hilltowner

The steel frame bike took first place as lightest against all other materials: [URL=https://janheine.wordpress.com/2017/07/05/concours-de-machines-results/[/URL]

trailangel

I am guess the bike rides like a wet noodle.

HTupolev

I'm sure it does, considering that that was practically a design goal.

clasher

Seems to me the concours is also about innovation and the Weigle is a refinement of older ideas. I'd ride a bike like that in a heartbeat.

trailangel

They use a special French scale to weigh the bike. I don't believe the weight for a second. Call me a pessimist.
SON 412 gram front hub
Front and rear lights
Lugged steel frame
435 gram rims
333 gram tires
108 gram tubes
rack
fenders
steel stem
345 gram saddle


""Many observers were astonished by how little the bike weighed: 9.1 kg (20.0 lb) is remarkably light for a bike with full fenders, generator-powered lighting, rack, bell, pump, bottle cages and even a mudflap. The Weigle weighs exactly the same as the lightest carbon bike we’ve tested recently, the Open U.P., without fenders, racks or lights. How can a fully equipped steel bike be so light?""

Something doesn't add up for me. Maybe they have french adding machine.

HTupolev

The precision and accuracy needs of this context are well within what an old balance scale can provide. Unless the people operating the scale had absolutely no idea what they were doing, I don't see why the figures would be suspect.

All of the weights you listed add up to 5.5 pounds. Assuming the lights, rack, and stem were all stock Compass website stuff, that brings that list up to 7lbs. If we pretend the fenders are stock Honjo, then we're up to around 8lbs. Realistically those parts should add up to less than that, since many parts have been custom made or modified for reduced weight (through integration to reduce adjustment and mounting hardware, elimination of extreme derating, and some drillium).

So, that leaves >12lbs available for a steel road bike that's missing its saddle, its stem, and most of the pieces that make up the wheels. Which would be impressively light, but certainly possible.

unterhausen

it uses small tubes, so it is actually lighter weight than a lot of steel frames. I'm not sure how light you can get a steel fork. Maybe they lost because of the paperwork, the winner doesn't impress me at all. I think I'm using the same fork crown on my new frame, it's a brick. I know Peter machined it down a little, but I'm not sure how much weight you can really take off.

hilltowner

https://janheine.wordpress.com/2017/...s-de-machines/

blakcloud

If that bike is ride able in Jan size, then I tip my hat to them. Let me take that back, any bike can be ride able, but I wonder if that bike will be a long term keeper for Jan.

They also compared it to the Open U.P weight wise but that is a unfair comparison. I believe that Open U.P. builds a bike to cover a full range of riders' weight. I am sure a custom carbon built for the weight of the rider could bring the weight of the frame down. Argonaut bikes does this with their custom carbon. Let Argonaut build a similar bike and we may see less than 20 pounds.

None the less I am envious and would love to own a 20 pound wonder bike built by Peter Weigle.

ThermionicScott 

That's the plan. From a previous article:

palincss

The rack is a JP Weigle custom rack. "Peter Weigle also made a superlight rack. It weighs just 137 g when a standard Compass rack tips the scales at 168 g, and most production racks weigh 200 g or more." [https://janheine.wordpress.com/2017/...-de-machines/] The stem is also a Weigle custom stem. Fenders are re-profiled, and may not even be Honjos (I think they may be the Velo-Orange 650B Zeppelins). The bike is well documented in Bicycle Quarterly no. 61 as well as on Jan's blog.

unterhausen

we weren't talking about it any more for the last year and a half tho

you have an extra bracket on the blog link somehow https://janheine.wordpress.com/2017/...s-de-machines/

bwilli88 

I have seen the bike and it is as good as it gets. I have a few pictures and will upload them when I get to my computer.

IMG_20181006_124125376_HDR by Bwilli88, on Flickr


IMG_20181006_123733561_HDR by Bwilli88, on Flickr


IMG_20181006_123746832_HDR by Bwilli88, on Flickr

That thing sure was pretty. He followed the KISS principle, nothing extra, nothing missing.

unterhausen

JPW is definitely on my short list of people I would give money to build me a frame. If I had any.