is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:07 PM
  #2  
post-ironic
 
Wested's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 802

Bikes: CAAD 12, Lemond Maillot Jaune

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 75 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
42
Wested is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:09 PM
  #3  
Senior Member
 
Seattle Forrest's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,646 Times in 6,054 Posts
Seattle Forrest is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:13 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
bmthom.gis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 2,977

Bikes: 2014 Cannondale Synapse Carbon 4 Rival; 2014 Cannondale Trail 7 29; 1972 Schwinn Suburban, 1996 Proflex 756, 1987(?) Peugeot, Dahon Speed P8; 1979 Raleigh Competition GS; 1995 Stumpjumper M2 FS, 1978 Raleigh Sports, Schwinn Prologue

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 213 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Just more hard work and pain. That's what speed is worth to me.
bmthom.gis is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:15 PM
  #5  
wears long socks
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1,614
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 503 Post(s)
Liked 19 Times in 11 Posts
Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
I said non debatable.


Time saved in an all out TT in the best case scenario is hardly "non-debatable"..
69chevy is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:18 PM
  #6  
Gold Member
 
K.Katso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Haarlem, Netherlands
Posts: 1,313

Bikes: Pinarello Dogma F8, Pinarello Bolide, Argon 18 E-118, Bianchi Oltre, Cervelo S1, Wilier Pista

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 34 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
I already paid for all of this stuff. (I actually use it to race TTs) I'm already rolling on ceramic bearings and tubular tires, and I even have the oversized pulley wheels on my RD. I've eliminated the bike being the limitation so I just work on my power and positioning. I wish I could buy some better genes. Is it too late to ask for new parents?
K.Katso is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:22 PM
  #7  
Custom User Title
 
RPK79's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SE MN
Posts: 11,239

Bikes: Fuji Roubaix Pro & Quintana Roo Kilo

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2863 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 31 Times in 14 Posts
I don't want speed I didn't earn so I wouldn't pay for it. However, every time I met someone faster than me I would just assume they paid for it.
RPK79 is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:24 PM
  #8  
wears long socks
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1,614
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 503 Post(s)
Liked 19 Times in 11 Posts
Originally Posted by RPK79
I don't want speed I didn't earn so I wouldn't pay for it. However, every time I met someone faster than me I would just assume they paid for it.
69chevy is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:27 PM
  #9  
wears long socks
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1,614
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 503 Post(s)
Liked 19 Times in 11 Posts
Originally Posted by K.Katso
I already paid for all of this stuff. (I actually use it to race TTs) I'm already rolling on ceramic bearings and tubular tires, and I even have the oversized pulley wheels on my RD. I've eliminated the bike being the limitation so I just work on my power and positioning. I wish I could buy some better genes. Is it too late to ask for new parents?
You have to wonder (based on these figures) why you'll see aero front/disc rear on a guys bike... who isn't wearing a TT suit.
69chevy is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:30 PM
  #10  
pluralis majestatis
 
redfooj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: you rope
Posts: 4,206

Bikes: a DuhRosa

Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 537 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
i dont want to ride faster on the flats. just to struggle less on the climbs
redfooj is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:31 PM
  #11  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 625
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 252 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by RPK79
I don't want speed I didn't earn so I wouldn't pay for it. However, every time I met someone faster than me I would just assume they paid for it.
You don't have a job that earns money?
2lo8 is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:37 PM
  #12  
Gold Member
 
K.Katso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Haarlem, Netherlands
Posts: 1,313

Bikes: Pinarello Dogma F8, Pinarello Bolide, Argon 18 E-118, Bianchi Oltre, Cervelo S1, Wilier Pista

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 34 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by 69chevy
You have to wonder (based on these figures) why you'll see aero front/disc rear on a guys bike... who isn't wearing a TT suit.
I do it on training rides because my suit doesn't have pockets for things like keys, phone, spare tire, etc. In a race I don't need any of that though. At my races I do see a lot of people with different combinations of equipment though, like an aero helmet but no shoe covers, or perhaps they are wearing a normal jersey and shorts. I'm guessing that cost is a factor, as suits are typically about 300 bucks and you can pick up a cheap TT helmet for about 150. Shoe covers are cheap though.
K.Katso is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:38 PM
  #13  
Custom User Title
 
RPK79's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: SE MN
Posts: 11,239

Bikes: Fuji Roubaix Pro & Quintana Roo Kilo

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2863 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 31 Times in 14 Posts
Originally Posted by 2lo8
You don't have a job that earns money?
I do, but if my goal was to just go as fast as possible I'd just drive my car or buy a motorcycle. Cycling is an outlet to push my personal physical limits. I want to get faster, but I want to get faster not purchase speed.

You can go buy one of those hidden motors if that's your thing.
RPK79 is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:41 PM
  #14  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,936

Bikes: Colnago, Van Dessel, Factor, Cervelo, Ritchey

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3942 Post(s)
Liked 7,284 Times in 2,941 Posts
Originally Posted by 69chevy
I said non debatable.

Time saved in an all out TT in the best case scenario is hardly "non-debatable"..
What's your definition of non-debatable? I think it's pretty clear that aerobars improve your speed/efficiency, whether you're going all-out in a TT or just out for a nice ride.
tomato coupe is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:43 PM
  #15  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,936

Bikes: Colnago, Van Dessel, Factor, Cervelo, Ritchey

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3942 Post(s)
Liked 7,284 Times in 2,941 Posts
Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
The time savings are presumably for a specific distance -- do you know what it is?
tomato coupe is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:44 PM
  #16  
Senior Member
 
Seattle Forrest's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,646 Times in 6,054 Posts
Originally Posted by 69chevy
I said non debatable.


Time saved in an all out TT in the best case scenario is hardly "non-debatable"..
If you don't want to know the best case scenario, scale all the numbers back by 20 %. Shoe covers still save you more time/watts than an aero frame. For $200 vs $2,000. It won't tell you how much anybody is willing to pay for 1 mph, but you look at their performance relative to one another, you have some idea what they all cost, you know which ones you'd be willing to shell out for and which you aren't ... gets you closer to a meaningful answer, I think.
Seattle Forrest is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:45 PM
  #17  
Senior Member
 
Seattle Forrest's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 23,208
Mentioned: 89 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18883 Post(s)
Liked 10,646 Times in 6,054 Posts
Originally Posted by tomato coupe
The time savings are presumably for a specific distance -- do you know what it is?
I don't but I would guess 40 km?
Seattle Forrest is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:49 PM
  #18  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 625
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 252 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
You must be pretty fast to have to scale the numbers back by 20%, given that time savings for aero equipment over a given distance go down the faster you are.
2lo8 is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:49 PM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
PepeM's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 6,861
Mentioned: 180 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2739 Post(s)
Liked 119 Times in 59 Posts
Isn't there some debate about the effectiveness of shoe covers? I remember reading about it, most likely in the 33.
PepeM is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:50 PM
  #20  
Portland Fred
 
banerjek's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,548

Bikes: Custom Winter, Challenge Seiran SL, Fuji Team Pro, Cattrike Road/Velokit, РOS hybrid

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 232 Post(s)
Liked 53 Times in 35 Posts
Originally Posted by Seattle Forrest
Better yet, buy a recumbent.

A good TT setup can't touch the aerodynamics of a lowracer, or even a highracer that's been set up properly.
banerjek is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 01:51 PM
  #21  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 625
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 252 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Why not a velomobile?
2lo8 is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 02:02 PM
  #22  
Senior Member
 
Sojodave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Utah
Posts: 586

Bikes: The Blurple Specialized Roubaix Pro

Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 220 Post(s)
Liked 143 Times in 75 Posts
I'm not sure how much I would pay to go faster, but I would pay any amount for a comfortable saddle...
Sojodave is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 02:12 PM
  #23  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 625
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 252 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
The solution to that is also recumbent/velomobile.
2lo8 is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 02:17 PM
  #24  
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 6
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Wested
42
/thread
Shotglass is offline  
Old 06-29-16, 02:18 PM
  #25  
wears long socks
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 1,614
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 503 Post(s)
Liked 19 Times in 11 Posts
Originally Posted by PepeM
Isn't there some debate about the effectiveness of shoe covers? I remember reading about it, most likely in the 33.
There's debate about all of this stuff.
69chevy is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.