Originally Posted by
lambo_vt
Get any bike that fits, learn to keep it in good working order, put a rack on it, and put a milk crate on the rack. With your budget panniers would be a waste of money.
A different bike will not get you to 17mph if you can't do 15mph on what you've got.
The bike weighs 38lbs... Unloaded. For comparison I can hit 31 m.p.h. in a sprint with my other bike in training configuration. I averaged 22 m.p.h. on another allez sport (not elite) for half an hour in considerably poorer fitness in a race. I believe the bike is the issue. In any event I think I'll have to consider all this. I just replaced the chain on the stupid thing and re-aligned the brakes so I'll see how it goes...
