Does the bike matter??? [Archive]

Ti Designs

03-13-2008, 07:10 AM

Big Daddy

03-13-2008, 07:13 AM

of course not!

My riders have ridden 3 different frames and 2 different sets of wheelsets...and we are STILL here to stay!

BUTCH RIDES

03-13-2008, 07:15 AM

hello what do you think ? new bikes work better some times and a new bike inspires you to ride more when you first get it . but if everything works fine on the old cheap bike not a big deal to me .atmo
bye sora I rather ride a fix

Tom

03-13-2008, 07:16 AM

until everybody's training and ability are getting just about equal.

Next question.

e-RICHIE

03-13-2008, 07:19 AM

the position matters.
a good design helps matters.
material and construction matter fare less.
ss headbadges even less somo.

that said, this is a fukingc forum for bike geek sycophants
with amex cards. why does any of this matter atmo?

my daily rider is a pos skanked old frame with stubs for parts.
i can get it done. am i the demographic? no. and it doesn't
matter that i'm industry. i'm not a material guuy when it comes
to bicycles. i'm a user.

ps
arrange disorder
:p :p ;)
;) ;) ;)
;) :p :p

J.Greene

03-13-2008, 07:21 AM

no and maybe.

The Specialized is good enough for about anyone. But some people enjoy nice bikes and take pleasure from that. Picture Brunk on that Specialized with 32 spoke wheels. :banana:

JG

I have to ask this 'cause the tech Q&A thread is glued on the top of the forum, frame builders are gods and the training thread is three pages down.

Does the bike matter? If I toss my Serotta and pick up a 3 year old Specialized Allez with Sora, assuming it fits (it does), would it make much of a difference in how I ride or how much I enjoy the sport?

J.Greene

03-13-2008, 07:24 AM

my daily working girl has a pos skanked old frame with stubs for parts.
i can get it done. am i the demographic? no. and it doesn't
matter that i'm industry. i'm not a material guuy when it comes
to working girls. i'm a user.

Hmmmm

JG

Too Tall

03-13-2008, 08:05 AM

Ever hear the old saw "get r' done"? 4 days a week that's best describes my 40-60 miles commute to / from work. I'll cop to using a race bike now and than when my hormones are low :rolleyes: However 99% of the time I ride a very dirty fendered bike with first gen. ultegra 9spd and brakes that barely work...I don't need more or want to crap out my race bikes. Same MO for shopping in town. I've got a heinous puke green bike no right minded individual would steal. This (that) TOTALLY rocks my world. I LOVE bicycles, all of em. I expect the red fendered vanilla will see hard hard use over the yrs. how could I put the time and dedication into riding, keep passion and see tommorrow without this union of bespoke quality???? It matters alot.

Does it matter what I ride, you bet your sweet bippy.

chuckred

03-13-2008, 08:11 AM

that said, this is a fukingc forum for bike geek sycophants
with amex cards. why does any of this matter atmo?

truth can be painful!

Chris

03-13-2008, 08:15 AM

In terms of whether I am going to win the race? No.

In terms of overall enjoyment when out training because I like the bike I am on? It certainly doesn't hurt.

I like this thread though. Another area is wheels. The marketing over wheels has gone through the roof lately. If you believe what we are being told, then you cannot win unless you are on a pair of $2-4000 deep dish rims. But, I watch even the pros race and you see guys winning on Fulcrums or some other CLEARLY NOT AERO wheels. At our level it is all about fitness. I remember doing the Enchanted Circle on my super light race bike and watching a guy climb away from me on his Merckx MXL. That was a huge blow for the bicycle weight matters contingent...

swoop

03-13-2008, 08:17 AM

bikes don't win races. people without bikes don't win (bike) races. the bike is part of the gestalt of the bike and rider. to the extent that it lets the rider ride it matters. to the extent is mentated on here on this forum it doesn't.

but this is pretty obvious stuff, no?

i suppose the question is what does 'matter' mean? or what aspect(s) matters most? i believe its about people... and in as much as the bike can function as an extension of the person it can matter.
me, well i can't even ride if i hate the chamois and the shoes.

matters to whom?
it might matter to one guy and not the next.
in what sense?

it's all semantics and hierarchy of needs.
if i am starving to death it doesn't matter.

M.Sommers

03-13-2008, 08:22 AM

It's all about the wheels, cranks and zee chain, keep em' moving.

bikes = passion for most
passion = not everyone has it
spitzer = too much lust
bike lust = never enough

atmo, give it a chance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7ItqmNqtFE

The Wheel by The Dead

The wheel is turning and you can't slow down,
You can't let go and you can't hold on,
You can't go back and you can't stand still,
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will.

Won't you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?
Won't you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?

Round, round robin run round, got to get back to where you belong,
Little bit harder, just a little bit more,
A little bit further than you gone before.

The wheel is turning and you can't slow down,
You can't let go and you can't hold on,
You can't go back and you can't stand still,
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will.

Small wheel turn by the fire and rod,
Big wheel turn by the grace of God,
Every time that wheel turn 'round,
Bound to cover just a little more ground.

The wheel is turning and you can't slow down,
You can't let go and you can't hold on,
You can't go back and you can't stand still,
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will.

Won't you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?
Won't you try just a little bit harder,
Couldn't you try just a little bit more?

AgilisMerlin

03-13-2008, 08:29 AM

were almost there.....................

the bike matters....................but the road is bumpy

http://growabrain.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/04/09/jerry_jerry.jpg

rwsaunders

03-13-2008, 08:35 AM

I have to ask this 'cause the tech Q&A thread is glued on the top of the forum, frame builders are gods and the training thread is three pages down.

Does the bike matter? If I toss my Serotta and pick up a 3 year old Specialized Allez with Sora, assuming it fits (it does), would it make much of a difference in how I ride or how much I enjoy the sport?

What's your definition of "enjoy"?...hopefully not the same as the statement when the waitress at the restaurant hands you the fortune cookie.

Elefantino

03-13-2008, 08:45 AM

this is a fukingc forum for bike geek sycophants
with amex cards. why does any of this matter atmo
I resemble that remark.

I'm a user.
With a six-year wait, I'd say you're more of an enabler atmo.

;)

14max

03-13-2008, 09:04 AM

e-RICHIE

03-13-2008, 09:37 AM

I would LOVE to see that...
mine away atmo -
xxx (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/sets/72157604107713726/)
go mental.

julia

03-13-2008, 09:39 AM

I would LOVE to see that...

+1 show us the pos!

here are two of the rides i borrowed while in italy

honestly, i never had so much fun on a bike in my adult life as tooling around florence in a skirt and sandals on these bikes. they weren't even tuned or adjusted right, just kinda made it more fun. why is that?? rode up into the hills a bit, too, what a blast

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s306/juliahensley/CIMG8159.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s306/juliahensley/CIMG8358.jpg

julia

03-13-2008, 09:41 AM

mine away atmo -
xxx (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/sets/72157604107713726/)
go mental.

sweeeeeeett!!

MilanoTom

03-13-2008, 09:43 AM

mine away atmo -
xxx (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/sets/72157604107713726/)
go mental.

Nice to see that I'm not the only one with a set of gold Khamsins. Watch out for the cheap-*ss skewers, though. I had the circlip pop off one of mine.

Tom

DavidR

03-13-2008, 09:45 AM

That is awesome! That is the way a bike is meant to be ridden.

Monthly Payment

03-13-2008, 09:51 AM

mine away atmo -
xxx (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/sets/72157604107713726/)
go mental.

I clicked on the link but it took me to an eBay page for a Sachs for sale with a buy it now of $15,000, and then redirected me to the Las Vegas tourism board. I think it's an omen for you.

rwsaunders

03-13-2008, 09:53 AM

mine away atmo -
xxx (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/sets/72157604107713726/)
go mental.

It must have been a lease return. :cool:

Ti Designs

03-13-2008, 09:57 AM

I have to ask this 'cause the tech Q&A thread is glued on the top of the forum, frame builders are gods and the training thread is three pages down.

See what I mean?

davids

03-13-2008, 09:58 AM

Does the bike matter? If I toss my Serotta and pick up a 3 year old Specialized Allez with Sora, assuming it fits (it does), would it make much of a difference in how I ride or how much I enjoy the sport?I can't speak for you, but it matters to me!

If the fit and contact points (including saddle, pedals, and bars) were identical, it might not make much difference as to how I ride. But the bike I ride definitely effects how much I enjoy the sport.

This doesn't mean that I don't want to continually improve as a rider. But I feel differences between different bikes, and I prefer certain bikes over other bikes.

Are my preferences strictly objective? No, and that's fine with me.

Jeez, Ed. You weren't suggesting the bike didn't matter when you sold me my Nove... :confused:

keno

03-13-2008, 09:58 AM

If it fits, it acquits.

keno

big shanty

03-13-2008, 10:00 AM

mine away atmo -
xxx (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/sets/72157604107713726/)
go mental.

e-richie loves filthy crotch shots.

e-RICHIE

03-13-2008, 10:07 AM

See what I mean?
edmo.
i am going to mail packages and get lunch nowmo.
what would you like atmo?

drssyoon

03-13-2008, 10:14 AM

I was listening to Tiger Woods report this morning on my way to work. He was talking about how important the mental part is. A nicer bike may convince your grey matter between your ears to put in more effort and may cause you to ride better. I think any one of us - if given a choice of riding a Serotta or a Huffy - would pick the Serotta. However, there probably is a point of diminishing return as with everything else. One year old bike versus 5 year old one - probably a toss up.

Ti Designs

03-13-2008, 10:23 AM

edmo.
i am going to mail packages and get lunch nowmo.
what would you like atmo?

Roast beef on rye (no seeds), a bag of chips and a bottle of mountain dew.

Peace on earth might be nice if you could swing it.

Shorts weather???

J.Greene

03-13-2008, 10:34 AM

I was listening to Tiger Woods report this morning on my way to work. He was talking about how important the mental part is. A nicer bike may convince your grey matter between your ears to put in more effort and may cause you to ride better.

Here's the mental deal. When Tiger or any other mentally fit athlete gets to the point where it is go time, 100% of the effort is put into completeing the current task. Wheather that's nailing the obstacles in a cross race, staying top 3-4 in the last lap of a crit or making a put, the equiptment is not in the stream of thinking.

JG

Grant McLean

03-13-2008, 10:36 AM

Does the bike matter? If I toss my Serotta and pick up a 3 year old Specialized Allez with Sora, assuming it fits (it does), would it make much of a difference in how I ride or how much I enjoy the sport?

I ride a 1981 miyata about 300 days a year. It's hi ten tubing, and has 1 speed.

No, it doesn't matter if you just want to ride. Air in the tires is about all you
need, even then, i've ridden 30 or 40 km's with a flat once or twice in my life.
(should i carry a spare? maybe)

Riding has little to do with the equipement...

Is it more fun to ride a great bike? That's a deep question. Maybe.
Sometimes we focus on the wrong things. Bikes are a multi facted passion
for me. there is the history, the technology, the craft, the creativity...
all rolled into one. Those "if you could have only one bike....." threads....
that goodness there doesn't have to be an answer. I enjoy learning about
bikes, and I enjoy riding bikes. Two seperate deals, atmo.

-g

DarrenCT

03-13-2008, 10:41 AM

ok im going for a quick 1 hour ride on my sachs.

i'll be back to report if the bike matters

1centaur

03-13-2008, 10:52 AM

If you dig the "I suffer therefore I am" gestalt, you can do that on any bike.

If you are out there for fun, then fit, geometry, frame materials and construction, drivetrain smoothness, lack of creaking, lightness, efficiency, comfort, saddle, bars, tape, brifter shape, wheels, tires, shoes, chamois and even looks are part of a complex equation.

If you need an extra 5 seconds from your bike over 50 miles you are not reading this thread.

PoppaWheelie

03-13-2008, 11:02 AM

that said, this is a fukingc forum for bike geek sycophants
with amex cards. why does any of this matter atmo?

Wait just a second. That's not right at all. I use Visa.

davyt

03-13-2008, 11:19 AM

Of course, it matters! If it didn't, everyone would buy their new bike from Wal*Mart, there wouldn't be any old bikes and Richard would be building toasters, instead. They'd be damned nice toasters, though...
--
Davy

roman meal

03-13-2008, 11:43 AM

I drink good beer when I drink beer. It's not all the time, some may think otherwise. it's more fun that way. I don't really like cheap beer, but I like those little pony bottles of Budweiser, really cold, after I blacktop the driveway in August.

I drive a 1993 Honda civic, and ride a daily 1984 Motobecane Grand Tour, and also this crap Richard Sachs cross.

All are rewarding. I'm the demographic, but my RS has less to do with performance, with getting over the line first. It's a nice bike, and a thoughtful gestalt of cycling craft that makes me want to be a better rider. I know who made it.

Its the difference between gatrorskins and a supple seta sidewall.

Ti Designs

03-13-2008, 12:05 PM

Jeez, Ed. You weren't suggesting the bike didn't matter when you sold me my Nove... :confused:

You didn't ask to test ride the Allez with Sora...

The question was asked to get people thinking. I'm sure there were one or two people here who expect to see me show up at the next gathering on a really cheap bike. But as much as the folks at Serotta would like me to ride someone else's bike or at least put a paper bag over my head when I ride theirs, I'm sticking with what I have. It's probably 10 times better than the idiot in the saddle, but that's the way I like it.

If you search your feelings about this and the answer comes back that you would be just as happy with the Allez, we'll make the swap.

BUTCH RIDES

03-13-2008, 12:05 PM

I ride a 1981 miyata about 300 days a year. It's hi ten tubing, and has 1 speed.

No, it doesn't matter if you just want to ride. Air in the tires is about all you
need, even then, i've ridden 30 or 40 km's with a flat once or twice in my life.
(should i carry a spare? maybe)

Riding has little to do with the equipement...

Is it more fun to ride a great bike? That's a deep question. Maybe.
Sometimes we focus on the wrong things. Bikes are a multi facted passion
for me. there is the history, the technology, the craft, the creativity...
all rolled into one. Those "if you could have only one bike....." threads....
that goodness there doesn't have to be an answer. I enjoy learning about
bikes, and I enjoy riding bikes. Two seperate deals, atmo.

-g
hello smart man atmo
bye

vaxn8r

03-13-2008, 12:27 PM

It matters.

But it depends on the application. If I'm riding on an errand or to work, no it doesn't matter. If I'm riding for me, in my free time. It matters.

giordana93

03-13-2008, 12:57 PM

I

Does the bike matter? If I toss my Serotta and pick up a 3 year old Specialized Allez with Sora, assuming it fits (it does), would it make much of a difference in how I ride or how much I enjoy the sport?
doesn't matter, given how the question is phrased. change a few of the parameters, it starts to matter, but for me the operative is a difference in how I ride or how much I enjoy the sport and if the bike fits, of course, but that was a condition. case in point; I was lucky enough when the blizzard started blowing into town last Friday that my wife was able to stay home with kids whose schools had closed so I got to go on my rare commute ride, on a 1995Wheeler MTB with the front pos suspension fork permanently locked up, a biopace road double (a white Sant�!), thumb shifters, 2.25" mtb mud tire in front, slick 1.25 in front, a profile atb style aero bar, heavy duty rear rack with a pannier on one side and grocery bag pannier on other, weighing in somewhere over 40#. believe me, it is a pos ugly duckling. and you know what?, I was as happy as a clam to be on a bike, any bike, esp. slushing through the 6-8 inches of powder that had fallen during the day, fighting to stay up right, keeping that rear slick from spinning out and getting pelted in the face with a 20mph wind and light snow. it was a blast and would not have been any different if I had been on a $5k rig of any ilk.
it's the ride that matters, not the bike ask any kid on his wal-mart special.... otoh, something as simple as having overinflated tires can make you "enjoy the sport" less perhaps.

Ginger

03-13-2008, 01:49 PM

No.

As long as the bike fits, and the rider can make it work for he task at hand. No...it doesn't matter what bike it is.

I've ridden a Specialized Allez...the wheels go round, it goes down the road it fits some people and meets their needs,

not mine.... but that wasn't the question.

M.Sommers

03-13-2008, 01:49 PM

mine away atmo -
xxx (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/sets/72157604107713726/)
go mental.

classic :beer: :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/2331416228/in/set-72157604107713726/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/2330580603/in/set-72157604107713726/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/2331410634/in/set-72157604107713726/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/2331418654/in/set-72157604107713726/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/2330584731/in/set-72157604107713726/

You need one of these atmo:

http://www.amazon.com/Cycle-Force-Bicycle-Safety-Flag/dp/B0009W7F3O

AgilisMerlin

03-13-2008, 01:53 PM

mine away atmo -
xxx (http://www.flickr.com/photos/9866331@N08/sets/72157604107713726/)
go mental.

mental is where it's at :banana:

jerk

03-13-2008, 01:56 PM

all the race bikes i've ever owned have been fine. except for the ones that broke.

jerk

stevep

03-13-2008, 03:12 PM

a lot of people like cool stuff.

there is no illusion of greatness.
there is some level of respect for craftsmanship.
there is an enjoyment of something finer, more distinctive, more unique.

a lot of shop employees cant understand why someone buys a bike that they themselves could not afford....cant grasp it...
like ed here.

people buy cool bikes cause they have the money and cause they like cool stuff too. let them buy it or they go someplace that will sell them what they want.

DukeHorn

03-13-2008, 03:20 PM

I find that when I'm on my small 2005 Giant OCR2 I'll add 30-40 minutes on my ride whereas on my 48cm 1995 Merlin I'm not so inclined. Not sure if it's a combination of the triple on the Merlin and the relaxed geometry, but if I'm not feeling great, I'm a lot more willing to try to push through on the Giant.

Of course, I'd rather spend more time on the Merlin since it has a bit more cachet and has nicer components, but damn the Giant is comfy. Wonder if the 25mm tires on the Giant (700cc) makes that big a difference versus the 23mm tires on the Merlin (650cc).

Climb01742

03-13-2008, 03:33 PM

as with all the great questions in life ;) the answer is no and yes.

next question, please.

Fat Robert

03-13-2008, 03:35 PM

maybe

davids

03-13-2008, 03:41 PM

You didn't ask to test ride the Allez with Sora...

If you search your feelings about this and the answer comes back that you would be just as happy with the Allez, we'll make the swap.I bought my Nove because I liked it. But you offered me a lot of advice and suggestions while I was shopping. You confirmed my impressions as a rider, and added a number of insights about the quality of Serotta's engineering and manufacturing. You gave me a number of reasons to buy a Serotta frame rather than any number of other makers' models. You are (correctly, atmo) a strong proponent of Serotta. And it certainly seemed like you meant what you said. You certainly never suggested that I should be looking at an Allez, three years old or brand new, as an alternative to the bikes I tested.

I've got no qualms about my purchase. I love the bike, and plan to hold onto it for a long time. And I'd recommend Serotta to anyone looking for a bicycle of the highest quality, no matter what their skill level as a rider.

If you're not just stirring the pot, I'm really perplexed...

14max

03-13-2008, 04:44 PM

flux

03-13-2008, 05:13 PM

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2008/features/tdl_local_rides

stevep

03-13-2008, 05:35 PM

86 worlds in colorado.
had to be some people who went.
for some guys..the bike matters.
not for anyone here as far as performance goes.

team time trial- all the big national teams were present. i have a bunch of photos but they are slides so i cant put any up at this point.
big event then ttt. i thk they were still "amateurs " at that point.
german team... team car huge mercedes w/ 4 spare tt bikes on the roof, full discs small front wheel, linebacker sized guys who only did this event
italy... same deal.. huge team car, spare tt bikes, all disc, etc, etc
dutch...ditt
belgium...
spain...
every big european nation... same deal.

americans...ditto ( i thk they were gt superbikes if i recall...have to look at the photos.

mexican team... 4 guys riding vitus road bikes without tt bars. support vehicle was a beat up flat bed truck with chihuaha plates driven up to the tthe race. no aero anything. well, one of the mexican guys gets a flat down near where the course passed the jet planes on the af academy where the circuit was...
truck stops, inserts replacement wheel and off they go. the truck stalls... takes them 10 minutes to get it going.. finally got it going.
talk about the difference in support between countries,
dramatic perspective.

somebody should look up results, my recollection was usa finished top ten or so and was soundly beaten by a lot of teams

gotta love raul alcala.

who was there?

Elefantino

03-13-2008, 05:47 PM

ok im going for a quick 1 hour ride on my sachs.

i'll be back to report if the bike matters
Survey says?

three sixty

03-13-2008, 05:59 PM

I have to ask this 'cause the tech Q&A thread is glued on the top of the forum, frame builders are gods and the training thread is three pages down.

Does the bike matter? If I toss my Serotta and pick up a 3 year old Specialized Allez with Sora, assuming it fits (it does), would it make much of a difference in how I ride or how much I enjoy the sport?

hell ya- go drop $800, throw down a 60 miler and get back to us. Richard nails most of us. I'm sitting here looking at my crosser and road- $8k total maybe. I'm a dumbass.

Ti Designs

03-13-2008, 06:30 PM

a lot of shop employees cant understand why someone buys a bike that they themselves could not afford....cant grasp it...
like ed here.

OK, I'll admit it. If I had the choise between an ex-wife or Jack's fleet-o-bikes I would take the bikes. That said, it would probably piss me off that I could only ride one at a time. I'll also admit that with all those IF bikes from the show in the basement of the shop I did pull out the tape measure and check to see if the track bike was my size. As for what I can afford, I'm saving up for a new chain and back tire some time around May...

saab2000

03-13-2008, 06:47 PM

When I started riding I didn't know that what I was riding sucked. And I loved every second of it.

No, the bike doesn't matter.

saab2000

03-13-2008, 06:50 PM

who was there?

I was there for the road race. Got pics of Hinault, Kelly, Lemond, Criquelion, Moser, Mottet, Argentin (who became Campione del Mondo), Zoetemelk, et al.

one of the highlight of my life. I was 19 and in awe.

Grant McLean

03-13-2008, 06:50 PM

OK, I'll admit it. If I had the choise between an ex-wife or Jack's fleet-o-bikes I would take the bikes.

so if your house was on fire,
would you save the ex-wife,
or Jack's bikes?
:banana:

-g

atmo

03-13-2008, 07:02 PM

that said, this is a fukingc forum for bike geek sycophants
with amex cards. why does any of this matter atmo?

and for the record, you are one of them atmo.

M.Sommers

03-13-2008, 07:17 PM

the best surfers = don't need a modern $1K board
the best golfers = can use anyone's 7 iron from 150 yards and stick it
the best cyclists = could win on a bike made by Mr. Slate at the Rock Quarry, by Spacley Space Sprockets or the Professor on Gilligan's Island.

(atmo)

Ti Designs

03-13-2008, 07:19 PM

and for the record, you are one of them atmo.

If I posted under two screen names, would it make me two of them???

Fixed

03-13-2008, 07:27 PM

bro you have 2 names ti ...designs ....3rd ed
cheers

Ti Designs

03-13-2008, 07:31 PM

bro you have 2 names ti ...designs ....3rd ed
cheers

Don't forget about the 2/3rds of the banned words list that I've been called.

fungusamungus33

03-13-2008, 07:44 PM

It matters to me that my bike was made in a factory or shop where people are paid a living wage (for the bike industry). I really enjoy the fact that I know/knew many of the employees. Other than that, we all have different priorities. Bike snobs, beer/wine snobs, coffee snobs... You get the idea.

Any bike will get you there. Any alcohol will get you tipsy...

I am a multiple category snob and prefer "snob" to the term to aficionado. Mostly because it's easier to spell but I don't want anyone to be offended by my preference. It is not meant in a hurtful way. I love snobs of all kinds! ;)

giordana93

03-13-2008, 07:48 PM

another one that's hard to spell, but maybe better: connaisseur; to me a snob implies a slave to (a) fashion, but then again, maybe that's exactly what's going on here
nola

swoop

03-13-2008, 07:49 PM

forget bike snob.. i'm a freaking bike queen. i'd say princess but its too foppish. queen has manly undertones.

e-RICHIE

03-13-2008, 07:52 PM

forget bike snob.. i'm a freaking bike queen. i'd say princess but its too foppish. queen has manly undertones.
nah

i'm an elitist, and an effete one at thatmo.

Fixed

03-13-2008, 07:55 PM

god didn't build my new bike it was born on the planet krypton
cheers i have to say all bikes are good , some are great and few are super
:beer: imho

saab2000

03-13-2008, 07:58 PM

rounder

03-13-2008, 08:35 PM

For me...

I have a serotta that got ridden for 15 years. Like it but wanted something new and got a ciii to see what modern bikes were like. Like both of them equally now. I had an el cheapo cannondale 500 mountain bike with no suspension. Replaced it with a front suspension cannondale. The new bike was pretty, but doesn't get ridden. All in all...liked the old one better...wish I still had the M500.

Anyway, to me, bikes don't make you faster and it's not a matter of cost or lightness. It's sort of like a good guitar player can make any guitar sound great but no hacker can make a great guitar play music. Whatever it is, you connect with some bikes more than others.

chakatrain

03-13-2008, 08:35 PM

The bike I ride DOES matter, but not all that much. It's mostly about, as others have said, the gestalt of me, bike and surroundings melding into a singular experience. I love riding my '96 CSI as much as I love riding my '07 Legend Ti, but for different reasons. Mostly I just like riding, feeling my lungs sear trying to breath during a local climb I added to my commute home, feeling the lactic acid build in my quads, the wind in my ears, and that silly smile I get when it transcends into something special.

Often, the bike I ride matters more when I'm not riding it, when I have time for the ape brain to dwell on silly things. When in the moment on the bike, I'm usually just enjoying the moment.

Seramount

03-14-2008, 09:37 AM

Practical is boring and generally for the underfunded.

shinomaster

03-14-2008, 10:09 AM

I have to ask this 'cause the tech Q&A thread is glued on the top of the forum, frame builders are gods and the training thread is three pages down.

Does the bike matter? If I toss my Serotta and pick up a 3 year old Specialized Allez with Sora, assuming it fits (it does), would it make much of a difference in how I ride or how much I enjoy the sport?

I probably was riding my best when I was 23 and on a bike that was too small with crummy wheels. A fast frame with campy parts, 130mm stem and neutrons has done nothing really.

Fixed

03-14-2008, 10:27 AM

bro today's ride WOW i have a new porsche
cheers

ecl2k

03-14-2008, 10:38 AM

When I was 20 I used to do a certain ride in 2 hours on a mountain bike. I went back home and tried it recently on a cyclocross bike with file tread tires and it took me 2 1/2 hours. I just ain't what I used to be and no amount of bike is going to fix it.

mjb266

03-14-2008, 11:56 AM

Does the consideration of who made the bike and how the bike was made come into play within this discussion? Riding bikes is essentially a pure experience whether you're touring, commuting, or racing.

Considering how that tool/toy was constructed and who constructed it has to fit into this discussion at some point. If some cat with 30+ years of experience nailed up the thing the way they used to...it's a very different bike than one glued together by a Chinese factory worker.

To me, this means that there is a difference between a single person operation and a factory, just as there is a difference between an Italian Colnago C-50, a Saratoga build Mevici, and the new Jamis/Scott/Fuji/etc. carbon bike.

They all work but chosing one over the other has ramafications that should make the bike "matter" at some level.

Bob Ross

03-14-2008, 03:31 PM

Here's the mental deal. When Tiger or any other mentally fit athlete gets to the point where it is go time, 100% of the effort is put into completeing the current task. Wheather that's nailing the obstacles in a cross race, staying top 3-4 in the last lap of a crit or making a put, the equiptment is not in the stream of thinking.

I think (or hope) what you're really trying to say is that in order for them to succeed the equipment can't be a part of their thinking.

If Tiger Woods is wondering whether his grip tape is going to come undone or if this never-before-tried Ti-shafted pitching wedge is as well-balanced as his old favorite, his concentration is effectively broken. The elite athlete needs the equipment to disappear so that they don't have to think about it, so that they can trust it to perform as well as they are capable of making it perform without having to focus any effort or attention anywhere except upon themselves.

And arguably, some bikes will disappear in the hands of an experienced athlete more easily than others.

So in that sense, the bike (aka, the equipment) matters. Now, whether there's any correlation between how much a bike costs (or who built it, or how many stars it got in the PezCyclingNews review) and how well a bike disappears is another question entirely.