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Poll: Do you race your 'expensive' bike?

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Poll: Do you race your 'expensive' bike?

Old 03-10-05, 06:02 AM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by EventServices
If you're not racing your "good bike", perhaps you have too much money tied up in it.

Crashes are pandemic to the cycling world. It is a naive rider who thinks that the likelihood is greater in a race than in a club training ride. They happen everywhere.

I race the fast bike with abandon. It's an earthly possession, folks.
Amen! One of the worse crashes I have seen took place on a club ride a couple of months ago. Some ahole ran a stop sign and took out two of our riders who were doing about 33 mph. One is still not back on the bike. Oh, and yes, one bike was totaled, and the other is still in the shop awaiting parts.
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Old 03-10-05, 08:37 AM
  #27  
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I can see that Criteriums have a pretty bad rep here. In my case the only bikes I owned were "Race Bikes", what other use is there? To look cool? What?
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Old 03-10-05, 10:43 AM
  #28  
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A bike is a tool, if you're worried about crashing it, you aren't racing hard enough. [ducks for cover]
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Old 03-10-05, 05:31 PM
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I've been racing since the early 70's and I've never owned an 'expensive' bike...............

If you're scared to use a product for it's purpose, surely IT owns YOU?
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Old 03-10-05, 06:52 PM
  #30  
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The trick for staying out of crashes in crits it to be at/off the front or off the back. Any where else is asking for some moron to hook you into a crash.
All this time off the back I thought it was that I was just slow....I can now blame my survival instincts
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Old 03-10-05, 07:43 PM
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i think it depends on the category of racers. cats 4 and 5, i wouldn't use something super expensive, but three and up, most of the riders are experienced enough, or at least around here, that crashes are pretty rare.
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Old 03-10-05, 08:56 PM
  #32  
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Why spend all that money on an ultra light bike if you're not going to race it?

It doesn't make sense to train on a bike lighter than the bike you'll race in. That seems completely backwards to me. You want to feel lighter on race day, not heavier.
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Old 03-10-05, 09:38 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by pearcem
i think it depends on the category of racers. cats 4 and 5, i wouldn't use something super expensive, but three and up, most of the riders are experienced enough, or at least around here, that crashes are pretty rare.
I have to disagree here.

There are plenty of crashes in pro 1/2 races. Perhaps it is because in 4/5 you have a crash due to lack of experience and in 1/2 you have a crash because they are racing balls to the wall in such close tollerances. Either way all cats crash.


Originally Posted by DXchulo
Why spend all that money on an ultra light bike if you're not going to race it?

It doesn't make sense to train on a bike lighter than the bike you'll race in. That seems completely backwards to me. You want to feel lighter on race day, not heavier.
Adrenaline will always make you lighter on race day



I have to agree with EventServices they are just earthly possessions.
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Old 03-10-05, 09:55 PM
  #34  
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look 481sl is my race rig... i mix up the training on an old cannondale, iro fixed and the 481.. cycling is expensive. if you wreck just call your credit card and get a higher limit
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Old 03-11-05, 11:47 PM
  #35  
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First crash on my "good" bike (MASI 3V) years ago when brand new. Sorta like getting that first ding in a new car. For crits, I ride it or an even older Trek. I found that wheels (and tires) make the biggest difference, next to me of course. For RR's always the best stuff I own.

A question. The implication here is that newer bikes (carbon fiber, titanium, etc) are trashed after crashing. Both my old steel bikes have been crashed a few times each.
Besides a few dings, no damage. Please tell me that the bike (Seven frame) I just spent several thousand doillars for will hold up.

sun
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Old 03-14-05, 07:56 PM
  #36  
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sorry guys but this is the stupidest thing i've seen on this board yet... i've been laughing my a** off reading these posts... they've got it a** backwards... asking why ride a good bike in a crit?

Why would you spend $5000 on a bike that you are only going to ride on club tours? i guess to smoke "Joe Beer Belly" on the big climb over the highway overpass??? why would you spend anyting over $500 for that? it makes no sense. racing bikes cost as much as they do because they have to withstand the abuse of racing and long training hours and to get the max performance that racing demands. if you're not going to race that bike then you have no reason to be purchasing it. it boggles my mind.

people who buy these bike and don't race them are 'poser' , 'fashion plates' plain and simple... it's a fashion show for them. their need to look pretty or have others know they can aford an expensive bike is more important than their love of the sport...

Last edited by doctorSpoc; 03-14-05 at 08:07 PM.
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Old 03-14-05, 09:07 PM
  #37  
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nice!

So you wadded up your $5000.00 bike and $1300 wheels, ooops! In motorsports we have a term for that its pronounced "thats racing...."

Just by lining up to race, you should know that there is a chance your going to destroy your mount.

As far as racing on a junker so you can train on your uber machine.... there is some financial smarts to that i can see. But thats just not the way I roll.


Race day to me is always a bit of a special event you know.. I get out some brand new white bar tape, make sure everything looks nice and shiny... People are going to be watching you ride, you might as well look nice. It shows our sponsors that we're serious and professional, and helps with my low self esteem

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Old 03-14-05, 11:42 PM
  #38  
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Actually, I prefer to smoke "Joe Beer Belly" on my old (1982) 6 Speed Trek, although I still put sewups on it. I bought a new bike to race on.

sun
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Old 03-14-05, 11:51 PM
  #39  
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I raced my E5 a total of 3 times. its the s-works E5 frame, Kyserium SSL wheels, campy chorus everything else.

I stopped road racing for awhile, want to try my hand at triathlons.
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Old 03-17-05, 11:58 AM
  #40  
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According to the latest VeloNews, the Kodak-Sierra Nevada team was issued two road bikes to start the season. One to train on, and one to race on.

Care to guess which one is the better one?
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Old 03-17-05, 12:47 PM
  #41  
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Yeah but they're the same frames just "cheaper" componentry (Chorus and Elites...), and they're pros who aren't paying a dime for their equipment its a bit different when your bike represents a relatively large investment of your own cash.
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Old 03-17-05, 01:25 PM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by EventServices
According to the latest VeloNews, the Kodak-Sierra Nevada team was issued two road bikes to start the season. One to train on, and one to race on.

Care to guess which one is the better one?
I will guess that they were equal.
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Old 03-17-05, 01:35 PM
  #43  
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One had better components on it.

The point is, regardless of whether you pay for it or not, you race on the best thing you got.

I can't imagine putting all that time into training only to short yourself with lesser equipment.
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Old 03-17-05, 02:01 PM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by EventServices
One had better components on it.

The point is, regardless of whether you pay for it or not, you race on the best thing you got.

I can't imagine putting all that time into training only to short yourself with lesser equipment.
Another point that seems to be lost here is bike fit. What you spend many hours training on will be what your body adapts to, what you will be most comfortable and efficient on. Why throw that away?? If you are going racing buy a decent mid level Bike, a set of wheels to train on, two or three sets to race (need something in the pit). Save the rest for travel, ect.
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Old 03-17-05, 02:11 PM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by Voodoo76
Another point that seems to be lost here is bike fit. What you spend many hours training on will be what your body adapts to, what you will be most comfortable and efficient on. Why throw that away?? If you are going racing buy a decent mid level Bike, a set of wheels to train on, two or three sets to race (need something in the pit). Save the rest for travel, ect.
That's a good point that's why I have two of the same bike, LOOK 481/381, with exactly the same set up. The only difference in the two is the 481 is lighter and with Record vs Chorus. The important stuff like bars/stem/saddle and pedals are exactly the same.
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Old 03-17-05, 08:06 PM
  #46  
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I have a Pinarello prince/fill dura ace w/FSA cranks/Ti pedals that I am racing. I also have a steel Lemond that has arguably sweeter parts and is lighter by a lb. I can't bring myself to race the LeMond in crits. I am too scared, and plus they stopped making this frame. I'll race the prince, that's what it was meant for. Maybe I can break out the steellie for one of the stage races this summer.
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Old 03-17-05, 08:31 PM
  #47  
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What happened to the "poll" part of this thread?
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Old 03-18-05, 08:37 AM
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I think the poll was smashed by common sense, and all of the people who stow their good bikes on race day gave up.

I found this quote to sum things up.
A ship is safe in the harbor, but that's not what a ship is built for.
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Old 03-18-05, 01:30 PM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by EventServices
...
I found this quote to sum things up.
A ship is safe in the harbor, but that's not what a ship is built for.
Ok, but if you were sailing into a Cat 5 hurricane, would you take your most expensive ship or your cheaper ship. I would take the cheaper one and save the expensive one for the days I am less likely to sink.

I guess where I was coming from was the perspective of 1st year racing with Cat 5's, why ruin your good bike when it is so likely that you will get involved in crashes (I can't afford to take that chance personally). I was figuring to wait to race the good machine til i have moved up a few ranks. Of course if I were a pro and my equipment was given to me, I would race the best thing i could.

I race a Trek 1500 with upgraded components.
I do my fun/long/etc group rides on a Trek Madone 5.9
Both are same size and setup to avoid 'fit issues'

Cheers
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Old 03-18-05, 01:48 PM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by zhmontana
Ok, but if you were sailing into a Cat 5 hurricane, would you take your most expensive ship or your cheaper ship. I would take the cheaper one and save the expensive one for the days I am less likely to sink.

Cheers
This begs the followup question, why own the expensive Bike? I guess it boils down to those who view Bikes as tools and those who view them as collectibles or works of art or something.
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