jimmuller 

Some of you may know that starting this spring I've been running a convoluted commute - drive to a train station, ride a commuter train with a bike to the station closest to work, then bike the rest of the way. The bike part is 13 miles, mostly road cycling, with some steep but not long climbs. My timing is limited by the train schedule and having to make some meetings at work, so I'm usually rushing.

Now, I own only two solo bikes, a '72 UO8 and a '73 Raleigh Gran Sport. Until today I've ridden it on the UO8, rock solid but heavy. In true C&V style it still has its original handlebar, steel crank, and pedals (with clips and straps). But it does have nice wheels, 28mm tires, a rack with panniers, handlebar bag, generator and lights. As equipped it probably weighs 31lbs or maybe even 32. Also I've tended to carry more stuff than I need because it easily handles lunch, clothes and a towel for a shower at the office, a book for the train ride, etc. The 2x5 gearing isn't ideal but is workable with a low of about 30in.

Today I rode the GS, 25lbs on the nose, with a customized compact double crank, 6-speed freewheel with a low of 30in, 25mm tires, only a handlebar bag. Of course I couldn't carry much but still managed clothes, a towel, a small lunch. For various reasons it's only the 2nd time this year I've managed to take the GS out.

Wow, what a difference. I'd forgotten how much quicker it felt. Both bikes corner about the same but the GS seems jumpier, quicker to accelerate and twitchier in a straight line. It demands more concentration at speed. Since the GS has a computer I now know I easily hit 30mph on some hills without trying. The GS rides bumps a bit harder but that could be the tires.

But the real eye-openers were the time and the ease of climbing. Both morning and evening trips were maybe 2 to 3min faster than my fastest time on the UO8. The steep hills westward from the Blackstone River felt easier, not really so challenging. I did some of the hills today without dropping down to the 30, and sometime without even dropping to the small chainring at all. Of course, the tighter gearing on the GS provides a slot or two not available on the UO8.

Today's run on the GS was an experiment. I will probably revert to using the UO8 because of its stability, it's carrying capacity, and it wider tires. What's a few pounds among friends? And I can always use the exercise. But the real lesson is that maybe it is the bike after all. Or at least, it isn't all not the bike, if you know what I mean.

-holiday76

I cut 15 minutes off my 75 minute commute by riding a "racing" bike with no racks over a tourer. It's the bike in that case.

4Rings6Stars

My commute is only about 6.5 miles. I rode a cross bike all winter with x32 tires that weighs about 24 lbs. wit accessories. When the weather and the roads improved I started riding my 19 lb. titanium "racing" style bike with 23's...WOW

I think a lot of the difference was the tires, but shaving 5 lbs. off the bike (a good deal of it in the wheels) made a big difference.

Jim, why not try some narrower tires and switch some of the steel bits on the U08 to alloy and have the best of both worlds?

jimmuller 

I've considered it many times. I figure the 28mm tires may be less prone to flatting. After all, I'm riding partly rt 123 from Attleboro, MA to Lincoln, RI. There's a lot of sand, occasional glass, debris, some potholes and cracked pavement, some concrete road surface, RR crossings, intersections with rts 146, I95, and 1/1A, etc. If I get a flat on the homeward trip and miss my train because of the delay, the next train comes 2 hrs later! On my very first trip I picked up a staple in a tire, probably from the office carpet. And a week later a tire went flat with a pinhole leak but with no obvious cause. I would almost have missed the train that time but the train was late.

As for the weighty bits, many years ago I upgraded the UO8 with Suntour derailleurs, alloy wheels, KKT pedals, Sugino Maxy crank, and Simplex alloy seatpost. Then later when I built up the GS I moved some of those parts over. When later I rebuilt the UO8 again I re-used the original pedals and crank to save cost. I have never removed the handlebar from the stem. Also I decided I liked the C&V-ness of the cottered crank and the pedals. (I blame BF for that! )

Eventually I found another crank for the GS so I could put the Maxy back on the UO8; I may even have a correct spindle. But the cottered crank works fine and I have plenty of other things to work on. If I really wanted to go weight-weenie I should pull off the generator and lights too, but I like the versatility of the lighting, which I do turn on every so often.

So in the end, it ain't broke enough to make me want to fix it.

nlerner

I'm no weight weenie, but it's certainly true in my experience that lighter bikes are much better climbers. A light bike with 30mm Grand Bois Cypres tires makes it all just about perfect.

Neal

auchencrow

My best climber is my '87 Cannondale SR400, and it's fun and fast to ride, but I wouldn't even consider a bike like that for a commuter.

Grim

Those that say "weight doesnt matter" live in the flat lands. My T700 in full commuter trim is 37lb. My Trek 420 is 26 with bag. My R300 (built as a R1000 with Campy wheels Ultegra etc) is 22lb. Huge improvements in speed and ease of the hills as the weight goes down. In the summer I dont need much so the R300 is used to comute a good bit.
T700 is going on a diet this week and pulling the rear rack and going with lighter tires to see if I can shave I hope 8lb. It is the most comfortable of the three but the slowest by far.

khatfull

A 20% improvement? What's the distance?

-holiday76

i know, it was crazy. It's 16 very hilly miles. On the tourer I'd gear WAY down and spin and really take my time. On the fast bike I'd be moving pretty good. I'm sure I could have improved the time slightly by just riding harder on the tourer, but:

-it's not fun to stand up on
-it handles the load weird when its gets thrown around
- the tires have more of a rolling resistance anyway and much of my extra energy would have been lost anyway

RobbieTunes

I think the Cornell study put the noticeable difference at 5 lbs, but I don't know the distance they used.
My guess is that those who ride a lot will notice it more, and terrain (climbing) is a differene.

My Kestrel at 15.9 vs. my 21.2 Ironman, yep, huge difference. For 15-25 miles, huge difference.
Over that, the Ironman starts to catch up, because you want to be anywhere but on that CF knife after about 1.5 hours.

I'd imagine, if every other variable was the same, the lighter bike would simply be easier to ride faster.

jimmuller 

Good grief! Is that before you put anything in its bags? When I get off the train in the afternoon I have to carry the bike up two flights of stairs to cross over the RR tracks. (I usually beat the escalator to the top.) I'd hate to have to carry a 37lb'er.

I was wondering about that time difference myself. 75 min in 1.25hrs = 12.8mph, not bad at all for commuting but indicative of spinning and taking one's time. I'd guess my speed westbound averages about 13.5, and eastbound (a net downhill) about 14.3. Waiting for stoplights hurts the average. But the whole ride has a lot of flat or nearly flat. On the lighter GS with better gearing I found I could hit the hills with more speed and also maintain a higher gear deeper into the hill, maybe even to the top.

So now I'm torn. Should I lighten the UO8 with crank, pedals, and handlebar or keep it C&V? Of course once I pull it apart if I can't find a good bar replacement or don't have a good spindle I won't be able to ride it again right away.

What say you?

Grim

Its is a 63cm touring bike so right out of the box it was 26-27 lb. It has a MTX super tourist rack on the back, Velo Orange Hunter pass with a Campagne bag on the front, fenders, Morph pump, Airzound, alien multi tool, spare tube...it all adds up.

urodacus

i commute (17 miles, less than an hour with a lot of climbing) on my 7 kg carbon thingie, or the Zunow if the weather is good... the Colnago singlespeed is for the weekend slow rides with the wife. i could not imagine commuting on a 37 lb monster! (I keep my work clothes in the locker at work where i have a shower).

be nice to yourself and nice to your old bikes... ride the pants off the lightest newest bike and keep the good for good.