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If you bought yourself a di2 groupset, it would automatically stop you from doing that
Note I'd just cleaned it, not ridden it!
Di2 you say now hmmm, would it fit on that?
Oh god.... (runs away)
pricing has risen disproportionally to inflation
Has it?
https://www.bikeperfect.com/features/bespoken-word-the-price-of-bikes-part-1
https://www.bikeperfect.com/features/bespoken-word-the-price-of-bikes-part-two
Answer - yes but with Reasons.
Defy = good choice for your usage. But do get mudguards.
At least his brakes are in the right place for a road bike, that's a major win there.
I think the OP has summed up a common point about current state of the road bike market, in that if you've got a really pimped rim braked bike from a few years back that you're really happy with - then you've really got to want that tiny improvement (or set back) from disc brakes to waltz into a shop and drop nearly double what you originally paid for something no better in performance, and I'm directly equating road bike performance with weight here which is slightly biased to my preference to climbing big mountains...any aero benefits could be equally had by lowering frontal area by getting her slammed a bit on the stem, though the lower back may beg to differ. Groupsets don't buy that much added performance other than a half water bottle full worths of difference per jump, or some indulgent electron induced laziness in rider input.
Which is why if I crack my frame tomorrow with the last diminishing glimmers of power that still remain from the darker rear recesses of the wattage cottage, I'd currently replace it with whatever 'vintage' race frames are still available rather than pay current complete-bike prices.
you’ve really got to want that tiny improvement (or set back) from disc brakes to waltz into a shop and drop nearly double what you originally paid for something no better in performance
Oh come on. You may not care for disc brakes but for others they are a life saver. I ride in the wet and rain, and in South Wales where there are lots of steep main roads with junctions and roundabouts at the bottom. In that situation it's far from a minor improvement!
any aero benefits could be equally had by lowering frontal area by getting her slammed a bit on the stem
And if you are already as low as you can go, then what? And if you are already only taking one bottle?
I started cycling as a teenager in 2008 - I spent too much time reading bullshit reviews on road.cc and the like and completely fell for the marketing.
Makes me feel sick how many of my perfectly serviceable bikes/parts etc I disregarded as inferior and consequently threw away and neglected. I don't own a proper bike now due to being priced out. (only got a folding bike now which I will appreciate despite it being 13kg and low spec).
Di2 you say now hmmm, would it fit on that?
Just go fully wireless with SRAM AXS, looks so much cleaner (and easier to install).
I'm in no doubt discs are alright for some situations but it doesn't change the point that those Giant options the OP is considering could easily be disappointingly heavier for near double the outlay...I don't know the specific weights involved here but I'd hazard a guess I'm not wrong.
but I’d hazard a guess I’m not wrong.
The Advanced 1 - the 105 option I listed - is 8.8kg. My bike weighs in at 7.85kg without the bottle cages and HU mount. It was originally listed at 7.92 with Crossmax and some rock hard wired Conti's
disappointingly heavier
Seriously? Grammes just aren't that important. Lots of things are heavier but worth the extra weight. Like deep section aero wheels, double chainsets (on road bikes), bar tape, padded saddles, bigger tyres, wide rims and so on.
As mentioned before the difference between hanging on and getting dropped might only be 10W, which you should easily get from deep wheels and an aero frame
Would you though, even at say 28-30km/h. Most dtat I remember seeing suggested the gains are mainly for faster riders.
Most dtat I remember seeing suggested the gains are mainly for faster riders.
Yes. You gain more at higher speeds, but you save more energy when you are riding slower because you are in more crosswinds and you are out for longer for the same distance. Now, some of this reasoning may be bogus, but it's what I read.
Have you any data on the W difference when behind other riders?
Even in a gang of 3 you are spending the majority of your time behind at least one rider.
Yep, but it's not zero drag! You're still spending 300W pushing air out the way, just not the 400 Watts the guy on the front is putting out.
Any aero gains will still count for something and when you're hanging on by your finger nails any savings are worth taking...
you save more energy when you are riding slower because you are in more crosswinds
Eh?
but you save more energy when you are riding slower because you are in more crosswinds
Unlikely most aero gains only occur at narrow yaw angles. Cross winds really tug on deep section wheels....
You can’t win in the STW forums can you 😀
Certainly not.
something about the paintjob makes my eyes hurt 🙂
Down at the dull end of the spectrum, SPD520's have stopped being dirt cheap!
£17.50 in 2013, £34 now.
Grammes just aren’t that important
Said no rider pitching themselves against an Alpine climb ever. Maybe not each individual one but an extra thousand of them for a doubling of outlay would be enough to curb my enthusiasm.
Indeed, logic is short among many cyclists
Since I started mountain biking properly I've constantly traded up and swapped bikes, but I've only bought four complete bikes new since 2008, out of probably 20 or more. I managed to trade up by saving and switching frames/components as and when I could, usually ending up with a spec. of bike that I couldn't have afforded/justified new.
I wouldn't borrow money to pay for a hobby, so financing bikes is out of the question for me, regardless of income. The two bikes I currently have are a first gen Cotic Flare that was born out of a Cotic Soul and an end of run frame sale, and a Merlin Malt G1X gravel bike that I bought complete.
Both are the best bikes I've had and suit my needs perfectly, I'll never be a roadie, but do like drop bars on the smooth stuff, and like a day out on back lanes and bridleways.
I've hardly ridden either in the last year for a number of reasons, so I've considered selling one or both, replacing the MTB for something a bit lighter/faster/29er, or just getting a modern geo hardtail as a jack of all trades.
But then I looked at bike prices, and decided to stick! Any MTB I'd want is north of £3.5k new, I don't want a second hand carbon bike and don't see much point changing unless the bike is significantly better/different. Yes I'd get more for mine than I'd likely have two years ago, but dear god good bikes are expensive now.
A Transition Spur is one of the only bikes that's really got me excited - and it's over £4k, that might not seem a lot to some people, but for another grand you could buy a brand new petrol trials bike! We're seriously being taken the pi55 out of I think. Anyway, I'm keeping my bikes and I'll run them until parts just aren't available as the cost of new bikes is prohibitive in my opinion.