I disagree. For me, it is counterproductive to deliberately change a bike to make it harder to ride while getting no benefit out of the change.

I already ride cheap, heavy steel frames from the 80s. Still, as drop bar bikes, necessary speed to even begin to get my HR up is a bit more than I want on our various trails.

I switched to touring bars which shifts to a different range of body angles that increase wind surface area coefficient and reduce aerodynamic efficiency. That helps give me a good workout while going a few mph slower.

But it also improves ride comfort for long rides, and I’m actually doing longer rides (was already the trend since returning to SS.). It makes riding more fun and more weight bearing because I can comfortably stand up for a much larger fraction of the ride.

Just riding some heavy ponderous bike would simply cause me to switch to walking or running. YMMV.

Otto

If you're 12 feet high and 8 feet wide, like a freight train, maybe. But you'd probably want a heavy bike to carry your massive (bicycling) engine.

Hi, ABout to buy a road bike and need some advice. are their expert road cyclists online here ?

How do I do thread in reverse chronological order so I can see who is on here ?

obvious troll is obvious.

ABout to buy a 2006 Trek Madone 5.2. All Carbon. Ultegra all through except Dura Ace front DeRailler. Zipp 303 and 404 wheels. Looks in good shape. Seller is asking $900. Can anyone give me an idea of how much to pay?

You may want to consider going back to drop bars and adding a small parachute for a bit of drag.

Yay! Another plus for heavier bikes!

Not in this thread!

Of course I tried that, but the chute tends to catch on bikes and pedestrians as I pass them, and dragging more than two or three of them is just too much pedal effort.

Otto

I suspect troll thread, but taking it at face value...

There are some questionable assumptions here.

Is there really any evidence that heavier bikes are more rugged / reliable? In my view, most high quality bikes are a lot less delicate than they look, and can give you endless trouble-free miles if you maintain the consumable parts such as tires and brake pads. And a heavyweight bike can be made by combining a heavy frame with things like inferior wheels, which probably do affect durability.

Are lighter bikes even necessarily newer? I have a 22 pound bike that is on average about 35 years old, and was not cutting edge in its day.

Is this really driven by the industry brainwashing us? How would I know if I've been brainwashed?

No gravel roads are too rugged for a gravel bike. Some may be too rugged for some riders on a gravel bike.

That's obvious. But it's not like it's going to make a lot of difference in making you stronger. My old mountain bike is 10 pounds heavier than my hybrid. Not a lot, really. For example, if you do weight training, 10 pounds isn't a huge difference and you should be able to add 10 lbs of weight within a couple of months but it won't be long before your body adapts and then you have to increase the weight. I think when it comes to getting a better workout cycling, ride faster and ride uphill -depending on the geography of your place of course- and ride faster going uphill. I'd rather have the option of being light (lighter bike). But if I want more weight I can always wear those exercise vests/clothing (not sure what they're called) that you can load with weight blocks. I always see guys wearing those.

heavy bikes don't give a better (or worse) workout. bike riding is not weight lifting, it's aerobic activity. So you'll just go slower for the equivalent effort.

Yes but think of the awesome workout you're getting! The rest of us riding without towing all the extra weight are just chumps.

Duplicate threads merged.

Here's your ride, preventec47 . Don't stop with the bone-stock version, though; load it up with the thicker tubes, tire sealant, tire liners, chromed-steel fenders, rear baskets, large front basket, and front drum brake. Then go aftermarket for lights, an electric air-horn, maybe a 50-watt stereo system ...

https://www.worksmancycles.com/inb.html

Light bike show themselves in two places - accelerating away from a stop or climbing. If you're not doing either of those the weight of a bike is pretty meaningless.

I’ve earned my permanent man card.

if you want to move slow & want a workout, in-door trainer is best. You're physical mph will be 0 & you can add as much resistance allowed. all while respecting the mup by not being on it.

If you dont have solid tires on your heavy bike you are probably a communist - maybe a secret spy ! ( is it still ok to pick on communists )

No manly man ever would ever want to consider fooling around with flat tires !

Any time there are two bikes going the same direction on a road, it's a race. So heavy bikes are only good if you ride on deserted roads.

"Better" is subjective, so this whole thread is sort of just, "I like what I like." But ... because it is stated as a fact, not an opinion, this is sure to attract a little controversy.

For example, for me, typing less and riding more is "better," but I wouldn't try to push that idea on folks here .......

He’s just awful. Sad thing is that he thinks he’s clever.

Nah, one of the "heaviest" reasons for me to move to a titanium Omnium cargo bike from my Bullitt was that no matter what I did to the Bullitt I could never make it as light as even a steel Omnium. And the lighter the bike, the more "stuff" you can carry uphill.

Seriously, I'm not a weight-weenie, but heavy bikes better than light bikes? Hell no!

$900.