You aren't slow; your bike is!

I am a notoriously slow rider, by choice. I also happen to have a lot of bikes, so I can tell you first hand: You aren't slow; your bike is!

My bike of choice is "Dan", a steel Niner RLT9. Dan is pretty heavy in and of himself (24 pounds), but after adding front and rear Tubus racks, 3 water bottle cages, and a ton of gear - he's basically a work truck, and I love him! But on Dan I ride a pretty consistent 10-12 mph. Loaded or not, that's the pace my legs go on this bike. This is also the pace I love. I ride for conversation or meditation - not for exercise. At this pace, I can talk to a friend or simply zone out for 40 miles.

I also have Ferdinand, a Trek FX4 Sport, carbon with Jones H Bars 2.5. Although his frame is carbon and fairly light in and of itself (21 pounds), the Jones bars add weight (635 grams or 1.4 pounds), and an overall a feeling of heaviness. And let's face it, the upright riding posture isn't known for producing speed. Riding Ferdinand, I average about 8-10 mph. Bear in mind, of course, that I typically choose him to ride with my grandson, slowly explore a new rail trail, or run errands in town. Yet, I have never, (even alone on a long, smooth, straight stretch), gone faster than maybe 12mph. Whatever it is about my legs and this bike / geometry, we simply don't go anywhere fast.

Livvie on the other hand - wow! LIvvie is a Liv Devote Advanced Pro. Weighing in at exactly 18 pounds, Livvie seems to fly with or without me on board! My average speed on her is 14-15mph! Same legs - same ridder - same trail: It's the bike that flies. Of course, I don't have the cardio to keep up these speeds, but I can easily crank out a few miles at 15.5 mph. (Which would be an impossible feat for me on the Niner or Trek). In other words, it's not me - it's the bike.

Yet, I am not a fast rider, by choice. I don't like speed. I don't choose to ride for exercise and on Livvie, no matter what pace I intend to ride, I seem to end up flying. In fact, my experience this morning, inspired this post. I went out intending to meander about for maybe 25 miles. I took the Liv simply because I hadn't been using her much. I'd also intended to meet up with a friend who's just a tad faster than I am - and Livvie is my equalizer. As it turns out, my friend overslept, so I was on my own.

Even as I left the parking lot I was shocked at Livvie's speed. It wasn't me, (trust me, I was half asleep), this bike just goes. So much so that before long I was exhausted! I am a meandering cyclist. I ride for conversation. I ride for meditation. And I can 100% tell you that riding for speed is exhausting! After 10 miles (averaging 14-15mph) I was beyond miserable and dripping with sweat. Of course, I tried endlessly to slow down, but as ridiculous as it sounds, I couldn't (at least not for long). The bike's weight and geometry just kept me cranking.

It's funny how people seem to innately understand and accept this with cars, trucks, boats and airplanes. We recognize from a very early age that aerodynamics and geometry effect speed. Yet with bicycles, we tend to blame the rider, (or beat ourselves up for being slow.) But trust me, my friend, it's not me - or you - it's the bike.