z3px

So I made my first attempt at racing this past Saturday. A 21 mile road race that left me dropping out pretty soon into it (for various reasons...mostly lack of strength and stamina...working on that). Even though this was a Cat5 entry level race I couldn't help but notice that my ride was pretty outclassed in every way by those around me. I'm not about to start blaming my performance on my cycle, but then I can help but think of the (even slight) advantage of those around me by having lighter/stiffer/more areo rides. Currently riding a '07 Trek 1600SLR (aluminum with 105). I haven't weighed it but I'd imagine it's in the 20ish pound range. Looking around at current offerings afterwards, there's several bikes that would fall in my price range if I were to buy new (~2k) but I may be trading components for frame quality or vice-versa. I guess the ultimate question is....if/when I decide to cave and buy something else for training/racing, should I buy frame over components or components over frame? The best middle-ground's I've found is either a Caad10 4 or some e-store house brands (pricepoint's setta forza pro for example). A little weary about the caad because I feel like it's close to what I already have (an aluminum frame with mid-range components)...but I'm probably way of base there - just my impression. Thoughts?

Adrianinkc

It's not about the bike....

Chris R.

At this point it won't make much of a differnce...your fitness and skill will. That being said, yeah, buy a new one! If you can afford it and want it, do it.

canyoneagle

Get some miles and training on the legs and lungs before jumping on a new bike, IMO. Start attending group rides and work your way into the "A" group while increasing your skill and confidence in groups.

When ready to consider a new bike, it is hard to beat the deals that Competitive Cyclist is offering. For example: https://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...ODUCT.ID=10667

z3px

That BMC is my answer... I looked at competitive cyclist but overlooked that one...
I ride in casual groups every weekend, but there isn't a "fast" group around here (at least until the spring). I'll just be spending a lot of time solo riding for a while...

caloso

Unless there's something mechanically unsound about your current bike, it's not holding you back any. That said, I would never discourage anyone from buying a new bike. Maybe keep riding and racing the Trek until you upgrade to Cat 4?

z3px

That was kind of my plan before Saturday, but I'm probably feeling the "bike bug" more than anything...

caloso

I totally understand. And trust me, it doesn't go away.

topflightpro

My teammate races the 2005 version of that bike. It didn't hold him back from becoming a cat 3.

merlinextraligh

As indicated above, there's nothing wrong with your bike. Also realize that there's a pretty decent chance you'll have a crash or two as you learn to race. So you may not want to buy a new bike just yet, particualrly if it would be a loarge outlay for you, or the thought of scraping it up really bothers you.

New wheels would be a good place to put spare money that you want to spend on cycling. Spare set of wheels is always nice, and very helpful to have in the wheel pit or wheel truck. So you can upgrade your wheels, keep your current wheels as spares, and have a nice set ofnew wheels to use now and that can be carried over to the next bike

HaroldC

A new bike will not make you finish the race, improved fitness will. If you want to buy a new bike because you want to, then go ahead. But don't think that's what's holding you back, because it isn't.

As a current Cat 5 racer, I am always amazed at the varying skill levels that show up at a Cat 5 race. There are some sandbaggers that should upgrade to Cat 4, but don't want to, and then there are pure beginners, who have no business riding in a peloton. Before I started racing last year, I made sure I rode with "A" level rides and only started racing when I was able to finish the ride and not get dropped. I did this not only to work on my fitness, but also my bike handling skills. No one wants to have a newb riding in the pack near them.

canyoneagle

I'd also like to add that there is an additional benefit of holding off on a purchase - get strong enough to "cat up" to 3 (or at least be in contention on the 4/5 races) to get some time in race conditions before risking a new bike. This is not to say that you will crash, but give it a little time to get through the group (rather than off the back) on your Trek so you can get more comfortable and confident with your bike handling (and of the group) before putting a beautiful carbon bike with Ultegra at risk.

If you have the cash and are wanting to "not miss out" on a sale, then perhaps buy the bike, ride it, and use your Trek for criteriums and circuit races, saving the BMC for road races initially.

joe_5700

You are going to be very disappointed in your results even with a newer "better" bike. You got dropped because you did not know what to do when the race ramped up. This would have happened even if you had a 14 pound bike with 58mm carbon wheels... The best advice I can give you is join a team and ride on their race training rides. Again you got dropped because you did not stick to someones wheel. The beginning few miles and the ending sprint can be the most difficult in a road race. Your Trek 1600 is plenty efficient to get on the podium for CAT 4/5 races. Work on your engine and save up for some nice wheels as a reward when your riding level improves.

Go read this book too. https://www.amazon.com/Roadie-Misunde.../dp/1934030171

MegaTom

It sure would suck to get a shiny new bike and then go wrecking it in a Cat 5 race, which is bound to happen. All you squirrely newbs are just accidents waiting to happen. I'd save the new bike for when you graduate a cat. or two, give yourself something extra to work towards. But the answer is always a new bike, N+1 and all... but keep racing the beater for the time being.

joe_5700

I have yet to see a wreck in a CAT4/5 Road Race that I have been in... Now Cat 4/5 Crit? Different story...

MegaTom

True, I should have noted the difference between criterium and road races.

merlinextraligh

Crashes happen in road races more frequently than some people think.

There are several reasons that road races can be worse: 1) Typical road race you only have one lane, as opposed to the whole road in a crit. 75 guys in one narrow lane, all hell bent on being at the front = problem. 2) Self selection, particularly starting out, people that are poor bike handlers, or just skittish about racing in close proximity, tend to gravitate toward road races, shunning crits, having the ironic effect of making the road race more dangerous, and 3) when crashes happen in road races, they can be nastier, sliding out in a corner in a crit into a hay bale is less of a problem than going off the road on a mountain descent.

Dan333SP

I raced a collegiate C road race this past saturday (equivalent of a 4/5 field), and there was a 20 bike wreck within the first 9 miles. I got caught out and could easily have had my 5 month old Madone wrecked, but ended up with a broken spoke. It's made me consider racing on my 12 year old aluminum Trek 2500 until I get into collegiate B/Cat 3, because I know I'm no faster on the new bike anyway, it's just prettier with better road feel. If the OP can afford to replace a broken frame from a wreck, then he might as well go for the shiny new bike as motivation to get faster, but stay on the Trek if you can't imagine/afford having your new bike destroyed within a few months.

z3px

All good points. I'll probably hold of on at least riding a new bike in early races....

grwoolf

From my perspective, there is not much difference in fitness between the guys winning races in the 5's, 4's, and 3's. The 2 big differences I see going from 5 to 3 is more experience and deeper fields. In a CAT 5 road race, you might see 5-7 strong guys. In CAT 4, maybe 15-20 guys. In CAT 3, over half the field will be strong and tactics start getting more important. CAT2 is where I see a distinct jump in fitness at the pointy end of the field.

caloso

Bariani Cat 4 RR.

topflightpro

Wolfpack RR?

Dan333SP

Yup.

99Klein 

Agree it's not the bike. Agree you will also probably crash and wish it wasn't on your new bike.

Don't know the weight of your old bike, but my '99 Quantum with 105 is less than half a pound heavier then my CAAD 10 with 105. I suspect that if I swapped components it would weight less than the CAAD and that's still with the steal fork steerer.

Put on some more miles and ride with people faster than you are.

Bah Humbug

Also, besides going on tough group rides, consider a trainer and training regimen. More power never goes out of style.