New Bikes On The Tour?

http://images.t-nation.com/forum_images/./1/.1120605253782.Tour_Picture.jpg

The other is another rider at The Tour looking right down his frame.

Again…looks like a “wider” but not “thicker” frame…and shows really well the wider rim I was asking about…(the tires are probably not any wider, like you guys said…)

Thanks for the bike lessons, guys!

Mufasa

Just a “bump” for more input…

Mufasa

bro those are time trial bikes. from soup to nuts every piece is designed to reduced drag on the frontal area. lance has got a tri-spoke carbon wheel on the front and a full disc on the rear. those can actually be kinda heavy but will save time through reduced drag, amazing amounts of time when you get up to speed. depends on the course and conditions when you use those wheels cause sidewinds will reak havoc !

btw way just like those wanna be tri-guy posers you see puttin’ around at 20mph on full stretch aero’s and discs, you are not fast enough to benefit from these bikes. plus you can’t use them in regular races. check out the site below. that first article is just what hand position does for you. but also provide a quick understanding of how crucial frontal area is. there’s another good one off the home page on wheel theory, plus a ton of other great stuff!

http://www.biketechreview.com/performance/ruleofthumb.htm

M-

They are the wheels not the tires. Just like a car. The rubber part is pretty thin on a nice road bike. Just a little strip around the wheel with a tube inside.

Those are some high tech and very expensive wheels in the picture. Carbon fiber and designed to cut down on drag. Those wheels probably go for about a $1000 each and will save a pro a few seconds in a time trial. Not what your looking for…yet.

Go for the traditional spoke type wheel. For $1500 or less you can get a great bike. All of the ones mentioned so far will serve you well.

Mufasa,

Year end closeouts. Seriously, if you want bang-for-your-buck…this is the time you want to be buying. First, get a bike that fits YOU. The geometry of every major bike manufacturer is different.

Second, look for a bike that you wont want to upgrade components immediately (Stay away from Sora/tiagra or the lower end Campy stuff)…the difference bewteen 105, Ultegra is minimal and Dura-Ace is bling if you arent a racer.

Thirdly, as a new biker you will spend a lot of money on accesories (bike shorts, pedals, shoes, cages, comp, etc). Adjust your budget accordingly.

To recap:
#1 Frame - Get one that fits whatever the name on it says.
#2 Componentry - you dont want a grouppo that you will want to upgrade in a year or two (this will cost you maybe more than the price of a new bike)
#3. You`ze gonna pay for the accessories, factor this into your bike costs…
helmet (yes a MUST) -$100
Shoes - $80-150
Pedals -$80-200
Shorts (yes you need them) -$50
Comp (not necessary, but kinda is to progress) -$50

Okay…so get to shopping! It doesnt matter what I ride, but when I visited the States I saw a full Drua Ace Felt F55 for $1000 (last years model)…it made me drool. Whatever you do, ride every bike you think you will like and compare, compare, compare.

Good luck…and vive le tour!

e

hey all,
couldn’t help it but i had to throw up a post. even though we’re talking roadbikes here, i’ve owned a trek mountain bike for close to 15 years. trek just makes a quality bike. never had any problems with it, no matter how bad i’ve pounded it on the trails. as far as i know, all treks are made at the home plant in wisconsin. in reality though, when one plans on spending around a grand on a good road bike, cannondale, treks, etc. are all pretty comparable. shop around, test them out, and enjoy.

These are “Time Trial” bikes. Way out of your (and mine) price range, and not suited for the type of cycling you are talking about. I have a Trek 1200, about 3 years old with Shimano Tiagra components. I upgraded the saddle, pedals and changed the tires for Michelin Pro-Race tires. With the upgrades, the bike costs about $1,100.

I love my bike and I ride anywhere from 60-100 miles a week. I do really regret not spending a little more for a carbon fiber frame and maybe Ultegra components. It seems that shifting into the big ring is a little tough with the Tiagra components. If you are really into riding, spend a little more now so you don’t regret it later.

I guess my next bike will be in the $2,500-$2,700 range. I just gotta find a way to convince my wife!

Mufasa,

One tip…NO Underwear with Cycling Shorts!

Those time trial bikes you see in the Tour, they range in cost from $10,000 up $25,000. no kidding, there is some serious technology there.

You probally already know this but, you MUST get clipless pedals. Without clipless pedals, I lose TONS of power, especially on the hills and sprints.

They are absolutely essential for road biking. I DESPISE biking with platform pedals, LOVE it with my clipless Speedplay Zero pedals.

Helmet.

A must. Don’t make it an option. You can laugh and tell stories about the scrapes and gouges on your helmet…not your head.

Wow…thanks, guys!

I pretty much concluded that the Pros had VERY specialized bikes…it just seemed like I had seen a change over the years, and it seems that there really has been…all in order to decrease wind resistance.

Cool stuff!

It seems like even on this board, TREK keeps coming up a lot…but as many of you advised, I’ll keep looking around.

Okay…I’ll bite…what’s the deal with riding shorts and underwear?

Mufasa

(P.S. Hey…it’s actually pretty fun being a “newbie” again!)

[quote]Mufasa wrote:
Okay…I’ll bite…what’s the deal with riding shorts and underwear?

Mufasa
[/quote]

you go commando when wearing cycling shorts or bibs.

Glad to see another person joining the competitive cycling world. The deal with riding shorts and underwear is that if you wear them at the same time, your underwear can bunch up and cause chafing in some very un-fun spots. Atleast that is what I have found, but I have just under 2 years of racing under my belt, so I still consider myself a newbie.

[quote]chuy wrote:
Mufasa wrote:
Okay…I’ll bite…what’s the deal with riding shorts and underwear?

Mufasa

you go commando when wearing cycling shorts or bibs.[/quote]

The shorts are made to add comfort and collect sweat. The underwear gets bunched up and can be very uncomfortable.

underwear ??? wtf ???
people actually do this ?
same guys that wear shorts over their sweat pants ?

[quote]tall tom wrote:
If the frame tubing has larger diameter cross section it is stiffer due to an increase in the moment of inertia.[/quote]

Umm… someone explain the relationship between stiffness and moment of inertia…?

Also, what does MI have to do with anything? Frames do not rotate…

[quote]IronHell wrote:
tall tom wrote:
If the frame tubing has larger diameter cross section it is stiffer due to an increase in the moment of inertia.

Umm… someone explain the relationship between stiffness and moment of inertia…?

Also, what does MI have to do with anything? Frames do not rotate… [/quote]

Frames may not rotate, but they do flex and compress during each pedal stroke. But when he is referring to MI I believe that he is talking about the MI for the wheels. A light stiff wheel makes a huge speed/acceleration difference compared to a clunky heavy wheel. But as usual, performance sacrifices comfort, and the super stiff wheels will pound your body with each bump even if you are riding correctly.