How much does the bike really matter?

[zatar]

Thanks again for the continued replies. Very helpful to hear all of the opinions from you guys!

I think switching out the components is a definite priority for me. I'm feeling really lucky right now because a teammate just offered to sell me her Ultegra-SL components for $200. So awesome. :grin I never imagined that I'd be able to afford a bike with Ultegra-level components at my age!

Next on the list is a bike fit from a PT with lots of cycling experience (former pro mtb racer, cat 1 cyclocross, etc.). One of my teammates had really positive things to say about her, so I'm very excited about this too! I've got lots of issues that I'm hoping to tackle with the bike fit including: her suggestions for a new saddle, crank length (currenly 170mm, but the ultegra ones are 172.5), achilles tendon pain, knee pain, and upper back pain. I'm sort of a mess at the moment!

And I think wheels will be the last upgrade for now. Might wait on swapping out the adjustable stem for a while...

[Cataboo]

$200 for ultegra sl level components is great I hope the fitter can fix all your issues.

[zatar]

Well, I've still been thinking about this thread a lot...

I raced again last weekend and was excited to finish in the top 10 (in my 2nd race ever!!). I was happy with how the race went and really excited about the rest of the season.

I had my appointment for the bike fit today and although she was very nice, I'm a little discouraged. I think she did as best as she could, but still, it's not a perfect fit. I found out the shop that did my first fit (a sponsor of the team) cut my carbon fork too short, so we couldn't really (safely) switch out stems. Also, because it was such an inexpensive bike, it's hard to justify pouring tons of money into it.

I just am feeling a little down, at the moment. In my previous sport, it was purely a matter of your body and mind. It didn't matter what kind of gear you had; everybody was equal. In this sport, it feels like so much of it can come down to money. I feel like people don't take me seriously because they see my bike and I hate that. I want them to judge me for how I ride, not for how expensive my bike looks.

I guess I just need to reevaluate. I am trying to race as much as I can right now and that takes a lot of money too (for lodging, food, gas, etc.). I'm wondering if I'd be better off racing less frequently and buying a better-fitting bike? I am hoping I'll be able to get through the season on my current bike, but it's not a very good fit anymore (most likely because I've grown a lot since getting it).

Maybe part of this disappointment is just realizing that cycling is not the perfect sport I thought it was. No sport is perfect, and I know that deep down, but cycling really felt like it was it. I still really love it, but I'm frustrated at how expensive I'm finding it can be.