Originally Posted by
adamant
i am 5'10'' and weight 270 ,i have a trek 7200 that i been riding for a year now .we did a 25 mile ride today and one thing i noticed was that the other riders with the 100% road biked took off from a stop and with in a few strokes they where almost out of site.. i under stand that they are in shape and been riding sometime but there was some guys there that where bid as me and they had the same "pick up and go" could it be the bike? or will my bike do the same thing there bike do but i need more time on it..?
Not an expert and I am not sure what a hybrid is but for 25 miles I can go under one hour or close with my 1984 Pinarello road bike but on my Specialized MTB with 1.5 inch smooth high pressure tires, not even close. Same engine--me--different bikes. One is a rocket ship and the other is a slug.
Each time to double your bicycle speed, for a given bicycle/rider combination, your drag quadruples. To go from 5MPH to 10MPH your energy output quadruples, and again to 20 and again to 40 which is why very few people can approach speeds without drafting over 30 MPH. The aerodynamic drag difference between sitting up high is greatly more than being tucked in the drops and the efficiency is improved as is your ability to bring your large upper leg muscles to fuller utilization.
Yes, it is partly the bike, partly fitness, partly correct technique which is enhanced by a good road bike set up correctly and riding down in the drops.