Rider fitness is huge but so is rider skill. If you don't know how to pace yourself, use your gears, have a proper seating position, choose a good line, or just keep up with regular bike maintenance the climb is going to be much harder than it needs to be.
I see a similar disconnect in the automotive space. People will spend mad money to improve the objective performance of the car when they themselves are the weakest link.
Don't get me wrong, I drool over and occasionally buy parts that are beyond my skillset. But that being said, I agree that there is some backward logic (and planned obsolesce) that directs much of the design/engineering behind the bikes we ride.
July 15, 2021, 9:25 a.m. - roil
Rider fitness is huge but so is rider skill. If you don't know how to pace yourself, use your gears, have a proper seating position, choose a good line, or just keep up with regular bike maintenance the climb is going to be much harder than it needs to be. I see a similar disconnect in the automotive space. People will spend mad money to improve the objective performance of the car when they themselves are the weakest link. Don't get me wrong, I drool over and occasionally buy parts that are beyond my skillset. But that being said, I agree that there is some backward logic (and planned obsolesce) that directs much of the design/engineering behind the bikes we ride.