Retro bike is faster!

[PurpleFrog]

So, I took my latest retro build ('94 Kona Lava Dome) to work for a change this week... usually I use my trusty cyclocross bike for commuting on bike paths and roads but thought I'd get the knobblies out and have a spin on the MTB, a good excuse to go on a few rougher paths I usually avoid.

Turns out, I clocked a faster average speed than I usually do on the modern drop-bar bike with skinny road tyres. Didn't see that coming!

Anyone else found their retrobike quicker than a modern alternative?

My Zaskar is a lot quicker on gravel than my crosser was. The reason's simple - wider tyres suffer less of a rolling resistance increase of rough surfaces. If you want to go really fast on gravel, then try Schwalbe Almotions (just don't order from the UK at the current stupid price - buy them online from a German webstore like bike24.)

 

[Max Mudroom]

My Zaskar is a lot quicker on gravel than my crosser was. The reason's simple - wider tyres suffer less of a rolling resistance increase of rough surfaces. If you want to go really fast on gravel, then try Schwalbe Almotions (just don't order from the UK at the current stupid price - buy them online from a German webstore like bike24.)

Thanks for that tyre tip. I am somewhat obsessed with tyres as it is.

The route I'm talking about is sustrans-type gravel interspersed with tarmac. Hardly off-road, really, so I stopped using a full-sus about 3 years ago in favour of the cross bike which was much faster. But now I find on my hardtail I can really blast the rough sections as I don't have to slow down for bumps and kerbs. And the comfort level of the fat tyres is really noticeable.

 

[ultrazenith]

There's an interesting debate to be had about this. In my case, my sunday club rides rarely take us over terrain than needs suspension, we cover a mix of asphalt, cobbles and natural singletrack, and I reckon my rigid steel retro is either faster, or else on par with my club mates' modern hardtails, 29ers and full sussers.

I have done the odd 50 km marathon in rural municipalities in Portugal, and there I find my rigid steel could do with some kind of suspension...

 

[PurpleFrog]

My Zaskar is a lot quicker on gravel than my crosser was. The reason's simple - wider tyres suffer less of a rolling resistance increase of rough surfaces. If you want to go really fast on gravel, then try Schwalbe Almotions (just don't order from the UK at the current stupid price - buy them online from a German webstore like bike24.)

Thanks for that tyre tip. I am somewhat obsessed with tyres as it is.

The route I'm talking about is sustrans-type gravel interspersed with tarmac. Hardly off-road, really, so I stopped using a full-sus about 3 years ago in favour of the cross bike which was much faster. But now I find on my hardtail I can really blast the rough sections as I don't have to slow down for bumps and kerbs. And the comfort level of the fat tyres is really noticeable.

Then browse these links, fellow tyre-obsessive!

http://www.mckramppi.com/en/bike04renga ... alyysi.htm
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum ... 3&t=114537
http://velonews.competitor.com/2007/08/ ... edux_13059
http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Thin ... _3795.html
http://jv-cycling.blogspot.co.uk/2010/0 ... ta-is.html
wide is fast for road

http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/ ... ren_209268

lower psi can be faster
http://velonews.competitor.com/2007/08/ ... edux_13059

Tyres can make 25% difference on road, drum testing wrong:
http://janheine.wordpress.com/2012/06/1 ... -of-tires/
http://velochimp.com/2006/11/rolling-resistance/

Charts
http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/tech/JL.htm
http://www.mtbonline.co.za/info/mtb-tyr ... stance.htm
http://forums.mtbr.com/wheels-tires/tir ... 19392.html

..I can't recommend the Almotions enough (but that's based on just a couple of days of testing - although I did ride around like a maniac looking for different types of gravel.) I just wish they came in a 2.4 size, and maybe a version with a bit more tread on the same carcass - something like an SB8 or DMR Dirt Digger would be ferocious.