can i race this bike with some upgrades

[kspain12]

hello...im very new to this sport...but i just obtained a raleigh supercourse....the guy said it was a 2001..but i know its not...i saw a picture of the exact bike online and it said it was an early 90's bike...i bought it for 260...and i love it...but i want to race it very bad..there are races all of the time in my community...i just really need to know what i need to put on this bike...so that i can potentially win a race...my riding partner has a trek all carbon fiber bike...and with the bike as is....i beat him in all of our rides...so what do ya think i need to buy? thanks..

 

[kspain12]

someone please help me out...

 

[Mr. Grouchy]

The basic answer is “Yes” and you probably don’t upgrades as much as maintenance. Make sure the bike is safe, have the wheels checked for trueness, roundness and to make sure the rims are not cracked. Replace the cables and tires and have bearings repacked. You’ll probably also need a new chain and rear cassette or freewheel (Warning this can cost more than the price of the bike) You probably are not going to win, place or show the first event you enter anyway so having a bike that will save you 2 minutes over 4 hours is not going to make any difference. You can use an inexpensive bike to 1. Learn how to improve your technique 2. Learn how to set a bike up to your body for efficiency and comfort 3. Train and grow stronger.

You may also very well find out that you like the older heavier bike better for long solo rides because older bikes can normally carry wider tires and typically had a bit slacker geometry and more bracket drop which gave them a more stable ride. (This is not always true just most of the time)

More than that; every racer needs a beater to train on in the rain or to do semi-training ride to the grocery store or other places where you don’t mind locking a bike. I won’t lock my good bike any where except inside the office or home. If it isn’t at home or in the office then either my hand or my butt is on the saddle. An old bike that you put a rear rack, fenders or lights on is a really useful machine.

This does not mean you will be able to go pro-on the bike. But never loose sight of the fact that it is the rider who should win the race not the guy with most expensive bike.

Mr. Grouchy
A proud Retro-Grouch

 

[sixteenornumber]

i somewhat of a noob but i say nothing! i mean if the bike rolls ok and shifts ok (and it sounds like it does) then just race it. if you are beating your buddy with a carbon trek then either her is very slow or your prob pretty fast. what do you have to lose? besides, when you showup and beat someone on you 15 or 20 year old bike, it just means that much more.

 

[CalicoCat]

There is so much more to winning a bike race than equipment.
First you need to:
1. be comfortable riding close to other aggressive riders
2. be comfortable taking corners at high speed
3. learn how to position yourself in a race pack so that you are protected from the wind, have the best lines through corners, and are not boxed in should a race-making attacking be initiated
4. Learn how to read the race so that you can predict who will attack when and where, so you don't miss out.

This just takes practice and the only practice is racing. Once you have raced a lot, and the above come totally naturally, and you are ready to take your racing to a new level, then you might start thinking about how equipment upgrades will help you.

 

[alfeng]

hello...im very new to this sport...but i just obtained a raleigh supercourse....the guy said it was a 2001..but i know its not...i saw a picture of the exact bike online and it said it was an early 90's bike...i bought it for 260...and i love it...but i want to race it very bad..there are races all of the time in my community...i just really need to know what i need to put on this bike...so that i can potentially win a race...my riding partner has a trek all carbon fiber bike...and with the bike as is....i beat him in all of our rides...so what do ya think i need to buy? thanks..

Sure, you can race the older frame ...

Your budget is your only limitation to the upgrades you might make ...

You may want a different cassette ... presuming you have a 7-or-8-speed Shimano drivetrain, you may want to change to an 8-speed cassette in the 12-21 or 12-23 range.

The 8-speed (?) Shimano shifters can be directly replaced with a pair of 10-speed (non-QS) Campagnolo shifters. Resell the 8-speed Shimano shifters on eBay to offset the cost.

If your bike has downtube shifters & a 7-speed cassette, then plan on a new wheel or hub (see below) and the fore mentioned Campagnolo shifters.

New tires/tubes + new cables/housing + new handlebar tape ... DONE!
​

AND/OR, add some new wheels.

BTW. If your rear wheel's freehub uses a smallest cog which is threaded on instead of using a lockring, then EITHER buy a new Shimano hub and have the rim laced onto it OR buy a(nother) Shimano hub & swap the freehub bodies ... the 2nd hub needs to be (partially-)/laced to a rim to provide counter-leverage when removing the 10mm Allen bolt.

 

[CdnRider]

Race what you have! It's always a sweet feeling when you're able to keep up and beat others that have higher end gear. After a while, you'll appreciate some of the small changes/upgrades you can make.

Like another poster above stated. You're only limited by your budget.

I once did a 1k time trial in a velodrome on my tank of a 12spd roadbike. Plenty others had their 'track' bikes. GUESS who won?? hahaa. And i loved it..... sweet victory.