Bike advice

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newbikerfast
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Feb 23, 2018 7:33 pm

by newbikerfast

I've recently got into bike riding and I've clearly fallen in love over the last several months. I've completed 2 gran fondos this year (as well as a bike trip to the alps) and when the weather is good, I'm going for 70-80 mile weekend rides. I've had a lot of fun with Strava - competing with myself and others.

Earlier this year, I bought a cervelo c5, probably prematurely. I'm 6'5 and 78 kgs and so on the biggest size (The 61 inch). While I love the bike, I regret not buying a racier bike, even if I'm not racing per se -- just competing against myself and others mostly in Gran Fondo type "races". In comparing my strava segments, I routinely have more watts but significantly less speed than others - I'm sure this largely a function of being tall and not aerodynamic but some of this is probably the bike.

I'm fairly fit and in my low 30s - have an FTP of around 280 with room for improvement. I'm not very flexible but do want to try a faster bike than my Cervelo endurance bike and am leaning Canyon for either the Aero or Ultimate. I'm obviously tall (unfortunately fit right in between the 2XL and XL Canyon bikes). I'm trying to figure out if I should get the Aeroroad or Ultimate but worried I'll pick the wrong one and not have the benefit of a try-out. If I keep my current bike, it feels like more sense to get the Aero. Otherwise, feels like the Ultimate would make more sense. My heart wants the Aeroroad but I'm concerned that it would be too uncomfortable for a tall Gran Fondo type rider. I do like how comfortable my current bike is but when I started riding, I struggled doing 40 miles on it, and now I can comfortably do 80 so I figure that transition will likely happen on an aero bike as well.

Any advice? Is getting an aero bike too aggressive of an idea for a new rider who is not very flexible but still focused on speed? Thanks in advance!

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pyrahna
Posts: 150
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2013 9:53 pm

by pyrahna

newbikerfast wrote:
Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:10 pm
....

Any advice? Is getting an aero bike too aggressive of an idea for a new rider who is not very flexible but still focused on speed? Thanks in advance!
Try going to a reputable bike fitter and ask them to get you into a more aerodynamic position. Your body accounts for the vast majority of the aero drag while you ride. For a minor outlay in money you will get faster, and I guarantee you can hold a 'racier' fit now that you are in better shape and your core muscles have begun to strengthen. Every couple of months get refit and hopefully you will be able to drop you handlebars a little bit each time and get in a more aerodynamic position. Keep doing that until you run out of spacers. At that point in time get a 'racier' bike that has a more agressive geometry that will allow you take more spacers out still. At that time, if it were my money, I would get the most aero bike my budget could take.

Just my 2 cents, but everyone has different priorities.

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