Originally Posted by
Dorsilfin
So heres my situation, and id like some input from you BF'ers.. ****** bag and completely ridiculous input welcomed as well.
Im riding a 1998 Bianchi Campione, its a 61 cm frame and im really stretched out on it, Ive been riding it a few months now happily as im really enjoying the cycling. The bike is heavy, Its steel its got some rust forming the wheels are holding up ok, only a few broken spokes this summer. its been my workhorse.
I trust my local bike shop guys with looking out for my best interest and They and I have been talking about a new bike for some time now. Id like to wait till spring which I hope I can hold out that long.
They both, owner and worker made reference that going from my bike to the SL pro(Specialized Roubaix) frame with a nice build up would be night and day... Dump truck to Mustang etc etc. Now I was the one thats done my research and found the Sl pro frame to be exactly what i want.. the money is absolutely not an issue here. However, dropping at least 5 grand on a new bike is alot of money none the less. and id like to be floored by the change this bike makes so im happier with my purchase.
So onto my thought... can I continue to improve and make myself faster on this bike?
Or, will i really hit the proverbial wall they spoke about with me that no matter how hard I throw myself against this bike, it will only take me so far, not to mention the wear and tear on my body from a not perfect fit, and the vibrations of the steel killing my lower back (Which is broken bones and herniated discs and such)
Your thoughts? Will it be as amazing as they are describing?
or, Maybe when you upgraded from your first bike to a more advance better technology bike.. Did you see a huge jump?
(The owner wants me to ride his SL2 roubaix, and he said he wouldn't need to talk with me about it anymore, I would be 100% sold on the bike)
I was in a similar situation prior to buying my new bike in April, and I too have a Bianchi Campione but it's the 1999 model in bright green. The frame is too big for me but I rode it for almost 10 years with minimal discomfort on short rides, it was the longer ones which were bad. I have an Orbea Onix now and when I started test riding bikes I could feel differences in certain areas but that was mainly due to them being new components and also a step above what I have on the Bianchi. Carbon in my experience thus far does live up to the rep of absorbing more of the road shock thus making it more comfortable, a better wheelset is a noticeable improvement as well. The Bianchi is a standard double while the Orbea is a compact, the big difference I feel now is the ease at which I can spin through climbs compared to the 53/39 but I miss the harder gears of the standard double for sprints.
A better bike will improve the comfort you feel and minimize the issues you face with lower end equipment, but I've found that in the end it's up to the rider and how hard he pushes himself. As for improved performance it's not so much that the upgrade alone makes you faster, but the smoother feel and more efficient power transfer make riding more enjoyable which in turn will make you want to ride more and increased saddle time will improve your cycling fitness. The proverbial wall is something all of us hit at one point and to start improving beyond that you need more specific training other than just going on recreational rides, so when you get to that point it will be about how much futher you want to push yourself rather than the bike you're riding.