Bike weights, don't get it
05-23-15, 06:32 PM
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@Rowan, it's just as valid to look at it in terms of energy (as you prefer) as it is in terms of power. But the answer is about the same. One percent more total weight (around 2 pounds) will mean one percent more energy needed to climb the hill at the same speed. For your acceleration, one percent more kinetic energy at a certain speed.
If one of your 100 mile rides was all uphill, you'd save enough energy with 2 pounds to go 101 miles instead. Ten or twenty times that much extra weight, sure you'll notice that in various ways.
05-23-15, 06:48 PM
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05-23-15, 06:56 PM
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Adding weight is for endurance training and fitness. And yes, I do carry several pounds on my middleweight and vintage bikes, as a matter of daily routine as I have to go buy groceries and such and have no car.
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05-23-15, 07:00 PM
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A lighter bike climbs and accelerates better than a heavy bike. It's pretty straightforward, for me at least.
05-23-15, 07:25 PM
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I see so many threads where people are looking to shed a few grams or ounces from a bike's weight. For an average rider how much difference does this really make. Let's say cutting a bike's weight by 2-3 pounds on a ride. (Not talking about carrying it up the stairs)
When I got my current bike I was warned it would be "heavy" but it is about 5-7 pounds lighter than the old one. And my purse weighs 5 pounds anyway. A full water bottle adds another pound.
Why is lighter better in the real world for non-professionals or racers.
When I got my current bike I was warned it would be "heavy" but it is about 5-7 pounds lighter than the old one. And my purse weighs 5 pounds anyway. A full water bottle adds another pound.
Why is lighter better in the real world for non-professionals or racers.
The difference really shows up in the hills.
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05-23-15, 07:33 PM
#31
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No one here is disagreeing that it saves energy and adds speed to lighten a bike, What some here can't seem to get, is some of us don't care about speed or saving a little energy . The days I may only get to ride 1-2 miles in the neighbor is the main reason I keep a Mongoose Brutus It takes a lot of energy to ride that bike-like object. if I can't go ride a trail it burns a few more calories than my Surly's on short rides. My life goes too fast as it is I ride a bike to slow down when I can .
05-23-15, 07:37 PM
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No one here is disagreeing that it saves energy and adds speed to lighten a bike, What some here can't seem to get, is some of us don't care about speed or saving a little energy . The days I may only get to ride 1-2 miles in the neighbor is the main reason I keep a Mongoose Brutus It takes a lot of energy to ride that bike-like object. if I can't go ride a trail it burns a few more calories than my Surly's on short rides. My life goes too fast as it is I ride a bike to slow down when I can .
But for some of us, lighter is just simply more comfortable.
If I want to do a ride from home, I can roll downhill to the beach and ride up and down the relatively short distance along the beach. That would be easy on just about any bicycle ... but then there's getting back home. Uphill all the way, and steep hills too. Or if I want to cycle anywhere else, I'm surrounded by steep hills.
So for me ... lighter is better. Lighter just makes the ride so much more pleasant. I can feel comfortable going further.
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05-23-15, 08:49 PM
#33
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If you don't care, then you don't care. Don't worry about it. No one is forcing you to buy a light bicycle, buy light components or lose weight.
But for some of us, lighter is just simply more comfortable.
If I want to do a ride from home, I can roll downhill to the beach and ride up and down the relatively short distance along the beach. That would be easy on just about any bicycle ... but then there's getting back home. Uphill all the way, and steep hills too. Or if I want to cycle anywhere else, I'm surrounded by steep hills.
So for me ... lighter is better. Lighter just makes the ride so much more pleasant. I can feel comfortable going further.
But for some of us, lighter is just simply more comfortable.
If I want to do a ride from home, I can roll downhill to the beach and ride up and down the relatively short distance along the beach. That would be easy on just about any bicycle ... but then there's getting back home. Uphill all the way, and steep hills too. Or if I want to cycle anywhere else, I'm surrounded by steep hills.
So for me ... lighter is better. Lighter just makes the ride so much more pleasant. I can feel comfortable going further.
) I have not rode a carbon bike far enough to have an opinion I have rode several light weight aluminum bikes back before carbon fiber and didn't care for them. From what I know about carbon fiber it should ride like aluminum stiff . I'm of the opinion as long as someone is riding and the bike is safe everything is good .
05-23-15, 09:06 PM
#34
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I add a pound to the front end of my bike with aerobars and I love it. I also use a steel fork sometimes instead of an aluminum one. For us light riders, adding weight to a bike and sometimes carrying heavy stuff in our backpacks makes us go downhill a lot faster.
05-23-15, 09:50 PM
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From the YMMV department: I can absolutely tell the difference between a 25 lb bike and a 35 lb bike but I didn't feel any different dropping myself from 225 to 200 lb. I just looked better.
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05-23-15, 10:14 PM
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25 years of cycling "seriously" ... and I've never had anyone try to convince me to get a lighter bicycle. Who is trying to convince you?
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05-24-15, 02:25 AM
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I see so many threads where people are looking to shed a few grams or ounces from a bike's weight. For an average rider how much difference does this really make. Let's say cutting a bike's weight by 2-3 pounds on a ride. (Not talking about carrying it up the stairs)
When I got my current bike I was warned it would be "heavy" but it is about 5-7 pounds lighter than the old one. And my purse weighs 5 pounds anyway. A full water bottle adds another pound.
Why is lighter better in the real world for non-professionals or racers.
When I got my current bike I was warned it would be "heavy" but it is about 5-7 pounds lighter than the old one. And my purse weighs 5 pounds anyway. A full water bottle adds another pound.
Why is lighter better in the real world for non-professionals or racers.
Hugemongous.
Ride a $1,000 bicycle and you can't live with your $500 bike.
Then you have a $1,000 bike and ride a $2,000 bike and so on and so on.
It's a sickness kid. A nice one though, I like to sit in my garage drink beer and look at my old car and my old bikes.
05-24-15, 02:54 AM
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My wife's trek is heavy... very heavy... so is my schwinn ~30 pounds i'd guess, but i love them both to bits, sometimes literally. portland is more or less flat, but their are some very satisfying hills to conquer, that i am yet to do. I'm one of those people that is not entirely sure whether or not i want to get way into cycling or if it is more commuting than anything else. Currently not too concerned with weight, but who knows what the future holds. i can certainly understand the appeal to having a light bike, considering my wife's mother does tri-athalons.
05-24-15, 04:14 AM
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When I was in college, we used to wear weighted belts (10lbs) around our waists. Run stairs, obstacles (climbing over walls, etc), running outdoors for long distances... That extra 10 pounds was brutal. It threw your balance off, made you tired quicker... But when we did those same exercises without the weight, boy did we fly.
I think it's important to not always ride with the lightest "gear". Bring extra water, multi tools, etc. And train yourself with that extra weight. Then treat yourself to the occasional ride with your lightest kit.
I think it's important to not always ride with the lightest "gear". Bring extra water, multi tools, etc. And train yourself with that extra weight. Then treat yourself to the occasional ride with your lightest kit.
05-24-15, 06:08 AM
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I see so many threads where people are looking to shed a few grams or ounces from a bike's weight. For an average rider how much difference does this really make. Let's say cutting a bike's weight by 2-3 pounds on a ride. (Not talking about carrying it up the stairs)
When I got my current bike I was warned it would be "heavy" but it is about 5-7 pounds lighter than the old one. And my purse weighs 5 pounds anyway. A full water bottle adds another pound.
Why is lighter better in the real world for non-professionals or racers.
When I got my current bike I was warned it would be "heavy" but it is about 5-7 pounds lighter than the old one. And my purse weighs 5 pounds anyway. A full water bottle adds another pound.
Why is lighter better in the real world for non-professionals or racers.
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05-24-15, 06:09 AM
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In this AM's dash to the Farmer's Mkt only the most prompt get the finest selection of produce.
By installing the lightest mudguards, baskets and bells one shaves grams and arrives first to get the best-of-the-best leaving the over-burdened to pick over the dross.
My primary competition in the 1 1/2 mile time trial to the FM is a wily retried school teacher running her superbly equipped and maintained Raleigh Dawn Tourist.
Only by building an ultra light machine stripped of even a kickstand, generator light or a wicker basket and employing lightweight aluminum rims, bar, stem, brakes, AW hub shell, seatpost and plastic mudguards am I able to arrive 1st at the Crazy-Talks-to-Plants Ladies' stand for the vital 1st pick of produce. A triumph of technology over cycling talent.
Shopping for local organic produce is serious business and requires serious state of the art town bike hardware to get the heirloom tomatoes at their un-blemished peak.
-Bandera
By installing the lightest mudguards, baskets and bells one shaves grams and arrives first to get the best-of-the-best leaving the over-burdened to pick over the dross.
My primary competition in the 1 1/2 mile time trial to the FM is a wily retried school teacher running her superbly equipped and maintained Raleigh Dawn Tourist.
Only by building an ultra light machine stripped of even a kickstand, generator light or a wicker basket and employing lightweight aluminum rims, bar, stem, brakes, AW hub shell, seatpost and plastic mudguards am I able to arrive 1st at the Crazy-Talks-to-Plants Ladies' stand for the vital 1st pick of produce. A triumph of technology over cycling talent.
Shopping for local organic produce is serious business and requires serious state of the art town bike hardware to get the heirloom tomatoes at their un-blemished peak.
-Bandera
05-24-15, 06:38 AM
#42
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In this AM's dash to the Farmer's Mkt only the most prompt get the finest selection of produce.
By installing the lightest mudguards, baskets and bells one shaves grams and arrives first to get the best-of-the-best leaving the over-burdened to pick over the dross.
My primary competition in the 1 1/2 mile time trial to the FM is a wily retried school teacher running her superbly equipped and maintained Raleigh Dawn Tourist.
Only by building an ultra light machine stripped of even a kickstand, generator light or a wicker basket and employing lightweight aluminum rims, bar, stem, brakes, AW hub shell, seatpost and plastic mudguards am I able to arrive 1st at the Crazy-Talks-to-Plants Ladies' stand for the vital 1st pick of produce. A triumph of technology over cycling talent.
Shopping for local organic produce is serious business and requires serious state of the art town bike hardware to get the heirloom tomatoes at their un-blemished peak.
-Bandera
By installing the lightest mudguards, baskets and bells one shaves grams and arrives first to get the best-of-the-best leaving the over-burdened to pick over the dross.
My primary competition in the 1 1/2 mile time trial to the FM is a wily retried school teacher running her superbly equipped and maintained Raleigh Dawn Tourist.
Only by building an ultra light machine stripped of even a kickstand, generator light or a wicker basket and employing lightweight aluminum rims, bar, stem, brakes, AW hub shell, seatpost and plastic mudguards am I able to arrive 1st at the Crazy-Talks-to-Plants Ladies' stand for the vital 1st pick of produce. A triumph of technology over cycling talent.
Shopping for local organic produce is serious business and requires serious state of the art town bike hardware to get the heirloom tomatoes at their un-blemished peak.
-Bandera
.So is that a carradice bag? How do you have it attached? I've been thinking of getting one for a while but then I'd have to find an old british bike . . . .
05-24-15, 06:45 AM
#43
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Isn't there a middle way? You could care a lot about light weight and pay a premium to make that happen. Or you could care less and never give it a moment's thought. Or you could (at least for your more serious riding), use good quality gear but not pay a bomb for light weight stuff. That's always more or less been my philosophy.
My lightest weight bike that I ride on a regular basis is probably right around 23 pounds. Nothing fancy but everything is pretty decent quality.
My lightest weight bike that I ride on a regular basis is probably right around 23 pounds. Nothing fancy but everything is pretty decent quality.
05-24-15, 07:02 AM
#44
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Do you care about your performance within a few percent points?
Yes: Few pounds will make a difference to you.
No: Few pounds won't make a difference to you.
Each to his own.
Yes: Few pounds will make a difference to you.
No: Few pounds won't make a difference to you.
Each to his own.
05-24-15, 07:09 AM
#45
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05-24-15, 07:35 AM
#47
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I choose the bike that fits my mood of the day. The LHT if I feel like taking the ride at an easier pace, preparing for a tour, or going further than a century. The Roubaix if I feel like going fast (relatively), am riding with the Tursday night bunch, or need to cover the miles in a short amount of time. And to me, grams do matter, because they turn into pounds. Just as each day on a tour turns into weeks and miles turn into hundreds of miles.
05-24-15, 07:42 AM
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Personally, I'm a "ride what you like" guy. My bikes suit their intended purposes.
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05-24-15, 08:10 AM
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In this AM's dash to the Farmer's Mkt only the most prompt get the finest selection of produce.
By installing the lightest mudguards, baskets and bells one shaves grams and arrives first to get the best-of-the-best leaving the over-burdened to pick over the dross.
My primary competition in the 1 1/2 mile time trial to the FM is a wily retried school teacher running her superbly equipped and maintained Raleigh Dawn Tourist.
Only by building an ultra light machine stripped of even a kickstand, generator light or a wicker basket and employing lightweight aluminum rims, bar, stem, brakes, AW hub shell, seatpost and plastic mudguards am I able to arrive 1st at the Crazy-Talks-to-Plants Ladies' stand for the vital 1st pick of produce. A triumph of technology over cycling talent.
Shopping for local organic produce is serious business and requires serious state of the art town bike hardware to get the heirloom tomatoes at their un-blemished peak.
-Bandera
By installing the lightest mudguards, baskets and bells one shaves grams and arrives first to get the best-of-the-best leaving the over-burdened to pick over the dross.
My primary competition in the 1 1/2 mile time trial to the FM is a wily retried school teacher running her superbly equipped and maintained Raleigh Dawn Tourist.
Only by building an ultra light machine stripped of even a kickstand, generator light or a wicker basket and employing lightweight aluminum rims, bar, stem, brakes, AW hub shell, seatpost and plastic mudguards am I able to arrive 1st at the Crazy-Talks-to-Plants Ladies' stand for the vital 1st pick of produce. A triumph of technology over cycling talent.
Shopping for local organic produce is serious business and requires serious state of the art town bike hardware to get the heirloom tomatoes at their un-blemished peak.
-Bandera
Last edited by steve_cay; 05-24-15 at 09:17 AM.
05-24-15, 08:18 AM
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Well for me the lighter seems more efficient, and don't produce as much fatigue as a heavier bike. This is based on my opinion from the bikes I have ridden. 