Whether it’s golf, running, tennis or cycling, we will always be force-fed countless products with the promise of making you go further, faster and for less effort.
I’m convinced that one reason cycling is so popular among future golfers, is the jaw-dropping amount of cash you can pour into your new hobby. It wouldn’t be untrue to say some of the fastest bikes and kit are ridden by the slowest riders. If you love the open roads and have money to burn, you’ll love cycling. Truth be told, the only benefits most riders will gain are purely stylistic and that’s fine, We all want to look good, right?
In this article, we take a frank, yet honest look at some of the most popular kit and ask the question, Do we really need it?
GPS computers
Unless you’re using mapping or following a training plan which involves riding in power zones, you don’t really need a GPS unit. If you’re getting into cycling, there are many apps which can be downloaded for free onto your phone that record most of the data people enjoy looking at: Distance, average speed, max speed and elevation.
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Carbon fibre bars
From an aesthetic and performance standpoint, carbon bars look great. They are marginally lighter and in most cases a bit stuffer but that’s where the good news ends. Tightening up your stem and levers requires extra care to avoid over-torqueing damage, they aren’t as durable crashed and from a cost perspective, the gains don’t stack up. Next!
Tubeless
Tubeless road tyres are simply not a requirement. If you’re new to road cycling-don’t bother ‘upgrading’ to tubeless. There I said it! I understand the principles behind why it should work well, but the reality is that for road bikes, tubeless can be a pain in the backside to set up and much harder to fix if you do have a blowout. Tubeless also requires periodic maintenance to keep working optimally. I also hypothesise that many tubeless punctures or glass nicks which are sealed up, wouldn’t have caused the trusty inner tube any issues in the first place. This is my personal experience and I’m happy to be hauled over the coals for this-let me know in the comments!
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Energy gels
Unless you’re racing, you don’t really need to be scoffing gels on all of your training rides. For most people, eating Dates, Jelly blocks or gummy sweets (I’m a fan of Jelly Babies) will be adequate to fuel you. Same goes for energy drinks-Pure Maltodextrin is cheap to buy. Aim for 600ml of water,15-20g of Maltodextrin, 1g of salt and some lemon juice.
Espresso
Being an Espresso connoisseur is not a pre requisite for fitting in with your new cycling buddies. When I first started club cycling, I was ridiculed for the hot chocolates I drank (they did look like a Knickerbocker Glory) and was forced into drinking Espresso to keep up with the traditions of European cycling folk law. You be you-have the hot chocolate and Coca Cola-you’re not going to get dropped 🙂
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Lightweight Carbon bikes
The lighter the bike, the more you’re going to have to spend. And besides, nearly all bike weight reduction gains are completely negated once you stick a couple 750ml bidons into the cages. Don’t focus on the weight of the bike-you’ll gain far more by getting a good bike fit and eating a healthier diet.
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Carbon cycling shoes
Carbon cycling shoes are lightweight, offer brilliant durability, and there are countless brands out there to offer the correct fit for your foot, which by the way is the most important thing to consider when buying shoes. But when looking at the specs, a stiffer shoe is not going to make you go any faster than a ‘less stiff’ shoe. Check out this study by the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado to see the stats
Disc brakes
Disc brakes provide strong and consistent stopping power in all conditions with no adverse effects on your expensive carbon rims. Other than that, for the uninitiated, they can cause quite the headache. They howl in the wet, are easily contaminated and if not set up correctly, can rub. Lets also bear in mind that most modern disc equipped bikes have internal cable routing which can be more difficult to disassemble if you travel with the bike. Are discs good? Yes. Do you need them? Probably not.
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