Originally Posted by
Anitza
Hello all!
I regularly commute 28km round trip to work on a mid-grade hybrid bike, and although I'm reasonably fit, most people seem to smoke past me on the bike trails. But I'm getting mixed signals on what I can really do about this.
Option A: upgrade to a nicer road bike. But given the cost, I only want to do it if it would *really* make a difference. (Current hybrid is a generic "Genesis" bike). Plus, I have some bumpy roads to navigate, needs paniers, etc.
You don't need a 'nicer' bike but one that will put you in an aerodynamic position. You don't say how fast you're riding now but 32kph is likely a good target. Panniers are going to make it more difficult so if you can use a pack instead that would be preferable.
Option B: Get real bike shoes and clipless peddles (Yes I bike in sandals, please don't judge
). Would this be the best bang for the buck?
I like clipless as they're more comfortable but my tests with a powermeter and HR monitor showed essentially zero difference between the two options for steady state riding. I would recommend it but it won't make you faster.
Option C: Something I'm not thinking of.
90% of your power goes to overcoming wind resistance so you need to minimize your aero drag. The following items will help:
1. Getting into an aggressive aero position. No need for a fancy bike to test this, just bend your arms and get your back as close as possible to horizontal. It won't be as comfortable as a properly fit bike but it's an inexpensive way to experiment.
2. Tight clothes. Baggy anything, including panniers, will suck power and slow you down. Try a ride with the tightest clothes you have and no panniers and see what you can do.
3. Decent tires. For rough roads GP4000s 25 or 28mm.
If I can shave even 5-10 minutes off my commute this would matter a lot.
How long does it take you to go 14km? I can usually manage 31km in under an hour if I'm not against the wind but I don't have many stops and travel 30 min or so on a highway. If you have frequent stops it will obviously be more difficult.