Best value in buying speed... (Page 2)

Buy all the "toys" you want or rather can afford. I have and will continue to, as my lovely wife allows it, but it still comes down to one thing. You can't buy the engine!

I had to say that the simple act of buying a decent road bike makes a big difference. I watched hundreds of women struggle with their mountain or hybrid bikes last month in my first race (a duathlon). I had spent about $800 on a new Trek 1000 - the lowest of the models - and was at an extreme advantage. At the beginning of this season I was riding a hybrid and struggled with an average 14 mph speed. NOw I pump out an effortless 17 mph average, and faster if I try. And it's not increased fitness contributing much to the gain. If I get on my old hybrid, it's still a "drag".

But hands down, the best money I have spent is on my $60 clip-on cheapie aerobars. Not to mention a more comfortable ride. I love those things! On smooth flats I can get about 3 mph faster, easily. It's increased my overall average quite a bit.

By the way, no it's NOT a no-brainer to leave the gloves at home on race day. We're BEGINNER triathletes, people.

Why isn't it a no brainer? Not wearing cycling gloves is an outstanding value. I assume that you don't put them on and take them off while riding with no hands. If you are taking the time to put them on and take them off that's several seconds right there. Skip that and the total cost is Zero, sounds like a deal to me.

I don't see the any reason new cyclists can't ride barehanded unless you're implying that they're likely to crash and will need the protection of gloves to keep their hands from being shredded.

I think it's a fine idea, just not a no-brainer. No-brainer implies (to me anyway) that this is obvious. I didn't ride with gloves at first and my hands got tired and sore during long rides. This was partly due to an old bike without a nice cushiony handlebar. I was also putting a lot of pressure on my palms because my core strength wasn't built up yet. I needed those gloves and it simply never occured to me that I would race with less gear than I trained with. When I get to the point that second make a difference, I will for sure leave them at home.

Totally agree with these points here -- planning and dedication have paid off for me, even at the stage I'm at now.



Edited by kenail 2006-10-19 3:36 PM