How do you know if you've maxed out the "engine"?

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2009-09-18 8:27 PM

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Subject: How do you know if you've maxed out the "engine"?

Just completed my season and have started looking forward to IM St. George in May.  I'm a firm believer in the idea that the immediate answer to "is it the engine or the bike?" is that it's the engine first.

That said, I'm assuming at some point, it begins to make sense to address the bike.  So...

1)  how do you know when its time to upgrade?  Do you look for plateaus in performance?  When average speed for well-traveled rides tops out and stops improving?  When you have $3k burning a hole in your pocket?

and
2)  I took my aluminum road bike to a good tri shop this year, and was fitted to get as "aero" as possible on the bike.  They did a great job and this year's times prove it out.  That said, if you can't afford carbon, is there any reason to upgrade to an aluminum tri frame?  Or am I better off just upgrading wheels and crank and keeping the current ride? 

2009-09-18 8:36 PM
in reply to: #2414714

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Subject: RE: How do you know if you've maxed out the "engine"?
1. You haven't maxed out your engine.

2. Why would that stop you from buying a new bike if you want one and can afford it?
2009-09-18 8:46 PM
in reply to: #2414714

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Subject: RE: How do you know if you've maxed out the "engine"?
SAquavia - 2009-09-18 10:27 PM

1)  how do you know when its time to upgrade?  Do you look for plateaus in performance?  When average speed for well-traveled rides tops out and stops improving?  When you have $3k burning a hole in your pocket?

and

2)  I took my aluminum road bike to a good tri shop this year, and was fitted to get as "aero" as possible on the bike.  They did a great job and this year's times prove it out.  That said, if you can't afford carbon, is there any reason to upgrade to an aluminum tri frame?  Or am I better off just upgrading wheels and crank and keeping the current ride? 


1)  You haven't maxed out the engine.

2)  "Sometimes it is about getting the most speed out of the engine you have."  Tom Anhalt
I'm not the greatest cyclist in the world however I have taken great pains to make my tribike as aero as I can based on my budgetin an attempt to wring all the performance I can out of the bike leg.  There is no requirement to go with carbon in order to have a good aero frame; a quality alu frame can be a very aero choice, and depending on the frames being compared, could even be more aero than a carbon frame.

Shane
2009-09-18 9:22 PM
in reply to: #2414714

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Subject: RE: How do you know if you've maxed out the "engine"?
Not that my opinion adds any weight to the previous posts, but I agree with them.  Improve your bike if you want to and can afford to.  And then work even harder on your new bike.  If you can't get a new ride, or don't want to, take solace in the fact that you can still improve.
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