I think I’ll stick with my aluminium endurance bike and save myself $10k. That money will better serve me if I invest it towards retirement, because no matter how much a bike costs, you can’t outride your bills!
Also consider that Phil was wearing a long sleeve jersey on the Boardman and a short sleeve more aero one on the Orbea. That's probably half the speed difference already. If you have him wear an aero helmet, a short aero sleeve jersey (or aero bra underneath) and aero socks he's probably gonna get there without spending a single pound on the bike.
Fair play to Phil, first time on the TT bike with such a narrow elbow pads placement it will be sketchy no matter what. TT bike is a big compromise for the speed.
my first ride in aerobars felt totally unusable. couple years later and I loved it, could tear up high speed corners and felt comfortable and wonderful. just takes time and tweaking.
Great video - basically you can buy quite a bit of speed. Kudos to Phil - it’s a great benchmark to have a genuine normal cyclist doing these tests as it shows what is applicable to the typical weekend cyclist.
I think adding in a £3k bike - like something from the Ribble range with good tyres with a normal cyclist would be interesting. Also the impact of tyre size with a more “full weight” cyclist would be a good comparison. The hypothesis being heavier riders benefit more from wider tyres.
@@romeandcurry6915 I can help you there. I am your average cyclist, tipping the scales at over 100kg who now has that £3k Ribble bike. I went from a Triban RC120 to a Ribble R872 105 Di2, six times the price. Is the bike six times better or faster no, is it smoother and more refined, yes Do I enjoy cycling 6 times more, no, it is just a nicer expeience now. Switching from the stock tyres on the Triban to Continetal GP5000's with latex inner tubes changed the ride quality and maybe saved a few seconds. I also run them on my Ribble too a cost effective uprage. We need more of these videos aimed at people like me, you don't need a £3000 bike let alone a £10,000 bike to enjoy cycling, you also don't need to be the weight of Tour De France rider to enjoy getting out on a bike. Cycling needs to embrace more people ike "us" and shift away from a sport that promotes an unhealthy body image and ridiculous prices only attainable by a tiny percentage of people in take part inthe sport. GCN there is a huge audience for this typre of content, more please!
I'd like to see a tire width effect video, generally, all the way up to 4.8 fat bike... or whatever the largest is for a road style tread. the tread is the difficult part to work around. the closest I've found is a 26 × 4 inch marketed to ebikes on Amazon by a huge number of sellers that all seem to be selling that same tire with their own branding (based on the photo) but it's really functionally closer to a gravel tire with regards to rolling resistance, as tires go they're cheaper and heavier with poor sidewall support so I had to write it at exactly the recommended pressure. but even so, significantly less rolling resistance than the nobbies for road riding. like if you take a fat bike fork and put it on that time trial bike, with that 4 inch tire (or a bigger, slicker, one if you can find it) how does it affect rolling resistance and aerodynamics?
I for one would like to see more content about regular bikes for regular people. I'm 73 years old and have over 37,000 miles on my main bike that I bought in 2005 (I have 3 bikes, 2 being folding bikes for specific purposes). It would be nice to see what bikes would be great bikes for just plain, simple fun rides which are the rides I like the best. Ones that get you out there getting space and enjoying your time outdoors.
As a former semi-pro rider if I were you I wouldn't worry too much about top-end bikes. Not for the type of riding you want to do. There are a million variables but on a surface reading I would recommend a decent quality gravel bike or what we used to call a cyclocross bike. You're going to want to try before you buy because ergonomics will absolutely matter. What works for someone else in your situation might not translate.
I would love to see how you guys will make the Boardman faster on a budget. Tires? Wheels? Cockpit? Chain? What should you buy new, what can you find used?
Would love to see the Boardy up specc-ed three ways: a) On the cheap. Penny pinching, most bang for buck, COMMON(!!) 2nd hand specials. 2) Off the shelf. but still sane purchases. iii) All out lunacy. Full RU-vidr connections abuse.
Same here. It brought back memories of my first time using them, and I even thought he might swerve into the camera car. Mad trust to let a beginner on that bike hahaha.
@@gcntech let's just say, I can see why there wasn't any more footage of him riding on the aerobars 🤣 Fair play though, he did an amazing job holding on.
Absolute belter of a video this..Very relatable and major kudos to Phil for doing pretty much 30km in an hour on bikes he's never ridden. "I've had heavier toilet visits than this bike" is a T-Shirt in the making surely..More Phil.! More Phil!..
Well done, Phil. It is great to see GCN listening to the viewers, focusing on cheaper alternatives as many of us can not afford a £1,000 or even £2,000 bike due to loss of employment/cost of living. Great work GCN. I personally thank you.
Thanks Tony! We're always open to ideas - we make content for you guys, so always want to make videos you'll love! Watch this space for more entry level content 🙌
Thanks for the great video and experiment! So, basically, for additional 9.5k pounds you get 10% increase in efficiency/speed. Which is great if you're competitive, but really shows that for begginers and even many amateurs/weekend-warriors it doesn't make much sense to spend absurd amount of money of somewhat faster bikes. All that matters is that you buy a bike nice enough that you want to ride it and can afford, and enjoy it. And great job, Phil! It's great a see a more representative person trying the tech out!
Totally. When I see fellow riders smashing it on the bike it's not because of what they ride, its their engine! I know folks riding on older, 'slower' bikes, who always overtake everyone else riding the latest bling. One caveat though, they've been training well for years and still do. The issue is a top end bike is much better at showing off and getting head turns, than the work needed to turn on the pedals.
We agree! The most important thing is just loving your bike, that will make you ride better 🙌 Marginal gains are super interesting and we love to get nerdy over them but for most people your rides should be measured by smiles not miles 👌
An averagely good time trialist can crank out 250 watts an hour no problem. Pro riders average about 6 watts per kilogram, and amateur riders average about 3 watts per kg. For recreational riders it goes down to about 2 watts per kg. Which is to say 200 watts is pretty good for a beginner.
Averaging 30km and 200 watts and chatting - he’s not too shabby …. Is he the same ‘beginner’ runner on Global Triathlon Network that was doing 24 minute 5kms ?? …. He looks beginner - but he’s pumping an engine in there
Chapeau to Phil for taking part in this test. It's really interesting to see what difference equipment choice can make, but it really needed comparing to what being fitter can do. And Phil's experience on the ski bars are on point. It takes practice to get in and out, and get used to riding whilst using them. I run them on an aero road bike for time trials so it's not as twitchy, and it serves as a normal summer bike when not racing. And as a summer bike it is nice to har but I have the previous iteration Boardman alloy bike set up for the winter and it is a brilliant bike for the money. It's what I started riding with and is still great fun to ride after 15,000 miles
Yes! I’ve been an avid road cyclist for over 25 years and tried many different segments of cycling including mountain, gravel, CX, and BMX. I would consider myself more skilled than most. I bought my fist TT bike last (Cevelo P3X) and I must say, the learning curve was so much steeper that I would have anticipated. It took at least a week for me to feel comfortable on the skis. So nice work Phil. But to answer the question how much speed you can buy? Before I bought my P3X, I had 0 Strava KoMs, now I have around 40. I sometimes feel guilty about this because I know the people I got them from are far better athletes.
Fun video. A general criticism of GCN's methodology is that getting used to a new bike setup is really important to really performing with it. Phil should not have been expected to perform well off the bat with a new fit (aggressive position on the Orbea), or with a TT position with zero prior practice. Similar to the flat pedal video you guys did a while back and had to do a follow-up on.
Would love to see the boardman upgraded. I would also like to see the Eurobike have it's wear parts upgraded with moderate cost parts to see what differences those make.
The best tip I've ever gotten from GCN is to upgrade my tires. Went from mid tier Schwalbe's to top tier Pirelli's and it's a massive difference. I've got a 8.5kg entry level bike and it made a massive difference. It was also nice I got those Pirelli's at a good price 👌
Great video, guys! Good job, Phil! 👍 Please keep doing this kind of comparison videos. Take several beginner-average riders and test them on entry-level $1.000 bikes, then on $3.000 - $4.000 advanced bikes and then on the top-tier $10.000 bikes. To actually see what difference can a different bike do to an average rider 😉
Well done to Phil 💪 For me as much as I love cycling all cycling industry is a scam. Bicycle cost 10k and you can get great motorcycle with aluminium frame , adjustable suspension , cornering abs , traction control , riding modes, tft display, quickshiter , forged wheels etc. for that kind of money. There is so many components and development done that everything will work together as a package. I know there is research done with bicycles but how the name of god bicycle made from carbon can cost 10k. I can imagine till people will pay that price they will cost that much.
I managed to snag a shimano road bike, originally $1,200 NZD, down to $300 NZD, via a council program. The mechanic pointed out it's as light as a kids' bike, lol. I am *NOT* used to the speed, these channels are helping a lot, cheers!
Great video. You could have been describing me in terms of bike purchases. Giant OCR with Sora, then TCR with 105, and finally a carbon Cannondale Synapse also with 105. I wouldn’t get the value of something more expensive but its nice to hire one every now and again. Phil’s a good sport. Please do the upgrade video.
Summary: Claris and aluminium vs Dura ace and full carbon = 2222% the price for 4,36% more speed. That is about 25km/h vs 26,09km/h at average people speed.
Kudos to Phil. How about another go when Phil has had time to familiarise himself with the TT bike. Would be good to see what's possible with practice.
well done Phil! i just cycle to stay fit. no point for me to get faster, i just want to age healthier, therefore an old specialized allez (aluminium frame, rim brakes, shimano 105 parts…) is absolutely fine…never tried a tt bike-now i know i never will…😜
When I got my TT bike, it was January in Michigan. Riding outside was not in the cards. So I put it onto the trainer for all my indoor rides until it was warm enough to go outside. It felt a little odd for about 2 minutes now that I had to control where the bike was going, but all the practice in the position really paid off. I can pretty easily get 2-2.5 mph of extra speed on the TT bike for the same power output, and my aerodynamic Madone road bike is no rolling brick. The position makes a huge difference.
As someone who now has the same onboard fuel tank as Phil, I enjoyed this clip a lot. The real world of cycling perhaps. I've a Silverback Scalera 3 which was around my capabilities when bought ten years ago but my performance levels have dropped with age. Would I buy a new bike? If the lottery comes in then yes, but for now its just a case of nurturing the Scalera by giving it regular TLC with the odd bit of bling thrown in (wax on the chains, gold chain, new bar tape every year, and regular servicing etc). Arguably the longest and most meaningful relationship I've had??!!
Jeepers. That confirmed it - you're never getting me anywhere near Tri-bars and a TT bike! Full credit to Phil for not stacking it, I'm pretty sure I'd have been in the hedge within the first half kilometre!
I really would like to see a second video with a comparison where a entry level mtb and a high level mtb would also be compared to the entry level road bike at the same 10 km route being riden by the same begginer (this guy is a powerhouse by the way).
If you are really taking requests: Crossover episode with Path Less Pedaled. Russ on one of Ollie's super bikes and Ollie on one of Russ's alt bikes. @@gcntech
Well Done Phil! 200W, Wow! Good episode. We are just discussing with my buddies what will be the difference between upgrading a gravel bike (and how) and buying aero optimized road bike at a cruisng speed of around 35 km/h, targeting 30 km/h average speed.
@@gcntech That's the badger! Would defo love to see the Boardman get faster for minimal budget and Phil test it. Phil is the presenter equivalent of 105. He's the ordinary rider of the people! 🔥
Try this, get one steel frame upgrade it to something decent with 28 or 30c tires and let him road. I am sure with a comfortable and still cheap bicycle he will do excellent if not even better times. But maybe sponsors will get angry.
Deffo want to see the upgrade Boardman vid. I bought my first road bike from previous hybrid and it was the Boardman SLR carbon. Best buy of kit and fit the price and features, a bargain. Also well played for having a go on the bars. Balls of steel that man
I'm more of it's the rider that makes the bike mentality. I think this was a great video for us with a limited budget I Would love to see Phil ride the updated Boardman. Keep the great vids coming guys.
I once worked with a rider doing the Furnace Creek 508. As you guessed, a 508 mile ride through Death Valley and the surrounding desert. We did the math between 'full aero' and 'standard road bike'. We calculated 'full aero' would save 15 minutes. Which might sound like a lot, until you realize the event takes +/-35 hours. That's less than 1% time savings. But there is more to just 'time savings' to consider for a ride like that. Comfort is HUGE. So while you would get 15 minutes is aero efficiency, what would the cost in 'neck/back pain' be? More than 15 minutes. - I'm a little older, and a lot wiser these days. If you aren't getting paid to ride, there is zero benefit to 'bought speed'. Because no one cares if you do your century in 5:05 or 5:15. The important thing is 'comfort'. What bits about your bike will make the riding experience more pleasant, more comfortable, more enjoyable. And you should also consider durability. If you are dropping coin for a bike, it should last a long time.
Seriously great job, Phil! Just switching between bikes you’re not familiar with is nerve-wracking-never mind all the cameras on you while you’re riding them. LoL.
Good to see GCN are taking on board the comments about featuring more budget bikes, it'll be interesting to see how much money in terms of upgrades it takes to get the Boardman on par with the Orbea. Switching to latex inners or going tubeless would be one option, don't know if that Boardman is tubeless ready though.
I love this test ,only small thing you guys should have done was give the chap some practice on that TT bike ,there was a point where I nearly had to turn away as he went from aero bars to base plate ,all I could see was 15k hitting the road 😱
With the way road bike prices are the best thing anyone with cost in mind could do, is to buy a good quality entry level bike, bike fitted with changes to stem, bar and cranks as appropriate. Also gearing and saddle and of course good tyres and latex tubes. Most people aren't going to realise or feel the benefits of aero frames and full internal cables. But a bike that fits properly with all the contact point components dialled in will feel amazing. I've not mentioned a wheel upgrade as I feel the cost benefits outweigh the gains with respect to the spirit of my advice. I would also recommend SL SPD pedals and good quality shoes. Northwave, Lake, Giro. Expensive but again you'll get a lot more benefit from that system than carbon cockpits, wheel upgrades or daft ceramic bearings. Another upgrade to think on is switching from 160 to 140 rotors if disc brakes or upgrading the pads on a rim brake bike. All of this can be done before going near 2000-6000 grand bikes or 1500 grand wheel sets. And of course training properly and frequently 😊. That Boardman bike looks the nicest bike there!
Those are some very wise words! We agree, a bike fit makes such a huge difference to the comfort and feel of the bike. Making the rider want to ride more and more! Thanks for the comment!
I’ve started cycling since last year. I bought a suit for the summer that is €300, while my bike was a second hand €200. One year later it is still an absolute amazing bike for cycling as a hobby. I cycle roughly 1,5 - 2 hours or more every time. You don’t need an expensive bike.
Kudos Phil and GCN. Great idea to upgrade the Boardman (maybe even just the tyres/tubes) and rerun the test. Also, how about another test, same setup but this time with an experienced cyclist (Olli?). This would probably more accurately answer the "how much speed can you buy" question.
Videos like this is an important reality-check for all us amateurs looking at filthy expensive equipment and dreaming away... personally I go with a happy medium. A bit more premium than the Boardman, but not much. Perfect for fun times and bikepacking