Bike weights, don't get it
05-24-15, 08:35 AM
#51
~>~
The aerodynamic benefit of a large canvas seatbag vs. a wicker front basket is crucial in the FM TT but the lack of carrying capacity prevents returning home with a watermelon.
Such are compromises one makes for Pure Town Bike performance......
BTW: Get a proper British bike of the Classic era as soon as possible and rig it out with as much obsolete "lightweight" equipment as possible, the finest fresh produce is just an AW click away.
-Bandera
05-24-15, 08:42 AM
#52
~>~
Hold on a sec, I just came to a realisation ... Could you not have simply left home 5 minutes earlier, arrived in comfort, saved a fortune by not buying all those weight weenie parts, not drip sweat all over that fine produce, and gotten first pick at the good stuff? And even have enegh energy left over for a mad-mad cackle as the willy-nilly school teacher arrives?
-Bandera
05-24-15, 09:30 AM
#53
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All down to marketing and image ! Check out the experts Video on U-Tube which cuts through all the bull****, Unless you are built like a whippet and as fit as a racehorse, weight doesn't matter too much. If you are heavy built, you are simply a heavy engine, regardless of the weight of the bike !
05-24-15, 09:56 AM
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Ultimate lightness, and weight weenies are kind of a joke unless you are a professional rider. I remember the wight weenies drilling EVERYTHING to get rid of .0000564 grams of weight in the 80s. It ended up they drilled so much things broke, and if that happens you dont finish the race. Im not saying it is ok to ride and iron pipe discount store bike, but common sense should prevail.
05-24-15, 10:08 AM
#57
~>~
That's just Crazy Talk when you get home w/ 6lbs of local organic Berkshire pork chops and few links of hand made Country Sausage from the FM in the seatbag.
Fire up the grill and enjoy both with a few Shiners, home made creamed corn and potato salad!
-Bandera
Fire up the grill and enjoy both with a few Shiners, home made creamed corn and potato salad!
-Bandera
05-24-15, 10:31 AM
#58
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True, a lighter bike will accelerate faster and attain a higher velocity than a heavier bike, all things being equal; even if that bike is infinitesimal lighter. But according to the Theory of Special Relativity, as an object approaches the speed of light it also approaches infinite mass. So in the end both bikes weigh the same and the point is mute.
05-24-15, 10:40 AM
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05-24-15, 11:10 AM
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I have seen posts along the lines of "I need to get a really light bike to commute blah, blah blah. I also need to carry my spare clothes, lunch etc." Anything gained by that light bike is surely lost with the lunch. Quibbling over a few pounds feels pretty pointless. Obviously 50 vs 25 pounds would have a noticeable difference.
05-24-15, 11:18 AM
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I've mapped my Portland commute I did a few years ago. Not particularly long, but just WICKED. I suppose there was a short flat spot at the halfway point.
At least I never had to worry about being too cold for the morning ride.
Oh, and I think my lowest gear was 42/23.
05-24-15, 11:36 AM
#63
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I have never seen those posts. I do, however, daily see posts ridiculing non-pros who favor high performance or expensive gear. Reverse snobbism is strong here.
Personally, I'm a "ride what you like" guy. My bikes suit their intended purposes
I don't disagree there is reverse snobbism here but I also see people beating a dead horse on this or that would be better for you. when the person asking the question specifically said they weren't interested in what they are pushing I ride a custom surly L.H.T. not super high end but not big box store bike
Roy
05-24-15, 12:40 PM
#64
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It's like Copenhagen at my farmers market. Bike parking is almost as hard as the car parking. The poor cargo bikes and long tails just park randomly.
05-24-15, 12:55 PM
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True, a lighter bike will accelerate faster and attain a higher velocity than a heavier bike, all things being equal; even if that bike is infinitesimal lighter. But according to the Theory of Special Relativity, as an object approaches the speed of light it also approaches infinite mass. So in the end both bikes weigh the same and the point is mute.
05-24-15, 03:06 PM
#66
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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.
It comes down to choosing a bike that meets ones needs and desires, at a cost they are willing to spend.
Oh, and
@ bandera. 
05-24-15, 05:11 PM
#67
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Can you be as certain with a 2-3 pound difference that OP asked about?
@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.
@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.
I mean I agree to the average one of us a pound or two don't mean much and most of us would be better of if that pound or two came from us not the bike. But non of us are running around stick 5lb lead weight in our back pocket either!
05-24-15, 05:27 PM
#68
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And the reality is ... no one cares what you ride. No one but you.
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Rowan
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05-24-15, 06:21 PM
#69
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What!
You can't be serious.
Harv
You can't be serious.
Harv
05-24-15, 06:32 PM
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For riders of mid/high-end, med-size, road-bikes, weight is not an issue; all of these bikes weigh what they need to weigh and no more.
Weight is an issue for most smaller riders and entry-level bikes. These usually weigh much more than they need to.
Bikes are sometimes designed all wrong, eg fat tube profiles (as in aluminium frame), but made from steel, or bikes that look like they have suspension, but don't.
Weight is an issue for most smaller riders and entry-level bikes. These usually weigh much more than they need to.
Bikes are sometimes designed all wrong, eg fat tube profiles (as in aluminium frame), but made from steel, or bikes that look like they have suspension, but don't.
05-24-15, 07:08 PM
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Maybe I'm wrong, but I think at the end of the day its a concept for a build when the person doesn't actually have much of a goal for the bike. so they just try and build it light, for the sake and fun of it. I have goals when I get new bikes, I like them to do certain jobs, if being lighter in an area helps it do the job, great, if not, so be it.
people who just have money to spend building their 14th bike can afford to do it light just because.
people who just have money to spend building their 14th bike can afford to do it light just because.
05-24-15, 07:41 PM
#72
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I've got about 30 pounds to shave off my bike... Mostly in the rider, however. That's the cheapest spot to reduce your total weight from.
05-24-15, 07:41 PM
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That must have been a different Portland than I lived in.
I've mapped my Portland commute I did a few years ago. Not particularly long, but just WICKED. I suppose there was a short flat spot at the halfway point.
At least I never had to worry about being too cold for the morning ride.
Oh, and I think my lowest gear was 42/23.
I've mapped my Portland commute I did a few years ago. Not particularly long, but just WICKED. I suppose there was a short flat spot at the halfway point.
At least I never had to worry about being too cold for the morning ride.
Oh, and I think my lowest gear was 42/23.
Should have stated my post a little differently, my regular commutes are mostly flat, i live in north portland and the biggest hill i take is on interstate between alberta and lombard.
05-24-15, 08:18 PM
#74
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I am not a weight weenie - but I do notice weight when I ride. It is most obvious days like today when I ride one of my bikes - in this case my "commuter" - on back to back rides - but the second ride I pulled off the paniers and all the tools, lights, straps, and clothing bits contained. The only heavy bit that went with me was the U-lock. At that point the difference is obvious - but it is not a difference of mere grams.
I have a "vintage hot rod" bike that I keep stripped down just because it is good to get on a bike signifigantly lighter than my usual rides now and then - and likewise my no suspension MTB is kept bare because it, also, is a play bike, not a working bike.
Ultimately the importance of weight is a function of the purpose of your riding, and, of course, of the geography you ride in. I am in largest measure a utilty rider, with a healthy dose of commuter and kid hauler thrown in. I use my bikes to shift loads. Minor losses of weight are, to me, not hugely important.
Were I a competative rider of any ilk, the loss of weight would be much more important to me.
I have a "vintage hot rod" bike that I keep stripped down just because it is good to get on a bike signifigantly lighter than my usual rides now and then - and likewise my no suspension MTB is kept bare because it, also, is a play bike, not a working bike.
Ultimately the importance of weight is a function of the purpose of your riding, and, of course, of the geography you ride in. I am in largest measure a utilty rider, with a healthy dose of commuter and kid hauler thrown in. I use my bikes to shift loads. Minor losses of weight are, to me, not hugely important.
Were I a competative rider of any ilk, the loss of weight would be much more important to me.
05-24-15, 08:20 PM
#75
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However ... I DON"T get why KID'S bikes are USUALLY so darned HEAVY !!!