General Cycling Discussion - Worlds lightest bike!!!

Check this out for lightweight!

May take a little while to download the site, but worth the wait (pun intended!)

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/articles.asp?ID=21

Rich

Thanks, Rich. That's less bike than I'll ever need. But fun to look at anyway.

Hehe,

I wonder how stable that thing is on the decents? As for that, would it matter on a road bike? :confused:

It's interesting to think how light is too light...certainly this bike would be an ideal climber, but would it take the punishment of the efforts of a sprint?

Makes me wonder

Rich

I think I could manage a sub 15lbs bike for pootling around country lanes on a sunny sunday afternoon. Im a 140lbs string bean, so I doubt I could flex an ultra-light frame. But a sub 10lbs bike, eeek.

For standard manufacturer's bikes, what size/weight rider are they designed for. Im sure Im riding bikes designed for much stronger, heavier riders than myself.

Originally posted by MichaelW
I think I could manage a sub 15lbs bike for pootling around country lanes on a sunny sunday afternoon. Im a 140lbs string bean, so I doubt I could flex an ultra-light frame. But a sub 10lbs bike, eeek.

For standard manufacturer's bikes, what size/weight rider are they designed for. Im sure Im riding bikes designed for much stronger, heavier riders than myself.

Ha! I'm 132. Gotcha beat! :p I often wonder about that, though- Bike frames must be designed so that the 21st guy who jumps on it doesent snap it in half. However, for a race, or a custom frame, can you just say- "Look, I weigh X- make the tubes thin enough to take whatever that weight can do and no more"? How many weight-saving holes could you cun into everything? :D

I think in the MTB scene a few years ago, people were drilling their components to save extra grams. I even did it to my 60 tooth downhill chainring, until I bent it that is!

Oh, the trials of unobstructed youth :rolleyes:

Rich

What do you say if I'm only 50kg? That would be only 110 pounds, who would wanna beat that? Height is more than 172, either I'm underweight or just acceptable.

What do you guys think then? Perhaps the only bike I can flex is the one built with tubes diameter of a strand of hair (exaggeration).

All i know is if my bike was only 10ib then i could do some mad stuff with it. Mine now is 23 and i like it like that but 10ib. . .damn!!

Jared

My lunch generally weighs more than that bike! :D

Very nice to look at but ... no thanks.

Well, I think very possible to have a 10 lbs bike that can take 200 lbs on it, it's just a matter of how much anyone no matter how rich is willing to pay for one or two pounds less.

Boeing uses a absoloute cutting edge carbon fiber material for aircraft fins; This material is so tough that one strand, YES JUST ONE STRAND of it that is only a few milimeters in thickness can be used to lift 300 people with an average weight of 60 kg.

I'm not sure if the caron fiber bikes we see for thousands of dollars use the same grade of material as that cause they are still prone to cracking, juts like they don't use spacecraft grade titanium in mountain bikes.

Build this bike (http://www.slingshotbikes.com/framedesign/folding/default.htm) with a strand of your carbon fiber Amir.

if I have the money I'll buy that Bike, to add to my collection bike of my dream

Originally posted by Rotifer
Build this bike (http://www.slingshotbikes.com/framedesign/folding/default.htm) with a strand of your carbon fiber Amir.

Sure, just give me four years to complete my Material Engineering degree.

Meanwhile, take a look at this: http://www.rqriley.com/xr2.html

Oxologic,

My wife is about your weight, and she likes her Trek hybrid aluminum bike. But she's more a runner than a biker.

John

Originally posted by Amir R. Pakdel


Sure, just give me four years to complete my Material Engineering degree.

Meanwhile, take a look at this: http://www.rqriley.com/xr2.html

Is that the fastest Pizza Cutter in the West??? :p

Rich

You have the question, if the bike would funchtion well being so light.

Or if it will lift off the ground.

Oh, that's nothin'. I saw an add on Houston Craigslist selling a "vintage" race bike from the 70s or 80s that weighed 9 lbs. I'll try to find it and post a link.

I think I could manage a sub 15lbs bike for pootling around country lanes on a sunny sunday afternoon. Im a 140lbs string bean, so I doubt I could flex an ultra-light frame. But a sub 10lbs bike, eeek.

For standard manufacturer's bikes, what size/weight rider are they designed for. Im sure Im riding bikes designed for much stronger, heavier riders than myself.

You make a good point, and this question gets discussed in the "Clydesdale" section on occasion. But the general observation is that when you buy a ready-made bike, the wheels are the weak point for a heavy rider, rather than the frame. You occasionally hear of frames breaking, but much more often of spokes breaking (and that was my experience at 280 lbs riding a $100 mountain bike).

I couldn't find the ad I remember, but here's a 5 lbs. winner:
http://houston.craigslist.org/bik/725645627.html

Check this out for lightweight!

May take a little while to download the site, but worth the wait (pun intended!)

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/articles.asp?ID=21

Rich

That's from 2002, it's no longer true. I have noticed lots of web pages never get updated.

There is a sub 8 lb Litespeed Ghisallo that has been around for a couple of years. You can find it on line if you look. There are at least two threads about it in the forums. Try searching the forums for "Litespeed Ghisallo". It may have been beaten by now by another bike. It has a Carbon Fiber 7 speed Casette.

weight doesnt mean much as compared to leg strength, aerodynamics,and rolling resistance.

I wander how fast lance can go on my trek classic cruiser with 2.125 tires,steel rims and thorn resistant tubes.They call these bikes grandma bikes,but it take more than a grandma to ride these bikes,trust me,especially on my 30-50 mile, 3-5 hour or more bike rides at about 8-10 mph.

Say the average adult American is 180 lbs. Responsible companies, worried about lawsuits will make the bike sturdy enough to handle at least twice that weight or more under normal usage. No riding off of curbs at the upper limit though.