Training or Plain Riding?

In a race you need the latest equipment. Campy or Shimano top of the line
stuff, carbon fiber bikes, saddles without padding etc.

The problem is that people who don't race buy this stuff because they think
it's the "best" instead of "appropriate for racing".

Today we're seeing people riding around on the streets on equipment that
barely has a working life of a year and they don't know that.

Let's not mention the actual name of a major wheel manufacturer whose wheel
bearings are good for perhaps 10,000 miles and then need replacing. In fact
they can get so loose that the rocking of the axle can cause the freehub to
slip. Worst case you could destroy the freehub.

I can't tell you how many carbon hinged rear derailers I've seen with broken
pieces. And these aren't cheap. You're paying a small fortune to save 12
grams on a part that will never see a race for most people.

Mind you, Campagnolo and Shimano make components that are plenty reliable
and long lived. The top of the line stuff is designed to meet other
criteria. They are building them for the lightest possible weight now and
that means that they had to make decisions about product lifespan. Since
these parts are designed to be used by racers and are replaced, at the far
end, every year it means that you can't expect the best parts to have a
lifespan compatible with normal bicycle use.

It is true that most bicyclists who buy the most expensive stuff generally
don't ride all that much. And since they could afford the stuff in the first
place it isn't as if they can't afford to replace it when it gets broken.

But be aware that now it isn't just the components that are failing. Now
entire wheels, forks and frames are failing catastrophically and when they
do you're going down and it might be really hard.

Personally I'm six months into recovery from a failed front fork (caused by
a foot turned loose by a failed new fangled pedal). The foot could never
have gotten into the spokes of an older 32 spoke or more wheel but went
right in that expensive low spoke count wheel.

Last year a medium sized dog ran in front of a guy with whom I was riding.
The dog was essentially uninjured. The steering head broke off the bike and
my friend went head first into the asphalt. He broke his neck and for a long
hour I supposed he'd be dying. He survived and rides today. But if he was
riding a steel bike with a steel fork he wouldn't have crashed like that.

Here's the bottom line - if you're racing go ahead and use the lightest
stuff available. If you're training or just out on a ride maybe you ought to
be using stuff that you can rely upon.