People don’t buy expensive bikes for better performance. They buy them because they are a status symbol and are likely middle aged and affluent so can afford to spend thousands on a bike. Why do people drive expensive cars when there are speed limits?
It also helps to be smart about the component choices you have on the bike if you can choose them. It doesn't harm to use a compact chainset when you are new. Pair it with a big dinner plate 11-34T cassette at the back. You will be scoffed for being weak but this humility in component choices helps you a lot when you are new and trying to get fit. Going up a hill without getting down to walk up boosts your morale and eggs you to try harder next time.
What amuses me is when manufacturers and advertisers boast about a bike being the fastest. The fastest bike is the one that comes across the finish line first. I would not pay $12-$16k for a bike and I can afford it. That is just insane in my mind for a bike. I know someone who has paid such money for 2-3 of those bikes and ride once or twice a week. I do believe that most people know fitness is key, but some people buy expensive bikes because 1) they can and 2) some like to say they have an expensive bike. But, what's really insane to me is paying $4k+ for bike wheels...now that's insane.
While most people might think this video is cringy. I feel this is necessary. This is not supposed to be viewed and interpreted by those people who can actually afford to buy 12k and up bikes, but for those aspirants who want to train and become competitive but is lacking budget. Great video and eye opener to ALL cyclists; competitors and enthusiasts alike.
I personally raced two Giant Propels back to back for the past 4 yrs. Now I'm on a SL7 Specialized Tarmac (not S Works). While I fully believe that investment in structured training which I'm have been doing for the past 4yrs outweighs the benefits of a superbike. Other than weight which is a very grey area in terms of performance, stiffness index of the carbon frame does make a difference in the power output. It's very personal preference to one expect to feel when pushing each stroke. I have also ridden the old TCR which I feel the frame flexed too much under each stroke compared to the stiffness of a propel which I loved. I have also tried the latest TCR which is much stiffer and would gladly recommend anybody who wants to race but is on a budget. The choice of my current ride is more of balance feel of both weight and stiffness than just based on a weight alone. 45 secs claim is bullshit which I know before even I purchase the bike. What matters is the rider him or herself that makes the difference. Lol.
This is exactly what I've been thinking. Simply not worth it for me to spend thousands more on a bike just to save a pound or two. Aluminum is just fine for me. But bike makers seem to be reserving options better component sets for only the most expensive carbon frame bikes. Why not allow these options for aluminum frame models?
Just buy a aluminum or good steel frame and customize the wheels and components. Especially the wheels and the spoke tension are very important in terms of acceleration.
Great video! I just wanted to make a point being the devil's advocate. General bike performance is measured in W/Kg, where W is the total watts your engine can put down (aka legs) and Kg is the combined weight of the system (rider + bike + water bottle + etc...). With this it is easy to see that the heavier the rider (more Kg), will be less affected by a heavier bike than a lighter rider. This is also the case with a stronger rider (more W) that will be less affected by a heavier bike than a weaker rider. Pros are generally light AND strong, making small fluctuations in weight of the system less meaningful than the weekend worrier who is kinda light. A big and heavy rider (most of the time they are strong even though they are not fit) will not benefit almost at all from a light bike. So the take-home message is: if you are a really light rider (around 100 lb or less), a light bike will actually make a difference. All of this is for climbs, where gravity effects you (E=mgh), but on flat ground (no elevation), bike weight difference makes absolutely no sense. If you are a heavy rider, a light bike will make almost no difference. Here I have omitted that pros, being so equal through ought the peloton, need all the advantages possible to beat others. Another thing I have not considered is that a light bike will be easier to maneuver, specially to lighter riders (I know that this is more important in MTB (XC) than in Road). Only the buyer can say if this is worth it or not, but generally, a 2K or3K bike is MORE than ENOUGH.
More than enough is probably defined by what you do! If you are on the edge of following a group ride, any help, no matter how small, is greatly appreciated. If you roll around alone, a 1k bike is more than enough - I know because I rode la marmotte on a sub 1k bike, and the bike was never a problem!
1st to fall weight of person doesn't matter in velocity of cycle at all!!! Proof= potential energy= kinetic energy Mgh= ½mv² Divide by m Gh= ½v² V²= 2gh V=√2gh It means it's independent of mass!!
W/kg is in my opinion a very over user metric, and is only relevant on climbs over a certain gradient. To show what I mean, let's say you have a 100kg rider with an FTP of 300 watts. He will have be 3 w/kg. His all day zone 2 will be around 220 watts. Now a 60kg rider with an FTP of 200 watts will have 3.33 w/kg, but his zone 2 will be 150 watts. Essentially, The heavier rider's all day zone 2 power where he won't fatigue, is the same as the lighter rider's one hour all out power. His zone 2 is 70 watts LESS than the heavier one. He'll be totally cooked after 30 mins, but the heavier one can hold that same power all day. So this shows that w/kg is irrelevant in most scenarios.
If you're a competitive cyclist, 1 second or less is the difference of a win or a loss. If you're a casual cyclist, being on a 10kg vs. a 8kg bike does not matter.
2:50 roadbikers usually lean and strong type so being light is boosting their performance even further. But for heavy riders like me during long 100km ish ride in bad weather heavy rains and slippery wet roads, having disk brake would be peace of mind on decent. I have rim brakes on my rb but wish it's disk knowing the experience from mtb.
What a great video. I have been cycling most of my life but really got into road cycling back in 2012. I bought a entry level bike, paid about £1000 at the time. The reason I didn't go more expensive was, as you said in the video, I didn't know if I'd even stick with it or not. In any case, I did, and I also kept the bike, which I did some incremental "upgrades" - wheels, bars and so on. I've been able to humble quite a few riders on way more expensive bikes over the years on club rides. I recently acquired a new road bike to compliment the one I've already got and it's 1kg heavier, mainly due to the wheels, the finishing kit and disc brakes (my othe rbike is a rim brake setup). GCN did a good video that looked specifically at the effect of adding 1kg to a bike and it's effect on performance. I think it equated to an additional 5 watts. GCN clip: ua-cam.com/video/q6KWyux0pCg/v-deo.html&feature=shares
I love riding but I'm ten pounds overweight. I've Never cared about my bikes weight..Well that's a lie but deep down I know (in my case) it does not matter. Another thing people need to learn about is Rotating Mass. The weight of your wheels doesn't matter. Unless you're racing up a steep hill, Your wheels are just flywheels that store energy as they spin up. 10/10 this video gets imo.
Never bother that much with weight as a middle aged rider, why because out with my mates I’m always last in the coffee shop by which time my friends have normal ordered my coffee and cake great money saving tip, but most importantly to save weight lose the weight off you first
you also need to put into account how stiff the bike is, less power lost amounts to better speed / power transfer. if assuming both the $2k bike and the $12k bike are exactly the same stiffness then "truth" on this video is correct. there are also other qualities of the bike like ride quality, comfort, cornering.
Basically you’re paying an “Ugly” looking bike or “Cool” looking bike i guess. If you can afford it it’s great. If you can’t then it’s also great. Simple.
Ha Ha, you would probably get dropped equally, unless you are a professional cyclist on a major clime! As an old road racer, its all about your personal fitness and the size of your gut! :-)
Buy used, I bought a gently used Sworks Tarmac SL5 rim brake on Bicycle Blue Book for $2800 with full Campy SR and weighs only 14lbs 8oz. Only $300 more than I spent on a new Giant Defy in 2017. There will be deals to find out there.
@@Reanimator999 he hurt his back in 2015 a few weeks after he bought it. I didn’t believe his story but I purchased the bike anyway. When I opened the box... I had no choice but to trust his story. Brand new old stock, if it was a baseball card it would be one grade under mint condition.
Good video.I was looking to upgrade my 10 year old entry level trek race bike that weighs about 18 pounds. Just wanting the new technology that my bike was lacking. I was trying to make a decision between a budget race bike like your TCR Advanced or an endurance bike like the Giant Defy that weights around 20 pounds! I have 2 mountain bikes as well so was looking at bikes around $2,000 to $3,000. As a 56 year old rider I should be looking at the endurance bikes but was agonizing over the weight difference. I ride 50 to about 130 miles a week mostly by myself. Most of that is on an electronic mountain bike. I have managed to drop 20 pounds and 15 more need to go get to that sweat spot for cycling. I would love to do more group rides and speed more time on a road bike! I don’t want to burden others with how slow I am especially climbing! The electric bike has really helped in this area while mountain biking! I am really just trying not to suck that much to ride with other people. This is a result of some health problems. I have to really monitor my heart rate and make sure I pace myself and not over do it. If my heart rate gets too high I have to actually stop until it drops or I pass out! It appears I should not be that worried about 3 or 4 more pounds on an endurance bike! Especially if it’s geared with a compact crank 50/34 and have a 11-34 cassette which would most likely make up for the weight difference! Hopefully this year will be the year I feel strong enough to maintain 14 to 16 MPH for group rides of 20 to 30 miles or more. Ready to join a group and socialize while enjoying cycling without holding them up!
Even on just a weekend group ride things can get competitive, having a lighter more aerodynamic bike with less rolling resistance can be the difference between 33kms PH or 35kms PH (or keeping up with or not keeping up with the group). Its all about perspective. If people want to and are happy to spend the loot, its all good. Others don't, all good too. What is the scam?
If everyone was a World Tour level W/KG then yeah superbikes matter, otherwise it's better to spend money on training, nutrition, and rest to become faster. Probably getting a set of wheels it's the only upgrade that you can to but that's it.
When I started seriously riding just 70 days ago, my bike weighed 20.1 pounds, but I weighed 172.2 pounds. My bike still weighs 20.1 pounds, but now I weigh 161.2 pounds. That's a net 11 pounds shaved off, not to even mention the strength and endurance gains I enjoy. Imagine trying to shave even half that much weight off the bike instead of off me.
This is all true. I agree with 100% and if you like a bike that happens to cost 5k… then do what you like but just know you will be blown out of the water with a dude on a retro bike or rain day bike when it comes down to fitness.
Hello fellow rider... I totally agree with your point... It's absolutely logic and u have enlightened me... Am 85kgs, am a rider and I would really love to attain that fitness wight limit to be an endurance rider... Pliz create some videos on workouts and diets to acquire the lean fitness
Very good demonstration of how it's about the rider (engine) and not the weight of the bike. The topic of brakes is a good one. I think the sweet spot is V-brakes. The other topic is the weight/ durability disparity. If the weight of the bike is not the top priority, then what is? I say durability Why? Because that is the most sound advice economically. I would rather have a bike that is lbs heavier and lasts decades longer. I still say (except for racing) a steel bike is the way to go.
This why I like to ride my 1981 Follis touring bike so much, it is a steel "light" touring (Vitus 971) bike with cantilever brakes but with a good set of relatively modern wheels (Fulcrum 3) and half modern gears (Campagnolo 10 speed in the rear). The bike weighs about 10.5Kg fully equipped, it is a pleasure to ride and yes it is about 10 minutes slower on my usual 1h30-2 hours' ride than a modern bike. I have an about 500m elevation climb going back home, long enough for no one to be able to fake a pace you cannot really maintain, so for me as a 57 years old it is totally win-win... If fit riders on fancy carbon bikes pass me, its normal (and most fit riders on good bikes pass me these days), but when I pass people on the climb it is definitely brutal, countless people will look at the bike as I pass them and they go nuts and their ego kicks-in, I hear gear change as they feel they have to accelerate to pass me again and usually they blow-up in the next kilometer... It is so amusing... Even though I have not done a lot of touring lately, I think my sadistic side makes me leave the front low pannier carriers (about 300 grams extra) on the bike just to complete the picture... As you said, in the 80's I weighed 61Kg for 1.76m and probably had double the watts than I have today, today I am still not fat at 68Kg but the W/Kg difference is huge, I'd need a 2Kg bike to be at the same weight going up (and still would have half the watts)...
That's every industry tho. Golf for example, lasted model driver goes "longer" but they don't say how much longer, because the data shows it's about .5 yards longer on average lol
I totally agree with you! Its easy to fall for hype of getting the top of the range ultra light bike but the truth is the heavier the bike the fitter ul get! I've got a light carbon bike but in the winter I ride my heavier alloy bike to improve my fitness.
Agree and disagree with you. I lost about 10% of my body weight and I am definitely faster on climbs, but the improvement isn’t as dramatic as you might think. I was pretty fit before, so the lighter me still has to work pretty hard to beat my old times. On the other hand, I have ridden a lot of bikes and a light bike that is well built is a joy to ride. You feel like you can ride farther with less effort. It is hard to explain that difference in terms of physics. It is probably because lighter bikes are the manufacturers best bikes: not only lighter but more aero, stiffer in power transfer but more compliant so the ride is better, better components, etc. You are getting a lot more for 12k than just a little lighter bike.
Even if they don't race, it's been my experience many recreational cyclists still want to go as fast at THEY can go, whatever that is. If it costs them some money and they can afford it, I say go for it. And to those who say "I'm not spending a lot of money to get a super bike that's a couple of pounds lighter than my current bike. I'll just diet and lose a couple of pounds." A lighter bike and a lighter engine aren't mutually exclusive. You can do both if you want to.
Great video. It just came to me that weight is more important in single speed because one is stuck in one gear. So the lighter the bike the easier the climbing will be. Even fit person with a 15lbs single speed will get a good workout especially if lives in hilly area.
It's the truth. I ride a 2014 specialized Secteur sport that weighs a hefty 10.1 kgs, cost me $500 used all aluminum with sora groupset and I weight like 93kg and 45 years old. I average 16.7 mph over 24 miles. The only times I suffer is climbing. In my opinion it all boils down to fitness and just recently started cycling. The only reason the cost so much is cause idiots will pay those high prices.
It’s a meaningless discussion in my opinion, if you are buying a 12000 $ bike as an amateur you are not buying 1 or 2 minutes on mont ventoux, you are just buying a cool bike. The same is for cars, motorbikes, etc...
I have a super old trek fx 7.3 with a heavy af steel fork and got into strava last year, i enjoy the pain people get when i beat them on segments with my tagged bike :P. I've improved so much by training and eating right that even this 25 lb+ bike isn't slowing me down. This bike is maybe worth 300 dollars, and I beat people with more than 10x cost bikes, trust me it's a satisfying feel in its own.
Expensive bikes are for old boys with dad bodies / guys who are trying to look cool and think they can keep up with fit guys. They don’t wish to get genuinely fit, it’s too hard. It’s all about making it to the next coffee stop to show off the Lycra (they look stupid in but don’t see it) and their $10k bike. Great vid dude!
@@jt3366 If you can afford it, sure. We know that many buy due to social pressures though, which Pedlar is saying. If I look at one of my local cafes on a Sunday morning, it's all 40-60yr old guys with racing bikes. Most are not in shape that reflects the $ they're spending - my point. Marketing is exactly that, the same guys will buy an auto trans 911 and just use it to drive around town.
How do these numbers translate to an allroad/adventure bike? These can be quite expensive as well, but the money is spent on other aspects than weight; mostly durability and comfort/ride feel. Saving time on climbs is totally irrelevant here. If you e.g. want a titanium bike because of the offered comfort+durability, you can easily spend $2000 for the frame alone. Is that still unreasonable, especially since it won't be that light either (perhaps 9-10kg), but might last decades? Steel is obviously much cheaper, but there's the rust issue.
I ride a chinese single speed, rim brakes, pursuit bars, all steel. 11kg. Its a tank. 100 bucks (i had to assemble it). Ive been riding it daily for 5 years. No failures. Its fun. Im fit.
He says weight is a scam, then one of his first points is to say a 5k bike is lighter than the SL8 and that he would never personally spend more money for a heavier bike! WHAT?!!
We as “normal people” aren’t so fit as the professional riders. It’s easier for us to lose 5 pounds then try to remove 1 single pound from the bike. Now try to guess who pay for those bikes, the professional riders or us? What we really need is a frame that doesn’t crack in the middle of a ride, a frame that last long and are reliable. Is it to hard to understand? What we need to do to make the bike industry to understand us is STOP buying this super expensive bikes.
You forgot to add the drafting parameter. If you ride inside a pelaton the wind blocking can reduce more time. I for myself upgraded my bike to trek madone SL bike for three parameters- 1. More aero bike( I think that wind is more important for those who are strong on the straight s. 2. Disk brakes- they just stop better. After almost crashing when my rim brake just got over heated I don't trust these rim brakes anymore. 3. Electronic shifting ( because I love gadgets and they can be connected to garmin and I can control it from the shifters) But for the reasons you mentioned I did not even think of buying SLR model. It's less than 1kg difference and almost 3k difference
That's why they call it a professional bike, for professional racer where marginal advantage counts. For us normal riders, that advantage may not worth the cost. But it sure look nice.
I personally believe if a bike is not more than 10kg is perfectly fine. My AR3 feels like a feather even on uphills which i ride a lot. The only problem is my weight 113kg. If i get fitter my bike will really shine. Nice video. Can you do a mechanical vs hydraulic disc brakes one? I use mechanicals and they are very good even for a heavy rider like me. I wonder if the expensive cost of the hydraulic is really worth it.
Taking a break from building my new road bike. Mega-stoked. Emonda ALR Disc Ultegra mechanical Paul Klampers (they're so nice) White Industries cranks. I love it already. I'm riding it up Mt Evans this Summer.
Uyashisa, you're hot for this. It's all coming back to me , when I started cycling I was passed by a 50 year old man on a sturdy clunky Raleigh (lowest budget) . I went back to lifting weights
Great video. Cyclist should know that these super expensive bikes, alot of the money you pay is for the research the companies do to produce these top end components. Hence why a modern 105 groupset is just as good if not better then a Dura-ace from 10 years ago. You will not see your return in product when you by top end bike.
I agree. However, I would start with lower power (150-200W) in the bike calculator and with increased fitness I would not only reduce the weight of the cyclist but also increase the power (up to 300W). It seems that on a 7% climb, a 5W of power is (timewise) worth more than 1kg of mass.
Me only bike like 2 times a week im really questioning my self why i bought 3 super bikes But hey i dont call it a bad decision for me its an envestment
I have the money to buy whatever bike I want, but I refuse to be fed so much marketing crap that make no empirical sense what so ever for a mundane cyclist like myself. For the last 10 years I have made the efforts to build my own road/gravel/commuter do-it-all bike with the best quality/price ratio drivetrain components (e.g Shimano Tiagra cranks, 105 shifters, GRX400 brakes) all the rest being sourced from Aliexpress. One ICAN X-Gravel frame, 2 pairs of wheels/tyres. Cost me less than USD2,500. Weights 9.5kgs, goes everywhere does (almost) everything and as I am keeping my body weight in check, I often smoke overweight guys on their AUD12,000 super bikes (grin).
Bike weight does matter. It’s just finding the balance between what you want to spend. What’s more important is the 20lb that a person is overweight vs 2 lb on a bicycle.
The best video I’ve seen on expensives vs cheaper bike. You simply can’t buy a faster time up a climb by spending 12k on a bike. Spending time getting fit on a 2k bike and losing body weight is a much cheaper option plus your body will thank you later
you will get a good race bike between CHF 2500.- and CHF 4500.- above that it pure emotion. I don’t care about weight. Many cyclist forget that a bike needs maintenance and sometimes things have to be repaired. If you have expensive bilke, spare parts will be expensive too. If you are not racing a SRAM Red or a DuraAce group is not necessary. But many cyclist want to have the F1 bike Pogacar is riding even if another bike would be more suitable and much more fun to ride. If you are on a budget check the if there are used bikes available. Most important … the riding has to be big fun. This is possible with a lot of bilkes Enjoy cycling!!
Can you do a video on aero improvements? I have a big clumsy frame, and debating whether it’s useful to upgrade. Like, the main tube is extraordinarily big. Is it worth it to upgrade, or simply wait for this bike to be honorably discharged? It’s done 18k till now
I am an old Campy guy. Still love it but refuse to pay the price for it. I am starting to really shift on thought all together now as I have ridden Ultegra now for years. I am starting to think that is spending too much money based on performance reviews of 105. Wish I had the thousands back I spent buying into the hype.
Mountain bikes are different. You may want to point this out. When youre starting and stopping and turning and going up and down rocks and bumps 1000 times a minute...weight matters. Road bikes, doesn't matter, but off road...matters. Road bikes=Aero matters Mtb bikes= Weight matters Just something to consider commenting on. Good video by the way!
Carbon fatigues. Aluminium fatigues. Steel doesn't. When you go down rocks on a bike you spend 1000,2000,3000 on, whether it lasts matters. Sure it may be your bad technique or your crash that cost you the bike but still it's gone.
To be fair, you were only talking about a bike on one climb. Not about how much stiffer the more other one is, which helps in delivering power to the ground, which makes you go faster. I have expensive and not so expensive bikes and there is a difference. I think that you would agree with that. Also, your video should be name, Expensive Bikes for new riders, why? Your content is good and the passion is there, for sure. I just think your hit to make other points inside of the mane point of some of your videos. In this video, your mane conclusion was get more fit and lose weight, or something to that affect. Oh yeah, and save some money. By the way, your disclaimers are great too....LOL Keep up the great work!
When I compared my 2019 Émonda SL to my co worker’s 2019 S Works Tarmac the differences were so minimal but comparing my low end alloy Madone from 2015 to my Émonda was substantial
Love the content. Can you make a video on bike sizes, in particular debating if you're "between" two size.. which size to go for, and also, how to move away from "old school bike thinking" like slamming the stem as far down as you can, when some people argue that you are more area being "longer" in the arm-handlbar triangle VS having the stem really low but then creating air resistance in the arm-handlbar triangle...
I mean, my bike is $300 it's a vintage 95 Cannondale. As is it probably weighs about 25+ pounds. Heavy wheels, aero bars, no carbon anywhere. Plus I usually ride with a backpack weighing 15-20 pounds. My average speed is around 21-22mph. Now this is my only bike, and I've never ridden a high end carbon lightweight bike so I have nothing to compare it to. I'm sure I'll go faster. But I don't think it will be $12,000 worth of fast. Still I will like to see the difference.
My 2nd hand s works sl4 is the same weight as the sl7 (and has 105 mechs), and cheaper than the cheap non superbike. Those prices are for people that are not inclined to look for parts and build a bike. 12k is crazy. You can get top of the range Santa Cruz Blur full carbon full suss cc bike for that, and still have change left to buy a second hand sl4-5
When I passed a group of roadies after coming back from a two hour Mountain bike ride on a full suspension mountain bike. I was probably doing 20 mph on the flats and 15 up hill. You can hold a good pace on any bike.
Could you make a video about the food you ate when you went from 96kg to 69kg, and the recovery also? I have now a fat percentage of 12.7% (66kg, 1m73, 17 years old)and would like to go to 10%.
It’s people over compensating for the lack of fitness, talent or skill 😂. All jokes aside people be like that, agree 100% with what you say but it’s their money at the end of the day.
While there is some difference that components make, i think the bulk of the cost of a bike is in the frame. If they are the same material eg carbon or aluminium, even if its 1-2kg more or less, our body weight fluctuates by abt that much periodically. Like for like, expensive & cheap frames make little difference. Watt matters is does it fit; ie don't get an XL frame if u r a XS size, its not gonna make u bigger!
Sounds to me the scam isn't the weight of the bike but the price. I don't have a background in Cycling growing up in a poor black community. Whenever I go out on group rides I always feel out of place because of the income difference between us. Listening to someone describe a $1,200 road bike as budget or cheap when it takes me the better part of a year to save up that kind of money has me scratching my head. Anyway, I remember the first time riding my $1,200 road bike and how amazing it was compared to my $600 hybrid bike. After one month of riding the bike I sold the hybrid. Being low income has forced me to be smart about how I spend my money when it comes to bikes. Lighter weight bikes do help with improving my fitness because I want to ride them more. However, there are smart ways to bring the weight of the bike down without having to spend outrageous amounts of money.
Clipless for beginners is my pet peeve. Not that they aren't more efficient, but 90% of my clipless customers don't even understand ankling, so they literally would be faster riding flats! All this and we're not even considering that most are not set up properly, are uncomfortable and are spending hundreds extra to ride clipless.
most of the studies actually suggest that clipless pedals do not provide any improvement in riding efficiency (DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1038374). Yet, some studies also suggest that they could be better for knees.
Though I agree, that was not a good explanation. My 16 lb bike is actually slower than my 19.5 lb bike because the lighter bike slows up faster between pedal strokes. If you can maintain high output over a long enough time on climbs perhaps you can be faster on a climb. But a road race is climbs descents flats and sprints.
Underrated video! I agree! I own the cannondale caad optimo 2018, put tiagra 10speed and some carbon cockpit, aluminum 40mm Wheel set on it and it weighs around 8.2 to 8.5 KG. I joined a mini race here with 200 particpants and i finished 2nd. This is not a joke! Most of the particpants has their bike weighs for about 6.5 to 7.5 KG. Im saying this because i want people to know its not always about the bike, yes lighter is better. But what matters is ur proper conditioning and training.. i can buy an expensive bike but i dont need to and why? I fkcin beat the sht out of them ridin my optimo. Lmfao. Great video bro! Subscribed!
Inspirational video. Love how you get totally worked up over it. I used a roubaix sl4 to go from 100 kg to 79 and my race mates who said it wasn't a climbing bike unlike their tarmacs were no match uphill. I smoked them in the hairpins and I smiled and yelled as I changed their view on bikes forever
I totally agree with you. When I was 72 kgs. I had a Bianci road bike but my Jr. high school son always beats me with his mamachari or his 26" MTB. Years have passed and now I gained a lot of weight (109 kgs) and needed a new bike in hope to lose some weight. I tried several types of bikes but decided to buy a cheap 16" folding bike. It has 6 gears and I could barely use the lowest gear because I burn out so easily. Another reason I bought a 16" is because I have promised to take my friend's 5 year old daughter for a bike ride, so basically I will be racing against a 5 year old and honestly I think I need to lose some weight or I'll get smoked by a small pink kiddie bike :( Even if I buy an expensive bike, I'm sure I wont get any faster.
@@Reanimator999, Thanks for your advice. You are totally right. I have changed my diet and is now under medical treatment (lots of medicines) because of my obesity. I did change my diet first before buying a bicycle and I'm hopeful that I can reach my goal. Sad thing is that I was a varsity swimmer, motorcycle trials rider and have several black belts.. Pigging out didn't do me good.. Now I'm just a fat old guy struggling to ride a small bicycle. Baby steps my friend, baby steps :)
It's sad that you had to explain this glaring truth. Me who weighs 99kg doesn't have a business with a sub 5kg bike, my 13kg with lights and GPS works just fine
Fact: Rider X will perform better on a lighter bike under the exact same conditions. A 300hp car pushing more weight will be slower than that same 300hp pushing a lighter car. It's not opinion or placebo. It's physics. By the way, 1 minute saved at a finish line is a world of difference, or as Dom puts it in Fast & Furious; 'It don't matter if you win by an inch or a mile; winning's winning.'
The more I watched this video the more I recall even back in the late 90s before this carbon revolution too shape, I was on a Bianchi Mega Pro XL with full Campy Record/Campy wheels. My buddy Todd was on a Bridgestone with rusted out seat stays and downtube shifters. When he wanted to, he'd drop us any time he wanted. It's truly the engine. We were riding with some Italians on their Italian bikes with full top of the line Campy, and Todd would just lay it down leaving us behind. They'd exclaim in their heavy Italian accent, "Todd good rider." Don't get me wrong, I still love seeing the picture of my Colnago back in the day with it's custom paint but those TCRs like you blow that stuff away in terms of bang for the buck. That's why I ride nothing but Giant these days.
See bro I like how you think. This guy I rode w he have $4k specialized road bike I had trek checkpoint AL3 in the summer we rode up this hill he was slow af I burned him had frame bag and handlebar bag had my cooking stuff in bags bike weigh almost 30 lbs lmao you remind me of durian rider videos he talks about fitness a lot and that’s what really matters.
I agree. That’s huge cash. For that much I’d go for a new bike around 3500 and put the rest into wheels, kit, lights, shoes, helmet, stock market, charity, etc. I think Pedaler is right - the diminishing returns kick in early. Go for solid and reliable. p.s. Buy a steel frame. ✌️
Hi buddy..this is an amazing video..Im currently riding a 9.5kg alumninum road bike..Scott speedster 20 with tiagra groupset and cheap wheels. I love riding it but I was looking to upgrade to the the TCR advanced pro 1... Would you recommend upgrading to the TCR or would I rather be better of upgrading my current bike with a set of carbon wheels,lighter components etc.. please suggest .. Thank you.👍🏻
I don’t rate Giant Bikes as I had the WORST warranty experience, so if you can find a bike brand with a good deal 105/tiagra and aluminum frame or carbon. Should be good. I personally like a 105 groupo with a carbon frame but up to you and what your budget is. All the best!
@@Pedaler thank you for getting back to me..I'm looking for something under 2500£..I can use my NHS cycle to work voucher to get the bike..Giant is pretty popular here in the UK and after sales service has been good from what I've heard from friends..I will still keep my options open though..In the mean time is it worth upgrading my current bike till I get a new one ?..
If you’re buying a bike to ride Ventoux this is a very informative video. If, on the other hand, you are buying a bike because you love cycling, buy what you are willing to pay for. I suspect the same logic would apply for a car, motorbike, skateboard, pair of jeans, burger, etc. I have owned good bikes, shit bikes, average bikes, and what I learned is I love riding and I love bikes... all of them. Buy what you want, buy what makes you feel good but most importantly... buy what you love to ride 👍
Hyperbikes with a fat sunday cyclist is like a porsche chassis with a 1.0L 3-cyclinder engine
And that's why my big butt rides a department store $500 mountain bike, with Urban tires.
People don’t buy expensive bikes for better performance. They buy them because they are a status symbol and are likely middle aged and affluent so can afford to spend thousands on a bike. Why do people drive expensive cars when there are speed limits?
It also helps to be smart about the component choices you have on the bike if you can choose them. It doesn't harm to use a compact chainset when you are new. Pair it with a big dinner plate 11-34T cassette at the back. You will be scoffed for being weak but this humility in component choices helps you a lot when you are new and trying to get fit. Going up a hill without getting down to walk up boosts your morale and eggs you to try harder next time.
What amuses me is when manufacturers and advertisers boast about a bike being the fastest. The fastest bike is the one that comes across the finish line first. I would not pay $12-$16k for a bike and I can afford it. That is just insane in my mind for a bike. I know someone who has paid such money for 2-3 of those bikes and ride once or twice a week. I do believe that most people know fitness is key, but some people buy expensive bikes because 1) they can and 2) some like to say they have an expensive bike. But, what's really insane to me is paying $4k+ for bike wheels...now that's insane.
Its bullshit, for that money you can buy Suzuki GXR 1000cc, or you can buy tickets to some nice place to ride bicycle and rent bike or buy cheap bike
While most people might think this video is cringy. I feel this is necessary. This is not supposed to be viewed and interpreted by those people who can actually afford to buy 12k and up bikes, but for those aspirants who want to train and become competitive but is lacking budget. Great video and eye opener to ALL cyclists; competitors and enthusiasts alike.
Much appreciated and glad you recognized the goal of the video!
@@Pedaler Well, most people want to hear and just wouldn't like to listen. Glad I'm not one of those! Keep doing what you're doing bud!
I personally raced two Giant Propels back to back for the past 4 yrs. Now I'm on a SL7 Specialized Tarmac (not S Works). While I fully believe that investment in structured training which I'm have been doing for the past 4yrs outweighs the benefits of a superbike. Other than weight which is a very grey area in terms of performance, stiffness index of the carbon frame does make a difference in the power output. It's very personal preference to one expect to feel when pushing each stroke. I have also ridden the old TCR which I feel the frame flexed too much under each stroke compared to the stiffness of a propel which I loved. I have also tried the latest TCR which is much stiffer and would gladly recommend anybody who wants to race but is on a budget. The choice of my current ride is more of balance feel of both weight and stiffness than just based on a weight alone. 45 secs claim is bullshit which I know before even I purchase the bike. What matters is the rider him or herself that makes the difference. Lol.
Yup!!
yupp sounds like cope to me
Well..I just like how the Emonda and Domaine ride. I simply trust them. Just bought a new one. I'm 50 years old and it's what I like
I love guys who spend 799 dollars on the lightest pedals but they are 59 pounds overweight...i love it
Why do you like them?
This is exactly what I've been thinking. Simply not worth it for me to spend thousands more on a bike just to save a pound or two. Aluminum is just fine for me. But bike makers seem to be reserving options better component sets for only the most expensive carbon frame bikes. Why not allow these options for aluminum frame models?
Just buy a aluminum or good steel frame and customize the wheels and components. Especially the wheels and the spoke tension are very important in terms of acceleration.
Great video! I just wanted to make a point being the devil's advocate. General bike performance is measured in W/Kg, where W is the total watts your engine can put down (aka legs) and Kg is the combined weight of the system (rider + bike + water bottle + etc...). With this it is easy to see that the heavier the rider (more Kg), will be less affected by a heavier bike than a lighter rider. This is also the case with a stronger rider (more W) that will be less affected by a heavier bike than a weaker rider. Pros are generally light AND strong, making small fluctuations in weight of the system less meaningful than the weekend worrier who is kinda light. A big and heavy rider (most of the time they are strong even though they are not fit) will not benefit almost at all from a light bike. So the take-home message is: if you are a really light rider (around 100 lb or less), a light bike will actually make a difference. All of this is for climbs, where gravity effects you (E=mgh), but on flat ground (no elevation), bike weight difference makes absolutely no sense. If you are a heavy rider, a light bike will make almost no difference. Here I have omitted that pros, being so equal through ought the peloton, need all the advantages possible to beat others. Another thing I have not considered is that a light bike will be easier to maneuver, specially to lighter riders (I know that this is more important in MTB (XC) than in Road). Only the buyer can say if this is worth it or not, but generally, a 2K or3K bike is MORE than ENOUGH.
👏
More than enough is probably defined by what you do! If you are on the edge of following a group ride, any help, no matter how small, is greatly appreciated. If you roll around alone, a 1k bike is more than enough - I know because I rode la marmotte on a sub 1k bike, and the bike was never a problem!
1st to fall weight of person doesn't matter in velocity of cycle at all!!!
Proof= potential energy= kinetic energy
Mgh= ½mv²
Divide by m
Gh= ½v²
V²= 2gh
V=√2gh
It means it's independent of mass!!
W/kg is in my opinion a very over user metric, and is only relevant on climbs over a certain gradient.
To show what I mean, let's say you have a 100kg rider with an FTP of 300 watts. He will have be 3 w/kg. His all day zone 2 will be around 220 watts.
Now a 60kg rider with an FTP of 200 watts will have 3.33 w/kg, but his zone 2 will be 150 watts.
Essentially, The heavier rider's all day zone 2 power where he won't fatigue, is the same as the lighter rider's one hour all out power. His zone 2 is 70 watts LESS than the heavier one. He'll be totally cooked after 30 mins, but the heavier one can hold that same power all day.
So this shows that w/kg is irrelevant in most scenarios.
I agree, but If you are racing, then a 1-2min difference is everything.
Instructions unclear, I bought a bike that's both expensive and heavy for a road bike. But I wouldn't trade my Orbea Gain for anything.
Not even for some Krispy kream? 🤣🐖
If you're a competitive cyclist, 1 second or less is the difference of a win or a loss.
If you're a casual cyclist, being on a 10kg vs. a 8kg bike does not matter.
2:50 roadbikers usually lean and strong type so being light is boosting their performance even further. But for heavy riders like me during long 100km ish ride in bad weather heavy rains and slippery wet roads, having disk brake would be peace of mind on decent. I have rim brakes on my rb but wish it's disk knowing the experience from mtb.
What a great video. I have been cycling most of my life but really got into road cycling back in 2012. I bought a entry level bike, paid about £1000 at the time. The reason I didn't go more expensive was, as you said in the video, I didn't know if I'd even stick with it or not. In any case, I did, and I also kept the bike, which I did some incremental "upgrades" - wheels, bars and so on. I've been able to humble quite a few riders on way more expensive bikes over the years on club rides.
I recently acquired a new road bike to compliment the one I've already got and it's 1kg heavier, mainly due to the wheels, the finishing kit and disc brakes (my othe rbike is a rim brake setup). GCN did a good video that looked specifically at the effect of adding 1kg to a bike and it's effect on performance. I think it equated to an additional 5 watts.
GCN clip:
ua-cam.com/video/q6KWyux0pCg/v-deo.html&feature=shares
This is brilliant advice! I now feel better about my giant contend sl1 at 8.5kg for a large 58cm frame.
I love riding but I'm ten pounds overweight. I've Never cared about my bikes weight..Well that's a lie but deep down I know (in my case) it does not matter. Another thing people need to learn about is Rotating Mass. The weight of your wheels doesn't matter. Unless you're racing up a steep hill, Your wheels are just flywheels that store energy as they spin up. 10/10 this video gets imo.
Never bother that much with weight as a middle aged rider, why because out with my mates I’m always last in the coffee shop by which time my friends have normal ordered my coffee and cake great money saving tip, but most importantly to save weight lose the weight off you first
Instructions unclear, bought an ebike and gained 50lbs
you also need to put into account how stiff the bike is, less power lost amounts to better speed / power transfer.
if assuming both the $2k bike and the $12k bike are exactly the same stiffness then "truth" on this video is correct.
there are also other qualities of the bike like ride quality, comfort, cornering.
Basically you’re paying an “Ugly” looking bike or “Cool” looking bike i guess. If you can afford it it’s great. If you can’t then it’s also great. Simple.
If I was to get drop with my 10k bike, I would get drop even more on my 2k bike. At least my bike is nice to look at...
@@Reanimator999 ain't that the same with a cheap bike ?
Ha Ha, you would probably get dropped equally, unless you are a professional cyclist on a major clime! As an old road racer, its all about your personal fitness and the size of your gut! :-)
@@andrewsmith3530 Yeah that's for sure ! At least I don't get drop that often 🤣
Buy used, I bought a gently used Sworks Tarmac SL5 rim brake on Bicycle Blue Book for $2800 with full Campy SR and weighs only 14lbs 8oz. Only $300 more than I spent on a new Giant Defy in 2017. There will be deals to find out there.
Dont think it was a SL7, doesnt come in rim brake
@@matkrek I edited it lol. Thanks
@@Reanimator999 he hurt his back in 2015 a few weeks after he bought it. I didn’t believe his story but I purchased the bike anyway. When I opened the box... I had no choice but to trust his story. Brand new old stock, if it was a baseball card it would be one grade under mint condition.
Good video.I was looking to upgrade my 10 year old entry level trek race bike that weighs about 18 pounds. Just wanting the new technology that my bike was lacking. I was trying to make a decision between a budget race bike like your TCR Advanced or an endurance bike like the Giant Defy that weights around 20 pounds! I have 2 mountain bikes as well so was looking at bikes around $2,000 to $3,000. As a 56 year old rider I should be looking at the endurance bikes but was agonizing over the weight difference. I ride 50 to about 130 miles a week mostly by myself. Most of that is on an electronic mountain bike. I have managed to drop 20 pounds and 15 more need to go get to that sweat spot for cycling. I would love to do more group rides and speed more time on a road bike! I don’t want to burden others with how slow I am especially climbing! The electric bike has really helped in this area while mountain biking! I am really just trying not to suck that much to ride with other people. This is a result of some health problems. I have to really monitor my heart rate and make sure I pace myself and not over do it. If my heart rate gets too high I have to actually stop until it drops or I pass out!
It appears I should not be that worried about 3 or 4 more pounds on an endurance bike! Especially if it’s geared with a compact crank 50/34 and have a 11-34 cassette which would most likely make up for the weight difference! Hopefully this year will be the year I feel strong enough to maintain 14 to 16 MPH for group rides of 20 to 30 miles or more. Ready to join a group and socialize while enjoying cycling without holding them up!
@@Reanimator999 good for you!
Even on just a weekend group ride things can get competitive, having a lighter more aerodynamic bike with less rolling resistance can be the difference between 33kms PH or 35kms PH (or keeping up with or not keeping up with the group). Its all about perspective. If people want to and are happy to spend the loot, its all good. Others don't, all good too. What is the scam?
A win is even sweeter when done with lesser kit.
If everyone was a World Tour level W/KG then yeah superbikes matter, otherwise it's better to spend money on training, nutrition, and rest to become faster.
Probably getting a set of wheels it's the only upgrade that you can to but that's it.
When I started seriously riding just 70 days ago, my bike weighed 20.1 pounds, but I weighed 172.2 pounds. My bike still weighs 20.1 pounds, but now I weigh 161.2 pounds. That's a net 11 pounds shaved off, not to even mention the strength and endurance gains I enjoy. Imagine trying to shave even half that much weight off the bike instead of off me.
This is all true. I agree with 100% and if you like a bike that happens to cost 5k… then do what you like but just know you will be blown out of the water with a dude on a retro bike or rain day bike when it comes down to fitness.
Hello fellow rider... I totally agree with your point... It's absolutely logic and u have enlightened me... Am 85kgs, am a rider and I would really love to attain that fitness wight limit to be an endurance rider... Pliz create some videos on workouts and diets to acquire the lean fitness
Very good demonstration of how it's about the rider (engine) and not the weight of the bike. The topic of brakes is a good one. I think the sweet spot is V-brakes. The other topic is the weight/ durability disparity. If the weight of the bike is not the top priority, then what is? I say durability Why? Because that is the most sound advice economically. I would rather have a bike that is lbs heavier and lasts decades longer. I still say (except for racing) a steel bike is the way to go.
This why I like to ride my 1981 Follis touring bike so much, it is a steel "light" touring (Vitus 971) bike with cantilever brakes but with a good set of relatively modern wheels (Fulcrum 3) and half modern gears (Campagnolo 10 speed in the rear). The bike weighs about 10.5Kg fully equipped, it is a pleasure to ride and yes it is about 10 minutes slower on my usual 1h30-2 hours' ride than a modern bike. I have an about 500m elevation climb going back home, long enough for no one to be able to fake a pace you cannot really maintain, so for me as a 57 years old it is totally win-win... If fit riders on fancy carbon bikes pass me, its normal (and most fit riders on good bikes pass me these days), but when I pass people on the climb it is definitely brutal, countless people will look at the bike as I pass them and they go nuts and their ego kicks-in, I hear gear change as they feel they have to accelerate to pass me again and usually they blow-up in the next kilometer... It is so amusing... Even though I have not done a lot of touring lately, I think my sadistic side makes me leave the front low pannier carriers (about 300 grams extra) on the bike just to complete the picture... As you said, in the 80's I weighed 61Kg for 1.76m and probably had double the watts than I have today, today I am still not fat at 68Kg but the W/Kg difference is huge, I'd need a 2Kg bike to be at the same weight going up (and still would have half the watts)...
That's every industry tho. Golf for example, lasted model driver goes "longer" but they don't say how much longer, because the data shows it's about .5 yards longer on average lol
psa everyone: you don't have to begrudge those that own expensive bikes, kit etc. Everyone has a different financial situation, riding goals.
I totally agree with you! Its easy to fall for hype of getting the top of the range ultra light bike but the truth is the heavier the bike the fitter ul get! I've got a light carbon bike but in the winter I ride my heavier alloy bike to improve my fitness.
1996 Vitus 992 I ride mostly. Love it.
Great vid bruh! Stay passionate, stay sincere, stay honest. All the best ya..
Agree and disagree with you. I lost about 10% of my body weight and I am definitely faster on climbs, but the improvement isn’t as dramatic as you might think. I was pretty fit before, so the lighter me still has to work pretty hard to beat my old times. On the other hand, I have ridden a lot of bikes and a light bike that is well built is a joy to ride. You feel like you can ride farther with less effort. It is hard to explain that difference in terms of physics. It is probably because lighter bikes are the manufacturers best bikes: not only lighter but more aero, stiffer in power transfer but more compliant so the ride is better, better components, etc. You are getting a lot more for 12k than just a little lighter bike.
Even if they don't race, it's been my experience many recreational cyclists still want to go as fast at THEY can go, whatever that is. If it costs them some money and they can afford it, I say go for it. And to those who say "I'm not spending a lot of money to get a super bike that's a couple of pounds lighter than my current bike. I'll just diet and lose a couple of pounds." A lighter bike and a lighter engine aren't mutually exclusive. You can do both if you want to.
I appreciate light bikes because I live on the fifth floor without the elevator. ❤️
Time to get swole on your upper body
Lol!
Great video. It just came to me that weight is more important in single speed because one is stuck in one gear. So the lighter the bike the easier the climbing will be. Even fit person with a 15lbs single speed will get a good workout especially if lives in hilly area.
It's the truth. I ride a 2014 specialized Secteur sport that weighs a hefty 10.1 kgs, cost me $500 used all aluminum with sora groupset and I weight like 93kg and 45 years old. I average 16.7 mph over 24 miles. The only times I suffer is climbing. In my opinion it all boils down to fitness and just recently started cycling. The only reason the cost so much is cause idiots will pay those high prices.
It’s a meaningless discussion in my opinion, if you are buying a 12000 $ bike as an amateur you are not buying 1 or 2 minutes on mont ventoux, you are just buying a cool bike. The same is for cars, motorbikes, etc...
jewelry bikes. it's for showing off.
needs it super light to accomodate the owner's massive ego.
I have a super old trek fx 7.3 with a heavy af steel fork and got into strava last year, i enjoy the pain people get when i beat them on segments with my tagged bike :P. I've improved so much by training and eating right that even this 25 lb+ bike isn't slowing me down. This bike is maybe worth 300 dollars, and I beat people with more than 10x cost bikes, trust me it's a satisfying feel in its own.
Fitness gains for the win!
David Millar (former world tour pro and time trial word champ) said: The handling of a bike is the most important thing.
Expensive bikes are for old boys with dad bodies / guys who are trying to look cool and think they can keep up with fit guys. They don’t wish to get genuinely fit, it’s too hard. It’s all about making it to the next coffee stop to show off the Lycra (they look stupid in but don’t see it) and their $10k bike.
Great vid dude!
Appreciate it!
@@jt3366
If you can afford it, sure. We know that many buy due to social pressures though, which Pedlar is saying. If I look at one of my local cafes on a Sunday morning, it's all 40-60yr old guys with racing bikes. Most are not in shape that reflects the $ they're spending - my point.
Marketing is exactly that, the same guys will buy an auto trans 911 and just use it to drive around town.
👏
Be wary if those old guys are on recumbents and velomobiles, and smoking young guys on flat areas is their hobby
How do these numbers translate to an allroad/adventure bike? These can be quite expensive as well, but the money is spent on other aspects than weight; mostly durability and comfort/ride feel. Saving time on climbs is totally irrelevant here. If you e.g. want a titanium bike because of the offered comfort+durability, you can easily spend $2000 for the frame alone. Is that still unreasonable, especially since it won't be that light either (perhaps 9-10kg), but might last decades? Steel is obviously much cheaper, but there's the rust issue.
I ride a chinese single speed, rim brakes, pursuit bars, all steel. 11kg. Its a tank. 100 bucks (i had to assemble it). Ive been riding it daily for 5 years. No failures. Its fun. Im fit.
He says weight is a scam, then one of his first points is to say a 5k bike is lighter than the SL8 and that he would never personally spend more money for a heavier bike! WHAT?!!
We as “normal people” aren’t so fit as the professional riders. It’s easier for us to lose 5 pounds then try to remove 1 single pound from the bike. Now try to guess who pay for those bikes, the professional riders or us? What we really need is a frame that doesn’t crack in the middle of a ride, a frame that last long and are reliable. Is it to hard to understand? What we need to do to make the bike industry to understand us is STOP buying this super expensive bikes.
You forgot to add the drafting parameter. If you ride inside a pelaton the wind blocking can reduce more time.
I for myself upgraded my bike to trek madone SL bike for three parameters- 1. More aero bike( I think that wind is more important for those who are strong on the straight s.
2. Disk brakes- they just stop better. After almost crashing when my rim brake just got over heated I don't trust these rim brakes anymore.
3. Electronic shifting ( because I love gadgets and they can be connected to garmin and I can control it from the shifters)
But for the reasons you mentioned I did not even think of buying SLR model. It's less than 1kg difference and almost 3k difference
That's why they call it a professional bike, for professional racer where marginal advantage counts. For us normal riders, that advantage may not worth the cost. But it sure look nice.
I personally believe if a bike is not more than 10kg is perfectly fine. My AR3 feels like a feather even on uphills which i ride a lot. The only problem is my weight 113kg. If i get fitter my bike will really shine. Nice video. Can you do a mechanical vs hydraulic disc brakes one? I use mechanicals and they are very good even for a heavy rider like me. I wonder if the expensive cost of the hydraulic is really worth it.
Taking a break from building my new road bike. Mega-stoked. Emonda ALR Disc Ultegra mechanical Paul Klampers (they're so nice) White Industries cranks. I love it already. I'm riding it up Mt Evans this Summer.
The Emonda ALR frame is magnifico.
Same. I put some Aeolus Pro 37s on my ALR 4 and I’m just about to install a 105 groupset on it. An amazing frame for the price.
Uyashisa, you're hot for this. It's all coming back to me , when I started cycling I was passed by a 50 year old man on a sturdy clunky Raleigh (lowest budget) . I went back to lifting weights
Great video. Cyclist should know that these super expensive bikes, alot of the money you pay is for the research the companies do to produce these top end components. Hence why a modern 105 groupset is just as good if not better then a Dura-ace from 10 years ago. You will not see your return in product when you by top end bike.
I agree. However, I would start with lower power (150-200W) in the bike calculator and with increased fitness I would not only reduce the weight of the cyclist but also increase the power (up to 300W). It seems that on a 7% climb, a 5W of power is (timewise) worth more than 1kg of mass.
Me only bike like 2 times a week im really questioning my self why i bought 3 super bikes
But hey i dont call it a bad decision for me its an envestment
I have the money to buy whatever bike I want, but I refuse to be fed so much marketing crap that make no empirical sense what so ever for a mundane cyclist like myself. For the last 10 years I have made the efforts to build my own road/gravel/commuter do-it-all bike with the best quality/price ratio drivetrain components (e.g Shimano Tiagra cranks, 105 shifters, GRX400 brakes) all the rest being sourced from Aliexpress. One ICAN X-Gravel frame, 2 pairs of wheels/tyres. Cost me less than USD2,500. Weights 9.5kgs, goes everywhere does (almost) everything and as I am keeping my body weight in check, I often smoke overweight guys on their AUD12,000 super bikes (grin).
Bike weight does matter. It’s just finding the balance between what you want to spend. What’s more important is the 20lb that a person is overweight vs 2 lb on a bicycle.
The best video I’ve seen on expensives vs cheaper bike. You simply can’t buy a faster time up a climb by spending 12k on a bike. Spending time getting fit on a 2k bike and losing body weight is a much cheaper option plus your body will thank you later
you will get a good race bike between CHF 2500.- and CHF 4500.- above that it pure emotion. I don’t care about weight.
Many cyclist forget that a bike needs maintenance and sometimes things have to be repaired. If you have expensive bilke, spare parts will be expensive too. If you are not racing a SRAM Red or a DuraAce group is not necessary.
But many cyclist want to have the F1 bike Pogacar is riding even if another bike would be more suitable and much more fun to ride.
If you are on a budget check the if there are used bikes available.
Most important … the riding has to be big fun. This is possible with a lot of bilkes
Enjoy cycling!!
Can you do a video on aero improvements?
I have a big clumsy frame, and debating whether it’s useful to upgrade.
Like, the main tube is extraordinarily big.
Is it worth it to upgrade, or simply wait for this bike to be honorably discharged?
It’s done 18k till now
I am an old Campy guy. Still love it but refuse to pay the price for it. I am starting to really shift on thought all together now as I have ridden Ultegra now for years. I am starting to think that is spending too much money based on performance reviews of 105. Wish I had the thousands back I spent buying into the hype.
Mountain bikes are different.
You may want to point this out. When youre starting and stopping and turning and going up and down rocks and bumps 1000 times a minute...weight matters.
Road bikes, doesn't matter, but off road...matters.
Road bikes=Aero matters
Mtb bikes= Weight matters
Just something to consider commenting on. Good video by the way!
Carbon fatigues. Aluminium fatigues. Steel doesn't. When you go down rocks on a bike you spend 1000,2000,3000 on, whether it lasts matters. Sure it may be your bad technique or your crash that cost you the bike but still it's gone.
To be fair, you were only talking about a bike on one climb. Not about how much stiffer the more other one is, which helps in delivering power to the ground, which makes you go faster. I have expensive and not so expensive bikes and there is a difference. I think that you would agree with that. Also, your video should be name, Expensive Bikes for new riders, why? Your content is good and the passion is there, for sure. I just think your hit to make other points inside of the mane point of some of your videos. In this video, your mane conclusion was get more fit and lose weight, or something to that affect. Oh yeah, and save some money. By the way, your disclaimers are great too....LOL Keep up the great work!
When I compared my 2019 Émonda SL to my co worker’s 2019 S Works Tarmac the differences were so minimal but comparing my low end alloy Madone from 2015 to my Émonda was substantial
Love the content. Can you make a video on bike sizes, in particular debating if you're "between" two size.. which size to go for, and also, how to move away from "old school bike thinking" like slamming the stem as far down as you can, when some people argue that you are more area being "longer" in the arm-handlbar triangle VS having the stem really low but then creating air resistance in the arm-handlbar triangle...
@10:11 😂😂. A 22yr old, when I was younger
😂
I mean, my bike is $300 it's a vintage 95 Cannondale. As is it probably weighs about 25+ pounds. Heavy wheels, aero bars, no carbon anywhere. Plus I usually ride with a backpack weighing 15-20 pounds. My average speed is around 21-22mph. Now this is my only bike, and I've never ridden a high end carbon lightweight bike so I have nothing to compare it to. I'm sure I'll go faster. But I don't think it will be $12,000 worth of fast. Still I will like to see the difference.
On a 1987 vintage bike over here.. new rider.. loving the bike.. got it mid nov 2020.. now mid Jan 2021 I put on about 500 plus miles on it.
My 2nd hand s works sl4 is the same weight as the sl7 (and has 105 mechs), and cheaper than the cheap non superbike. Those prices are for people that are not inclined to look for parts and build a bike. 12k is crazy. You can get top of the range Santa Cruz Blur full carbon full suss cc bike for that, and still have change left to buy a second hand sl4-5
When I passed a group of roadies after coming back from a two hour Mountain bike ride on a full suspension mountain bike. I was probably doing 20 mph on the flats and 15 up hill. You can hold a good pace on any bike.
Could you make a video about the food you ate when you went from 96kg to 69kg, and the recovery also? I have now a fat percentage of 12.7% (66kg, 1m73, 17 years old)and would like to go to 10%.
It’s like cars, people have different preference doesn’t mean they’re better.
SL7 heaviest tarmac Older tarmac is lighter. Disc brakes means light parts on bike and heavier fork
I still ride my orbea onix 2007 with 6600 ultegra. Didn't see the meed to buy the newer di2 and discs.
It’s people over compensating for the lack of fitness, talent or skill 😂. All jokes aside people be like that, agree 100% with what you say but it’s their money at the end of the day.
While there is some difference that components make, i think the bulk of the cost of a bike is in the frame. If they are the same material eg carbon or aluminium, even if its 1-2kg more or less, our body weight fluctuates by abt that much periodically. Like for like, expensive & cheap frames make little difference. Watt matters is does it fit; ie don't get an XL frame if u r a XS size, its not gonna make u bigger!
Sounds to me the scam isn't the weight of the bike but the price. I don't have a background in Cycling growing up in a poor black community. Whenever I go out on group rides I always feel out of place because of the income difference between us. Listening to someone describe a $1,200 road bike as budget or cheap when it takes me the better part of a year to save up that kind of money has me scratching my head. Anyway, I remember the first time riding my $1,200 road bike and how amazing it was compared to my $600 hybrid bike. After one month of riding the bike I sold the hybrid. Being low income has forced me to be smart about how I spend my money when it comes to bikes. Lighter weight bikes do help with improving my fitness because I want to ride them more. However, there are smart ways to bring the weight of the bike down without having to spend outrageous amounts of money.
What's your thoughts about the bike price increases? You'll do a video about this?
Clipless for beginners is my pet peeve. Not that they aren't more efficient, but 90% of my clipless customers don't even understand ankling, so they literally would be faster riding flats! All this and we're not even considering that most are not set up properly, are uncomfortable and are spending hundreds extra to ride clipless.
most of the studies actually suggest that clipless pedals do not provide any improvement in riding efficiency (DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1038374). Yet, some studies also suggest that they could be better for knees.
Though I agree, that was not a good explanation. My 16 lb bike is actually slower than my 19.5 lb bike because the lighter bike slows up faster between pedal strokes. If you can maintain high output over a long enough time on climbs perhaps you can be faster on a climb. But a road race is climbs descents flats and sprints.
Lol those fat guys can keep up with you on a group ride for 2 more mins. That's probably worth $10k to them
Underrated video!
I agree! I own the cannondale caad optimo 2018, put tiagra 10speed and some carbon cockpit, aluminum 40mm
Wheel set on it and it weighs around 8.2 to 8.5 KG. I joined a mini race here with 200 particpants and i finished 2nd. This is not a joke! Most of the particpants has their bike weighs for about 6.5 to 7.5 KG. Im saying this because i want people to know its not always about the bike, yes lighter is better. But what matters is ur proper conditioning and training.. i can buy an expensive bike but i dont need to and why? I fkcin beat the sht out of them ridin my optimo. Lmfao.
Great video bro!
Subscribed!
In a local ride an ex national level rider got third place on a retro bike with down tube shifters. It’s not about the bike.
Inspirational video. Love how you get totally worked up over it. I used a roubaix sl4 to go from 100 kg to 79 and my race mates who said it wasn't a climbing bike unlike their tarmacs were no match uphill. I smoked them in the hairpins and I smiled and yelled as I changed their view on bikes forever
I totally agree with you. When I was 72 kgs. I had a Bianci road bike but my Jr. high school son always beats me with his mamachari or his 26" MTB. Years have passed and now I gained a lot of weight (109 kgs) and needed a new bike in hope to lose some weight. I tried several types of bikes but decided to buy a cheap 16" folding bike. It has 6 gears and I could barely use the lowest gear because I burn out so easily. Another reason I bought a 16" is because I have promised to take my friend's 5 year old daughter for a bike ride, so basically I will be racing against a 5 year old and honestly I think I need to lose some weight or I'll get smoked by a small pink kiddie bike :( Even if I buy an expensive bike, I'm sure I wont get any faster.
@@Reanimator999, Thanks for your advice. You are totally right. I have changed my diet and is now under medical treatment (lots of medicines) because of my obesity. I did change my diet first before buying a bicycle and I'm hopeful that I can reach my goal.
Sad thing is that I was a varsity swimmer, motorcycle trials rider and have several black belts.. Pigging out didn't do me good.. Now I'm just a fat old guy struggling to ride a small bicycle. Baby steps my friend, baby steps :)
It's sad that you had to explain this glaring truth.
Me who weighs 99kg doesn't have a business with a sub 5kg bike, my 13kg with lights and GPS works just fine
Fact: Rider X will perform better on a lighter bike under the exact same conditions. A 300hp car pushing more weight will be slower than that same 300hp pushing a lighter car. It's not opinion or placebo. It's physics.
By the way, 1 minute saved at a finish line is a world of difference, or as Dom puts it in Fast & Furious; 'It don't matter if you win by an inch or a mile; winning's winning.'
The more I watched this video the more I recall even back in the late 90s before this carbon revolution too shape, I was on a Bianchi Mega Pro XL with full Campy Record/Campy wheels. My buddy Todd was on a Bridgestone with rusted out seat stays and downtube shifters. When he wanted to, he'd drop us any time he wanted. It's truly the engine.
We were riding with some Italians on their Italian bikes with full top of the line Campy, and Todd would just lay it down leaving us behind. They'd exclaim in their heavy Italian accent, "Todd good rider." Don't get me wrong, I still love seeing the picture of my Colnago back in the day with it's custom paint but those TCRs like you blow that stuff away in terms of bang for the buck. That's why I ride nothing but Giant these days.
You just got a new subscriber. Thanks for keeping it real.
Great video. The animation is a nice touch. Are you still working for a bike shop? Your boss may not approve of this message. lol
Dam bro your killing the UA-cam game 👍keep it up ⬆️
Greatly appreciate it!
See bro I like how you think. This guy I rode w he have $4k specialized road bike I had trek checkpoint AL3 in the summer we rode up this hill he was slow af I burned him had frame bag and handlebar bag had my cooking stuff in bags bike weigh almost 30 lbs lmao you remind me of durian rider videos he talks about fitness a lot and that’s what really matters.
@@Reanimator999 😂👍🏽
What’s your thoughts about purchasing a used high end bike.. let’s say older sworks venge $7500
Not worth it...
I agree. That’s huge cash. For that much I’d go for a new bike around 3500 and put the rest into wheels, kit, lights, shoes, helmet, stock market, charity, etc. I think Pedaler is right - the diminishing returns kick in early. Go for solid and reliable. p.s. Buy a steel frame. ✌️
Another Woke Cyclist 💪
Used bikes are less value than new bikes at the moment specially “sexy” bikes
Hi buddy..this is an amazing video..Im currently riding a 9.5kg alumninum road bike..Scott speedster 20 with tiagra groupset and cheap wheels.
I love riding it but I was looking to upgrade to the the TCR advanced pro 1... Would you recommend upgrading to the TCR or would I rather be better of upgrading my current bike with a set of carbon wheels,lighter components etc.. please suggest .. Thank you.👍🏻
I don’t rate Giant Bikes as I had the WORST warranty experience, so if you can find a bike brand with a good deal 105/tiagra and aluminum frame or carbon. Should be good. I personally like a 105 groupo with a carbon frame but up to you and what your budget is. All the best!
@@Pedaler thank you for getting back to me..I'm looking for something under 2500£..I can use my NHS cycle to work voucher to get the bike..Giant is pretty popular here in the UK and after sales service has been good from what I've heard from friends..I will still keep my options open though..In the mean time is it worth upgrading my current bike till I get a new one ?..
Look at the Orro Venturi, good reviews and good looking bike. UK based company
What happened to his 50mm carbon wheels from aliexpress?
also shows what value for money a bike fit is.
Topic: do cycling computers gavevto bevthat expensive?? Why fo we beed them when we have mibile phones?
If you’re buying a bike to ride Ventoux this is a very informative video. If, on the other hand, you are buying a bike because you love cycling, buy what you are willing to pay for. I suspect the same logic would apply for a car, motorbike, skateboard, pair of jeans, burger, etc.
I have owned good bikes, shit bikes, average bikes, and what I learned is I love riding and I love bikes... all of them. Buy what you want, buy what makes you feel good but most importantly... buy what you love to ride 👍