Originally Posted by
runbikeharley1
Before I invest any money in a new bike I would like to know if its my bike or me that is so slow. I average 12 mph, I kid you not, you need to average 14-16 just to stay with the bike club. I've been biking for 4 years, 11 centuries, I have a giant cr2, I'm female 5'5 and weigh 112 lbs, so weight is not an issue. Bascially will investing in a carbon fiber bike make me at least stay with the group, really tired of not getting faster.
It really depends. The wheels on my old bike were toast and causing VERY high drag. I picked up at least 15-20% with a new bike, but I'm sure I could've gotten most of the that with a new wheelset.
If you're already on a relatively lightweight Aluminum road bike in good condition, you'll likely only see ~5% moving to a lighter carbon frame. If you're trying to keep up on an old hybrid, the bike will make all the difference.
The only way to tell is to try out new bikes. If possible, borrow a spare from a friend a try it for a group ride. See it allows you to hang.