You don’t need to spend a fortune to enter the world of road bikes. For less than $1000 you can ride on the drops, spin through the gears and sprint against your mates to the next road sign.
Spend over $1000 and you’re in the rarified atmosphere of lightweight aluminium, carbon fibre or possibly titanium. Bikes get lighter, the number of gears gets higher, the ride gets faster. Two grand or more and you’re looking at electronic shifting, super-light bling kit and aerodynamic wheels.
How race bikes can make you go faster
Pure and simply, race bikes are built for speed. They’re built in the same vein as pro riders’ bikes, where lightweight, agile handling and aerodynamics are crucial.
The geometry of race bikes is no-compromise: they’re about performance and the rider’s position reflects this – low down and tucked in for minimal wind resistance. The downside is that normal riders may find race bikes aren’t that comfortable, although carbon bars, stems and seatposts can be used to add comfort. Short wheelbases are the norm as they allow for responsiveness.
Try as many race bikes as you can until you find the one that works best for you.
Spend at least: $800
Weight range: Entry level 11kg down to 6kg for a thoroughbred
Saddles
Race saddles can be pretty minimalist affairs that can be intimidating to new riders. It’s important to remember, however, that a saddle’s shape is often more important than its overall padding in terms of comfort but, what one person may find comfy may be another’s pain in the proverbial.
Try as many as you can until you find the one that works for you.
Cutting edge tech
Of course, all that tech ups the price and, for all but elite racers, a more expensive race bike may well be more cachet than anything else. The good news is that after a few years the proven tech will trickle down to lower price points for the benefit of all.
Lightweight
Weight saving is key for race bikes as the less they weigh, the less effort the rider has to expend to pedal at a certain speed.
Chasing the grams out is done by using space-age materials and manufacturing techniques in the frame, but also in all other key components. The sky’s the limit – but the more exotic tech on display, the higher the price tag, too.
Frame Design
Oversized and tapered head tubes and fork steerer systems (1½in at the bottom tapering to 11/8in at the top) are stiffer than standard 11/8in head tubes, boosting steering precision.
Curved seat stays retain the rigidity of the rear triangle for power delivery while increasing comfort. Oversized tubes maintain frame strength and rigidity but require thinner wall thicknesses – therefore, less material and weight.
Wheels
Wheels can adversely affect the way a race bike feels and responds as rotating mass (ie, wheel edges – rims and tyres) can make the biggest single difference to how zippy a bike feels.
The heavier the wheel rims and tyres, the more effort they’ll take to accelerate and the more they’ll need to change direction too, so make sure that a bike’s wheels are good and suitable for its price tag.
This feature is brought to you by Get Into Cycling from Future Publishing, the publishers of www.bikeradar.com
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