Bike beliefs you have learned are crap?

[johnniecakes]

I can tell difference between a 27.2 and a 31.8 seat post in "ride quality"

[Aaron O]

There is a magical bike/saddle/position where I won't feel back pain after a long ride.

[mattsurf]

Get a bike fit is the answer to everything cycling related

There is just one magical bike fit, which when adjusted by just 2mm will result in a massive decrease in efficiency and comfort

[veggieburger]

Originally Posted by cribbit

Materials other than titanium ride well. Can't believe I fell for the alu & carbon scams for so long, you can barely call those bikes. Steel gets close and is at least passable though.

Pretty happy with my aluminum and carbon bikes.

[martl]

- the stiffness difference caused by material/geometry in a rigid diamond-shaped frame can be felt as comfort by the rider
- frame material/diemsions can make a bike "unrideable stiff"
- comfort is measured in "damping"
- riding without a helmet is dangerous, riding with a helmet is safe
- oversized handlebars, stems, seatposts make a bike better
- "industrial grade" sealed bearings runs smoother than cup&cone
- cartridge type systems at headset or BB are benefitting the rider
- a racing bike frame with handlebars above seat level and balloon tires is still a racing bike
- Lance would never have finished the "tour first on an alloy Trek with 105

[batman1425]

You need a 3K+ bike to be competitive at the races.

[adrien]

Originally Posted by Cicli

Mine is cable stretch......
Cables dont stretch the housings compress. At leats under the loads they see on a bike.

Whatcha got.......?

Aha! I have one bike with Nokons. Seems to never need new cables. This would explain it!

[echelon_john]

Lighter yet Stiffer.

Horizontally stiff, vertically compliant.

The myth that any bike "just disappears beneath you."

"The new axle standard delivers..."

That a CX race bike's performance can be in any way negatively impacted by the presence of bottle bosses.

[93KgBike]

I've learned that the argument that Graeme Obree was not a great athlete was 100% untrue. He is/was the man.

Similarly, I have personally learned that equipment doesn't make nearly as much a difference to comfort, pleasure and performance as we're sold to believe; fitness trumps material.

[weisan]

this bike is awesome...after a 100 miles (plus thousands of feet of climbing), it doesn't beat me up, I still feel fresh as a daisy.

[Mikej]

Originally Posted by Black Dog

Haha, you beat me to it. The "spins up faster" thing is a myth, a well entrenched and passionately promoted and defended one. The physics does not lie, no one would be able to tell the difference in a blind test with the wheels on a bike with a rider.

To a point, I think Fred Flintstone's wheels may be a tad bid sluggish. Now, where does it start to feel sluggish, weight wise..? When riding an MTB you can feel the difference between lighter wheels vs bombproof wheels. The incline is where it counts.

[William]

When your riding buddy says, "yeah, I'm not really feeling that great today but I'll tag along and try to keep up...". Liar.







William

[BobO]

Originally Posted by William

When your riding buddy says, "yeah, I'm not really feeling that great today but I'll tag along and try to keep up...". Liar.

Hey now, us crusty old guys have to use that kind of trickery to beat our kids in the town line sprints.

[cmg]

"it was on the order of .1 of 1% more energy" but why expend more than I have to?

[El Chaba]

Originally Posted by cmg

"it was on the order of .1 of 1% more energy" but why expend more than I have to?

Many an "upgrade" has been marketed on smaller promised gains.....