Do you know the famous Pareto principle? It says, that if you put 20% of total required effort, you will get about 80% of the maximal possible outcome (result). To achieve the remaining 20% of the maximal possible outcome, you have to put 80% more effort. This is a quite universal rule, applying to various aspects of life, business, technology, finances. And the list goes on. In the cycling domain it has also its implications.
Bike price versus performance
Let’s take bicycle purchase as an example. You have probably done that in the past at least once. You have studied many information sources to get the best possible bang for the buck. You have also probably seen many advertisements on the way, which have promised you many advantages for just this one or two dollars more. A lighter and stiffer frame, carbon fork, bigger gear range, etc. The list goes on and on and on… But does this actually matter for an untrained amateur cyclist? Will you get any benefit out of this? Will a 10000$ bike ride 10 times better, faster than a 1000$ bike?
The ugly truth is that not. Probably you will benefit much more from a proper bike fit and a comfortable saddle that a 15g lighter frame at the beginning. The cost of developing a bike from average to great in tremendous unfortunately and this has a reflection in their price. The average bicycle is the the “20% effort” – you will do nearly anything you want with it, but winning the UCI World Cup Championship will be probably out of your reach. But if you will want to try to do this one day, you will have to invest the remaining 80% (time, money, effort).
For an Average Joe, who just wants to enjoy the ride and does not have a body fat percentage close to 6% it will not matter that much, as for an advanced or professional cyclist. The 1000$ bike will be more than enough to begin with the sport and later down the lane will allow you to make adjustments increasing your performance or comfort. And one day you can try the 10 times more expensive one, check this theory and prove me wrong.
We want to get to the top of those 80% results with only 20% effort.
Did you notice the word “effort” in the sentence above? There is no progress without effort. There is no reaction, without action before. At the beginning of your training your progress will be larger, later it will slow down – this is a completely natural thing. Your body will do what it does the best – will adapt. But while adapting it will also grow stronger, you will be faster and will endure more. So train consistently and regularly and you will see results – and one day you will feel that the bike, not you, is the part that needs an upgrade.
Lose some weight first – get a better power-to-weight ratio, instead of joining weight-weenies ranks and exchange steel screws in favour of titanium ones. There will be time for this kind of actions later down the road. But at the beginning of your amateur cycling adventure focus on the engine that powers this machine, feed it, grow it, train it and you will end up overtaking local MAMILs on the uphils in no time.
And for the bike example – just buy the one you like visually the most and that sits well under you. It is the one you will ride the most – that is the brutal truth. Very few people ride on ugly, uncomfortable bikes.
Photo courtesy of Simon Connellan on Unsplash
Caesar's Cycling 