Translate bike weight to speed
I'm curious, how much does reduced bike weight translate into a speed increase?
If anyone knows of a study that looks specifically at this I'd be very interested in that. Otherwise just anecdotal feedback from users that have gone to a lighter bike would be great; how much did your avg pace improve? |
"Say is ain't so, Joe."
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I have a nice CF road bike and a steel touring bike that weighs about 10 lbs more. I'm about 2-3 mph faster on the road bike on flat roads. In the hills I'm even slower on the touring bike.
However the touring bike has much fatter tires (700x32 vs 700x25) which along with the wider wheels makes the bike not as aerodynamic. Speaking of aerodynamics, I sit much more upright on the touring bike. Therefore while I think that the weight slows me down, it's probably only a part of the issue. |
I have ridden aluminum, steel (several), titanium and carbon fiber ranging from 13.5 to 22.0 lb. All similar geometry road bikes. NO difference in speed at all, ever.
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Originally Posted by Dryvlyne
(Post 17754885)
I'm curious, how much does reduced bike weight translate into a speed increase?
If anyone knows of a study that looks specifically at this I'd be very interested in that. Otherwise just anecdotal feedback from users that have gone to a lighter bike would be great; how much did your avg pace improve? |
Originally Posted by rpenmanparker
(Post 17754918)
I have ridden aluminum, steel (several), titanium and carbon fiber ranging from 13.5 to 22.0 lb. All similar geometry road bikes. NO difference in speed at all, ever.
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@asgelle - that is a great link, thanks for sharing! I'm definitely looking forward to digging into that more tonight.
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Translate bike weight to speed
There are a number of online calculators that answer this question. 2 lbs weight difference on flat ground, the difference will be extremely small.
With lots of accelerations (like in a crit) it would make a very small difference. Sustained climbs the 2lbs would be worth a couple of seconds a mile. There is a real and measurable difference, buts so small as to be almost imperceptible. |
@merlinextraligh - let me ask this then, at what weight difference would you consider it worthy of upgrading your bike if you simply wanted to help improve your pace?
I know this is comparing apples to oranges but when I switched from an MTB to road bike my pace improved dramatically given similar conditions (I was riding the MTB on the road). Now that I'm on an actual road bike I'm trying to ascertain at what point it makes sense to upgrade to a newer bike provided that I'm as well conditioned as I can be physically. The most logical thing for me to first consider was the weight of the bike but I'm sure there are other factors as well. |
This is a pretty good article on how much speed a lighter bike really gets you. Of course this is comparing bikes that are all pretty light to start with:
Bike Weight and the Myth of Fast Bikes - usatriathlon.org |
Originally Posted by rpenmanparker
(Post 17754918)
I have ridden aluminum, steel (several), titanium and carbon fiber ranging from 13.5 to 22.0 lb. All similar geometry road bikes. NO difference in speed at all, ever.
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Originally Posted by svtmike
(Post 17755023)
I believe this observation for a Houston (flat as a pancake terrain) rider.
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Originally Posted by Dryvlyne
(Post 17755016)
@merlinextraligh - let me ask this then, at what weight difference would you consider it worthy of upgrading your bike if you simply wanted to help improve your pace?
I know this is comparing apples to oranges but when I switched from an MTB to road bike my pace improved dramatically given similar conditions (I was riding the MTB on the road). Now that I'm on an actual road bike I'm trying to ascertain at what point it makes sense to upgrade to a newer bike provided that I'm as well conditioned as I can be physically. The most logical thing for me to first consider was the weight of the bike but I'm sure there are other factors as well. |
I am just as fast on my 16 lbs titanium Seven as I am on my 19 lbs aluminum Giant and steel Zanconato. They have essentially identical contact points (so the fit between them is essentially identical), and use similar tires (25 mm high quality clinchers). I live in Atlanta, and most of the routes I use are pretty hilly (about 60-80 ft elevation gain per mile).
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Originally Posted by Dryvlyne
(Post 17754885)
I'm curious, how much does reduced bike weight translate into a speed increase?
If anyone knows of a study that looks specifically at this I'd be very interested in that. Otherwise just anecdotal feedback from users that have gone to a lighter bike would be great; how much did your avg pace improve? Analytic Cycling Speed Given power agrees - try .4 m^2 Sd, .760 Cd from Gibertini and Grassi's paper, 71.2 kg, and .004 Crr which is close for nice tires - 9.93 m/s, 22.2 MPH On a 6% climb that's 4.35 meters/second, 9.7 MPH. Dropping bike weight to 15 pounds for 69.4 kg total weight would net 9.94 meters/second or 22.2 MPH on flat ground and 4.45 meters/second, 10.0 MPH up-hill. That's a 2.2% speedup and good for 41 seconds an hour on an up-hilll time trial like the Mt. Diablo Challenge. Heavier riders will see smaller gains. IOW, for practical values of "lighter" it usually does not matter. |
Hmm, I don't know about weight of the bike, but I know damned sure that I am a lot faster when I weigh 10 lbs less.
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Originally Posted by Dryvlyne
(Post 17755016)
The most logical thing for me to first consider was the weight of the bike but I'm sure there are other factors as well.
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Originally Posted by baron von trail
(Post 17755072)
I am a lot faster when I weigh 10 lbs less.
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just a little tiny face-palm
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Originally Posted by Dryvlyne
(Post 17755016)
@merlinextraligh - let me ask this then, at what weight difference would you consider it worthy of upgrading your bike if you simply wanted to help improve your pace?
I know this is comparing apples to oranges but when I switched from an MTB to road bike my pace improved dramatically given similar conditions (I was riding the MTB on the road). Now that I'm on an actual road bike I'm trying to ascertain at what point it makes sense to upgrade to a newer bike provided that I'm as well conditioned as I can be physically. The most logical thing for me to first consider was the weight of the bike but I'm sure there are other factors as well. So weight is really the smallest part of the equation, and in terms of performance its just not worth worying aobut unless you're racing, and then only if you're losing races by a couple of seconds. But there are other reasons to get a lighter bike. They feel nicer, they're easier to put up in the garage, and you get to brag about how light your bike is. I paid a lot of money to get a 13lb pound bike, and I like it a lot, but I'm not deluding myself that it's worth it beause I'm faster on it. Its worth it because I like how it rides, and looks, and being able to brag about my 13lb bike. If you're riding a bike that's over 23-24lbs, I think you can make a reasonable case that the weight savings of getting a 17-18 lb bike will result in a noticeable, albeit small improvement, and at not too great a cost. If you've got an 18 pound bike, and want to go to 15 pounds you'll pay a lot for the privilege. |
Originally Posted by asgelle
(Post 17754967)
Unless you're dialing back your power as weight goes down, there most certainly is a difference in speed. Now whether you or whatever you're using to measure are sensitive enough to notice is another question.
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5mph is my answer.
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Originally Posted by ahsposo
(Post 17755093)
just a little tiny face-palm
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
(Post 17755081)
Less than what?
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Originally Posted by JerrySTL
(Post 17754908)
I have a nice CF road bike and a steel touring bike that weighs about 10 lbs more. I'm about 2-3 mph faster on the road bike on flat roads. In the hills I'm even slower on the touring bike.
However the touring bike has much fatter tires (700x32 vs 700x25) which along with the wider wheels makes the bike not as aerodynamic. Speaking of aerodynamics, I sit much more upright on the touring bike. Therefore while I think that the weight slows me down, it's probably the smallest part of the issue. |
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