Will a 200 thou l5 lbs Carbon Fiber Bike with Campy Group Set Make You Ride Faster?

Have bike, we will help save the earth...

We asked ourselves this question as we biked home from Maybancal Morong.

Well riding faster depends on a lot of factors:

l. The engine, you:

>general fitness
>nutrition
>body strength and muscle speed (pedalling rate}
>motivation on any given date

2. Mechanical condition of the bike: friction of the bearing, BB, chain

3. Wheelsets/aerodynamics

4. Weight of the bike

Taking all things equal, a lighter bike will make you go faster say 3 to 5%. But no more. I think #l is the biggest factor of all. I have seen guys with 22 lbs bikes beat to the climb or the sprint.

I have ridden a 22 lbs bike and overtaken guys on 300t bikes.

To reduce your overall weight (you and the bike) exercise, diet. It is cheaper.

Do not get the illusion that a campy, or a SRAM, durace, Zipp wheels, or a Scott all carbon frame will increase your speed to 45 kph. You have to practice hard to ride 45 kph. You have to do all sorts of practice to achieve that: long rides, hill climbs, interval, tempo rides, group rides, time trial etc. This is the more difficult thing to do.

Buying the expensive bike is easier, but will not make you go much faster unless you overhaul the engine - you