Good enough?!
- Thread starter emmyG71
- Start date
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Pale Rider
Legendary Member
I'm beginning to wonder if these 'other people' are the type you want to associate with.
Your new bike is a nice, high spec carbon roadie which not everyone could afford.
Seems to me there's an element of the green eyed monster at play here.
On any view, averaging about 15mph is pretty good, so even if you believe the bike should be in some way appropriate to your ability, you have that ability.
You may be expecting too much from cornering.
No bike corners very well in comparison to other forms of wheeled transport.
You could seek out some coaching, but I reckon it's likely you are already cornering close to as fast as you will ever be able to.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Not necessarily... There are a couple of simple tips that someone gave me after I nearly crashed on a bend that turned out to be tighter than I thought it was. (Forgive the pun!) The techniques make an amazing difference, though obviously there is still a limit to safe cornering speed, and if there is something on the road limiting grip then nothing will help (gravel, ice, oil etc.).
The tips:
- Push the outermost** pedal down as hard as you can, as if you are, it trying to stand on that one pedal. It gets the innermost pedal safely away from the road surface and improves handling. (Obviously, this can't be done on a fixed-gear bike - I'm not sure how riders on fixed do it!)
- Counter-intuitively(?), it helps to push the handlebar slightly forwards with the innermost** hand. (Leans the bike into the bend.)
** Relative to the inside of the bend
Reynard
Guru
- Location
- Cambridgeshire, UK
Eh, just enjoy the bike. If it puts a smile on your face while riding it, don't give a flying flamingo to what anyone else thinks - or might think.
Have fun with it, and happy cycling.
Have fun with it, and happy cycling.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
I never go that fast unless it's down hill, and my bike cost more than the one you're considering. Which means ... er ... absolutely nothing at all.
If you want it, go for it. And don't fret about average speeds.
If you want it, go for it. And don't fret about average speeds.
Saluki
World class procrastinator
- Location
- ...Norwich over the water.
Just get the bike.
you think that I am even remotely good enough for my carbon roadie with a lovely ultegra drivetrain? Hell no, but I like it, so I ride it. Definitely not good enough for my Genesis but I’ve done over 2000 miles on it since May. I adore it.
get your bike and have fun.
you think that I am even remotely good enough for my carbon roadie with a lovely ultegra drivetrain? Hell no, but I like it, so I ride it. Definitely not good enough for my Genesis but I’ve done over 2000 miles on it since May. I adore it.
get your bike and have fun.
AuroraSaab
Veteran
Buy it. I was looking for my first bike having not ridden for 30 plus years. I bought a used carbon road bike for £200. I then hurt my shoulder and have hardly ridden it since. I will never do the bike justice, injured or not. But so what? 90% of folk riding an expensive bike will not do it justice - but if the bike is comfy and you like riding it, and can afford it, buy it. I doubt you will regret it.
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
For what it's worth, the OP already has the shiny new carbon bike.
She talks of what people in her road club have been saying about it, and asks if she should consider selling it because it's 'too good' for her.
She talks of what people in her road club have been saying about it, and asks if she should consider selling it because it's 'too good' for her.
Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
You are right. What a bunch of lazy so and sos we are not reading it properly.
@emmyG71 KEEP THE NICE BIKE!!!
AuroraSaab
Veteran
To be fair, until the last sentence it did sound like a prospective purchase, hence the errors. I can understand her dilemma - I feel a bit 'all the gear, no idea' myself but if she likes the bike it would be nuts to lose money by selling it on.
pawl
Legendary Member
- Location
- Desford Leicestershire
Don’t worry about what others think that’s there problem.If you ride a bike in my opinion you’re a cyclist
The current crop of magazines don’t help.Describing a £2000 bike as entry level
The current crop of magazines don’t help.Describing a £2000 bike as entry level
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
In my book "entry level bike" means a supermarket/catalogue shop BSO, anything better quality than that is not entry level. There's way too much snobbery involved in the activity of cycling, and the purchase of bikes and clothing and accessories.
Expensive bikes in themselves do not make much difference to how fast a cyclist can go. In terms of price when new, mine vary by roughly a factor if 5-1 from the cheapest to the most expensive. The best quality ones are a bit lighter, but not massively so, and my average speed is the same within a few 10ths of 1 mph if compared using similar tyres. It's the choice of tyres, rather than the price point of the bike, that makes the biggest difference to performance, IMHO.
12boy
Guru
- Location
- Casper WY USA
Recall reading a story from a guy who had an expensive road bike, who was riding in the Napa valley, an area of California noted for fine vinyards. He was dressed all in lycra, a fancy jersey, racing shoes etc and was passed by an older Hispanic gent in work clothes and heavy boots with only a spindle on one pedal. This man was obviously going home from a day of field work on his 200 buck big box store bike. Just as obviously, there was no racing going on, just someone getting home after work. I felt heartened by the story which I took to mean enjoy what you got and don't let the opinions of others harsh your buzz and if you have a quality machine savor it.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
If you read the start of 'Kings of the Mountains' you will see a similar story of a teenager out on a heavy delivery bike. He catches up with a cycling team who are out on a training ride. They laugh at him and speed up to try and drop him, but they can't and are not at all happy about it...
