Re: [CR]What makes a bike fast?

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2004)

From: "stevens" <stevens@veloworks.com>
To: Grant McLean <Grant.McLean@SportingLife.ca>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR]What makes a bike fast?
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 13:48:10 -0700
In-Reply-To: <D40031E5F7ACD71195BC009027887CFF118A81@SLSERVER>
References:


There's only three things that make a bike fast.

1) the rider. 2) gravity. 3) not feeding it.

On Thu, 19 Feb 2004 15:17:50 -0500, Grant McLean wrote
> Tom,
>
> You're nuts.
>
> Buy a cycle computer, and go for a ride.
>
> Grant McLean
> Toronto.Ca
>
> O \O/
> _< \_ _< _
> (_)>(_) (_)>(_)
>
> Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2004 14:00:52 -0500
> From: "Tom Sanders" <tsan7759142@comcast.net>
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Subject: [CR]What makes a bike fast?
> Message-ID: <005c01c3f71a$b29167f0$aebe0b18@C1921978A>
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> Reply-To: Tom Sanders <tsan7759142@comcast.net>
> Message: 2
>
> Marcus Helman commented on his Tom Ritchey bike that he never felt
> fast = on it. I have had about twenty nice bikes in the last few
> years, but = three were much faster than the others, or so it felt
> to me. Some bikes = just lunge forward like they are being yanked
> by a rope tied onto them = when you mash down, others do not. This
> is not to say that the others = are not great bikes, they just do
> not feel as fast or responsive to a = good mash on the pedal.
> Originally I thought that it was a smaller = chainring, but the
> fastest bike I ever rode, a Masi 3v, had a 42 tooth = inner ring and
> a 53 tooth outer...actually somewhat higher geared than I = had
> thought. Folks have suggested to me that it might be an artifact of
> = a stiffer bottom bracket (whatever that means) or geometry. I
> rather = suspect the latter. Perhaps some interaction of all of the
> above. = Tires? Dunno. Surely some of you out there have noted
> that some bikes = you own are a lot faster than others. Cost does
> not seem to be it. I = had a relatively expensive Battaglin that
> seemed to amaze many who rode = at how fast it was. I realize that
> some will just think I'm nuts and that it's all in my =
> imagination...perhaps it is. I have heard others remark about how
> fast = some bikes they rode were...especially 3 Renshos. If anyone
> has a good = idea on it, I'd sure love to hear it. Tom Sanders
> Lansing, Mi _______________________________________________

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