Will buying a 'better' bike help me go faster?

[bubblegum]

Thanks for the advice, but you miss read my post, i currently have a full carbon bike with ultegra and am considering wheels.

I've been riding for years and starting my third racing season, one place off moving up to b grade which is my main reason for the upgrade.

 

[Indurain]

Go for a pair of Factory Direct Carbon Wheels. Plenty of them out there that are fast as. ie, Neuvation, Matrix, Williams. E-HOngfu, FlyXI, Planet X, the list goes on. You pay 1/4 of price of Zipp but almost get the smae benefits. Amost being the operative word.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Disclaimer about Zipp;

For the last 10 years the quality of Zipp wheels has been on a steady decline, ask any shop mechanic and they'll tell you the volume of Zipp repairs are a close 2nd behind Mavic. If you really do have the money to spend on 404's, go with Edge (now renamed ENVE) wheels instead, the hubs alone will outlast any Zipp hub 10 fold.

Disclaimer part II;

If you already have a relatively lightweight machine, spending a couple G's on wheels will not make you faster or put you on the podium on a regular basis at the club level. Carbon wheels are not the game changer that all the marketing associated with these companies would have you believe, nor are they reliable enough to use as everyday wheels. In other words, you can't buy speed.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

I disagree..

With all Due Respect to the "Super Moderator"

You can "Buy Speed" especially in the TT discipline. If you look at basic power to weight ratios which have a significant impact on cycling, the ability to drop weight (from the machine and associated parts) and have superior performing products that are lightweight, durable and more aerodynamic then the original.....you have the potential to move faster over a given distance.

Hence the ability to "Buy Speed" - how much you spend, compared to the increase in speed is the 64 million $$ question.

@Bubblegum - sorry for the novel reply Take the advice from the previous posts - these guys know what they're talking about.
I can't wait to copy and paste these replies to a Mate who just dropped crazy $$ on a new pair of 404 Firecrests - he is a Tri-Dork though.
ATB - enjoy your new wheels if and when you get them -

 

[BroDeal]

dont get a ti frame there outdated/overpriced and the better carbon frames are lighter and perform better i work at a shop and see all kinds of bikes all day. only old guys still recommend ti but thats because 10 years ago it was on par or better than what carbon had to offer but that has changed. ride a few different carbon frames before making a choice. in the end a nice bike helps you go a bit faster but the genetically or mentally superior or simply those who train much more will always beat you regardless of equipment that said. i love nice bikes why not i spend much time on a bike. im a fan of specialized scott and cervelo.

You couldn't get a clue during the clue mating season in a field full of horny clues if you smeared your body with clue musk and did the clue mating dance.

Bike manufacturs push carbon because they can have cheap frames made in Asia and sell them to fools who are too stupid to know they are being overcharged by a factor of ten. If you want to know the real value of a carbon frame then check out unbranded stuff being sold direct via the Internet to Americans today.

The big bike makers--if you can call a company that outsources all its production to China a maker--have cut their own throats. The multi-thousand post "Chinese carbon frame" threads on RBR are the initial ground swell of a movement that will suck a lot of the profits out of the bike selling biz. The same will happen to carbon wheels.

 

[BroDeal]

Disclaimer about Zipp;

For the last 10 years the quality of Zipp wheels has been on a steady decline, ask any shop mechanic and they'll tell you the volume of Zipp repairs are a close 2nd behind Mavic. If you really do have the money to spend on 404's, go with Edge (now renamed ENVE) wheels instead, the hubs alone will outlast any Zipp hub 10 fold.

What? It's getting worse?

For as long as I can remember, it seems like Zipp redesigns their hubs nearly every year to fix the problems that plagued the previous design.

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

What? It's getting worse?

For as long as I can remember, it seems like Zipp redesigns their hubs nearly every year to fix the problems that plagued the previous design.

I'm constantly in contact with bike shops all over the place, and every spring the largest amount of wheels waiting for fixes is Mavic, next would be Zipp. And it's not just the hubs, it's everything, broken spokes, nips, rims. Usually because these are used everyday, not just for race day, and the rider is usually too heavy and clumsy to even bother with wheels like these.

Getting back to people's misconceptions about, if I ride what the pros ride it will make me faster. People at the local club level have no idea that it takes an enormous amount of power to make a gram savings or a slight aero advantage work in your favor. The average joe placing high in races is not doing so based on saving 200 grams here or there, or carbon this or that, they are putting in quality training miles, eating right, and getting lots of rest, and usually on outdated equipment. The only thing I agree with by upgrading wheels is that a decent wheel set will make for a better ride, not make you faster in the grand scheme of things. People need to take an honest self-assessment of their fitness and ability on the bike rather than expecting to place higher in races based on an upgrade.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

True.

Very well put Mr Super Moderator.

I couldn't agree more!
I know that Mavic can be a bit problematic, but I am surprised to hear of similar issues with Zipp?

Can i assume you are only speaking of their Proprietary wheel sets?
Is the Mavic Open Pro still the Benchmark in strength and durability that they claim - when laced on a decent hub and spokes?

 

[RDV4ROUBAIX]

Very well put Mr Super Moderator.

I couldn't agree more!
I know that Mavic can be a bit problematic, but I am surprised to hear of similar issues with Zipp?

Can i assume you are only speaking of their Proprietary wheel sets?
Is the Mavic Open Pro still the Benchmark in strength and durability that they claim - when laced on a decent hub and spokes?

Yeah, the pre-built wheels from these Co's are a gamble because average riders are blind purchasing with the assumption of increased performance based on marketing hype, and they rely on them for everyday use, when that's not what they were intended for. I suppose in the case of aluminum rims the Mavic Open Pro is still the benchmark, but I prefer to build with Ambrosio Excellence or Excellight, much nicer rims for everyday training, and I'm one of the only builders in North America that uses these on a regular basis. The 23mm wide rims by Hed and Velocity are gaining ground, only a matter of time before Ambrosio jumps on the wider rim trend.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Carbon wheels are not the game changer that all the marketing associated with these companies would have you believe, nor are they reliable enough to use as everyday wheels. In other words, you can't buy speed.

Bingo!

It's *possible* to buy time in a TT with dedicated equipment, but not likely. I don't doubt there's some scenario that can be worked out to "prove" me wrong. The fast guy in the field will still pass you.

 

[AnythingButKestrel]

The one thing I wish I had paid attention to then was size. I knew nothing of it then. If I could offer advice to anyone who enjoys riding it would be bicycle fitting. It took me quite awhile to to realize and figure out what was most comfortable over what would "make me faster."

Agreed. Fit is everything. Spend your money wisely by getting your existing bike fitted as well as possible. A new stem and maybe a seat/post may be what you need instead of a new bike. Better wheels could transfer over to the new ride when you're ready too.

When you decide to upgrade, don't be an American and buy a bike two sizes bigger than your actual fit because "bigger is better." The numbskull yanks here usually buy massive stallions then wonder why they ride so slow...

When I buy bike parts, I rarely shop for speed. What I shop for is reliability. I want to ride, not fix. My boss kicks my *** with the the same pair of $350 wheels I ride. When we shop for wheel upgrades, we're actually shopping for less time spent truing/fixing/greasing water-filled bearings, etc. More time riding = speed.

Oh, and if you want to "splurge," how 'bout on a few good tires and tubes on the shelf? Less time fixing flats = more miles = faster. My winter splurge is going to be for a good set of pave' tires to get me home safely this winter. The benefit may only be psychological, but it will keep me on the bike until the snow and ice hits.

 

[JackRabbitSlims]

on 2nd thoughts.......

hang on to the bike you have, save up your $$ and buy a Power Meter man!!

From all the great info out there on PM's they are a complete MUST for anyone serious about cycling!!

You will make MASSIVE GAINS in a short space of time, be winning all your races by minutes and next year you will be in France for the BIG DANCE!

Thats's good advice right there.
Power Meters are the way forward my friend.....the only legal way to get fantastic results......

Note: - after spending some time over the weekend doing some reading and research on PM's - this is the conclusion I have come up with