diff --git a/benchmarks/benchmarks.py b/benchmarks/benchmarks.py
index e5d78e5c..b3e419c9 100644
--- a/benchmarks/benchmarks.py
+++ b/benchmarks/benchmarks.py
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ from __future__ import division
 from functools import partial
 
 
-class Base:
+class Comparison:
+    """Running time of wrapped empty loops"""
     def __init__(self, length):
         try:
             from time import process_time
@@ -12,78 +13,31 @@ class Base:
         except ImportError:
             from time import clock
             self.time = clock
-        from tqdm import tqdm
-        self.tqdm = tqdm
         try:
             self.iterable = xrange(int(length))
         except NameError:
             self.iterable = range(int(length))
 
-    def fraction(self, cls, invert=False):
+    def run(self, cls):
         pbar = cls(self.iterable)
         t0 = self.time()
         [0 for _ in pbar]
         t1 = self.time()
-        if invert:
-            return self.bench_time / (t1 - t0 - self.bench_time)
-        return (t1 - t0 - self.bench_time) / self.bench_time
+        return t1 - t0
 
+    def run_by_name(self, method):
+        return getattr(self, method.replace("-", "_"))()
 
-class Overhead(Base):
-    """Fractional overhead compared to an empty loop"""
-    def __init__(self):
-        super(Overhead, self).__init__(6e6)
-
-        # compare to empty loop
-        t0 = self.time()
-        [0 for _ in self.iterable]
-        t1 = self.time()
-        self.bench_time = t1 - t0
-
-    def tqdm_basic(self):
-        return self.fraction(self.tqdm)
+    def no_progress(self):
+        return self.run(lambda x: x)
 
     def tqdm_optimised(self):
-        return self.fraction(partial(self.tqdm, miniters=6e5, smoothing=0))
+        from tqdm import tqdm
+        return self.run(partial(tqdm, miniters=6e5, smoothing=0))
 
-
-overhead = Overhead()
-def track_tqdm(method):
-    if method == "no-progress":
-        return 1
-    global overhead
-    return getattr(overhead, method.replace("-", "_"))()
-track_tqdm.params = ["no-progress", "tqdm-basic", "tqdm-optimised"]
-track_tqdm.param_names = ["method"]
-track_tqdm.unit = "Relative time (lower is better)"
-
-
-class Alternatives(Base):
-    """Fractional overhead compared to alternatives"""
-    def __init__(self):
-        super(Alternatives, self).__init__(1e5)
-
-        # compare to `tqdm`
-        with self.tqdm(self.iterable) as pbar:
-            t0 = self.time()
-            [0 for _ in pbar]
-            t1 = self.time()
-        self.bench_time = t1 - t0
-
-        # invert to track `tqdm` regressions (rather than the alternative)
-        self.fraction = partial(self.fraction, invert=True)
-
-    # def progressbar(self):
-    #     from progressbar.progressbar import ProgressBar
-    #     return self.fraction(ProgressBar())
-
-    def progressbar2(self):
-        from progressbar import progressbar
-        return self.fraction(progressbar)
-
-    def rich(self):
-        from rich.progress import track
-        return self.fraction(track)
+    def tqdm(self):
+        from tqdm import tqdm
+        return self.run(tqdm)
 
     def alive_progress(self):
         from alive_progress import alive_bar
@@ -91,6 +45,7 @@ class Alternatives(Base):
         class wrapper:
             def __init__(self, iterable):
                 self.iterable = iterable
+
             def __iter__(self):
                 iterable = self.iterable
                 with alive_bar(len(iterable)) as bar:
@@ -98,15 +53,41 @@ class Alternatives(Base):
                         yield i
                         bar()
 
-        return self.fraction(wrapper)
+        return self.run(wrapper)
+
+    # def progressbar(self):
+    #     from progressbar.progressbar import ProgressBar
+    #     return self.run(ProgressBar())
+
+    def progressbar2(self):
+        from progressbar import progressbar
+        return self.run(progressbar)
+
+    def rich(self):
+        from rich.progress import track
+        return self.run(track)
+
+
+# thorough test against no-progress
+slow = Comparison(6e6)
+
+
+def track_tqdm(method):
+    return slow.run_by_name(method)
+
+
+track_tqdm.params = ["tqdm", "tqdm-optimised", "no-progress"]
+track_tqdm.param_names = ["method"]
+track_tqdm.unit = "Seconds (lower is better)"
+
+# quick test against alternatives
+fast = Comparison(1e5)
 
 
-alternatives = Alternatives()
 def track_alternatives(library):
-    if library == "tqdm":
-        return 1
-    global alternatives
-    return getattr(alternatives, library.replace("-", "_"))()
-track_alternatives.params = ["tqdm", "progressbar2", "rich", "alive-progress"]
+    return fast.run_by_name(library)
+
+
+track_alternatives.params = ["rich", "progressbar2", "alive-progress", "tqdm"]
 track_alternatives.param_names = ["library"]
-track_alternatives.unit = "Relative speed (higher is better)"
+track_alternatives.unit = "Seconds (lower is better)"