fredag 12 februari 2010
En cykel för alla?
16:50 | 
Upplagd av
hejchris |
I have been sitting here drooling while reading about all the cool parts I could buy for my bikes. The thought is always the same...if I buy this I will be faster! That is how advertising works. But I always think back to my first långlopp races like Lida Loop when I was using my 14kg Trek bike and no SPD shoes. When I was passing people with 10kg Canyon bikes towards the end, I thought how much of a waste of money that was for them. I do not regret buying my Full Dynamix because it is much better climbing and faster on grusväg than my old tank. But if I spent twice as much, would I be that much faster?
So my debate question for you is this...how much depends on the equipment? If we were all riding the same bike, the winner would be decided based on skill and strength instead of wallet size. Or? I know that this has been debating by UCI but what about those at our level?
At the moment, CX in this country is pretty uniform when it comes to equipment because there is limited selection available here. But in MTB or LVG, success seems to be easier for those connected to a cycling store. I would not complain about some free stuff either. Free stuff from Ridley would be most appreciated. =)
So what do you think? Am I talking utopia here again or do I have a point?
So my debate question for you is this...how much depends on the equipment? If we were all riding the same bike, the winner would be decided based on skill and strength instead of wallet size. Or? I know that this has been debating by UCI but what about those at our level?
At the moment, CX in this country is pretty uniform when it comes to equipment because there is limited selection available here. But in MTB or LVG, success seems to be easier for those connected to a cycling store. I would not complain about some free stuff either. Free stuff from Ridley would be most appreciated. =)
So what do you think? Am I talking utopia here again or do I have a point?
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6 kommentarer:
Hi Chris!
This is my opinion; Equipment mens very little in cycling (på motionärsnivå)it´s all about motivation, aka lactat acid tolerance, and physical status. But, it can be a good motivation which means more training if you´ve got a responsive and light bike. But in the racing situation it´s youre mind that makes the difference. But don´t forget that better (lighter, more expensive) equipment often lasts longer and have a better function. I have always bought much better equipment and frames than I need, just for that reason. And of course the very good feeling I get to own beutiful things.
For instance, this winter I have spent a lot of time and BIG money to buy me the bike of my dreams. This will be the second one of that kind, the previous one was a Colnago C40 which I bought ten years ago. I can afford that because I have a cheap and simple, but good, car.
Come on Chris, treat yourself you´ll enjoy it!
;-)
Have a nice weekend!
Peter
det är ju klart att det inte bara sitter i utrustningen men det är ju klart att en redan snabb cyklist blir snabbare med en lättare styvare cykel, detsamma måste ju gälla medelmottor också, det är ju totalvikten cyklist+cykel som skall fram.
/hansen
Peter...I agree that it is nice to treat yourself to some decent equipment. And since there is so much choice on the market, I can now choose a quality bike that even matches my uniform. But once you get to a certain level of product, there is not so much gain in function/performance per kr. No one has ever told me that Dura Ace is that much better than Ultegra yet it is double the price.
A comment for both...again I think that equipment weight makes a big difference until you get passed a certain level. And motivation is the only thing that gets me through långlopp races because my body is read to quit after 50km.
My point is still this. If you take the top 3 climbers in the world and sit them on identical bikes, do you think they would finish in the same order as if they could choose whatever they wanted?
Interesting point there Chris. If you mean that they have identical power output, W/kg, and all three of them are on a equal day... well then the most motivated rider would make progress on the others. But if one of the riders had the opportunity to choose his bike/equipment that would also make an advantage. It´s all about watts/kilogram uphill, and if you know that your equipment is the best possible, your motivation increases.
I think that there are too many parameters to deal with that you can never say, for sure, that the equipment made the difference. And thats why cycling are so beautiful, Men varför chansa och använda billiga grejer om det kanske går fortare med dyra... ;-)
Peter
Sorry, I forgot to answer your comment. From what I wrote you can tell that I am a scientist. My job is always to reduce complicated problems to small parts.
If you put Mark Cavendish on my 10kg cross bike, he would probably still be a great sprinter. But I doubt that he would win as much as he does now. And that is the thought that makes us all want to buy expensive things.
You can tell that I am an MTB rider now because that is a different situation.
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