[the_ad id="5357"]
[ad_1]
For many amateur cyclists, a logical step in the cycling journey is to try your hand in a race. To some, racing provides a challenge and a clear set of goals to strive towards. This could be racing to improve personal best times in the local time trial, competing against others in a criterium, or pushing technical limits in a cyclo-cross or XC mountain bike race. Others simply enjoy racing for the camaraderie; racing gives you the chance to connect with other cyclists, participate in a supportive community, and make new friends who share a passion for the sport.
Many people use racing to build skills, others simply enjoy the workout it provides – there’s no denying you’ll go harder in a race trying to follow someone’s back wheel, than you can on your own. This coupled with the sense of accomplishment, having hung in there with the younger guys or having held your own with the elite women, can provide a sense of pride and achievement far beyond the physical aspect of the sport.
However, cost is often seen as a barrier to racing. With brands launching new products all the time with claimed watt savings and ‘free’ speed, it can feel like the first race is an arms race that you’ll never win. However, it absolutely needn’t be.
With 0% finance at Tredz, and the Cycle To Work Scheme offering up to 42% discount on the bike, components or accessories of your choosing, racing can be accessible to anyone.
To help you onto the start line of your local racing scene, here are five budget-friendly race-ready bikes, with the cost kept at approximately £1000, as well as some advice on upgrades that you can make to your own bike in order to make it race-ready.
Five budget-friendly race bikes
Make your own bike race-ready with these upgrades
What if you’re reading this thinking: “But I already have a bike, surely I can just use that?”
Of course, the answer depends on what type of bike you have, and what type of race you’re looking to enter. For example, a skinny-tyre drop-bar road bike won’t be suitable for a mountain bike race, and vice versa. However, races such as cyclo-cross and gravel usually have some flexibility on the permitted equipment, but if you’re unsure you should contact the race organiser to find out.
If you find your bike is indeed suitable for the event at hand, then there are a few things you can do to ensure it’s ready to race, as outlined below:
1. Make it safe
A race will put a greater amount of strain on your equipment…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…
[ad_2]