Originally Posted by
TimothyH
We may be talking about two different things - spirited vs race pace.
I've done group rides with both a 48x15 fixed gear and a Niner gravel bike but I wouldn't bring either to a race pace road ride with the big boys. I'm talking about 40 or 50 miles at zone 4/5 heart rate where your legs are shaking after the ride.
No, I'm referring to the latter sort of thing with "spirited."
I don't think "race pace" is a very precise description either. The pace of a race is guaranteed to get insanely intense at key moments, but sometimes the field spends a lot of time unhurried. Since audacity on a weekend group ride doesn't pose the risk of losing an actual race, it's easier to make things more consistent in their brutality, if you choose to.
As I ride with faster groups I find that my bike is more of a limiter, that's all I'm saying.
I don't disagree that the bike matters.
But I think that's more about the extent to which you're pushing yourself to your limits, than the speed of the ride in itself. I wouldn't have a problem with sticking Marathon Plus tires on a road bike if my goal was to ride at 15mph for a few hours, but if I was someone who struggled to hold that 15mph, choosing GP4000SII instead would make a world of difference.