What to Read BIKE WEIGHT AND THE MYTH OF ‘FAST’ BIKES By Jim Gourley I
n my new book “FASTER,” I reveal the science underlying our beloved swim, bike, run sports and show how triathletes can find free speed with a little know-how. I also debunk myths and misunderstandings about gear that can save you thousands of dollars so you can spend your hard-earned cash on those gear and technique upgrades that actually make you faster.
In the book, I bust the myth of weight savings and reveal the truth about so-called “fast” bikes. First, let’s clear something up. There is no such thing as a “fast bike.” Bikes are neither fast nor slow. Bikes have a lot of mass or a little. Without a rider, they are stationary. Physics holds a bike in place until you get on it and start pedaling. Even then the bike may not necessarily be fast. Of all the equipment on your bike, your legs are the most critical component. There are plenty of nice bikes on the road that are being ridden slowly. But more insidious than inaccurate vocabulary is a simple overestimation of how much bike weight matters for triathletes.
to dump any and all extra mass we can from our bikes. That’s the allure of a carbon fiber bottle cage, an upgrade to carbon fiber cranks, handlebars, stem, carbon saddle rails or wheel spokes. Five grams here, 10 grams there, it all adds up, right? Pretty soon, you’re 500 grams lighter. That’s half a kilogram! True. But such upgrades could easily total $500 or more, which is also half a grand. Is it worth it? Not exactly. A good approximate difference between an entry-level aluminum triathlon bike with a decent set of components and a top-of-the-line carbon model with some of the lightest components on the market is just shy of 3.25 pounds. “FASTER” takes a scientific look at triathlon
In “FASTER,” I show the math that explains why just a degree or two of incline makes riding a bike feel so much harder. Riding up a hill, it may seem more important than ever
to see what truly makes you faster — and busts the myths and doublespeak that waste your money and race times. With science on your side, you’ll make the smart calls that will make you a better, faster triathlete. Adapted from the book “FASTER: Demystifying the Science of Triathlon Speed” and republished with permission of VeloPress. Learn more about the science of triathlon at
www.freetrispeed.com.
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