A Tale of Two, no THREE, Gofast Bikes: Weeny vs. Classic vs. Thrift-shop

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Until last week I’d never ridden a carbon race bike. I’d wanted to, for years, to see what the fuss was about.

So my friend Nick loaned me his super Giant TCR with Dura-Ace to give the experience a try.

I did a few rides with it, including one fast race-group ride.

Basically, the obvious happened. I’m a bit overweight and have only been riding once a week this summer. I’d been riding a few times with this racing group on my old steel race bike, a 22-lb 1983 Trek 730 with upgraded 2000-era mid-range parts. I could just barely hang on to not get dropped. Everyone in the group rides a new carbon bike or comparable. They ride 17-lb bikes. So I finally tried out a 17-lb bike myself. Well, duh. I could easily ride and hang with the group. I was able to join in on a couple attacks and recovered quickly from everyone else’s attacks. I was even in on the final sprint.

The new bike handled fine. It was stiff and a bit harsh, the rough stuff felt “thuddy,” but not bad. I got used to it quickly. It had long 175mm cranks—I usually use 170’s. And it had a long, low stem, while I ride more comfy these days. I got used to both things easily enough.

It just FLEW up the hills. And I could accelerate so easily on it. But I suppose the top-end only increased by 1-2mph.

Another big difference is that it had aero/bladed-spoke wheels. Over 25mph in the race group that sort of thing might matter quite a bit. So it was both light AND aero.

For more direct comparison, I lowered my old Trek’s bars and rode both back and forth a few times around the block. The steel Trek felt lively and much more enjoyable over rough asphalt, but heavier and slower. And the cranks now feel short and cramped!

So the race bike let me ride with my racey peers. No real surprise there, eh? I’m sure I’d be off the back once again if I, as a midling rider, tried riding even a carbon bike with upper-level riders who were also on carbon.

I’ve returned the fancy bike. I forgot to take a photo of it, but here’s one I found online that’s mostly the same.

I’ll be back on steel again now. I wonder if I can be content on my race-type outings with the low-level sportsters who I can keep up with. That’s how it is: a mid-level guy on a heavy bike can keep up with the hard-effort antics low-level riders on light bikes.

If I want to keep riding with my mid-level peers on their light/aero bikes, I better sort out a light/aero solution myself.

And it just so happens that my fast-bike pal had a very light, but older NOS Giant TCR *aluminum* frame that he bartered to me. Now to build it up somehow… : )

And did I report yet that a month ago an old friend gave me a set of carbon/disk sewup wheels? They sure seemed fast but the rear disk seemed heavier enough that I was being dropped badly on any uphills. But with this new aluminum frame… hmmm….

I’ve also been using other weight-saving tricks lately like not bringing water on the race rides. They’re under 2 hrs so who needs it except to wet a throat. I’m also keeping my spares to a minimum. Trick-ee!

UPDATE 9/26/09 I did a club race ride with the old 22-lb Trek set up in a new racy posture. I left my spares behind and only brought a swig of water along. I thought I was tricky and got a bit cocky and stayed in the faster rotating paceline the whole way out…and when the hammer fell at the turn-around, gulp, I was off the back with a few others. We rode back together more slowly, commiserating: if you know you’re borderline it’s best to just sit in and not take pulls until after the hardest parts are over, if ever. You’ll be taxed enough as it is.

UPDATE 10/1/09 I finally have the aluminum Giant frame built into a bike! It’s a hilarious hodgepodge of new frame and 30-year-old parts, but it works! (It might even qualify as Steampunk!) And it weighs 19 lbs. I only have a single chainring and rear shifter installed. I put my old Huret Jubilee on it! And hooked it to a bar-end to work with the brifter-socket on the frame. 172.5mm cranks (I do have 175’s waiting in the wings.) It was fun comparing the weights among my old parts: I ended up using some 40cm bars coz they were 2 oz lighter. And I didn’t know that cheezy old Diacompe brakes were so light. I plan to glue-up a pair of my most gossamery old sewups, too. The project isn’t quite finished yet. I’m still waiting on a couple parts upgrade trades from some friendly iBOBs — I’ll get lighter pedals, saddle and seatpost. It should end up a solid 18 pounds! It’s been fun doing this project only by way of trades and my old parts box. Cash outlay: $20!

Now, if you, too, should catch a bit of Weight Weenie-ism, if only to gawk at, there are a couple great websites to check out:

* light-bikes.com — showcases 9-lb road bikes and 10-lb mt-bikes

*https://weightweenies.starbike.com — hosts a Weeny forum and the largest database of parts weights.

I did a club race ride on the new aluminum parts-bin bike. And for the first time I didn’t get dropped while riding one of my own bikes! And I was in the mix the whole time! The 19-lb bike did feel a bit slower to accelerate than the 17-lb’er, but much quicker than the 22-lb’er. So weight matters in this regard. Now, if you’re fit it may not matter, you’ll have power enough to spare, but marginal types need a boost if they’re to stay in the game. To me, it made the critical difference. However, the low, extended race posture probably helps, too. …And I’ve lost a few pounds of bellyfat in the meantime as well, due to pushing away the plate and libations sooner than usual. I’m not sure that my top-end is any faster, really, but my new ability to easily close gaps, and even to make attacks, is very nice now. Lastly, this bike might not be so very comfy, but it’s only meant for >2-hr jam-fests. It’s my Gofast bike. Ya know, I realize that racing and gofast isn’t everything. But it’s nice to add to the mix.

Now, I’ve only been riding once a week this summer. I’ve also been playing a hard round of tennis most weeks with Roland. But the whole thing is a bit nutty. One really can’t expect to do race-rides on one ride per week. It’s probably even heart-attack territory. And it’s obviously why I’m not in as good of fitness as usual. I wouldn’t need a Gofast bike if I’d been riding a trailerful of boxes to the PO each week plus going on other club rides. I just didn’t have time this season. Our big summer road trip axed a dozen good rides and slapped 8 lbs on me that I never shed (til now). I didn’t do DALMAC. I didn’t do any dirt road rides or Waterloo Randonee.

I did start playing backyard badminton with Henry, which has been very nice.

And I did go swimming a couple times a week this summer with Lucy and cousin Jon and we’d often tandem bike the 5 miles to the lake.

So there’s a time for everything.

UPDATE 10/7/09: New bike has all its final parts and it now weighs only 17 lbs! It feels great. I put the 175’s on it. Now it’s fully in “Track & Field” mode. The new micro seat only feels good when it’s jacked WAY up there. Oh yeah… I call it a Steampunk bike, as half the parts are hightech while the others are from bygone days: old and new together…for weightloss joy.