In the British Medical Journal a doctor reports that his 27 mile commute is not speeded up with go-faster parts.
Dr Jeremy Groves, an anaesthetist in Chesterfield, has published his one-man study in the Christmas edition of the British Medical Journal. This is the light-hearted edition of the BMJ and, while the papers published in this edition are scientifically sound, the subject matter tends to be less-than-serious.
Dr Groves cycles to work and owns two bikes: a lightweight £1000+ carbon machine and an older, heavier steel bike which cost him just £50. Over six months - and by flipping a coin to see which bike to take that day - Dr Groves plotted the times he took to ride to and from work. Cover your eyes if you sell expensive lightweight kit but Dr Groves found that the 30 percent lighter carbon bike was not a huge amount quicker than the steel bike.
He found the difference in average journey time between the two bikes was just 30 seconds.
"The purchase of the carbon bike made me feel good, and even though the ride is 'harsher', I still commute on it, especially in good weather.
"Which do I enjoy riding most? Well, after the trial I have to go for the steel bike. I get there as quickly, and it is more comfortable, better value, and has more 'character.'
Article continues belowAdvertisement
"If the carbon bike were stolen would I replace it? I’d have to say no. I’d spend the money on high visibility low drag clothing and better lights."
"A new lightweight bicycle may have many attractions, but if the bicycle is used to commute, a reduction in the weight of the cyclist rather than that of the bicycle may deliver greater benefit and at reduced cost."
Dr Groves feels "evidence based cycling is not high on the bicycle salesman’s agenda."
'Evidence based medicine' is big in the medical world.
The BMJ piece is not a rigorous scientific study (previous Christmas BMJs have measured the speed of Santa's sleigh). To be truly scientific the trial would need to be conducted by a number of cyclists and on a variety of disguised machines.
"I toyed with the idea of blinding it but, in the interest of self preservation and other road users, decided against it," wrote Dr Groves.
He asked: "Given [my] findings, why then do so many of us buy 'performance' bicycles?"
He answered his own question: "Marketing must shoulder some of the responsibility. Many of us respond to 'new' pharmaceuticals in a similar way to how cyclists respond to 'new' bicycles. The industry invests significantly in marketing products of marginal benefit and we, as medical consumers, frequently buy into the panacea rather than objectively considering the evidence."
But it's Christmas, so Dr Groves is charitible: "We must excuse consumerism, particularly at this time of year, because without it our capitalist society would collapse."
A number of online newspapers have now carried stories about Dr Groves' study.
Dr Groves told BikeBiz:
"I should emphasise, and this has been lost in some of the reporting by the larger news organisations, the study relates to my commuting journey and to generalise this to all trips (especially competitive cycling) on light weight bicycles is taking the study a bit far!
"I do think the point holds though, when commuting there are other influences (particularly the weather, road conditions and fitness of the rider etc) that will have a far greater impact on journey time that the weight or specification of the bicycle."
Add a new comment
You need to be logged in to post comments. If you do not have an account then please register.
Comments
8 comments
on a commute one is basically held up by traffic, traffic lights etc so an average speed is often similar on diffrerent bikes. If 'doc'had gone for a ride in the hills or ridden a sportive, he would have a different experience altogether. If he had ridden a road race (what racing bikes are for!)he would not have gone 10 meters without noticing the benefit or not.
Sean Lally Dec 10th 2010 at 2:26PM
0 0Ridiculous. A Sean mentioned, add in some hills and then see how you feel!
Richard Lang Dec 10th 2010 at 2:42PM
0 0I think it's a reasonable study - he was investigating the difference between the two bikes for his commute, not a race or sportive, so the result is still pretty relevant. Chesterfeild's pretty hilly, being on the edge of the Peaks
Mark Meadows Dec 10th 2010 at 3:40PM
0 0The end quote from Dr Groves stresses the study was about his commute, not racing. Remember, this is almost a spoof issue of the BMJ. It's not to taken at face value.
Carlton Reid Dec 10th 2010 at 5:45PM
0 0A most valid study, despite being tongue in cheek. Most who are not competative cyclists purchase high end bikes for personal reasons of desire, not because their cycling is made measurably quicker! And fair play to those who do desire high end bikes there is nothing wrong in that, just as there is nothing wrong in riding a 20 mile commute on an old sit up and beg!!
Paul Southam Dec 12th 2010 at 10:27AM
0 0People don't buy carbon bikes for the seconds that they save in commuting, they buy them for the fractions of seconds that they save them in competition. The good doctor is questioning the validity of a huge industry &, more to the point, progress.
Graeme Murray Dec 14th 2010 at 6:20AM
0 0The fashion for one size fits all Carbon will pass. Cycles need the right amount of suspension / Flex for the job in hand, more flex is needed on a commute to weave through traffic with confidence. Clearly the steel frame has the edge for some parts of the commute. Carbon frames can be engineered to provide suspension / flex, more precisely than steel. Frames with these qualities are chosen for the Paris-Robaix. Maybe there is a market for the late for work bike?
Cliff Leggett Dec 17th 2010 at 11:11PM
0 0Hi, as im sure many many real cycle shop dealers will testify that a test of this kind is merely a sample of one, also to add that a carbon cycle that only costs around £1000 is hardly the real deal when it comes to carbon road bikes, and maybe the test should use a high class carbon bike to compare. This would then indicate the true characteristics of a real carbon bike. Also to consider is the terrain, ground and general conditons of the road used for this test. Im sure the doc would soon find out what carbon is all about if used to climb up ventoux or alpe d'uez.... one last note in this difficult economic climate would someone kindly gag the doc, from one bike shop salesman to another we just dont need this kinda claptrap..... Carbon is the way forward.....
James Robinson Dec 21st 2010 at 3:49PM
0 0