Originally Posted by
fuji86
So far I've only been dominantly passed by superior technology in similar class of bike a few times. And it was the touring/road bike category. Otherwise I know what to chase with SS/FG and the atb/mtb category where I've held my own. In the road category, I riode a 12 speed touring bike that isn't any match for today's 27 & 30 speeds. Took me a couple of times to figure it out, but the rider was fitter and more serious about cycling at that level. There are a few gears the 12 speed is missing, so it's one or a combination of 3 things. I've either got that gear and the other cyclist is a superior rider. Or I'm trying to pedal more GI that I'm not fit to push at that speed or I'm under geared and simply won't keep up. In any case with SS/FG or slower class of bike, I'm competitive for miles. There have also been times I take the lead against newer technology and never relinquish the lead. Those cases I'm in better shape or maybe they just don't care ?
Once, a woman, I figured to be about 10 years my junior passed me on her roadie as I was riding the SS/FG. I thought I could beat her with fitness. Boy was I wrong on that one. She really didn't even work that hard to get away from me in the first mile we were pacing each other. The SS/FG simply didn't have the GI to keep up. After that I learned that the equipment has to be fairly close for it to be a race. Sometimes when another is setting a challenging pace, it's a good thing to see where you stand in the grand scheme of it all.
Another time, riding the 12 speed, 3 roadies smoked me. I tried to kick it into the highest gear, started to catch up but simply didn't have the legs and stamina to keep that pace for very far. These cyclists were riding carbon bikes, so I figured that it was a combination of fitness & technology that was an ego crushing defeat. That had me thinking it was time to upgrade, then I started pricing similar bikes. I'm perfectly content to take last place for that kind of money ?
I can routinley pull 16-18 mph sustained on my 84 Focus. 10 speeds, 52-13 is the max I think, but I almost never use that gearing. After follwoing some newer roadies for a few miles in my 52-13 (or whatever) and struggling to keep up, noticing they are in a much lower GI than I was, that maybe I should give that a try. Sure, my theoretical top speed is lower, but you have to work so hard to get to that, I said forget it.
Edit - I'm in Miami pretty regularly (currently in Kendall), and I almost always bring a bike with me. I'll PM you next time I'm heading this way, and we shoudl go for a ride.
Humility story -
I was riding in the zoo-de-mack, in northern michigan. I shipped my Univega up there to ride a bike I knew. I was doing just fine at the beginning, with my first real experince with hills. After the first 25 miles or so, I was losing steam, and at the end, I was unable to get up the biggest of hills. Meanwhile, 60 year old ladies on step through townie bikes are passing me like no problem. Stupid hills.