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It's not the bike... it's the rider

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Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

It's not the bike... it's the rider

Old 09-04-10, 06:06 PM
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It's not the bike... it's the rider

Today I made a move, solve my trek 7200 hybrid and bought a road bike, a brand new Allez Elite 2010.
Bike, pedals, shoes, helmet and $1300 later I went to my first ride. Nothing new the same 12 miles/45 minutes route that I used to ride every morning on my trek 7200. After the ride I checked the chronometer and I noticed I whopping 43 minutes.
My dream bike gave me an increased average speed of 0.5MPH, little back pain and a damn sore butt for only $1300.

I know... it's not the bike, it's the rider. but the point is, don't expect to become an Alberto Contador just because you bought the most expensive bike in the store.

Tomorrow I will go out to with some Allen keys and try to get a better fit.
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Old 09-04-10, 06:09 PM
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Zzzz...
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Old 09-04-10, 06:30 PM
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It's the rider for max speed. When you get older, and can afford nicely designed bikes with great components, you appreciate them, even though you are not so fast anymore.
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Old 09-04-10, 06:30 PM
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Originally Posted by HazeT
Today I made a move, solve my trek 7200 hybrid and bought a road bike, a brand new Allez Elite 2010.
Bike, pedals, shoes, helmet and $1300 later I went to my first ride. Nothing new the same 12 miles/45 minutes route that I used to ride every morning on my trek 7200. After the ride I checked the chronometer and I noticed I whopping 43 minutes.
My dream bike gave me an increased average speed of 0.5MPH, little back pain and a damn sore butt for only $1300.

I know... it's not the bike, it's the rider. but the point is, don't expect to become an Alberto Contador just because you bought the most expensive bike in the store.

Tomorrow I will go out to with some Allen keys and try to get a better fit.
You are learning, grasshopper . . .
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Old 09-04-10, 06:56 PM
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it's just a self wake up.. I have been planning and researching and dreaming about the road bike since the day I bought by 7200. And when I finanly did it I realize that I ve spent all this money and for today it have been more problems then benefits... the ride is much more harsh, I felt every concrete block junction or imperfection in the road...
I know that I have an excellent bike now I'm just not up to it yet. I hope I can make it fit better to get rid of the sore butt and back pain. The LBS have offered a professional fit for $50 bucks but I was afraid of the final bill since he said he had already adjusted everything he could and from there on he would need to start replacing components to get it fit. Since I had already stretched by budged I decided to wait until next month
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Old 09-04-10, 07:05 PM
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Originally Posted by HazeT
don't expect to become an Alberto Contador just because you bought the most expensive bike in the store.
Duh
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Old 09-04-10, 07:08 PM
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saving 2 minutes on a 12 mile route is pretty good, if you were in a race and finished 2 minutes faster than the next guy, you win! suck it up and ride!
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Old 09-04-10, 07:11 PM
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How fast is your 45min ride? Maybe the speed is too low for the new riding position to help much with aerodynamics?
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Old 09-04-10, 07:24 PM
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12 mi in 45 minutes is 16 MPH. A .5 MPH gain isn't bad, but you may find that improves when you get the fit dialed in.

Perhaps the harsher ride is changing the way you ride over cracks and bumps? I went from a harsh riding bike to one not so harsh, and now ride at least 1 MPH faster over rough pavement. The harshness of the ride isn't going to change much even if the fit improves, although maybe you could try reducing the tire pressure and/or moving to a slightly larger tire to compensate for it.
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Old 09-04-10, 07:28 PM
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Congratulations on purchasing an awesome new bike that enabled you to increase your overall average speed.
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Old 09-04-10, 07:31 PM
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thanks for the heads up. I guess I'll stop buying new bikes.
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Old 09-04-10, 07:45 PM
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Originally Posted by HazeT
I know that I have an excellent bike now I'm just not up to it yet. I hope I can make it fit better to get rid of the sore butt and back pain. The LBS have offered a professional fit for $50 bucks but I was afraid of the final bill since he said he had already adjusted everything he could and from there on he would need to start replacing components to get it fit. Since I had already stretched by budged I decided to wait until next month
Get the fit. But the Fred stem your fitter will sell you. They might give you some trade-in value for your current one.

If she's wearing 23s, get 25s, and ask someone at your LBS what pressure to run for your weight. Then inflate them to 90 % of that.

It's a combination of the bike and the rider. Nobody's going to ride the Tour de France on a fixie.
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Old 09-04-10, 07:53 PM
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$1300 sounds like it might be an aluminum frame. A carbon fiber bike and high end components do make a difference over steel or aluminum.
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Old 09-04-10, 08:03 PM
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Originally Posted by HazeT
it's just a self wake up.. I have been planning and researching and dreaming about the road bike since the day I bought by 7200. And when I finanly did it I realize that I ve spent all this money and for today it have been more problems then benefits... the ride is much more harsh, I felt every concrete block junction or imperfection in the road...
I know that I have an excellent bike now I'm just not up to it yet. I hope I can make it fit better to get rid of the sore butt and back pain. The LBS have offered a professional fit for $50 bucks but I was afraid of the final bill since he said he had already adjusted everything he could and from there on he would need to start replacing components to get it fit. Since I had already stretched by budged I decided to wait until next month
How old are you? If you can't take the road then I think you've been dreaming for a bike that people on this forum want and now what YOU want.

I've been riding road bikes for 3 months or so and I love the feeling of the road (even the bumps that knock your jowls out of shape), the agility and the snappy character of the frame. Then again I'm riding Reynolds/ishiwata and tubulars on both machines.
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Old 09-04-10, 08:14 PM
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Originally Posted by capejohn
$1300 sounds like it might be an aluminum frame. A carbon fiber bike and high end components do make a difference over steel or aluminum.
Oh if it was as simple as that. My steel 1999 Schwinn Circuit is still proving to be faster for me than my 2010 carbon fiber trek. Proved again on a solo 1/2 century where I cranked out yet another PR on the old steel bike. Same 2 mph improvement I've seen on all my daily 20 mile same route rides. Significant decrease in time also. When I get the Trek back (fractured seat stay) I plan to try to match the fit of the Schwinn as much as possible to see if there is still a lot to be gained from the Trek. The Schwinn it a triple crank and the Trek is double so gearing probably makes a difference. Bontrager vs Mavic wheels may also figure in.
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Old 09-04-10, 08:30 PM
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I'm 28 and overweighted... you know... software engineers. I've inflated the tires to 120 PSI, which is close to the maximum rated on the tires and that's what I heard I should to so I don't destroy the wheels with my 250 pounds. I will get the fit done if minor adjustments don't do the trick.
for the bumps on the road, it's not that I can't take it... I'm just wonder on each of them : Oh ****.. did I get a flat tire? did destroyed my wheels? I guess it's more of a worry then a problem.
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Old 09-04-10, 08:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Slowrollin'
So your DREAM bike is a SpecialEd ALLEZ? Really? I suppose no one ever told you to dream big******************** Well, whatever, I hope you are really very young or very old for your awesome speed gain!!!!

Mike
Different people have different priorities. I was going for a trek 1.2 or something in that price range... going to the allez elite was the bike I was dreaming for.
And no, I don't want a madone, rouibax, campagnolo or any other higher end bikes. I don't aim to be a competitor or a professional competitor, the cost/ratio is not worth it.
I just want to enjoy daily 20-30 miles rides and doing it the it that I can, but without the sore butt.. I don't like to seat on donuts after a ride
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Old 09-04-10, 08:43 PM
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Originally Posted by HazeT
I'm 28 and overweighted... you know... software engineers.
No, I don't know

Your job didn't make you fat.
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Old 09-04-10, 08:50 PM
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lmao this thread is stupid
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Old 09-04-10, 08:53 PM
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Originally Posted by zstjohn
lmao this thread is stupid

si.
 
Old 09-04-10, 08:53 PM
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Originally Posted by umd
No, I don't know

Your job didn't make you fat.
Lighten up. I don't think he was being serious.
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Old 09-04-10, 08:57 PM
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thanks, my expectations are all shot to hell now.
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Old 09-04-10, 09:00 PM
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Originally Posted by HazeT
I'm 28 and overweighted... you know... software engineers. I've inflated the tires to 120 PSI, which is close to the maximum rated on the tires and that's what I heard I should to so I don't destroy the wheels with my 250 pounds. I will get the fit done if minor adjustments don't do the trick.
for the bumps on the road, it's not that I can't take it... I'm just wonder on each of them : Oh ****.. did I get a flat tire? did destroyed my wheels? I guess it's more of a worry then a problem.
Go visit the Clyde forum on this site.

Your road bike probably has 23 mm tires. These need to be inflated more than wider tires ( 25 or 28 if your bike will take them ) do, and you need to run them at a higher PSI than many cyclists do. But not at 120. You probably shouldn't go below about 100, but it depends a lot on how you ride and what the pavement is like. If everything is average and your Allez has normal sized tires, about 110 PSI is where the ride quality starts to go to hell, so try a little below that.

If you've got a road pump, it's very easy to try any pressure you like, go a mile, and add more air if you need it.
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Old 09-04-10, 09:47 PM
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on the route I went today there was 2 bridges and on each of them there was a gap of a little more then half inch. is this too much or is it fine for a road bike?
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Old 09-04-10, 09:54 PM
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Originally Posted by HazeT
on the route I went today there was 2 bridges and on each of them there was a gap of a little more then half inch. is this too much or is it fine for a road bike?
the plot thickens...
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