Bikes riders use on a tough long distance event

[vorsprung]

There's a lot of talk about "I like this" or "carbon is best" or all kinds of fluff with saying what bike is best for long distance

So rather than thinking up some opinion latest blog article...

http://audaxing.wordpress.com/2014/06/02/bikes-on-the-kernow-sw-600/

..is pictures and brief descriptions of the eighteen bikes used by the finishers of the Kernow and SW 600km event in the UK

I'm not saying any of these bikes are "the best" or anything. But the fact is that they all made it round Devon/Cornwall/Somerset/Dorset in 40 hours last weekend

 

[Master50]

You know for example that a pro races his bike over 20,000 km in a year? That any bike survives a 600 km event ids near meaningless because even a brand new department store bike will go 3000 km before anything wears out.

Is there a point or did you just want to catalogue the bikes used on that event?

 

[oldcrank]

There's a lot of talk about "I like this" or "carbon is best" or all kinds of fluff with saying what bike is best for long distance

So rather than thinking up some opinion latest blog article...

http://audaxing.wordpress.com/2014/06/02/bikes-on-the-kernow-sw-600/

..is pictures and brief descriptions of the eighteen bikes used by the finishers of the Kernow and SW 600km event in the UK

I'm not saying any of these bikes are "the best" or anything. But the fact is that they all made it round Devon/Cornwall/Somerset/Dorset in 40 hours last weekend

Very interesting, my friend, I'm more of a short distance/trackie
myself, but one of my brothers is into these longer events and
would be most interested in that link. The requirements of an
audax machine, with bags/fenders/lights and perhaps much
bigger tyres can be quite distinct from a professionals road
racing bicycle.

 

[King Boonen]

If we're talking about a bike making the distance, any bike should do 600km no problem. Even a BSO from ASDA.


If you're talking about what bike will be most suited to the ride, well that's down to geometry, not material. Personally I'd want steel, but that's just a personal choice.

 

[vorsprung]

You know for example that a pro races his bike over 20,000 km in a year? That any bike survives a 600 km event is near meaningless because even a brand new department store bike will go 3000 km before anything wears out.

Is there a point or did you just want to catalogue the bikes used on that event?

Yes, i am making a "catalogue" of the bikes on the event.

The point isn't that the bike itself has survived the event without wearing out. That would be ridiculous It's that these bikes were ridden the best part of 400 miles over two days and the riders were still happy enough at the end.

People who are into this kind of event are interested to see what equipment other people are using. The luggage stuff, the lights and the type of wheels seem to have generated the most comments

 

[MarkvW]

If we're talking about a bike making the distance, any bike should do 600km no problem. Even a BSO from ASDA.


If you're talking about what bike will be most suited to the ride, well that's down to geometry, not material. Personally I'd want steel, but that's just a personal choice.

Steel with a carbon fork?

 

[oronet commander]

It's always interesting to see the bikes and accesories long-distance riders use. They train lots of miles every year and as non-pros must pay for their equipment, so gear must be chosen carefully.

 

[marathon marke]

It's always interesting to see the bikes and accesories long-distance riders use. They train lots of miles every year and as non-pros must pay for their equipment, so gear must be chosen carefully.

I don't know if I qualify, but I've had my 2012 Team Machine about 12,000 miles/year, using it for up to 300-mile/one day rides, and had no comfort problems. I use a Fizik Arione saddle, after my Selle Italia SLR started giving me chaffing problems with anything longer than 120 miles or so.

 

[Hawkwood]

It's always interesting to see the bikes and accesories long-distance riders use. They train lots of miles every year and as non-pros must pay for their equipment, so gear must be chosen carefully.

I agree, after 40 years of cycling my legs work fine, it's just the back, neck and shoulders that don't, so it's interesting for me to see what bikes, presumably comfortable ones, other use for long distance efforts.

 

[StyrbjornSterki]

Look to the entrants of the Race Across America. It's half again longer than the TdF, but they finish in 8-10 days.

 

[avanti]

Look to the entrants of the Race Across America. It's half again longer than the TdF, but they finish in 8-10 days.

Or the 12-hour and 24-hour ITT races in the UK (317+ miles and 541+ miles respectively).

 

[King Boonen]

Steel with a carbon fork?

Probably full steel to be honest. I'm reasonably good at welding but have some contacts who could do an excellent job of any repairs. I like to have one bike only.

 

[winkybiker]

Probably full steel to be honest. I'm reasonably good at welding but have some contacts who could do an excellent job of any repairs. I like to have one bike only.

Steel is the only frame material that has ever let me down. I've cracked a frame and a fork through use and seen a few others cracked, including a near new high-end hand-built Roberts (UK).

 

[Hawkwood]

Or the 12-hour and 24-hour ITT races in the UK (317+ miles and 541+ miles respectively).

Bl**dy h*ll I'd lost track sight of the 24 record for a couple of years and Wilko's put it out of sight!

 

[King Boonen]

Steel is the only frame material that has ever let me down. I've cracked a frame and a fork through use and seen a few others cracked, including a near new high-end hand-built Roberts (UK).

I've never had a frame let me down, but at least with steel it's an easy fix. Worth it for the ride quality on longer rides too.

 

[Master50]

Never had trouble with the steel frames. Sold them all after 10 years. My Vitus did not fail but it got so soft it was scary to ride downhill. my 2 carbon bikes are about the same as the day they were new in terms of stiffness and ride characteristics. 1 is 10 or 11 years old and the other was built in 2006 for the 2007 racing season. I got that one after it was raced by a pro for a year. I was warned it had been crashed and the seller put new levers on just because of the scars on the shifters. The bars were bent when it arrived. New bars and it is perfect. Carbon is now often easier to fix than metal too. Very happy with my Carbon fibre parts and frames.

 

[purcell]

You know for example that a pro races his bike over 20,000 km in a year? That any bike survives a 600 km event ids near meaningless because even a brand new department store bike will go 3000 km before anything wears out.

Is there a point or did you just want to catalogue the bikes used on that event?

Even by the "standards" of this forum this was a needlessly nasty reply.

There are many of us who don't live in, or want to live in, the artificial world of the "pro" and might ( the horror) be interested in bikes other than full on race bikes.

You aren't, we get that. This type of reply to the OP just seems uncalled for.

 

[Master50]

Even by the "standards" of this forum this was a needlessly nasty reply.

There are many of us who don't live in, or want to live in, the artificial world of the "pro" and might ( the horror) be interested in bikes other than full on race bikes.

You aren't, we get that. This type of reply to the OP just seems uncalled for.

Hey sorry but what do you want to make a point of? I do understand not everyone choses to ride a race bike and I certainly am aware a race bike sucks at panniers. I did all my randonneuring on a race bike with fenders.
I had a look at the bikes and they all look very nice and utilitarian. most are high quality bikes that probably would outlive many racing bikes. Most of those bikes would be at home on a fast club ride and a few even are worthy racers. But what is your point?
I am asking the poster to expand his post. maybe tell us more about why he posted the thread. You are assuming I am dissing him or the bikes. I am doing neither. I am happy to acknowledge I have a bias and I certainly have a sarcastic sense of humour but any bike is better than no bike.
I think whatever you are offended by comes from your own issues.

 

[stutue]

I think the point is a pro will have a bike looked after by a mechanic with a big parts bin. Tour bikes getting tweaked at the end of every day.

With the randonneuring stuff it is interesting to see what people use. There is still a very conservative attitude amongst many about which regards steel as best and so on.

Carbon has crept in. I wouldn't ride anything else personally both for speed, comfort and handling. However, certainly on UK roads, if you are riding in the night on rough roads when you are tired and not fully aware ultralight kit like race wheels can be an unwise choice.

 

[Hawkwood]

I think the point is a pro will have a bike looked after by a mechanic with a big parts bin. Tour bikes getting tweaked at the end of every day.

With the randonneuring stuff it is interesting to see what people use. There is still a very conservative attitude amongst many about which regards steel as best and so on.

Carbon has crept in. I wouldn't ride anything else personally both for speed, comfort and handling. However, certainly on UK roads, if you are riding in the night on rough roads when you are tired and not fully aware ultralight kit like race wheels can be an unwise choice.

My girlfriend's brother does two or more long charity rides a year. He's ridden across America, and ridden from Gibraltar to London where the organisers set a schedule forgetting that the Pyrenees were in the way! He's off shortly to ride to Mont Ventoux where he and some others will ride up and down it as many times as possible, again for charity. His bike, can't remember the exact make, but it's a real lump, 24 lbs at least.

 

[winkybiker]

I've never understood the obsession with fitting touring bikes with bar-end shifters. What is it about touring bikes that makes them a good idea, when virtually no-one else uses them?

 

[King Boonen]

I've never understood the obsession with fitting touring bikes with bar-end shifters. What is it about touring bikes that makes them a good idea, when virtually no-one else uses them?

Nothing and they have put me off some very nice bikes in the past. The only thing I can think of is they are less likely to go wrong, but even down tube shifters would be preferable.

 

[Bustedknuckle]

I've never understood the obsession with fitting touring bikes with bar-end shifters. What is it about touring bikes that makes them a good idea, when virtually no-one else uses them?

shimano type, 9s, friction backup and little chance they will break(no friction on 10s)..like STI..also still handlebar mounted shifters..carrying biggish load, somewhat unstable when compared to a non loaded bike..

a 'few' tri geeks and TT guys use bar end shifters.

 

[stutue]

.....plus barbags could be an issue with Stis (until they put the gear outers under the bar tape)

 

[DirtyWorks]

I've never understood the obsession with fitting touring bikes with bar-end shifters. What is it about touring bikes that makes them a good idea, when virtually no-one else uses them?

I use them. I ride 'cross and broken brifters used to be a thing that happened crashing. Mostly breakage related to grinding the housings up. That was a long time ago though. I expect to break things and bar end shifters don't break. Plenty of scrapes on the sides though! Replacing brifters is much more expensive anyway.

I'm an old rider though, and believe I have better handling skills than some because I observe an implicit fears of taking hands off the bars for any reason seems to be a real thing now. The other side of that is it seems like the brifters get more people out riding bikes. That's good!

I don't know how much time you've spent on a loaded bike, but steering gets a little strange with front bags even loaded a little and bar end shifters address the issue nicely.