- 21 hours ago
New bike day is always a great day, but knowing when the right time to go out and grab yourself a new one is, might not be so obvious. A new road bike is something to be celebrated so Sam Gupta has rounded up 8 reasons why you should consider when deciding on when you should purchase your next one. Let us know, what was the reason that made you want to go and buy your last bike?
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Recently I put out a video talking about the bike that I have sworn to never ever sell and I stand
00:06by that I genuinely never will but once that video went out it did get me thinking if I didn't have
00:13such a deep affiliation with that bike what are the things that I might otherwise be ignoring
00:17and are actually some pretty blatant signs that I should in actual fact change my bike.
00:23So here are eight signs that you should probably replace your bike.
00:30Much like cars bikes need maintaining and also like cars sometimes the cost of maintenance
00:40is higher than the value of the bike itself.
00:43It's at the point at which the repair costs more than the cost of maintenance that it doesn't
00:47really make too much sense to keep plowing money into something that is only going to keep
00:52costing you more money.
00:54The caveat to this is that if the cost of repair does exceed the value of the bike but the
00:59cost of maintenance means that you will get a decent number of extra years then it could
01:05potentially be worth it.
01:06Just be prepared for a similar service cost further down the line.
01:11How far down the line purely depends on how well you look after your bike and how much
01:15you use it.
01:17Depending on what is actually wrong with it, especially if it's something pretty fundamental,
01:21buying a new bike will mean that you rid yourself of any pesky gremlins and you'll start with
01:27a blank canvas.
01:28This is also important to consider when buying a second hand bike.
01:32It may be new to you but it's not brand new so do be careful and when in doubt get some
01:38advice from someone in the know.
01:45In my early years of taking cycling seriously, I absolutely loved racing.
01:50As such, an aggressive geometry is all that I wanted.
01:53A slam stem with turned in hoods or narrow bars was the order of the day.
01:58However, since I've now hung up my racing wheels and I've turned my attention to taking
02:02on longer rides and a fresh set of challenges, a race bike is no longer the correct tool for
02:08the job.
02:09Instead, something which is a bit more suited to my new style of riding is absolutely needed.
02:14A slightly longer wheelbase with wider tyres and a bit more stack suited my needs perfectly.
02:20I guess what I'm trying to say here is that since road bikes have been created to be perfect
02:25for every style of riding out there, then it's worth considering that you may be missing
02:29out on using the right tool for the job.
02:32For example, you don't really want to be using an endurance bike for racing or vice versa.
02:37You'll get your most out of the time on the road when you're riding the right bike.
02:48Sometimes it's not your style of riding that changes, but instead it's your body that does.
02:52It's no secret that as we get older, we lose some of our flexibility.
02:56Of course, if you stay on top of your stretching, then you will be able to maintain most of it.
03:01However, if you don't, then trying to stick with a bike that no longer caters for your
03:06new set of bodily limitations will just make cycling painful.
03:10Changes can be made to your bike fit.
03:13For example, stems can be shortened.
03:15Depending on your bike, spaces can be added to the steerer tube underneath the stem,
03:19and you could possibly always roll the bars back.
03:23All of these things help reduce the reach of the bike.
03:26However, do be prepared for all of these changes to result
03:30in your bike not feeling the same as it used to, and maybe not for the better.
03:36Much like my last point, if you can no longer ride comfortably
03:39and you're having to make lots of changes to try and get your bike to fit you,
03:43maybe that's the ultimate sign that your bike just isn't right for you anymore.
03:47In this instance, I would fully recommend getting a bike fit and learning the full extent
03:52of what your limiting factors are, and then finding a bike which is perfectly matched to them.
03:57Plus, when you go through that process alongside a bike fitter, if changes do need to be made,
04:02they'll be able to make them in a way that doesn't compromise what the bike
04:05is actually like to ride itself.
04:13N plus one is a pretty well-known rule in cycling.
04:17The N, of course, stands for the number of bikes you currently own.
04:20And the plus one means that you always need another.
04:23However, we might not always need another bike.
04:26Quite frankly, sometimes we just want another bike.
04:30And in my book, that is a totally justifiable sign that you should get a new one.
04:35Perhaps a new model of your current bike has been released and you just want it.
04:39That's okay. Go and get it. It's your money. And if you want to go and get yourself that new bike,
04:45then do it. Nothing beats new bike day. And if there's something out there that you just can't
04:50take your eyes off, then do it. Treat yourself and go and enjoy it.
04:54There's no doubt that following a training plan is one of the biggest contributing factors
05:05to getting faster. However, if you've been training away on your budget-friendly road bike
05:10and you're now hitting a plateau in your speed and not really making any considerable steps forwards,
05:16perhaps it's now time to consider what you're riding. A new bike can make you faster in a number
05:23of ways. This could be down to less weight, improved aerodynamics, increased efficiency,
05:28or even just the lowering of your rolling resistance.
05:32Without knowing what your individual starting point is, there could potentially be a rather
05:36large gain to be had. Of course, it's not just the speed that may increase, but better brakes will
05:42allow you to stop later and improved gearing will mean that you can refine your cadence.
05:47Moreover, if you find yourself climbing off a bike which wasn't really designed with speed in
05:52mind and then jumping on a bike that was, it's very likely that you're going to be put into a
05:57much more aerodynamic position and that will make a huge difference to how much faster you can go.
06:03To reference some of my other points in this video though, just be sure you're not putting
06:07yourself in a position that simply isn't right. And if you're not sure what that is,
06:11well then go and see a bike fitter. You will not regret it.
06:22It's a very obvious thing to say, but people ride bikes literally everywhere, on the road and off of
06:28it. Basically anywhere a human can go, there's a solid chance that a bike can go there too. This then
06:34poses the potential situation of a rider wanting to change up where they ride their bike. Perhaps you
06:40first fell in love with mountain biking, but now you want to partake in the best discipline,
06:45in my opinion, and join the vast number of Lycra-clad road cyclists.
06:51There's a chance that if you ever did decide to switch disciplines altogether,
06:54that you may not want to ride your mountain bike, for example, on the road, or maybe ever again.
07:00So that means only one thing, a new bike is in order. Don't get me wrong though, you can ride any bike
07:07you like wherever you like. And it's of course possible to make changes to your steed to help it
07:11perform better wherever you decide to ride it. But using the right tool for the job is always best.
07:23If your bike has been reduced to a pile of snap tubes and scuffed up components,
07:28then this is probably the most visible sign that you need a new bike. That goes without saying.
07:34Sometimes though, in the unfortunate times when we do crash, our bikes don't always just explode
07:39into a number of different pieces. They may dent, they may crack, or they may just bend depending
07:45on what material they're made of. If your frame is made out of metal, there's a better chance that
07:50it won't crack and any damage could potentially be repairable. This is obviously entirely case-by-case
07:55dependent. However, with carbon, you have to be a little bit more careful. Cracks can sometimes be
08:02harder to spot and hairline fractures can develop into something a little bit more sinister if
08:08they're not dealt with very quickly. If you have crashed a carbon bike, I always recommend making
08:13sure that you get it looked at by a carbon fiber specialist to ensure that it really is safe. This
08:19is why I'm personally a pretty big fan of metal frames. You know where you stand with them. My advice
08:25here really is not to take any risks. If you're unsure about the road worthiness of your bike,
08:31then go and get it checked out by a professional.
08:33It's not uncommon for cyclists to own their bikes for a really long time. In fact, I know for sure that
08:46a lot of you will have owned your bikes for around 10 years, potentially even 20 plus. And in that time,
08:52there will have been countless innovations and upgrades to group sets, frames, wheels, and tires.
08:58The list really is endless. This results in one thing, that tech does become outdated.
09:05Now, I'm not here to say whether or not newer tech is better than what it's replacing, but if you
09:11subscribe to the idea that cycling tech is getting better, then you'll also agree that tech does get
09:16outdated. If you find yourself looking at your bike and wondering what the current crop of bikes
09:22really do offer people, then head down to your local bike shop and give a bike a test ride.
09:28You might find that you like what you ride and you could be in for a surprise
09:32with how much things have changed. Perhaps those disc brakes that you've been complaining about
09:37but have never tried might not be that bad after all.
09:42This video really is just a bit of fun and it's totally up to you on when you want to buy a new bike.
09:47It's your money and you don't need me or anyone else telling you how to spend it. These are just a
09:53few reasons that are worth paying attention to that may indicate that it's time to consider your options.
09:59Let me know down below what was it that made you decide to buy your last bike.
10:03If you enjoyed the video then please do drop it a like, subscribe to the channel for more content
10:07and I'll see you again very soon.
Recommended
10:17
|
Up next
1:32
1:27
1:25
0:49
10:42
3:59
9:07
11:54
9:09
13:15
19:43
4:53
10:09
Be the first to comment