Can Road Cyclists' be trusted for advice?
01-04-14, 11:03 AM
#51
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 22,993
Bikes: old ones
Mentioned: 304 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26468 Post(s)
Liked 10,425 Times
in
7,240 Posts
01-04-14, 11:06 AM
#52
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 22,993
Bikes: old ones
Mentioned: 304 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26468 Post(s)
Liked 10,425 Times
in
7,240 Posts
.......this just needed to be said.
01-04-14, 11:23 AM
#54
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Posts: 33,048
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene '04; Bridgestone RB-1 '92
Mentioned: 326 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11994 Post(s)
Liked 6,729 Times
in
3,515 Posts
__________________
See, this is why we can't have nice things. - - smarkinson
Where else but the internet can a bunch of cyclists go and be the tough guy? - - jdon
01-04-14, 11:28 AM
#55
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Hudson Valley, NY
Posts: 33,048
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene '04; Bridgestone RB-1 '92
Mentioned: 326 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11994 Post(s)
Liked 6,729 Times
in
3,515 Posts
Actually, since we have such a deficient compensation package, our contract allows us to even be snarky at times. 
Not to mention arrogant.
Not to mention arrogant.
__________________
See, this is why we can't have nice things. - - smarkinson
Where else but the internet can a bunch of cyclists go and be the tough guy? - - jdon
01-04-14, 11:28 AM
#56
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Gulf Breeze, FL
Posts: 4,128
Bikes: Rossetti Vertigo
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 119 Times
in
70 Posts
The best piece of advice is "it's all about the engine". The bike has virtually NOTHING to do with your "performance". Carbon, aluminum, Sora, Ultegra, deep dish, areo frame, proper bibs...whatever...none of it matters if the engine is weak. I've been out on the road in my cycling best gear, "hammering away" at a 20mph pace and been passed by guys on an 20 year old aluminum POS with downtube shifters and baggy cargo shorts. I've also seen guys with $10,000 bikes that can barely maintain 15mph on a good day.
Improve the engine and the rest will work itself out.
Improve the engine and the rest will work itself out.
01-04-14, 11:35 AM
#57
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 22,993
Bikes: old ones
Mentioned: 304 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26468 Post(s)
Liked 10,425 Times
in
7,240 Posts
01-04-14, 12:05 PM
#58
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Albuquerque,New Mexico
Posts: 260
Bikes: 14 Wilier zero7,13 Fuji Altimira SL,10 Fuji SL1RC,09 Yeti Mtb
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The best piece of advice is "it's all about the engine". The bike has virtually NOTHING to do with your "performance". Carbon, aluminum, Sora, Ultegra, deep dish, areo frame, proper bibs...whatever...none of it matters if the engine is weak. I've been out on the road in my cycling best gear, "hammering away" at a 20mph pace and been passed by guys on an 20 year old aluminum POS with downtube shifters and baggy cargo shorts. I've also seen guys with $10,000 bikes that can barely maintain 15mph on a good day.
Improve the engine and the rest will work itself out.
Improve the engine and the rest will work itself out.
01-04-14, 12:09 PM
#59
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Beautiful Long Beach California
Posts: 3,589
Bikes: Eddy Merckx San Remo 76, Eddy Merckx San Remo 76 - Black Silver and Red, Eddy Merckx Sallanches 64 (2); Eddy Merckx MXL;
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 143 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
https://youtu.be/eS1kuLPRqLA
This is just an example. I've noticed on forums, videos, blogs cyclists seem to be like Durian. They will say a whole lot of BS, but then end up doing what they make fun of.
Be a real cyclists. Compact are for newbies and fatties. But then have to eat their words when they discover the best cyclists in Vuelta and France are using compact on the mountains. Carbon is crap, it's not reliabl, but then end up riding carbon anyway. Aluminum is too heavy blah blah and then end up using Aluminum because tired of spending too much $$$ each year, $800 for Aluminum vs $5K for carbon.
Crap I'm writing are just from what I've watched and read on forums, blogs and youtube from UCI/USAC.
I'm starting to think, cyclists just can't be trusted. Just do what works for you because for every person who makes fun of someone for riding a carbon, an aluminum, a compact, for style of riding, on the hoods or on the bottom, there are INCREDIBLE pros who make absolute fools of them doing what they say real cyclists don't do.
Really the only good advice I seem to find online are from the few writings and videos of race team mechanics who explain how they clean and maintain the bikes for their team's riders. Cause what they do, is often what I read say not to do, just again more terrible advice when the best riders riding on best bikes, trust their mechanics to do.
This is just an example. I've noticed on forums, videos, blogs cyclists seem to be like Durian. They will say a whole lot of BS, but then end up doing what they make fun of.
Be a real cyclists. Compact are for newbies and fatties. But then have to eat their words when they discover the best cyclists in Vuelta and France are using compact on the mountains. Carbon is crap, it's not reliabl, but then end up riding carbon anyway. Aluminum is too heavy blah blah and then end up using Aluminum because tired of spending too much $$$ each year, $800 for Aluminum vs $5K for carbon.
Crap I'm writing are just from what I've watched and read on forums, blogs and youtube from UCI/USAC.
I'm starting to think, cyclists just can't be trusted. Just do what works for you because for every person who makes fun of someone for riding a carbon, an aluminum, a compact, for style of riding, on the hoods or on the bottom, there are INCREDIBLE pros who make absolute fools of them doing what they say real cyclists don't do.
Really the only good advice I seem to find online are from the few writings and videos of race team mechanics who explain how they clean and maintain the bikes for their team's riders. Cause what they do, is often what I read say not to do, just again more terrible advice when the best riders riding on best bikes, trust their mechanics to do.
01-04-14, 12:32 PM
#60
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 708
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
01-04-14, 12:46 PM
#61
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Albuquerque,New Mexico
Posts: 260
Bikes: 14 Wilier zero7,13 Fuji Altimira SL,10 Fuji SL1RC,09 Yeti Mtb
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
01-04-14, 12:56 PM
#62
Other Worldly Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: The old Northwest Coast.
Posts: 1,540
Bikes: 1973 Motobecane Grand Jubilee, 1981 Centurion Super LeMans, 2010 Gary Fisher Wahoo, 2003 Colnago Dream Lux, 2014 Giant Defy 1, 2015 Framed Bikes Minnesota 3.0, several older family Treks
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 194 Post(s)
Liked 136 Times
in
53 Posts
[I]"Never met a road cyclist I didn't like". (Thanks Will!)
__________________
Make ******* Grate Cheese Again
Make ******* Grate Cheese Again
Last edited by Jseis; 01-04-14 at 02:23 PM.
01-04-14, 02:19 PM
#64
Other Worldly Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: The old Northwest Coast.
Posts: 1,540
Bikes: 1973 Motobecane Grand Jubilee, 1981 Centurion Super LeMans, 2010 Gary Fisher Wahoo, 2003 Colnago Dream Lux, 2014 Giant Defy 1, 2015 Framed Bikes Minnesota 3.0, several older family Treks
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 194 Post(s)
Liked 136 Times
in
53 Posts
Uh...Will Rogers said it best in classic deadpan sarcasm.
__________________
Make ******* Grate Cheese Again
Make ******* Grate Cheese Again
01-04-14, 02:45 PM
#65
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Gulf Breeze, FL
Posts: 4,128
Bikes: Rossetti Vertigo
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 119 Times
in
70 Posts
By the way, when did I say I was a tough guy? I kind of implied the opposite.
01-04-14, 03:30 PM
#66
I'm doing it wrong.
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,875
Bikes: Rivendell Appaloosa, Rivendell Frank Jones Sr., Trek Fuel EX9, Kona Jake the Snake CR, Niner Sir9
Mentioned: 85 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9742 Post(s)
Liked 2,812 Times
in
1,664 Posts
The 41 has a ton of noise and b.s. for every ounce of good information, and even some of what could be good information isn't applicable to you unless you are only in it to win it. It's the butt of jokes all over bikeforums....there is a reason for that, Op.
Buncha posers.
before all the engineers, chemists, and doctors jump all over me.....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm
Buncha posers.
before all the engineers, chemists, and doctors jump all over me.....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm
01-04-14, 03:53 PM
#67
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Albuquerque,New Mexico
Posts: 260
Bikes: 14 Wilier zero7,13 Fuji Altimira SL,10 Fuji SL1RC,09 Yeti Mtb
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
01-04-14, 04:37 PM
#68
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Gulf Breeze, FL
Posts: 4,128
Bikes: Rossetti Vertigo
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 119 Times
in
70 Posts
My generalized thought was that if you have a weak engine, no amount of fancy gear or high-end bike is going to make much of a difference. So many of the discussions on this board focus on the micro level of cycling (someone on another thread is worried about the weight of his innertubes) that they fail to understand that you can't buy performance. The engine is by far the most important factor in cycling.
01-04-14, 04:53 PM
#69
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: SW Fl.
Posts: 5,622
Bikes: Day6 Semi Recumbent "FIREBALL", 1981 Custom Touring Paramount, 1983 Road Paramount, 2013 Giant Propel Advanced SL3, 2018 Specialized Red Roubaix Expert mech., 2002 Magna 7sp hybrid, 1976 Bassett Racing 45sp Cruiser
Mentioned: 18 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1069 Post(s)
Liked 800 Times
in
507 Posts
The best piece of advice is "it's all about the engine". The bike has virtually NOTHING to do with your "performance". Carbon, aluminum, Sora, Ultegra, deep dish, areo frame, proper bibs...whatever...none of it matters if the engine is weak. I've been out on the road in my cycling best gear, "hammering away" at a 20mph pace and been passed by guys on an 20 year old aluminum POS with downtube shifters and baggy cargo shorts. I've also seen guys with $10,000 bikes that can barely maintain 15mph on a good day.
Improve the engine and the rest will work itself out.
Improve the engine and the rest will work itself out.
Can always trust me cause I never lie or swear or curse. HONEST.
01-04-14, 05:24 PM
#70
Senior Member
Just my opinion, and BF is the only forum I have ever dealt with:
53% of posts are sincere, well intentioned advice based upon truly believed reference or personal experience.
42% of posts are sarcasm, based upon the marriage counselors recommendation to stop targeting your spouse.
8% of posts are from people who are bad at math.
The key to BF is figuring out which of the four categories each post belongs.
53% of posts are sincere, well intentioned advice based upon truly believed reference or personal experience.
42% of posts are sarcasm, based upon the marriage counselors recommendation to stop targeting your spouse.
8% of posts are from people who are bad at math.
The key to BF is figuring out which of the four categories each post belongs.
BTW, brilliant post!
01-04-14, 05:39 PM
#71
Payback is hell
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Noneya
Posts: 43
Bikes: Orbea Orca Cannondale, Lemond, Specialized, Colnago, Brady(Franklin) Tandem
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Just my opinion, and BF is the only forum I have ever dealt with:
53% of posts are sincere, well intentioned advice based upon truly believed reference or personal experience.
42% of posts are sarcasm, based upon the marriage counselors recommendation to stop targeting your spouse.
8% of posts are from people who are bad at math.
The key to BF is figuring out which of the four categories each post belongs.
53% of posts are sincere, well intentioned advice based upon truly believed reference or personal experience.
42% of posts are sarcasm, based upon the marriage counselors recommendation to stop targeting your spouse.
8% of posts are from people who are bad at math.
The key to BF is figuring out which of the four categories each post belongs.
Well said.
01-04-14, 05:46 PM
#72
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 209
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 12 Times
in
8 Posts
Nah, this forum is tame. Try scuba forums. If you don't wear certain fins, you will die. If you don't wear the same regulator and hose setup as someone, you will die. Seriously, The arrogance over there is way worse. Here it's just entertaining.
01-04-14, 05:47 PM
#73
Senior Member
01-04-14, 06:51 PM
#75
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Gulf Breeze, FL
Posts: 4,128
Bikes: Rossetti Vertigo
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 229 Post(s)
Liked 119 Times
in
70 Posts
Cavendish on a Free Spirit could probably take most people on this forum on any bike of their choosing. When you are at that level of fitness, skill, ability and knowledge...THEN the bike matters when compared to low end bikes. But I doubt that Cavendish's bike is actually better and faster than Contador's, or Evans or Wiggins' bikes. Does the equipment on his bike give him an advantage over his competitors? If it did, everyone would be riding the same kind of frame, wheels, tires, groupo...