It definitely feels faster when out of the saddle and climbing but I guess in between times, on less hilly sections, I still tend to plateau and rein it in at approximately the same level of effort at which my legs muscles start to ping and ache or I get uncomfortably short of breath. Why try to crash through the pain barrier when shopping for a new bike or lighter bits is so much more fun? 
Bike Forum
Why can't I get any power down on my road bike?! Crank length?
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Posted 5 months ago #
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Yes but if you put the engine on one bike and it does 20mph and the engine on another and it can only (painfully) do 16, then I'd want to kno why
5mm of crank length variation IS noticable but for me not much and only when really trying to crank too high a gear up a hill. I had 165s on my MTB and switched to 175s which really helped up the steep bits. But for a high speed road bike situation I can't really see it unless you're operating at your absolute max torque. If you're saying you can manage 20 on a MTB and 16 on your road bike I think you've got a serious setup issue, not a crank length issue. My road bike is notably easier to keep at 20+ than my mtb with slicks now that I have it set up right, but I thin that's primarily from the tiny tyres. The cranks on my road bike are 170s, MTB are 175s.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssssss.
When I started road riding/racing, my bike weighed 21 lbs. A 'light' bike weighed 18-19 lbs. Bikes now weigh 15-16 lbs.
A huge difference of about 4-5 lbs.
Is anyone actually riding faster because of this astonishing drop in weight?
Everyone has drunk deep from the fountain of shiny thing make it all better, but it's still not about the bike.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Why try to crash through the pain barrier when shopping for a new bike or lighter bits is so much more fun?
Because you are weak.
Posted 5 months ago # -
crikey, rule #4.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Rule #5 for you, young Skywalker.
Posted 5 months ago # -
You can be a total hard man and ride a fantastic bike.
Perfect example:
Posted 5 months ago # -
1.5mph gain is huge.
i.e at the end of an hour you'll be 1.5 miles further ahead. Or one lap ahead in cross, possibly two or three in a crit.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Aaaah.....
Only if you are doing a time trial, I would say.
In a crit, or in any other mass start event, tactics play a greater role than aerodynamics, than speed, even than power. It's a mind game.
Posted 5 months ago # -
4mph slower on a road bike over a hybrid on the same stretch of road?
It just doesn't sound plausible. What did you buy? Something made from welded scaffold poles?
Posted 5 months ago # -
oldgit - Member
1.5mph gain is huge.i.e at the end of an hour you'll be 1.5 miles further ahead. Or one lap ahead in cross, possibly two or three in a crit.
I was thinking that, it'd knock over a minute of my PB for a 10 mile TT. Typically you I'm looking for seconds over that distance.
Posted 5 months ago # -
Only if you are doing a time trial, I would say
Indeed. Or just riding on your tod.
Posted 5 months ago # -
'for a given amount of effort' if you are expecting either a wattage or a perceived effort to give you a certain speed then it's never that simple
road riding is all about laying down a set effort for long periods, so you need to get to get the fit sorted and then ride the bike lots more
Posted 5 months ago # -
Had a few thoughts...are you using the same pedal system between bikes? Is your saddle height the same between the two bikes (n.b. can of worms opened...different crank length = different saddle height)? Both of these things will affect your 'feel' of the bike and your sensation of power delivery to the pedal.
Like I say, just thoughts...
Posted 5 months ago # -
It boils down to this.buying things doesn't automatically make you faster.
you say you don't ride it much,ride it more.Was off the road bike for a month,had my usual ride today.
felt like shit.You can't buy your way out of it.you can ride your way out of it.
and get a fit done.Posted 5 months ago # -
How much tangible difference and useful feedback and data does a fit generate?
Does the fact that fits are generally done by bike shops mean you end up getting advice like "see this stem and these cranks here, or that bike over there, that we need to shift stock of, you could be doing one of those..."?
Posted 5 months ago # -
well,it's a really good starting point.made a lot of difference for me.
The shop I went to wasn't like that,they charged me for the fit,I then got a stem off crc.
but it is a fairly precise starting point.you still tweak a bit.and lowered the stem as I got fitter.
Basically it saved me lot of time,hassle and frustration.want to get a fit done at the mapei clinic over in varese,it's not that dear.bit of a hassle tho.
Posted 5 months ago # -
I've spent some time tinkering with the set up, and have lowered the bars by flipping the stem, and it has made a hell of a difference.
Previous times on commute:
01:22:57, 01:19:01, 01:21:14New set up:
01:12:46Posted 4 months ago #
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