The club and the upward spiral of tech prices

[cyberknight]

The club ride , you know where you get together to have fun ride ?
Turns out these days it seems carbon and electronic shifting are entry level requirements to ride with the group as last week i was the only one with cable shifting and the only one on a bike less than £2000 with the average being more like £3500 !
Heres me on something that was £700 new and no sign of any better in the future trying to keep up with aero machines with carbon disc wheels .

 

[classic33]

Isn't the "engine" the most important part of the bicycle when I'm use. The rest are optional to try and increase the speed/improve the time taken?

 

[cyberknight]

Of course the engine helps although if the rest are on aero watt saving machines it makes it harder work just to keep up

 

[chris667]

I am sure there isn't that much of a difference. Effort isn't linear.

True story. Back when I was in my early twenties and riding 300ish miles a week (and thought I was quite good) I used to be friends with a former bike courier. He rode an old Kona MTB and could drop me like a sack of potatoes, especially up hills. Once, with his hands behind his back. While whistling.

 

[DCLane]

It depends on the club; at mine you'll have everything from 25+ year-old bikes to the latest Di2 Dura-Ace 12 speed and I quite like the lack of snobbery from most. Any who are get short shrift.

 

[Cycleops]

I'm surprised they even let you in. Isn't there a minimum bike spend rule in place? 🙂
Never mind just wait until there's a cross wind and those deep carbon wheels will have them all over the place.

 

[a.twiddler]

Find another club.

 

[PaulSB]

So what? Some people ride expensive bikes.

 

[Arrowfoot]

I am fan of innovation and technology but the recent 105 announcement took the wind of me. Now this club thing.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good afternoon,

I don't ever remember the club run not being highly tech focused and wanting to exclude others, but back in the 1970s there wasn't much tech to focus on. It was 531 or get lost and Campag unless you were a tourist, when we will humour you on your Sun Tour stuff that cost a third as much........ but was probably better.

When I was at school there was a year that the BCF Schoolboy circuit championship was won by someone on a carbon steel Puch, admittedly with sprints and tubs, not only did he not have a frame from a local builder and clearly wasn't "one of the crowd" he committed the even greater sin of being fast.

I also know that there are lots of articles and studies designed to disprove that which is patently obviously true; All these supposedly insignificant upgrades do add up. Yikes CF/12 speed/aero is faster than Carbon Steel/3 speed/sit up and beg.

Maybe these upgrades don't matter to you anymore, if they ever did, and if you are as fast as the other riders then it doesn't matter what you ride. But if the ride wants to be as fast as possible and the other riders are happy to buy an extra 2/3mph then that is their choice. It simply means that you are no longer hip, cool, trendy and part of the "In Crowd".

25+ year old bikes are only just into the end of the 1990s, that wasn't long ago, was it........? okay it was, but it doesn't seem like it.

When I started work, I wanted a Raleigh Team Replica, this was in very early 1980s and they were around £500, so £3k is hardly a lot. It just seems it if you remember £500 being a lot.

Bye

Ian

 

[PaulSB]

Good afternoon,

I don't ever remember the club run not being highly tech focused and wanting to exclude others, but back in the 1970s there wasn't much tech to focus on. It was 531 or get lost and Campag unless you were a tourist, when we will humour you on your Sun Tour stuff that cost a third as much........ but was probably better.

When I was as school there was a year that the BCF Schoolboy circuit championship was won by someone on a carbon steel Puch, admittedly with sprints and tubs, not only did he not have a frame from a local builder and clearly wasn't "one of the crowd" he committed the even greater sin of being fast.

I also know that there are lots of articles and studies designed to disprove that which is patently obviously true; All these supposedly insignificant upgrades do add up. Yikes CF/12 speed/aero is faster than Carbon Steel/3 speed/sit up and beg.

Maybe these upgrades don't matter to you anymore, if they ever did, and if you are as fast as the other riders then it doesn't matter what you ride. But if the ride wants to be as fast as possible and the other riders are happy to buy an extra 2/3mph then that is their choice. It simply means that you are no longer hip, cool, trendy and part of the "In Crowd".

25+ year old bikes are only just into the end of the 1990s, that wasn't long ago, was it........? okay it was, but it doesn't seem like it.

When I started work, I wanted a Raleigh Team Replica, this was in very early 1980s and they were around £500, so £3k is hardly a lot. It just seems it if you remember £500 being a lot.

Bye

Ian

I'd hate to ride with any clubs you've been unfortunate enough to join.

In my experience club rides are very inclusive and welcoming. The only criteria being individuals are expected to "respect the ride," and therefore the participants by not repeatedly turning up for a ride one is not able to keep up with.

In my view the suggestion club rides are exclusive is nonsense. I've been a mem er of three clubs.

 

[vickster]

I'd hate to ride with any clubs you've been unfortunate enough to join.

In my experience club rides are very inclusive and welcoming. The only criteria being individuals are expected to "respect the ride," and therefore the participants by not repeatedly turning up for a ride one is not able to keep up with.

In my view the suggestion club rides are exclusive is nonsense. I've been a mem er of three clubs.

Clearly the OP is finding the opposite, also as other threads of his have also suggested.
Also, maybe finding another club in his area with rides that fit with his busy work and home life that doesn’t have such an attitude amongst its members isn’t feasible. Which is a shame as he says he has enjoyed club rides previously

 

[cyberknight]

When i ride i generally feel welcomed by the actual riders but feel out of place by not "keeping up with the joneses ", a member of the club is selling one second hand for £6500 ...............

 

[fossyant]

Isn't the "engine" the most important part of the bicycle when I'm use. The rest are optional to try and increase the speed/improve the time taken?

This, no much fancy kit makes you faster for us mortals.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

When i ride i generally feel welcomed by the actual riders but feel out of place by not "keeping up with the joneses ", a member of the club is selling one second hand for £6500 ...............

I know how you feel. I tried going out with a local club earlier this year but no matter how polite they were in their welcome I just couldn’t get over the fact that mostly they were clearly very, very loaded. All of their kit was top end and immaculate and there was talk of an insurance claim from which I learned that at least one of the riders was riding a bike worth £16 grand. It just felt intimidating.