Slow bike ?

[cycl1st]

Is there any chance you could take a high end compact rather than all of that kit? I used to ride with kit then switched to a Panasonic TZ65 and the results have been incredible both for my shots and my speed!

I generally take one or two of my Panasonic Lumix bridge cameras nowadays, maybe if I'm not going too far a telescopic tripod/monopod. Then a few tools for my bike.

One thing I do notice is a lot of cyclists have their seat about as high as my shoulder...

Not really a problem as such been overtaken, but if I can somehow increase my performance, that would be good.

 

[blubb]

If I recall the Giant Boulder has no lock out on the forks and has pretty soft suspension. That will act to slow you down. Also what gear are you riding in.

Have you tried it? Am using a Rock Shox Reba SL and prefer to not use the lock on the roads, the difference in acceleration is minimal, top speed not noticeable and mine is set to pretty soft. The only time i would lock it, is when going uphill.

My tips would be:

1. Clean and lubricate your chain/gears.

2. Make sure your bearings have no noticeable resistance and run smoothly.

3. Make sure your brakes don't grind while driving.

4. Put more pressure in your tires than you would in the dirt

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I used to have a Giant Bouldershock. I am amazed you find the lock out causes minimal difference, I find it makes a huge difference on hills.

I agree with your other comments.

 

[blubb]

On hills i can fully agree with you, but on normal flat roads and when accelerating from the lights i hardly feel it taking strength or energy away. Could be down to the damper though, seen a few cheap forks that spring back almost instantly. Those are a pet hate of mine, because they are pretty much useless everywhere.

 

[david1701]

maybe its a gearing thing?

does he have a different set of gears to you?

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

One thing I do notice is a lot of cyclists have their seat about as high as my shoulder...

This might be the crux of the matter. When you are sitting level on the saddle, is your leg practically straight when you put your heel on the pedal at 6 o'clock position?

If you leg has to be bent at the knee (without tilting your hip on one side or other), your saddle is too low, and your pedalling efficiency would be MUCH lower than otherwise.

 

[Muddyfox]

A decent set of wheels will make a huge difference

Simon

 

[viper]

Went for a ride in the New Forest Sunday ,18 miles of different terrain ( fire tracks ,light bog , very loose gravel to nightmare sand )

My bike has 21 gears whereas my mates has 27 , riding side by side at a steady 14 mph i was in top gear top ring my mate was in top gear on his middle ring and our legs were in tandem , this left him another 9 gears to go up.

 

[Norm]

... this left him another 9 gears to go up.

Unlikely. As it's not a car, the smallest cog on the middle ring is probably about the same as 2 or 3 down from top in the big ring.

As an aside, smallest on the back and middle on the front could have quite a kink in the chain-line, making pedalling harder and wearing out the drive-train faster than required.

 

[viper]

Unlikely. As it's not a car, the smallest cog on the middle ring is probably about the same as 2 or 3 down from top in the big ring.

Yes i agree, but i think what i was trying to get at was , lets say our speed has now gone up to 20 mph, i would now be pedalying like blazes whereas he would now be in his highest gear and pedaling relatively easy. correct me if im wrong but thats how i see it .

I guess what im trying to say is, it would appear his bike is higher geared than mine, so for the same amount of effort his bike will go faster.

 

[Bayerd]

Yes i agree, but i think what i was trying to get at was , lets say our speed has now gone up to 20 mph, i would now be pedalying like blazes whereas he would now be in his highest gear and pedaling relatively easy. correct me if im wrong but thats how i see it .

I guess what im trying to say is, it would appear his bike is higher geared than mine, so for the same amount of effort his bike will go faster.

That isn't correct either as higher gears take more power to turn. His bike will have higher gears and therefore has the potential to go faster but it does require more effort to do so.

 

[Norm]

That isn't correct either as higher gears take more power to turn. His bike will have higher gears and therefore has the potential to go faster but it does require more effort to do so.

Indeed. Using the car analogy again, when you are doing 30, it's best (more economical, less damaging etc) to be in 3rd gear even if 6th gear pulls lower revs. Lower revs doesn't mean lower effort.

If you are taking a hairpin up a 1 in 3, then you'll be using first or second gear and a car with a 6 speed gearbox will be wasting 4 of them under those conditions.

If you are not spinning out (when the bike is going faster than you can pedal), then your bike isn't too high-geared for you.

To use another example to show that the number of gears doesn't reflect either the speed or the amount of effort, in the 1970s, our tractors had 8-speed gear boxes that topped out at about 18mph. The Jag we were running at the same time had a 3-speed auto and would do 130+. Allegedly.

 

[Bicycle]

MTB that's slow on the road?

Maybe one or more of the following:

1. Front Shocks absorbing a lot of your pedalling effort. Lock them if you can when on road. It also makes handling and response more direct.

2. Knobblies will slow you down. Under-pressure knobblies even more so.

3. It's surprising how much faster a bike in good condition goes. Is everything clean and lubed? You mention being faster on a friend's new bike. That will be clean, lubed and in 'as-new' condition. Bikes being simple machines, it's cheap and easy to keep them in 'as-new' condition - and that will help with speed. I always do my fastest commutes the day after servicing my bike.

4. Are you sure you have the saddle where you want it? The wrong height or too far forward/backward will slow you down a LOT.

I hope this is helpful.

 

[Ticktockmy]

I mainly use my bike for work, but am also a keen photographer, so I cycle miles to the countryside quite a lot. I use a mountain bike for this, but have noticed people on 'expensive' mountain bikes always seem to go flying past. I'm no slouch, but they seem to be putting in a similar effort to me, but going a lot quicker.

I originally had schwalbe road tyres, the city jet ones, I changed to the nobbly tyres... for comfort really. The bike is pretty slow with both types of tyres.

So, I don't think the problem is with the tyres, are there cranks/cogs/chains/wheels that perform better than others, to make the bike go quicker ?

Admittedly I've hardly got a 'top of the range bike'. Its actually a Giant Boulder-Shock from 2000. Its not particularly heavy.

*PS, years ago I had a Carrera and Saracen with really light frames, but cheap parts - had the same problem



Any help appreciated

Firstly, you dont say how old you are, or how fit you are, all key factors in what your average performance is going to be. Remember it's your highest average speed you want to achieve, not a highest sprint speed, any one can creep up behind you and sprint by looking as if they are at peak fitness, but once out of sight around a corner, they slow down leaving you wondering what you are not as fit as them. I know I have done it a few times.
To be honest why worry about other people speed, as long as you can plod along with your Photographic equipment and enjoy both activities then you are ok

 

[byegad]

I tried knobblies on my Matrix-V and while it was excellent off road it was damn hard work on road. Back on the original Kenda Kwest semi slicks it positively flew on road.

Also I found M+ and ordinary Marathons to be very slow compared to say, Pasela Tourguards.