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?