@@Tyler-zw4kq Yes, if you are buying it from a company who makes very high profit oriented prebuilts. As for me i built mine not more for 900 and it can run a lot of games over 100+fps
Dude. I climb trees to rescue cats on my walmart bike. I've pulled over Ferraris on the autobahn and towed ocean liners through port on my walmart bike.
Also conditioning and good legs make a huge difference.. I used to ride my uncles $15k bike when I didn't know how to ride and it was hell, now that I kind of know how to ride, I have a $500 Jamis bike and I feel like a pro😁
That's all you need. I used to have a Giant bike in college. A sub-$500 bike that never failed and I rode that back and forth to campus, left in the rain, rode in the rain, no failures, ever. Was it light like a feather? No. But did it work? Yes. Did people laugh that it wasn't $7000+? No. Actually got lots of compliments from people walking to class wishing they had a bike instead. About to get an "entry" level bike from REI since there isn't shit else to do with COVID-19. Hopefully I won't be insulted by the $7000 cyclist.... FACTS!
John disagree. It’s not that it lasted forever! Necessarily!!!! It’s that people Kept using the same POS and consumerism wasn’t as prevalent than it is now. Nowadays people change bikes and skis and snowboards SEASONALLY. I find a ton of quality items and the individual selling just keeps wanting to “upgrade”. I promise you, keep your $8,000 bike and keep using it and it will Surely last you 10 years but no, you want that Dura ace now! It’s lighter than the POS Ultegra you have. 😂
@@michaelb9940 I still can't get any cyclist to explain this obsession with bike weight to me. If you are not competing at any serious events, then isn't the point of biking to get in shape? Why make it easier at the expense of thousands? Why not take those thousands and eat better or hire a chef or buy something else or go on a vacation? It makes no sense. I went to the bike shop this past week looking for a new Trek gravel bike. They are all sold out of the ones I wanted. Guy tried to get me to buy a $2100 bike saying if I got the class below it at $1500+, I'd grow out of it a few years later. What? What does that even mean? I'm not growing anymore. If anything, I'm looking for an alternative to running. That alternative doesn't mean I'm sitting and cruising around town while my 15lbs bike does all the work. Just get a motorcycle then.
TraumaER here’s my view on this. I personally perfer light bikes. And yes it make a huge difference. Best way to go about it - even if at leisure - rent an expensive bike (not sure where you are but if you have a Sportbasement they’ll rent top of the line bikes) which then you can put the rental paid toward a purchase. You’ll def notice and feel the difference. Good components and how light a bike is will have a big impact. The only argument is how far you’d want to take it. I think caping it off at $2500 is a sweet spot for a new bike. And I’ve noticed bikes that are more expensive doesn’t necessary mean better or lighter. I’ve ridden heavy aluminum bikes and then feather weight carbon frames 15lbs. It’s a big difference and you’ll be excited to ride it every time. Just a personal opinion
@@michaelb9940 thanks for the reply. Yeah I've been watching some of the Dream Build videos on UA-cam and all I see is a lot of unnecessary customization and labor spent on things I don't care about - like the frame color scheme or how the cabling is routed. I also think there's a point where lighter = more risk to fracture or failure. Yes lighter is cool. I found out at the shop this past week when I did the standover test to see what bike size I need. I was like whoa. I'm used to the weight of a Giant entry level mountainbike. However, that bike never failed me. I only sold it because I moved and my thinking at the time was it would make moving easier. Kind of wish I had it now as I have no bike and bikes are hard to come by with the COVID-19. My plan now is to get the Trek Checkpoint ALR line. I just want one that has the color scheme I want. If I'm paying $1500-2000, the bike better look good at least to me LOL! The only bike they had last week was matte black with turquoise lettering. No thanks LOL!
Raul Ocampo nah, nothing has resale value anymore. Especially cars. The moment you leave the shop with anything it’s worth 1/3 what you paid. And when you can get a UCI legal bike at 6.8kg for under 3 grand why pay 7-12 grand.
@@indonesiaamerica7050 it will be worth WAY less. I bought a Tarmac Pro for $3500 6 months after it came out, very few miles. It retails $6000. That wasn't even a great deal, just a regular deal.
Ha ha ha ...very funny and slightly true comment. The difficulty of pedaling the cheaper bike might make for a better workout. The problem is the experience is agony. I bought a Walmart bike and it was a bitch to pedal the damn thing and the gear slipped and crunched...I had fantasies of driving it off a steep cliff.
@@david-sv3kg not so, my first time trial I ever did ( UK cycle clubs often run time trials during the UK season on mid week evenings) I did on a £100 bike, I had denim cut off shorts and a motorhead t-shirt and trainers, I did 10 miles in 27 minutes and beat quite a few guys with £2k bikes, it's the legs but then once you've reached a level the bike will help!
I like this cheap-expensive bike comparison better than the one the GCN guys did some time ago... and you created this content on your own. Well done man
Personally I feel both are poor. I think for accurate results to give people a full idea of the reality you'd need to compare about 4 cyclists of different weights and fitnesses and have a decent entry level bike perhaps in the $400 price range. Something with the Claris groupset and close to 10kg in weight. From the data I've seen as the cyclist gets heavier or less fit the performance gains for an expensive bike drop off quickly and this walmart bike is particularly bad with a heavy steel frame. Some walmart bikes are aluminium framed and can drop another 2 maybe 3kg weight on this bike. I bought a new dual pivot brake Claris equipped road bike in the UK for less than £150 while on offer. I bought it in the very largest size and weighs 11.5kg but in the medium size it's less than 11kg. My favourite entry level road bike is probably the Claris equipped Giant Contend. That's sub 9.5kg in weight and has been sold over here less than £400 for last season's model on occasion. How would a Contend fair? I just feel this cyclist is perhaps close to his minimum weight and looks very fit. Maybe a 90kg rider of medium fitness would have very different results and would find a $500 claris road bike would pretty much deliver all the performance he needs with extreme diminishing returns above that price. Just to put it into context though if you fully adjust and service the walmart bike you still have a road bike that is superior to many retro steel lower end road bikes sold in the 70s and 80s and possibly 90s. While the brakes are a bit rubbish today they brake better due to aluminium rims, it has wider gearing and the gear levers are safer up on the stem. It also has both drop and top bar brake levers which adds some safety over more expensive bikes. For someone looking for a commuting bike which will have a high risk of theft the walmart bike seems great. Not only is it not such a big deal if stolen but would probably put off thieves stealing it in the first place. I'm no bike snob the walmart bike will be a great choice for many people and a strong steel frame like that will be structurally very strong more so than carbon frame and forks. It has the ability to be abused dropped, kicked whatever and survive such abuse.
@@bonzobanana1 I disagree... I am a heavier rider at 220lbs with medium fitness and I recently went from a $400 bike to a $2,000 bike and the difference is drastic. I don't necessarily care about speed as I'm not a racer but riding my normal loop the fastest I ever went was 1:09, first time on the new bike I did it in :55. But the big difference was comfort. Riding 15 miles on the old bike left me aching I now regularly ride 30+ miles and feel great at the end... I'm thinking it has to do with the inferior components and materials on the cheap bike making the ride harsh.
@@brandony1711 I can't argue with your own personal experience but one $400 bike is not the equal of another. If I went into a local bike shop with about £340 which I'd guess is about $400 for a road bike I doubt they would have anything for me at all except perhaps a part exchanged bike where as if I chose carefully online I might be able to get a Claris equipped sub 10kg bike. I don't think comfort is the issue though as that can normally be improved with better tyres, saddle etc and bike fit of course. There is also safety though. Carbon forks and frames are much more likely to fail and without any prior warning plus brake performance. I still feel this whole situation needs to be addressed in a much fairer realistic video where a range of decent bikes for their price point and different types of riders to give the full picture on benefits and diminishing returns of each price point. I think comparing medium to high end bikes with a walmart bike always favours the more expensive bikes but a more realistic entry level bike might surprise people how close it gets to higher end performance especially with older or less fit riders.
The version I first bought was called the Genesis - same thing though - Roadtech. I ended up getting all sorts of used parts from my cousin who builds bikes. I still have that bike - it's got Shimano Ultegra 6800 shifters and cassette, a Truvaxis or whatever it is 3 ring front chainring, Cane creek brakes, Shimano R500 wheels, and Schwalbe Pro One tires. My oldest son rides it around and it's actually pretty fast. I also bought it because I wanted to do a triathlon but wasn't sure I'd like it. So, I invested as little as possible. The entry fee to the race cost more than the bike. But, I averaged 19mph over the 20km's (Sprint Tri). And I bought a new bike two months later even though I'd put all the parts on the Roadtech.
Great comparison! The difference in time between the 1000 and 7000 is probably in the wheels and tires. Would definitely like to see the carbon wheels and tires on the $1000 bike👍👍
@@davidknavs9418 The rubber bits and then the carbon rim/spokes/Hubs. Tires can give you let's say 1 MPH and the wheels can give like 2 mph. I'm been super vague but..yeah hope that helps :)
Even on slower speed that 129$ bike give up at least 2 mph to best road tyres alone (with same given power). They should always use the same tyre on these tests, because that is the first thing everyone is going to change in anyway, and it's an easy upgrade.
These prices sit on a log scale, 1000 and 1400 is the same order of magnitude. The $100 bike was also in fact $140. You can bargain hunt and find a similar bike for $1000 on sale online, or you can spend $1900 for essentially the same thing with a fancier brand at an LBS in the high season.
that would be interesting. With some minor upgrades he could get the same position on the Schwinn as on the Canyon. Then with the same wheels that would be very interesting.
Things we learned in this video. 1. More money buys a better, faster bikes :D 2. Above $1-2k, gains get progressively smaller. D: 3. Science is hard. :/
And that the cheapest bike is more giving up the hill, since you need to push yourself more. Then on the next ride you ride your 1000+ USD bike and is faster :) I have a cheap bike (250usd) and a more expensive (2900usd) and I ride both. The biggest difference on the cheap bike was when I changed to better brakes (like 30usd for a pair of sram force) and better wheels (I think I paid 150 for the campagnolos). also changed the gear cables.
@@AndrewTSq No, the Walmart bike impedes performance in ways that also impedes athletic progress. The sweet spot for training is the $1000 bike. There's no debating it. The smart buyer buys only the wheels from the $7000 bike if he's interested in peak performance to investment. The Canyon frame only pays off if you're worried about prize money in the pro ranks. Or you don't mind paying a lot for tiny gains. But that's not the theme of the video.
It's not really progressively smaller gains in terms of the bikes he showed... Difference in price is 8~10 times more $ from cheapest to the middle one and smaller difference of 5~6 times more $ to the Canyon. The gains are reflected very closely by the prices difference in each section you gain the same proportion (or even better for the Canyon !!). Also they will get progressively bigger when adding distance and fatigue. I get that you probably mean the absolute difference in dollars and performance per dollar, but you can never calculate anything related to physical activity, engineering and/or price on absolute difference. For example 3 cars - $10k - $100k -$1m will give you similar delta for your gains while with absolute difference from $10 - $20k - $30k you may not even see difference or it will be very very small.. When you get to the human limit as mentioned in the video you get the feeling that your gains are progressively smaller but it is actually your body that is the limiting factor and upgrades are noticeable only on longer races (since they take less of your efforts for the same performance) If your ability was *not* limiting factor and you get hypothetical 35k bike (5 times the Canyon) I suppose it is very likely that the you would get the same 30s difference in the section that you got 30s going from 1.5k to 7k.
or all kinda obvious really. did we think the100 dollar bike was really best and was being kept hush hush? lol It isnt in question, is whether its actually value or whether its logical for 99% of cyclists to invest in. Id take a couple of decent motorbikes than a bike any time lol
My $1100 Specialized alloy is a monster. Almost 7K miles in 2 years and all I've had to do is change a few tires and 2 snapped shifter cables. The guys at the bike shop were amazed that I was able to still ride with a chainring and cassette that looks like shark's teeth. Let the high-end pros ride the high-end bikes. Me on a $10k bike would basically be a Lamborghini powered by a go-kart engine.
Cuz you accelerate like a schoolbus and ride relatively slowly paces. Give me your Spesh and I will finish up the drive train in less than one season. Once your average watts hit 4.5 W/kg and above , drive train components regardless of the price tag melt like butter.
@@geoffreyanderson4719 With his casette worn out that much I doubt he can propel the bike an inch as the chain has nothing to grip to. I wonder how he is shifting gears too.
Obviously you need to be doing all of your training on the heavy Walmart bike and then use your Canyon for the races. You'll smash the competition. Shout out from Visalia, CA.
Well given that you'll be putting out the same wattage regardless of which bike you're riding this probably isn't the smartest move. Riding a slow and sluggish bike every day will kill your motivation and if you're riding the Roadtech it might actually be dangerous. Those bar-top brake levers aren't going to help you when you're descending on the drops and you need to make an emergency stop.
Exactly!.... My father who was a professional road cyclist in France always trained on heavy steel bikes and then raced on lighter alloy frames back in the 60's. I did the same when training on the track (velodrome).
I really appreciate all the time, work, and effort you put into this video. I'm sure it was hours of work, math, riding, etc. Most of us watching this video are not pros or into competitive biking, quite yet. I've been doing road biking a few years and MTB for about 4 years. It's crazy that when you have a bike that's not a Walmart bike, but not the 7-10K bike, we feel are inferior and NEED to get that $10k bike. I was just about to sell my Cannondale Caad 8 for less than half of the original purchase price so I could get closer to purchasing that $10k bike. I don't think I'll ever be in a race where a few seconds matter. But, I do want to have a good bike with a good experience and being middle of the road, as far as comparing these bikes. To all riders, enjoy your ride, nature, the experience, and socialization of the sport. You don't have to have the $10k bike because you saw some guy, or girl, on a bad ass bike and you wish you had it.
Nobody needs a $10k bike unless they're getting paid to ride it... But, if you an afford it then I highly recommend you do it. I've been fortunate enough to have a number of very high end bikes, both road bikes and mountain bikes, and the benefit to high dollar bikes comes down to a lot more than can be measured in an 18 mile loop. There's a certain degree of added enjoyment in every pedal stroke, every corner, every gear change... If you love to ride and it's not going to leave your mortgage unpaid, treat yourself.
Built a bike out of 3 junked bikes. $0.00. The goal was to get exercise. The scenery was just a good benefit. Unless your competing, save your money. Or start on a bike $500 or less.
great content. Quick correction on terms - "Down Tube" shifters are located on the down tube. The ones on the Kent are known as "Stem Shifters". Keep up the good work!
I just want a decent bike that's not going to break in a year. I'm not a avid biker, I just want to ride around on nice days, like you did when you were a kid.
A more aero position on the Schwinn would have helped a lot. Drag is proportional to frontal area times speed cubed IIRC. And VC was siting on that Schwinn like it was a beach cruiser. Edit added. Speed squared.
I would bet if he put the Princeton wheels on the $1000 bike, and had it's cockpit setup identical, it'd be way way closer, (or if he tested the Canyon with stock wheels.) Those wheels are WAY more aero, and probably 1-1.5lbs lighter. Tires can play a pretty big role too.
I am considering buying a road bike and I wish every bike had these specs available. Also, I really enjoyed your video and as a person doing some research, I found the way you proceeded very satisfying. Instant subscribe.
Thanks for the informative video! Obviously, the more expensive the bike gets the more quality it gets too but don't trash the Walmart bike. If you are into cycling as a hobby or sport than an expensive bike might make more sense. I had a 700c Denali Road bike from Walmart and I used it for commute to work and sometimes fun rides on my off days for 2.5 years, 5 to 6 times a week, 10 to 15 miles ride each day. Sun or rain I still ride. The only maintenance and repair I did was clean & oil once a month or so, and changed break pads, tubes, and tires as they wear out. Sadly, the bike was stolen outside my work place. Though it was stolen it served its purpose for a long time duration and usages. I probably would still be able to use it at least a year before it's life ends if it wasn't stolen.
Can we see the schwinn with your carbon wheels and tires and compare that to your canyon, also if possible it would be amazing to see a comparison between an affordable race bike with a similar gear setup (specialized allez sprint or caad 12) and with the the same wheels for the canyon and affordable race bike, also loved the vid, keep up the good work!!
I have a Walmart bike. I did 40 miles to the beach today. And have 100 miles this week. She's a heavy mess. But it gets the job done. Saving up for an upgrade. Good vid man
Brilliant analysis VC! A quick look at your numbers shows an almost perfect relationship between bike speed and price using this equation: speed in *mph* = 12.654 x *price$* (to the powr)^0.0485 (r2=0.999).....or speed in *kph* = 20.327 x *price$* (to the powr)^0.0485 (r2=0.999). This predicts a $12k bike would finish your course in 56mins30sec
Thanks for the regression analytics! The later discussion that asserts more power would be required for the lesser bike to make the same time as the more efficient bike makes me wonder what the relationship between price and power to achieve the same time. Something like "Power_walmart_to_canyon = f(7000,100)". (assuming WM has the capability to handle such a large number over the given time) Also, in your experience with other data, do you expect to find the regression constant and exponent converge, i.e. would they be a function of cyclist power, mass, etc. given the same course/conditions?
FastFitnessTips: Cycling Science! Depends on weight as well so how much more would a bike cost for a 115kg rider to achieve the same times. Not sure how heavy VC is?
Could you please take the wheels from the 7000$ bike and put it to Walmart bike then make the test, what I want to say is rotating mass is the real deal.
@@mode90x Rotating mass becomes irrelevant at speed, there are of course limits but having DEEEEP aero rims on a near aero machine and then saying it is possibly faster than a Walmart bike is I hope a gimme.........
Super interesting video, especially from around 20:30 where you talk about the time difference between the Schwinn and the Canyon with the same power effort. A few years ago I went out for a 3 hour ride with a couple of guys on their newer carbon frame bikes and I was riding an older chromoly bike. We were fairly similar in fitness and biking experience but it just about killed me. Couldn't pull at all for the last hour lol.
There is another factor into this, being able to put the power down, some bikes are sturdy and you feel comfy giving you 90% while others you know their chain is gonna snap at 60%. I LOVED this video, and would love to see more like this but even deeper and more thought out.
Please put your stiff and lightweight carbon wheels on the Schwinn and do all tests again! I bet it will be pretty close to your $7000 Canyon! Wheels are the key to high performance on a decent road bike 🚵♂️
Great experiment. I’d also be interested in the Schwinn’s performance with the carbon wheels. It shows the diminishing returns for the money you spend. The first $1000 saves you 6 minutes but to save another 6 you need to spend $5000.
Research shows (you can look up) aero rotating mass wheels has been greatly exaggerated and tests show almost no factor no difference. ua-cam.com/video/YfPRu6APOhg/v-deo.html Its basically marketing thing.
I actually work at a Wal-Mart and I think VC gave the Kent a fair play. What bugs me are the guys who trash 'em like it's a joke and don't seem to realize any bike can be reduced to a bucket of bolts.
I think some select Wal-Mart bikes can be reasonably moded to keep up with the $7000 bike. If you you can get the fit and geometry right. Every time I go to Wal-Mart I look at the bicycle isle. Every couple of years, an amazing value appears. An Aluminum Hydro formed frame, and better quality components with V or disk brakes. But it still needs to fit my 6 foot body. An ill fitting $7000 bike is no fun even if you buy at 1/5 the price. Fit, position and tires are the biggest influence in efficiency. It also helps to be your own mechanic with lots of patience along with a small budget for simple upgrades and better rolling tires. I have a vintage Bianchi 12 speed that shifts much nicer than any of the Wal-Mart bikes but the W-M bikes do the job. Expensive bikes are very nice and you are getting what you pay for. I would not spend the money hoping for speed because I know I could mod the cheaper bike to keep up with the $7000 bike. My Bianchi is my finely engineered jewel that I appreciate for what it is. The WM bikes are fun and functional for riding around the mountain roads here. The green kent road bike has been reborn as the Nazz gravel bike with disk brakes for $179. The disk brakes need better quality pads to actually stop the bike. The shifting was perfect.The seat is good enough. I would have kept it except the fit was too small. The horizontal bar brake levers could never be appreciated by a serious cyclist out for speed and adrenaline. I like to enjoy the scenery and the drop bars are only for fighting through head winds. My finest W-M bike is a hybrid but I miss the drops for fighting headwinds. Thank you for posting a very well done comparison video.
The people that are looking at the $130 Kent at Walmart are most likely there picking out a bike out of necessity. They may not have the financial means to purchase anything more expensive. I don’t believe shaming their purchasing power serves the bicycle community well. If that’s all one can afford then go to Walmart, buy that Kent and enjoy the heck out of it! The objective should be to get everyone out on a bicycle to enjoy the outdoors, not putting restrictions or prohibitions on people’s purchases.
You should go for some used bike for 200 that was originally around 1k and invest another 200 or so in new tires and cables and some grease. It will ride like a 2k bike in no time.
VC I just started cycling casually and because of you I got the Schwinn AL Fastback 105. I've had it for several months and happy with it was my very first road bike.
Thanks - interesting. Perhaps, obviously, an unlimited possibility of testing. It would be interesting to add two options, say: 1. run all bikes @ equivalent weight. Surprisingly weight alone makes a huge difference in any form of climbing 2. run all bikes with an equivalent wheel set this would compare the pure bike itself - frame, groupset. Plenty of variables and we could go on forever but i suspect the above two would narrow the differences, or here is a simpler challenge compare the Schwinn fitted with Princeton carbon wheels fitted against the canyon with weight added to bring it up to be equivalent to the Schwinn
Seems a mute point since any repairs you make will be more expensive and tuning would involve ridiculous priced items. Plus higher prices give lighter parts, not necessarily more durable parts.
This was an awesome video! just getting into biking and have done a ton of research. I went with the Salsa Journeyman Sora 650B for my gravel bike. Glad I found your channel.
really appreciate this! I got my first real bike, a $700 hybrid so I can get into the sport, commute, exercise. I'm also 6'7" so used is tough and I wanted to ensure I'd fit comfortably. Its awesome but I do feel a strong desire to go faster. Definitely feel comfortable looking in the 1500 - 2500 range in a few years after seeing this comparison.
It's not about how much your bike is, or how beautiful it is or it has a high specs But. It's not about a price It's about how you use it and it's on your knees and stamina
"Dude, I have a Walmart bike and I've climbed mt. Everest on it on a wheelie! Screw you!" I can't stop laughing. I have no idea why I just found that so funny but I've literally been in tears for the last 5 minutes. I can't stop. Even writing this is making me laugh. I haven't laughed this much in forever! Love it, man!
nice review. i, too, was surprised by the gains from the 1000 to the 7000 bike. i have a $2000 carbon bike and can generally hang pretty well, considering i'm 50 pounds overweight, but on big climbs, i'm left behind pretty easily. i've done the 2-3 hour rides with 3000 feet of climbing, and like you said, by the time i get to the top of a climb, the others have already had a 2-3 minute wait and are ready to go, so i get maybe 30 seconds to rest before we're off. if i could drop that 50 lbs off of me, i would be in much better position.
First bike I had was that same exact Walmart bike and I paid 50$ for it used. I never had any issues with it, but I upgraded after a year because I was using it so much. Now I have an older bike (2013) that was originally 1200$. I got it for 300$ and it is probably in the same league as the Schwinn. Very happy with it, but I wouldn't pay 1200 for it, ever. Buy a 1500$ bike used for a fifth of the price, and you will get the best bang for your buck.
That's what I did too. Except I fell down a 'small upgrades'-rabbit hole... But still, now I have a bike I'm very happy with, that shifts flawlessly and looks the part too. Just over 9 kilos, for less then 600 euros.
I would be really interested to see this comparison done with another option of a ~$2500-3000 or so bike with something like 105 or Ultegra kit and decent wheels.
Let's not forget about the 2nd hand market, a few years ago for 670 euros I got a Scott road bike with Campagnolo Chorus+Veloce parts, alu frame, carbon fork, rides like butter, couldn't be happier.
I find high-end alloy wheels typically outperform low-end carbon wheels, but when you step up just about any entry-level carbon wheels from a name brand, Mavic, Roval, Bontrager, etc, there will be measurable improvements.
Redo this loop with the same carbon rims on the Fastback and then get back to us with your findings. I bet those modest gains start to look way more competitive when the whole package becomes 3k versus 7k. Also, you didn’t mention the different conditions for each run, so we assume there weren’t any major changes other than temperature, right? I’d be very interested to see the data for such a run as a follow up.
@@sharinglanguage The difference would be minimal and would be more about effort. I have a carbon blank/knock-off/Chinarello ($600) what ever you want to call it. With 50mm carbon wheels off craigslist ($200) Sram Red cranks, Force duerailler, Whole package is about $1500 maybe? The thing is a MACHINE. i LOVE it. Constantly setting Personal bests. scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/45166339_10156707867694076_3636122186126721024_o.jpg?_nc_cat=108&_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.xx&oh=4479099f863e85e550d8bed7088b79cb&oe=5CB7B7F9
Does spending thousands of dollars on a bike make you feel nice inside? Like you could maybe do tour de France now? Or do you people have some weird mentality, I use bike on road=I am car= my bike needs to cost as much as a cheap car AT LEAST
My friend at my local bike shop sold me a $400 hybrid when I was first getting in to cycling. Well built, comfortable, and a good experience. Had I bought a Wal Mart bike, I would never have stuck with cycling. But at $400, I got a great experience. I enjoyed it and built up a great base. If I decided cycling wasn't for me, I wasn't out much, but I spent enough that if I didn't enjoy it, it wasn't the bicycle. Then I had it strapped to the roof of my car on a roof rack, and I hit my garage as I forgot I had it up there. My wife tells me to this day it was intentional so I could upgrade! My only complaint was I couldn't keep up with those that had road bikes. But I'm not competitive, so it didn't bother me too much. I upgraded to a $1,000 road bike. It has done a great job, and held up for 10 years. I'm still going on it. I love it. So I'd recommend doing as my bike shop friend recommended. Start out on a good hybrid at $400. If you don't like it you aren't out much. Then upgrade to $1,000 or so if you want. That is your Honda Accord. You can spend more if you want, but it is like a Cadillac, and unless you compete, you aren't really gaining that much. A friend of mine got into cycling the same time I did. She went with an $8,000 bike. A year later, she decided it wasn't for her, and it sits in her garage. I'm not knocking the expensive bike, but unless you are a competitor, it is more of a status thing.
Thats why I went for a low end Canyon Ultimate SL model because you can get a super light bike that competes with the top end and maybe even weighs less with rim brakes for under $3000. I think that's the best value of performance to dollar.
Oh you are so spot on with this review - I love it because along with my Cervelo I have that EXACT same Kent bike! I bought it intentionally thinking the extra weight would make me work harder on it and when I then got on my Tri bike I’d feel like I’m flying! Thanks for the excellent video !
Cool, my commuter bike comes at a weight of about 11.5 kilos, including mud guard, lights & dynamo and internal gear hub. And I picked it up barely used for just 800 bucks. 7 months in and already 1900 miles on it, very happy :^)
Great video. Best one ever on this topic, by far. I am sure if you had optimized your position on the Schwinn if it would have been closer to the Canyon (or if you had 25 mm tires to be more confident). You were far more upright on the Schwinn. But still, your points seem spot on. By the way, greater weight shouldn't make you decend faster according to Gallileo. I have a nice Di2 carbon road bike and a heavy aluminum cross bike for bad weather, which has Ultegra mechanical. I have great fun on both. But one is a lot faster than the other. And I am sure I would be faster still on an F10 Dogma but also divorced.
@@dooglehead8 Aristotle would have agreed with you. But actually Galileo proved that is not true using bronze balls rolling down ramps, which is directly analogous to a bike coasting down a hill. Wind resistance is of course crucial but is determined by frontal area (and very complex aspects of an object's shape) not weight. The Wal-Mart bike is not intrinsically aero. But VC was more upright on the Schwinn. I am sure that could have been adjusted.
@@stuartdryer1352 Gravity will accelerate you at the same rate, but a heavier rider+bike will have a higher potential, so when the wind starts pushing back and there is no more acceleration the heavier object will be able to push harder into the wind. (So will go faster if you assume the drag is the same) And when there is a short flat section it will have more momentum to take it over that. However if you have to take corners and start breaking etc lighter riders on lighter bikes can easily go faster by having better technique. So imagine you are at the bottom of Galileo's ramp and a ball is rolling towards you (accelerating at a constant speed) you are going to have to put more effort into stopping a heavy ball. That is what the drag is doing to a rider.
@@LordVilmore I was only talking about the expected speed on a downhill section, which VC expected would be faster on a heavier bike. The effect you are talking about is almost insignificant compared to drag from frontal area and poor tire rolling resistance of Wal Mart bike given the weights of a rider on these bikes. Again, what I am saying is not new. Aristotle was wrong and Gallileo was right.
@@stuartdryer1352 Yes the cheap bike has more disadvantages that offset the advantage of extra weight. You are right about that. You were also taling about Galileo and Aristotle... Aristotle was indeed wrong, and Galileo was right but you are interpreting it wrong. The acceleration is constant, yes, but the terminal velocity is not, because a heavier rider will push harder against the air so a heavier rider/bike will be faster. So if all other things are equal you will descent faster on a heavier bike. Galileo couldn't take drag into account. Look it up bruh... :)
@@LordVilmore Sorry but drag is not dependent on weight "bruh". Anyway we are going around in circles. D = 1/2 C p V2 A. D is drag, C is coefficient based on shape (but not weight) and surface friction, p is air density, V2 is velocity squared and A is frontal area
"Time is not this linear thing." No, of course not - from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff.
time is, has been will be, shall be and is forever more linear, UNLESS you happen to have a star or other massive object capable of dialating time......at that point you are a God and cycling is pretty much not a concern
Would be interesting to know what part(s) of the bike make the big difference. My guess would be the wheels. So what if you would put the wheels from the Canyon in the Schwinn bike? If it does make a big difference, it would mean that instead of investing in a new bike, you could consider upgrading the wheels.
I put thousands of miles on my fuji sportief 1.1 (alloy frame, carbon fork 105 group set, upgraded wheels) upgraded to a bianchi infinito CV because I wanted electronic shifting. I ride long distances, the shifting cause temporary partial paralysis in my right arm.
OK now, I'm NOT a road biker, totally MTB, and on the all paved rides I take I'm on a hard tail. I ride A LOT though, so there is something I thought I could add about the downhill section. Something I've noticed as I ride increasingly expensive bikes, for both the road and in the dirt, is the quality and STABILITY of better construction and components. When you're riding on a much more stable frame, stiffer wheels (tensioned properly), and a more stable fork (in my case always suspension forks, road and dirt) I have found DESCENDING improves greatly. Once you get a cheap bike up to speed descending (talking paved road still) you FEEL the instability. On the better frame and components the bike keeps its line better, fights the wind resistance better (due to stability not just aero) and with better wheels it's MUCH easier to feel that control you have while riding. Don't you feel that with your test here that the quality components factor in greatly to the downhill performance regardless of the weight of the bike? You did show here with your experience something that's clear. The 'cheap' bikes, low end stuff, it functions. But for real riding, enjoying experience, transferring of energy, minimizing fatigue, that 'middle price' you've demonstrated, THAT'S where the starting point for the actual enthusiast begins. You CAN get a good result and experience from that middle ground, but the high end frame and parts will certainly be more appreciated by those that ride often enough to either notice those differences, or have enough demands developed in their ability to require those higher quality differences. Hope you don't mind a "dirt rider" chiming in on this. You road bike guys really know how to examine things in a way that translates to the rider. MTB rider community seem to constantly be talking more about their gear, parts, forks, shock, more than anything, and I think we need to take a lesson out of the roadie's science more often. Cool vid, and I like that you laid this out in 'real world' terms and experience to get more realistic results and expectations. ~JSV
Schwinn Sales will surpass Specialized Allez and other bikes in this price range after people watch this. Kudos for Schwinn using 105 gear set though. Ribble UK has some DOPE bikes in this price range as well. A few Carbon framed.
Great work on this, thank you. It took a lot of effort to create. The spread between the Schwinn and cannon was more than I would have expected, however I think a lot of us believe switching out the wheels would be a game changer on the Schwinn. I have a Giant TCR weighs 19 and costed 1.200. I put Easton 90 Aero wheels on it which costed 700.00 used for set and added cheap aero bars. so, yeah under 2,000 total. I ride with guys with 4-10,000 bikes. I am likely working harder but in the game. Do this again with the wheels and I bet you will close the gap significantly. Oh one more thing if you add a disc cover to the rear wheel which costs 100.00 on the Schwinn even better. Thanks for the work, well done.
I recently got a $300 bike from Walmart to get back into biking. I have been loving it, came to see if putting in $1,000 to $4,000 for an upgrade would be worth it for a casual rider. Thanks for the info!!
A lot of thanks for all the graphs where very illustrative and all your explanations were super complete and talking about the price range, plus the brand names, round up all the information. Even though the comparision and results against the $100 bike was obvious to be unsatisfactory. I would like if you did this same kind of analysis but with a used $300 to $500 older good brand bike. That will realy put things in a more fair ground.
"1399 is a little bit over 1000 dollar", that's what I also always say to my wife when I want to buy something
haha, same!
Rock Roll ditch the wife, you’ll go faster
@@swedishdagger8410 Lmao ....
399 can build a decent gaming pc
@@Tyler-zw4kq Yes, if you are buying it from a company who makes very high profit oriented prebuilts. As for me i built mine not more for 900 and it can run a lot of games over 100+fps
Dude. I climb trees to rescue cats on my walmart bike. I've pulled over Ferraris on the autobahn and towed ocean liners through port on my walmart bike.
👍💪🚵 you are strong very strong or maybe...you are just Superman ! 😉😀
@@baronerotto well... nobody has seen me and superman in the same place before
Ok Clark, i'il see you somewhere...
With all that use, I hope you spent the ten bucks for the two-year service plan, just in case.
@@robbchastain3036 no way, a waste of money. A Walmart bike would never fall apart! I spent that ten bucks on hallucinogenic energy gels.
"If you have $100 to spend, there are bikes that are $200-300... You can get a good bike for $500." - spoken like a true cyclist :D
True!
Also conditioning and good legs make a huge difference.. I used to ride my uncles $15k bike when I didn't know how to ride and it was hell, now that I kind of know how to ride, I have a $500 Jamis bike and I feel like a pro😁
can you give me some links for some good bikes in 500-700 dollars ratio please?
@@cs2enjoyerSvk 2021 releast boardman 8.6 £550 and its amazing
And here I am scraping together money for an $80 bike just to be able to ride again *cries*
Conclusion: "If you want to win in Cycling...buy a car"
A car freaking rips up the climbs, dont know why more people use them 😂
A bike is faster than a car, especially in the cities.😁
Or maybe an e bike..... hehehe
Or dope like Armstrong😂
@@mysteriousu5528 And everyone else he was racing against.
I swear in the 60's-70's people were racing with what we nowadays categorize as $100 bikes. lol
That's all you need. I used to have a Giant bike in college. A sub-$500 bike that never failed and I rode that back and forth to campus, left in the rain, rode in the rain, no failures, ever. Was it light like a feather? No. But did it work? Yes. Did people laugh that it wasn't $7000+? No. Actually got lots of compliments from people walking to class wishing they had a bike instead. About to get an "entry" level bike from REI since there isn't shit else to do with COVID-19. Hopefully I won't be insulted by the $7000 cyclist....
FACTS!
John disagree.
It’s not that it lasted forever! Necessarily!!!! It’s that people
Kept using the same POS and consumerism wasn’t as prevalent than it is now. Nowadays people change bikes and skis and snowboards SEASONALLY. I find a ton of quality items and the individual selling just keeps wanting to “upgrade”. I promise you, keep your $8,000 bike and keep using it and it will
Surely last you 10 years but no, you want that Dura ace now! It’s lighter than the POS Ultegra you have. 😂
@@michaelb9940 I still can't get any cyclist to explain this obsession with bike weight to me. If you are not competing at any serious events, then isn't the point of biking to get in shape? Why make it easier at the expense of thousands? Why not take those thousands and eat better or hire a chef or buy something else or go on a vacation? It makes no sense. I went to the bike shop this past week looking for a new Trek gravel bike. They are all sold out of the ones I wanted. Guy tried to get me to buy a $2100 bike saying if I got the class below it at $1500+, I'd grow out of it a few years later. What? What does that even mean? I'm not growing anymore. If anything, I'm looking for an alternative to running. That alternative doesn't mean I'm sitting and cruising around town while my 15lbs bike does all the work. Just get a motorcycle then.
TraumaER here’s my view on this.
I personally perfer light bikes. And yes it make a huge difference.
Best way to go about it - even if at leisure - rent an expensive bike (not sure where you are but if you have a Sportbasement they’ll rent top of the line bikes) which then you can put the rental paid toward a purchase.
You’ll def notice and feel the difference. Good components and how light a bike is will have a big impact.
The only argument is how far you’d want to take it. I think caping it off at $2500 is a sweet spot for a new bike. And I’ve noticed bikes that are more expensive doesn’t necessary mean better or lighter.
I’ve ridden heavy aluminum bikes and then feather weight carbon frames 15lbs. It’s a big difference and you’ll be excited to ride it every time.
Just a personal opinion
@@michaelb9940 thanks for the reply. Yeah I've been watching some of the Dream Build videos on UA-cam and all I see is a lot of unnecessary customization and labor spent on things I don't care about - like the frame color scheme or how the cabling is routed. I also think there's a point where lighter = more risk to fracture or failure. Yes lighter is cool. I found out at the shop this past week when I did the standover test to see what bike size I need. I was like whoa. I'm used to the weight of a Giant entry level mountainbike. However, that bike never failed me. I only sold it because I moved and my thinking at the time was it would make moving easier. Kind of wish I had it now as I have no bike and bikes are hard to come by with the COVID-19. My plan now is to get the Trek Checkpoint ALR line. I just want one that has the color scheme I want. If I'm paying $1500-2000, the bike better look good at least to me LOL! The only bike they had last week was matte black with turquoise lettering. No thanks LOL!
A $7000 bike is a $1000 bike in 5 years
Raul Ocampo By 5 years you mean exiting the bike shop after purchase
NuggetNewton Salty! Haha
Raul Ocampo nah, nothing has resale value anymore. Especially cars. The moment you leave the shop with anything it’s worth 1/3 what you paid. And when you can get a UCI legal bike at 6.8kg for under 3 grand why pay 7-12 grand.
In 5 years that Canyon bike will still be worth $3000 or more, used. Trickle down doesn't work that fast. These are not Intel CPUs.
@@indonesiaamerica7050 it will be worth WAY less. I bought a Tarmac Pro for $3500 6 months after it came out, very few miles. It retails $6000. That wasn't even a great deal, just a regular deal.
My takeaway - if you want a good workout and you have an extra 11 minutes - save $6,800. lol
it's all about the ride, the physical exercise,and the time spent outside
Ha ha ha ...very funny and slightly true comment. The difficulty of pedaling the cheaper bike might make for a better workout. The problem is the experience is agony. I bought a Walmart bike and it was a bitch to pedal the damn thing and the gear slipped and crunched...I had fantasies of driving it off a steep cliff.
Fun to say that, but you'll get dropped on group rides unless you are riding with a group that is a lot slower than you on a 'nice' bike.
@@david-sv3kg not so, my first time trial I ever did ( UK cycle clubs often run time trials during the UK season on mid week evenings) I did on a £100 bike, I had denim cut off shorts and a motorhead t-shirt and trainers, I did 10 miles in 27 minutes and beat quite a few guys with £2k bikes, it's the legs but then once you've reached a level the bike will help!
Especially if you carry it on your back instead of riding.
I like this cheap-expensive bike comparison better than the one the GCN guys did some time ago... and you created this content on your own. Well done man
Way better IMO!
Personally I feel both are poor. I think for accurate results to give people a full idea of the reality you'd need to compare about 4 cyclists of different weights and fitnesses and have a decent entry level bike perhaps in the $400 price range. Something with the Claris groupset and close to 10kg in weight. From the data I've seen as the cyclist gets heavier or less fit the performance gains for an expensive bike drop off quickly and this walmart bike is particularly bad with a heavy steel frame. Some walmart bikes are aluminium framed and can drop another 2 maybe 3kg weight on this bike. I bought a new dual pivot brake Claris equipped road bike in the UK for less than £150 while on offer. I bought it in the very largest size and weighs 11.5kg but in the medium size it's less than 11kg. My favourite entry level road bike is probably the Claris equipped Giant Contend. That's sub 9.5kg in weight and has been sold over here less than £400 for last season's model on occasion. How would a Contend fair?
I just feel this cyclist is perhaps close to his minimum weight and looks very fit. Maybe a 90kg rider of medium fitness would have very different results and would find a $500 claris road bike would pretty much deliver all the performance he needs with extreme diminishing returns above that price.
Just to put it into context though if you fully adjust and service the walmart bike you still have a road bike that is superior to many retro steel lower end road bikes sold in the 70s and 80s and possibly 90s. While the brakes are a bit rubbish today they brake better due to aluminium rims, it has wider gearing and the gear levers are safer up on the stem. It also has both drop and top bar brake levers which adds some safety over more expensive bikes. For someone looking for a commuting bike which will have a high risk of theft the walmart bike seems great. Not only is it not such a big deal if stolen but would probably put off thieves stealing it in the first place. I'm no bike snob the walmart bike will be a great choice for many people and a strong steel frame like that will be structurally very strong more so than carbon frame and forks. It has the ability to be abused dropped, kicked whatever and survive such abuse.
@@bonzobanana1 I disagree... I am a heavier rider at 220lbs with medium fitness and I recently went from a $400 bike to a $2,000 bike and the difference is drastic. I don't necessarily care about speed as I'm not a racer but riding my normal loop the fastest I ever went was 1:09, first time on the new bike I did it in :55. But the big difference was comfort. Riding 15 miles on the old bike left me aching I now regularly ride 30+ miles and feel great at the end... I'm thinking it has to do with the inferior components and materials on the cheap bike making the ride harsh.
@@brandony1711 I can't argue with your own personal experience but one $400 bike is not the equal of another. If I went into a local bike shop with about £340 which I'd guess is about $400 for a road bike I doubt they would have anything for me at all except perhaps a part exchanged bike where as if I chose carefully online I might be able to get a Claris equipped sub 10kg bike. I don't think comfort is the issue though as that can normally be improved with better tyres, saddle etc and bike fit of course. There is also safety though. Carbon forks and frames are much more likely to fail and without any prior warning plus brake performance. I still feel this whole situation needs to be addressed in a much fairer realistic video where a range of decent bikes for their price point and different types of riders to give the full picture on benefits and diminishing returns of each price point. I think comparing medium to high end bikes with a walmart bike always favours the more expensive bikes but a more realistic entry level bike might surprise people how close it gets to higher end performance especially with older or less fit riders.
He shouldn't have used a $129 Wal-Mart bike, though... Of course that's crap.
That Kent bike was my first bike, it's what got me into cycling. I upgraded to a $1200 bike after a year of riding it but I still love it.
Did the breaks work?
Stefanos Prokopis well ofc
The version I first bought was called the Genesis - same thing though - Roadtech. I ended up getting all sorts of used parts from my cousin who builds bikes. I still have that bike - it's got Shimano Ultegra 6800 shifters and cassette, a Truvaxis or whatever it is 3 ring front chainring, Cane creek brakes, Shimano R500 wheels, and Schwalbe Pro One tires. My oldest son rides it around and it's actually pretty fast. I also bought it because I wanted to do a triathlon but wasn't sure I'd like it. So, I invested as little as possible. The entry fee to the race cost more than the bike. But, I averaged 19mph over the 20km's (Sprint Tri). And I bought a new bike two months later even though I'd put all the parts on the Roadtech.
@@stefanosprokopis6974 they break
Great comparison! The difference in time between the 1000 and 7000 is probably in the wheels and tires. Would definitely like to see the carbon wheels and tires on the $1000 bike👍👍
the fuck is a diffrence between wheels and tires
@@davidknavs9418 The rubber bits and then the carbon rim/spokes/Hubs. Tires can give you let's say 1 MPH and the wheels can give like 2 mph. I'm been super vague but..yeah hope that helps :)
Even on slower speed that 129$ bike give up at least 2 mph to best road tyres alone (with same given power). They should always use the same tyre on these tests, because that is the first thing everyone is going to change in anyway, and it's an easy upgrade.
You're kidding right?
you'd have wheels more expensive than the whole bike at that point
Slightly over 1000 = 40% more expensive
These prices sit on a log scale, 1000 and 1400 is the same order of magnitude. The $100 bike was also in fact $140.
You can bargain hunt and find a similar bike for $1000 on sale online, or you can spend $1900 for essentially the same thing with a fancier brand at an LBS in the high season.
It's "slightly" compared to 7000$, please go to a school and educate
*39.9 percent
@@penkatadrums i was joking ffs
@@Funça_do_ancapistão wasn't very funny
Awesome content as always. Could you test the schwinn with the dope wheels on and see what time you make up just by a wheel upgrade on a $1000 bike.
^^^^^👍🏿
Good idea
YES VC please
Yes great idea!
that would be interesting. With some minor upgrades he could get the same position on the Schwinn as on the Canyon. Then with the same wheels that would be very interesting.
So conclusion, I buy a 1000 dollar one and loose a couple pounds of bodyweight 😬
just dont fart, methane rises
@@ohhi5237 but if he farts it acts like an afterburner.
@@lenaart2958 no.
I weigh like 110 pounds so it is no problem for my skinny self
Yeah lose 2 kg and save 6k
This was the best most informative video I have seen on the difference between expensive , mid level and cheap bikes. Great video!
Thanks bro, that makes me feel good
$1000 is by no means mid level. There is a lot of bike between 1000 and 7000. I do think he did a good job with this video.
I’m in tears. Dude. You said “dude I got a Walmart bike and I climbed Mt Everest on it on a wheelie. That is funny 😄
Things we learned in this video.
1. More money buys a better, faster bikes :D
2. Above $1-2k, gains get progressively smaller. D:
3. Science is hard. :/
And that the cheapest bike is more giving up the hill, since you need to push yourself more. Then on the next ride you ride your 1000+ USD bike and is faster :) I have a cheap bike (250usd) and a more expensive (2900usd) and I ride both. The biggest difference on the cheap bike was when I changed to better brakes (like 30usd for a pair of sram force) and better wheels (I think I paid 150 for the campagnolos). also changed the gear cables.
4. Descending is easier
@@AndrewTSq
No, the Walmart bike impedes performance in ways that also impedes athletic progress. The sweet spot for training is the $1000 bike. There's no debating it. The smart buyer buys only the wheels from the $7000 bike if he's interested in peak performance to investment. The Canyon frame only pays off if you're worried about prize money in the pro ranks. Or you don't mind paying a lot for tiny gains. But that's not the theme of the video.
It's not really progressively smaller gains in terms of the bikes he showed...
Difference in price is 8~10 times more $ from cheapest to the middle one and smaller difference of 5~6 times more $ to the Canyon.
The gains are reflected very closely by the prices difference in each section you gain the same proportion (or even better for the Canyon !!).
Also they will get progressively bigger when adding distance and fatigue.
I get that you probably mean the absolute difference in dollars and performance per dollar, but you can never calculate anything related to physical activity, engineering and/or price on absolute difference.
For example 3 cars - $10k - $100k -$1m will give you similar delta for your gains while with absolute difference from $10 - $20k - $30k you may not even see difference or it will be very very small..
When you get to the human limit as mentioned in the video you get the feeling that your gains are progressively smaller but it is actually your body that is the limiting factor and upgrades are noticeable only on longer races (since they take less of your efforts for the same performance)
If your ability was *not* limiting factor and you get hypothetical 35k bike (5 times the Canyon) I suppose it is very likely that the you would get the same 30s difference in the section that you got 30s going from 1.5k to 7k.
or all kinda obvious really. did we think the100 dollar bike was really best and was being kept hush hush? lol It isnt in question, is whether its actually value or whether its logical for 99% of cyclists to invest in. Id take a couple of decent motorbikes than a bike any time lol
My $1100 Specialized alloy is a monster. Almost 7K miles in 2 years and all I've had to do is change a few tires and 2 snapped shifter cables. The guys at the bike shop were amazed that I was able to still ride with a chainring and cassette that looks like shark's teeth. Let the high-end pros ride the high-end bikes. Me on a $10k bike would basically be a Lamborghini powered by a go-kart engine.
Your old chain is very weak now. Don't hammer any sprints. Just my 2c. Ask me how I know.
Cuz you accelerate like a schoolbus and ride relatively slowly paces. Give me your Spesh and I will finish up the drive train in less than one season. Once your average watts hit 4.5 W/kg and above , drive train components regardless of the price tag melt like butter.
@@geoffreyanderson4719 With his casette worn out that much I doubt he can propel the bike an inch as the chain has nothing to grip to. I wonder how he is shifting gears too.
If you don't change chain soon, you will destroy your casette and chain rings. Don't be cheap. Change your change.
Cassette and chainrings already trashed. Will be replacing the whole shebang soon. Getting an 11-32 cassette along with upgraded components.
Obviously you need to be doing all of your training on the heavy Walmart bike and then use your Canyon for the races. You'll smash the competition. Shout out from Visalia, CA.
Intervals on the Walmart make sense.
train heavy, race light :-)
Well given that you'll be putting out the same wattage regardless of which bike you're riding this probably isn't the smartest move.
Riding a slow and sluggish bike every day will kill your motivation and if you're riding the Roadtech it might actually be dangerous. Those bar-top brake levers aren't going to help you when you're descending on the drops and you need to make an emergency stop.
Exactly!.... My father who was a professional road cyclist in France always trained on heavy steel bikes and then raced on lighter alloy frames back in the 60's. I did the same when training on the track (velodrome).
that is funny
The $7,000 bike's brake wires probably cost 5 times the price of my bike
I really appreciate all the time, work, and effort you put into this video. I'm sure it was hours of work, math, riding, etc. Most of us watching this video are not pros or into competitive biking, quite yet. I've been doing road biking a few years and MTB for about 4 years. It's crazy that when you have a bike that's not a Walmart bike, but not the 7-10K bike, we feel are inferior and NEED to get that $10k bike. I was just about to sell my Cannondale Caad 8 for less than half of the original purchase price so I could get closer to purchasing that $10k bike. I don't think I'll ever be in a race where a few seconds matter. But, I do want to have a good bike with a good experience and being middle of the road, as far as comparing these bikes. To all riders, enjoy your ride, nature, the experience, and socialization of the sport. You don't have to have the $10k bike because you saw some guy, or girl, on a bad ass bike and you wish you had it.
Nobody needs a $10k bike unless they're getting paid to ride it... But, if you an afford it then I highly recommend you do it. I've been fortunate enough to have a number of very high end bikes, both road bikes and mountain bikes, and the benefit to high dollar bikes comes down to a lot more than can be measured in an 18 mile loop. There's a certain degree of added enjoyment in every pedal stroke, every corner, every gear change... If you love to ride and it's not going to leave your mortgage unpaid, treat yourself.
put some 1700 $ light wheels and a good transmission like Ultegra or 105 on any bikes and you will go faster ! The frame is a plus.
Built a bike out of 3 junked bikes. $0.00. The goal was to get exercise. The scenery was just a good benefit. Unless your competing, save your money. Or start on a bike $500 or less.
Just get a good used bike. 10 times better than this walmart shit.
1k+ bikes 2nd hand = 400$ good bike
I has to fit or you won’t get much exercise it you can’t get comfortable.
@@ohhi5237 and get one a bit older and a bit more run down and fix it up yourself and it'll be around $100.
robby tm what about showing off to your friends and neighbors? Isn’t that a factor???
great content. Quick correction on terms - "Down Tube" shifters are located on the down tube. The ones on the Kent are known as "Stem Shifters". Keep up the good work!
I just want a decent bike that's not going to break in a year. I'm not a avid biker, I just want to ride around on nice days, like you did when you were a kid.
shop on decathlon
Old bikes are cheap. I bought a 1986 Cannondale for 65 bucks that weighs about the same as that 1300 buck Schwinn with a beautiful hand made frame.
early 2000s road bike or commuter
@@maydaverave where did u get it
@@iloveGod-yp5kp Thrift store.
Right now I’m going to stick with my $300 bike until I get one of those expensive bikes. Great Video
Next: Yugo vs Mustang GT vs Bugatti Veyron
Yugo vs Mustang EB vs Mustang GT350
There are still Yugos around ?
@@tapdq Yugo is the best. Yugoslavia
I expected that the $100 bike would be garbage but I wasn't expecting such a big jump in performance from $1000 to $7000. Thanks for sharing this!
A more aero position on the Schwinn would have helped a lot. Drag is proportional to frontal area times speed cubed IIRC. And VC was siting on that Schwinn like it was a beach cruiser.
Edit added. Speed squared.
@@stuartdryer1352 he is more used to the canyon bike so of course that would help with his position on it.
The wheels.
Elijah Wilkey absolutely!!!!!!
I would bet if he put the Princeton wheels on the $1000 bike, and had it's cockpit setup identical, it'd be way way closer, (or if he tested the Canyon with stock wheels.) Those wheels are WAY more aero, and probably 1-1.5lbs lighter. Tires can play a pretty big role too.
This was great man and very affirming, thanks for your time doing all that and giving your thoughts on the experience!
I have one of those bicycle shaped anvils from Walmart
Frankie Velo I put 1,000 miles on mine before the bottom bracket fell out and the brakes just stopped working
I am considering buying a road bike and I wish every bike had these specs available. Also, I really enjoyed your video and as a person doing some research, I found the way you proceeded very satisfying. Instant subscribe.
Thanks for the informative video! Obviously, the more expensive the bike gets the more quality it gets too but don't trash the Walmart bike. If you are into cycling as a hobby or sport than an expensive bike might make more sense. I had a 700c Denali Road bike from Walmart and I used it for commute to work and sometimes fun rides on my off days for 2.5 years, 5 to 6 times a week, 10 to 15 miles ride each day. Sun or rain I still ride. The only maintenance and repair I did was clean & oil once a month or so, and changed break pads, tubes, and tires as they wear out. Sadly, the bike was stolen outside my work place. Though it was stolen it served its purpose for a long time duration and usages. I probably would still be able to use it at least a year before it's life ends if it wasn't stolen.
14:11 "No one is doing 40mph up a climb, NO ONE"... lol I love it!
Lance Armstrong: "Is that a challenge?"
1000W Ebike says it can....
You should do 300 dollar bike. It too obvious 100 vs 1000 will be a huge difference
Why not a 3000 dollar bike then? This choice of bikes makes a lot of sense: the very bottom, the sensible enthusiast choice and the high end.
awesome idea
There’s not a whole lot of difference between a $100 bike and a $300 bike
@@NicholasJens There is a huge difference.
Pffft what does it matter? Itll still prove that you have to pay a lot to get a decent bike. Unless you get lucky with a used bike.
Can we see the schwinn with your carbon wheels and tires and compare that to your canyon, also if possible it would be amazing to see a comparison between an affordable race bike with a similar gear setup (specialized allez sprint or caad 12) and with the the same wheels for the canyon and affordable race bike, also loved the vid, keep up the good work!!
"You can't isolate everything"
Corona: Hold my beer!
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Damn, so true 😔
@@2deep2hard I dont know if the pun was intended
Americans: No!
I have a Walmart bike. I did 40 miles to the beach today. And have 100 miles this week. She's a heavy mess. But it gets the job done. Saving up for an upgrade. Good vid man
"Dude, I have a Walmart bike and I climbed Mount Everest on it. . . ." Hahahhahhaah
No fuck you
What a show off you are not everybody has walmart cash i had to do it with a chinesecrapio from ali express
Brilliant analysis VC! A quick look at your numbers shows an almost perfect relationship between bike speed and price using this equation: speed in *mph* = 12.654 x *price$* (to the powr)^0.0485 (r2=0.999).....or speed in *kph* = 20.327 x *price$* (to the powr)^0.0485 (r2=0.999). This predicts a $12k bike would finish your course in 56mins30sec
Thanks for the regression analytics! The later discussion that asserts more power would be required for the lesser bike to make the same time as the more efficient bike makes me wonder what the relationship between price and power to achieve the same time. Something like "Power_walmart_to_canyon = f(7000,100)". (assuming WM has the capability to handle such a large number over the given time) Also, in your experience with other data, do you expect to find the regression constant and exponent converge, i.e. would they be a function of cyclist power, mass, etc. given the same course/conditions?
Hey FFT I have data question! What would Froome do on each of these bikes...can you work it out from your analysis?? Love your videos
Beautiful!
FastFitnessTips: Cycling Science!
Depends on weight as well so how much more would a bike cost for a 115kg rider to achieve the same times. Not sure how heavy VC is?
Nick Bevan however a heavy rider on a Walmart bike might just rip it apart on the first hard effort. 🤷♂️.
Could you please take the wheels from the 7000$ bike and put it to Walmart bike then make the test, what I want to say is rotating mass is the real deal.
This
@@mode90x Rotating mass becomes irrelevant at speed, there are of course limits but having DEEEEP aero rims on a near aero machine and then saying it is possibly faster than a Walmart bike is I hope a gimme.........
Super interesting video, especially from around 20:30 where you talk about the time difference between the Schwinn and the Canyon with the same power effort. A few years ago I went out for a 3 hour ride with a couple of guys on their newer carbon frame bikes and I was riding an older chromoly bike. We were fairly similar in fitness and biking experience but it just about killed me. Couldn't pull at all for the last hour lol.
There is another factor into this, being able to put the power down, some bikes are sturdy and you feel comfy giving you 90% while others you know their chain is gonna snap at 60%.
I LOVED this video, and would love to see more like this but even deeper and more thought out.
Looks like you put a lot of work into this video, I appreciate it
I'd like to see you throw your carbon wheels on the Schwinn and do a test.
Please put your stiff and lightweight carbon wheels on the Schwinn and do all tests again!
I bet it will be pretty close to your $7000 Canyon! Wheels are the key to high performance on a decent road bike 🚵♂️
Position on the bike is even more important. But wheels are a close second.
Brilliant idea. And, adjust position to be as aero as possible-maybe lowering the bars & longer stem if needed too.
Aaron Householder a slammed stem will be enough! The wheels will do the rest! time gap will decrease dramatically.
@@jimmyguerrero8148 👍
@@jimmyguerrero8148 facts
“The brakes bro, the brakes!”
At 2:38 he spits when he says horrific....just for that i subbed 😂😂😂
Great experiment. I’d also be interested in the Schwinn’s performance with the carbon wheels. It shows the diminishing returns for the money you spend. The first $1000 saves you 6 minutes but to save another 6 you need to spend $5000.
Research shows (you can look up) aero rotating mass wheels has been greatly exaggerated and tests show almost no factor no difference.
ua-cam.com/video/YfPRu6APOhg/v-deo.html Its basically marketing thing.
Thank you
Never clicked on a video so fast in my life
Unless watching por...... Oh wait.
@@EviLNox8 this isnt porn?
Not even to interacial gay porn vids??
@augsome hey what anime is that on your profile pic?
Who’s actually down voting this video?! Some people who work at Walmart?
I'm pretty sure some people dislike his videos simply because he has the word "vegan" in his name.
I actually work at a Wal-Mart and I think VC gave the Kent a fair play. What bugs me are the guys who trash 'em like it's a joke and don't seem to realize any bike can be reduced to a bucket of bolts.
Idk I feel like the 1299$ probably could’ve gotten something better.
The video is complete garbage. It means nothing.
I used to work work at Wal-Mart. We have *zero* interest in defending the quality of the merchandise sold there.
I think some select Wal-Mart bikes can be reasonably moded to keep up with the $7000 bike. If you you can get the fit and geometry right.
Every time I go to Wal-Mart I look at the bicycle isle. Every couple of years, an amazing value appears. An Aluminum Hydro formed frame, and better quality components with V or disk brakes. But it still needs to fit my 6 foot body. An ill fitting $7000 bike is no fun even if you buy at 1/5 the price. Fit, position and tires are the biggest influence in efficiency. It also helps to be your own mechanic with lots of patience along with a small budget for simple upgrades and better rolling tires. I have a vintage Bianchi 12 speed that shifts much nicer than any of the Wal-Mart bikes but the W-M bikes do the job. Expensive bikes are very nice and you are getting what you pay for. I would not spend the money hoping for speed because I know I could mod the cheaper bike to keep up with the $7000 bike. My Bianchi is my finely engineered jewel that I appreciate for what it is. The WM bikes are fun and functional for riding around the mountain roads here.
The green kent road bike has been reborn as the Nazz gravel bike with disk brakes for $179. The disk brakes need better quality pads to actually stop the bike. The shifting was perfect.The seat is good enough. I would have kept it except the fit was too small. The horizontal bar brake levers could never be appreciated by a serious cyclist out for speed and adrenaline. I like to enjoy the scenery and the drop bars are only for fighting through head winds. My finest W-M bike is a hybrid but I miss the drops for fighting headwinds.
Thank you for posting a very well done comparison video.
The people that are looking at the $130 Kent at Walmart are most likely there picking out a bike out of necessity. They may not have the financial means to purchase anything more expensive. I don’t believe shaming their purchasing power serves the bicycle community well. If that’s all one can afford then go to Walmart, buy that Kent and enjoy the heck out of it!
The objective should be to get everyone out on a bicycle to enjoy the outdoors, not putting restrictions or prohibitions on people’s purchases.
Wallmart bike get you more fit, more work, better training :D
GaaraVII so I should get 100 dollar bike for training
You can train hard on a good bike too.
But I am a BRUH ON A BUDGET.
I gotta get me that Wal-Mart whip.
Pollo Frito 😂💯
You should go for some used bike for 200 that was originally around 1k and invest another 200 or so in new tires and cables and some grease. It will ride like a 2k bike in no time.
YOU WOULD DO BETTER GOING USED MID HIGH END
Well, I went another route: spent a little more on a bike (300€, 11,2kg ) and started upgrading components over time: a light aluminium wheelset (
Get the $1000 bike, but get it used.
(It will cost $200)
Props for you doing this. Very interesting comparo. Thanks!
dude i have a walmart bike and i climb mt. everest on it on a wheely 😂🤣, dude you made me spill the coke out of my mouth 😂🤣 made me laugh
the funny thing is that isn't the bike it's the cyclist!
@@therunner6195 ikr
VC I just started cycling casually and because of you I got the Schwinn AL Fastback 105. I've had it for several months and happy with it was my very first road bike.
Thanks - interesting. Perhaps, obviously, an unlimited possibility of testing. It would be interesting to add two options, say:
1. run all bikes @ equivalent weight. Surprisingly weight alone makes a huge difference in any form of climbing
2. run all bikes with an equivalent wheel set
this would compare the pure bike itself - frame, groupset.
Plenty of variables and we could go on forever but i suspect the above two would narrow the differences, or here is a simpler challenge compare the Schwinn fitted with Princeton carbon wheels fitted against the canyon with weight added to bring it up to be equivalent to the Schwinn
Bro the crow noise at 1:38 was steezy, dope vid
Don't forget to consider the costs you save from less repairs and tune ups on the more expensive bikes, and the fact they would last longer.
Seems a mute point since any repairs you make will be more expensive and tuning would involve ridiculous priced items. Plus higher prices give lighter parts, not necessarily more durable parts.
This was an awesome video! just getting into biking and have done a ton of research. I went with the Salsa Journeyman Sora 650B for my gravel bike. Glad I found your channel.
really appreciate this! I got my first real bike, a $700 hybrid so I can get into the sport, commute, exercise. I'm also 6'7" so used is tough and I wanted to ensure I'd fit comfortably. Its awesome but I do feel a strong desire to go faster. Definitely feel comfortable looking in the 1500 - 2500 range in a few years after seeing this comparison.
Sounds like a new series dude... Upgrade wheels on Schwinn, aluminum bike with wheels... Cool you got a standard so you can show deviation!
Props to whoever filmed this. Familyintheforest?
Nice shout out to State Bicycle!
I love my Core Line 4130 single speed! Simple, light and sturdy!
It's not about how much your bike is, or how beautiful it is or it has a high specs
But.
It's not about a price
It's about how you use it and it's on your knees and stamina
"Dude, I have a Walmart bike and I've climbed mt. Everest on it on a wheelie! Screw you!" I can't stop laughing. I have no idea why I just found that so funny but I've literally been in tears for the last 5 minutes. I can't stop. Even writing this is making me laugh. I haven't laughed this much in forever! Love it, man!
"The brakes on the thousand dollar bike is just for show. The brakes bruh, the brakes!" lol, so hilarious, you got it bruh!
I can’t even begin to justify spending 7K for a bicycle....sweet fucccckkkkk!!!!
I have a buddy who works for Santa Cruz, builds them. There’s making roughy 3,000 a bike on these 6k bikes.
Cheaper than a car duh
I am not spending more than a thousand for a dam bike as much as I love bikes unless I was rich
My folding bike cost around 4500 usd 😅
@@user-nu5fx6en9h 🤦♂️ hell no
nice review. i, too, was surprised by the gains from the 1000 to the 7000 bike. i have a $2000 carbon bike and can generally hang pretty well, considering i'm 50 pounds overweight, but on big climbs, i'm left behind pretty easily. i've done the 2-3 hour rides with 3000 feet of climbing, and like you said, by the time i get to the top of a climb, the others have already had a 2-3 minute wait and are ready to go, so i get maybe 30 seconds to rest before we're off. if i could drop that 50 lbs off of me, i would be in much better position.
Stop eating sugar and carbs. Best of luck 👍..
First bike I had was that same exact Walmart bike and I paid 50$ for it used. I never had any issues with it, but I upgraded after a year because I was using it so much.
Now I have an older bike (2013) that was originally 1200$. I got it for 300$ and it is probably in the same league as the Schwinn. Very happy with it, but I wouldn't pay 1200 for it, ever.
Buy a 1500$ bike used for a fifth of the price, and you will get the best bang for your buck.
That's what I did too. Except I fell down a 'small upgrades'-rabbit hole... But still, now I have a bike I'm very happy with, that shifts flawlessly and looks the part too. Just over 9 kilos, for less then 600 euros.
Thank you for your time and energy use to make this video I hope everyone can appreciate your work bro
I'm now trying to imagine what a home run would look like with a beach ball
A deflated vinyl ball wrapped around a bat thrown by superman.
That was a great analogy btw.
I would like to see same comparison adding an e-road bike as well! :)
I would be really interested to see this comparison done with another option of a ~$2500-3000 or so bike with something like 105 or Ultegra kit and decent wheels.
Let's not forget about the 2nd hand market, a few years ago for 670 euros I got a Scott road bike with Campagnolo Chorus+Veloce parts, alu frame, carbon fork, rides like butter, couldn't be happier.
I though he said “hey vsauce” in the intro for a sec 😂
It should be "Watts the Difference???" Ha ha, get it? Yeah, I hate myself
I see watt you did there!
You get watt you pay for!
You should hate yourself. I hate you too after that joke.
I bet if you upgraded the wheels on that Schwinn, even to a pair of "Chinesium" carbons you could see some modest gains
100% agree.
I find high-end alloy wheels typically outperform low-end carbon wheels, but when you step up just about any entry-level carbon wheels from a name brand, Mavic, Roval, Bontrager, etc, there will be measurable improvements.
Ksyrium
Redo this loop with the same carbon rims on the Fastback and then get back to us with your findings. I bet those modest gains start to look way more competitive when the whole package becomes 3k versus 7k. Also, you didn’t mention the different conditions for each run, so we assume there weren’t any major changes other than temperature, right? I’d be very interested to see the data for such a run as a follow up.
@@TheVCAdventures It's not just the wheels, upgrade the tires on a 1000$ bike, this will also help beginners go faster at lower watts.
Can you make similar videos but $1,000 -$3000 bike budget/comparison videos. Please
Interested too!
@@sharinglanguage The difference would be minimal and would be more about effort. I have a carbon blank/knock-off/Chinarello ($600) what ever you want to call it. With 50mm carbon wheels off craigslist ($200) Sram Red cranks, Force duerailler, Whole package is about $1500 maybe? The thing is a MACHINE. i LOVE it.
Constantly setting Personal bests.
scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/45166339_10156707867694076_3636122186126721024_o.jpg?_nc_cat=108&_nc_ht=scontent-sea1-1.xx&oh=4479099f863e85e550d8bed7088b79cb&oe=5CB7B7F9
@@andrewchapman30 link for the frame please?
@@mordybrafman www.velobuildmall.com/vb-r-010-2017-new-aero-asymmetrical-carbon-fiber-road-frame-p0100.html
Does spending thousands of dollars on a bike make you feel nice inside? Like you could maybe do tour de France now? Or do you people have some weird mentality,
I use bike on road=I am car= my bike needs to cost as much as a cheap car AT LEAST
My friend at my local bike shop sold me a $400 hybrid when I was first getting in to cycling. Well built, comfortable, and a good experience. Had I bought a Wal Mart bike, I would never have stuck with cycling. But at $400, I got a great experience. I enjoyed it and built up a great base. If I decided cycling wasn't for me, I wasn't out much, but I spent enough that if I didn't enjoy it, it wasn't the bicycle. Then I had it strapped to the roof of my car on a roof rack, and I hit my garage as I forgot I had it up there. My wife tells me to this day it was intentional so I could upgrade! My only complaint was I couldn't keep up with those that had road bikes. But I'm not competitive, so it didn't bother me too much.
I upgraded to a $1,000 road bike. It has done a great job, and held up for 10 years. I'm still going on it. I love it. So I'd recommend doing as my bike shop friend recommended. Start out on a good hybrid at $400. If you don't like it you aren't out much. Then upgrade to $1,000 or so if you want. That is your Honda Accord. You can spend more if you want, but it is like a Cadillac, and unless you compete, you aren't really gaining that much.
A friend of mine got into cycling the same time I did. She went with an $8,000 bike. A year later, she decided it wasn't for her, and it sits in her garage.
I'm not knocking the expensive bike, but unless you are a competitor, it is more of a status thing.
Thats why I went for a low end Canyon Ultimate SL model because you can get a super light bike that competes with the top end and maybe even weighs less with rim brakes for under $3000. I think that's the best value of performance to dollar.
Love how you organized the data of the test, thanks
7:53 its called the law of diminishing return
Been waiting on this one🍿🍿🍿👍🏿🤙🏿
Why use the black hands?
Oh you are so spot on with this review - I love it because along with my Cervelo I have that EXACT same Kent bike! I bought it intentionally thinking the extra weight would make me work harder on it and when I then got on my Tri bike I’d feel like I’m flying! Thanks for the excellent video !
Cool, my commuter bike comes at a weight of about 11.5 kilos, including mud guard, lights & dynamo and internal gear hub. And I picked it up barely used for just 800 bucks. 7 months in and already 1900 miles on it, very happy :^)
Great video. Best one ever on this topic, by far. I am sure if you had optimized your position on the Schwinn if it would have been closer to the Canyon (or if you had 25 mm tires to be more confident). You were far more upright on the Schwinn. But still, your points seem spot on. By the way, greater weight shouldn't make you decend faster according to Gallileo.
I have a nice Di2 carbon road bike and a heavy aluminum cross bike for bad weather, which has Ultegra mechanical. I have great fun on both. But one is a lot faster than the other. And I am sure I would be faster still on an F10 Dogma but also divorced.
@@dooglehead8 Aristotle would have agreed with you. But actually Galileo proved that is not true using bronze balls rolling down ramps, which is directly analogous to a bike coasting down a hill. Wind resistance is of course crucial but is determined by frontal area (and very complex aspects of an object's shape) not weight. The Wal-Mart bike is not intrinsically aero. But VC was more upright on the Schwinn. I am sure that could have been adjusted.
@@stuartdryer1352 Gravity will accelerate you at the same rate, but a heavier rider+bike will have a higher potential, so when the wind starts pushing back and there is no more acceleration the heavier object will be able to push harder into the wind. (So will go faster if you assume the drag is the same) And when there is a short flat section it will have more momentum to take it over that. However if you have to take corners and start breaking etc lighter riders on lighter bikes can easily go faster by having better technique.
So imagine you are at the bottom of Galileo's ramp and a ball is rolling towards you (accelerating at a constant speed) you are going to have to put more effort into stopping a heavy ball. That is what the drag is doing to a rider.
@@LordVilmore I was only talking about the expected speed on a downhill section, which VC expected would be faster on a heavier bike. The effect you are talking about is almost insignificant compared to drag from frontal area and poor tire rolling resistance of Wal Mart bike given the weights of a rider on these bikes. Again, what I am saying is not new. Aristotle was wrong and Gallileo was right.
@@stuartdryer1352 Yes the cheap bike has more disadvantages that offset the advantage of extra weight. You are right about that.
You were also taling about Galileo and Aristotle... Aristotle was indeed wrong, and Galileo was right but you are interpreting it wrong. The acceleration is constant, yes, but the terminal velocity is not, because a heavier rider will push harder against the air so a heavier rider/bike will be faster. So if all other things are equal you will descent faster on a heavier bike. Galileo couldn't take drag into account. Look it up bruh... :)
@@LordVilmore
Sorry but drag is not dependent on weight "bruh". Anyway we are going around in circles.
D = 1/2 C p V2 A.
D is drag, C is coefficient based on shape (but not weight) and surface friction, p is air density, V2 is velocity squared and A is frontal area
"Time is not this linear thing." No, of course not - from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff.
time is, has been will be, shall be and is forever more linear, UNLESS you happen to have a star or other massive object capable of dialating time......at that point you are a God and cycling is pretty much not a concern
Just ask Chris Nolan about time...
Would be interesting to know what part(s) of the bike make the big difference. My guess would be the wheels. So what if you would put the wheels from the Canyon in the Schwinn bike? If it does make a big difference, it would mean that instead of investing in a new bike, you could consider upgrading the wheels.
I really enjoyed this video. Very informative. You answered a question I always wondered about. Thank you.
I put thousands of miles on my fuji sportief 1.1 (alloy frame, carbon fork 105 group set, upgraded wheels) upgraded to a bianchi infinito CV because I wanted electronic shifting. I ride long distances, the shifting cause temporary partial paralysis in my right arm.
I used this to show my family I’m not crazy
And?
ak35 wdym?
“The BREAKS” 😅
This is why I’m not friends with anyone that owns a more expensive bike than me!
OK now, I'm NOT a road biker, totally MTB, and on the all paved rides I take I'm on a hard tail. I ride A LOT though, so there is something I thought I could add about the downhill section. Something I've noticed as I ride increasingly expensive bikes, for both the road and in the dirt, is the quality and STABILITY of better construction and components. When you're riding on a much more stable frame, stiffer wheels (tensioned properly), and a more stable fork (in my case always suspension forks, road and dirt) I have found DESCENDING improves greatly. Once you get a cheap bike up to speed descending (talking paved road still) you FEEL the instability. On the better frame and components the bike keeps its line better, fights the wind resistance better (due to stability not just aero) and with better wheels it's MUCH easier to feel that control you have while riding. Don't you feel that with your test here that the quality components factor in greatly to the downhill performance regardless of the weight of the bike?
You did show here with your experience something that's clear. The 'cheap' bikes, low end stuff, it functions. But for real riding, enjoying experience, transferring of energy, minimizing fatigue, that 'middle price' you've demonstrated, THAT'S where the starting point for the actual enthusiast begins. You CAN get a good result and experience from that middle ground, but the high end frame and parts will certainly be more appreciated by those that ride often enough to either notice those differences, or have enough demands developed in their ability to require those higher quality differences.
Hope you don't mind a "dirt rider" chiming in on this. You road bike guys really know how to examine things in a way that translates to the rider. MTB rider community seem to constantly be talking more about their gear, parts, forks, shock, more than anything, and I think we need to take a lesson out of the roadie's science more often. Cool vid, and I like that you laid this out in 'real world' terms and experience to get more realistic results and expectations.
~JSV
Thank you very much for doing such an extended, elaborated job. Hat off to you.
Schwinn Sales will surpass Specialized Allez and other bikes in this price range after people watch this. Kudos for Schwinn using 105 gear set though. Ribble UK has some DOPE bikes in this price range as well. A few Carbon framed.
Great work on this, thank you. It took a lot of effort to create. The spread between the Schwinn and cannon was more than I would have expected, however I think a lot of us believe switching out the wheels would be a game changer on the Schwinn. I have a Giant TCR weighs 19 and costed 1.200. I put Easton 90 Aero wheels on it which costed 700.00 used for set and added cheap aero bars. so, yeah under 2,000 total. I ride with guys with 4-10,000 bikes. I am likely working harder but in the game. Do this again with the wheels and I bet you will close the gap significantly. Oh one more thing if you add a disc cover to the rear wheel which costs 100.00 on the Schwinn even better. Thanks for the work, well done.
I've learned my lesson concerning the walmart bike. The brakes almost killed me. The bike is rotting in the garage now.
give it to someone
@@tesmith47 I wouldn't do that because the bike isn't safe to ride.
I recently got a $300 bike from Walmart to get back into biking. I have been loving it, came to see if putting in $1,000 to $4,000 for an upgrade would be worth it for a casual rider. Thanks for the info!!
A lot of thanks for all the graphs where very illustrative and all your explanations were super complete and talking about the price range, plus the brand names, round up all the information. Even though the comparision and results against the $100 bike was obvious to be unsatisfactory. I would like if you did this same kind of analysis but with a used $300 to $500 older good brand bike. That will realy put things in a more fair ground.