Zberg

So I have been cycling for a very long time, honestly since I was a kiddo. I have always used a variety of workouts for cardio (always including biking, however I have always been an amateur/casual). I have recently caught the bug, and have fallen in love with it. With that, I have been experimenting with ways to get faster and better on the bike. Man it is fun.


To my fellow amateurs / novices / noobs, for some huge performance gains:


1. Clipless pedals

2. Low-medium range carbon bike

3. Decent wheels


Those 3 things can be done for a reasonable price, and are such a huge upgrade. Super carbon bikes are a huge waste for a noob, you wont get the benefit that the pros get.


Pedals: I was not thrilled about the idea of clipless pedals, but I ski and I figured I can try it, worst case I can put the flat ones back on. Holy Sh*t. Maybe the biggest upgrade, and the cheapest I made (amazon: 120 for both pedals, easy install). On my entry level road bike (literally NOTHING else changed) I went from an average of 14-15 mph to around 16 without any other changes. Instantly faster. You can feel the difference in confidence, engagement, and power transfer in a way that made sense in theory, but now that I am a believer I could never ever go back without always noticing.


Medium carbon bike: Put this second because it has a price tag, but not as bad as it could be. Something in the medium range. The biggest upgrade is going from garbage store bought variety or entry level to a cheaper/medium carbon or Al bike (think an emonda aluminum, cervelo R2, etc). There were a few feels of straight up performance gains (stiffness, acceleration, lighter weight when climbing noticeable) that are sometimes almost intangible and sometimes very stark. Regardless, there are a large amount available from lighter Al frames with good components, to even lighter Ca frames with maybe entry components (honestly 105 is pretty good) that will feel like a leap skip and jump ahead from a heavy, poor component entry bike.


Wheels: More of a bonus, as said medium bike may come with some decent wheels, but this price comes in between the above two (not cheap like just pedals, but cheaper than a bike) and goes a long long way. Man a nice new set of wheels makes a difference. Ride quality, potentially aero benefits, easier to keep the wheels going. It is wonderful.



All that said, my story is I had ridden a 700$ entry level bike for years (5-6 I believe). Always rode it at least twice a week. I sold it for 400 on craigs list (glad I got that much!; kept the upgraded pedals for the new bike, put the flats back on for sale); upgraded to a very entry level carbon road bike; that plus the pedals was such an enormous upgrade. Adding some decent carbon wheels has made it even better. I really think the sweet spot is somewhere in the 2-3k total price tag, the 10k bikes are for the beast pros.