Originally Posted by
celerystalksme
well...i found a site about bike equipment called weight weenies...and i was perusing the sight, figure out where i can cut weight and how much weight i can cut on either my road or tri bike. but is it worth it? if i went ALL OUT and dropped thousands and thousands of dollars...i can cut MAYBE 5 lbs from my bike. but i mean...it's 5-6 freaking pounds! will that really make an appreciable difference? honestly? i mean shoot...my weight fluctuates 10 lbs from month to month...sometimes i can lose or gain 10 lbs in a week!
now...i do remember from physics class that rotational mass matters more. if i spent a ridiculous amount of money...rims, tires, spokes, etc...i can cut maybe 2 lbs of rotational mass. can you feel that? will that significantly improve my splits?
I consider myself a weight weenie and yes it does make a difference. By losing 3 lbs from your bike will you win the Tour de France? Of course not but your bike will feel more responsive and will accelerate quicker, at least that's what I've noticed. I removed 3lbs from my MTB and the bike feels totally different to me. And don't believe what people say, rotating mass is NOT a myth. Simple logic will tell you that a lighter wheel will accelerate faster than a heavier one. The same concept is applied to racing cars. The wheels they use are extremely light which take less force to rotate. If you are going to shed some weight I would do the wheels first, that's the biggest noticeable improvement.
Being a weight weenie also adds to the cycling experience. I love the thought of getting my bike down to a very light weight.