It's all relative. I could buy Lew's or Lightweights if I wanted. But to me, they're not worth it.

There is a knowable relationship between performance increases, and price, which get's quite steep on the right side of the graph. The elasticity of your own personal demand curve will determine where you end up intersecting.

or.....just leave the chronic alone and no lawyers, license, or Ohio to worry about.:p

naw...the ganja makes you ride better!

^ or makes you think you do.

I agree. I'm a weight weenie and I can afford Lew's or Lightweights but I'm really not interested in them. The weight of them are amazing but I don't see the point in 5k wheels. But at the same time I won't bash the guy who does buy them. More power to them, they picked up some amazing wheels.

"WHOA DUDE... I'm flying!" :::going 6 mph:::

Really what I mean by cheap is midrange, like veloce or 105, or LX parts.

What's an example of something light that isn't expensive?

Speedcific hubs.

Remember the old maxim, though... "Light, cheap, durable: choose two."

Not to mention the many light weight aluminium bars and stems that can be had for a fraction of the cost of the comparable carbon part.

KCNC Ti Pro Lite Seatpost - 140g - $100
Ritchey WCS 4-Axis Stem - 106g w/ Ti Bolts - $55
Selle Italia SLR - 140g - $100
Custom Wheels by Mike Garcia - 1300g - $450

And plenty more...

There are also uber light parts that cost a lot but if you want you can spend the same amount, maybe even less, than midrange parts. There are midrange parts that cost more than some light weight parts, it goes both ways. You don't have to spend a fortune to lighten your bike.

I was kidding. :)

great article! now...to find the perfect wheel at $2K or less...

Take a look at Bontrager Aelous 5.0 AC wheelset. They are an aluminum clincher with a carbon fairing, supposed to be developed with help from HED who knows a thing or two about aero. Last time I checked the price was about $1600 for the set and they come with a great warranty so you will have some piece of mind. Good luck.

Get a lighter mobile phone.

i already have the lighest cell phone on the market. i'm also wearing the lightest shoes, helmet, jersey, socks, and biking shorts. i start taking diuretics days before my rides...i evacuate my bowels with Golytely...i also spit to the side as i ride to lose weight during the ride! i shave all the hair off every inch of my body...and i cut my nails short. and finally, i go sans all corrective eyeware. i can't see where i'm going...but i'm going fast!

I'm not impressed until you remove some toes.

He wants to get lighter, not heavier. Bonty makes great wheels, but clinchers are not the way to go if you want to lower the weight of your bike.

I'd take a look at Reynold DVs (durable, light, aero), the NEW Zipp 404s, Aeolus 5.0 (heavier but most durable of the lot), Shimano Carbon 50, etc. The last two are heavier than the first pair, but I've never heard of anyone breaking either of them.

Another option is to get one of the many models of wheels built up with old non-dimpled 404 rims, and save some money for the inevitable rim replacement.

things are getting narrowed down, i think...

i'm thinking about american classic carbon 58's with sapim spokes...$1600 new...aero 58mm depth...and only around 1050g. i think i'd put these on my p2c.

then for my roubaix...i'm think either nimble fly's...or zipp 202's or 303's..

AC 58s are around 1225g...

And anyone that pays full retail for wheels like that is a sucker, honestly.

oh woops! was looking at the 38's! yeah...i dont expect to pay msrp just posted it because i haven't looked up what i could actually get them for.

Yeah well, i weigh 63kg at a height of 175cm. My doc has strongly advised me not to lose 10 pounds. (And before i would start riding heavy bikes, i'd rather keep my Ti monster and put on a few more pounds myself).

Weight Weenies is about making your bike lighter, and face it, thats also a part of cycling as a sport. It is by no means new, racers have always tried to make their bikes faster and lighter. The fellas at Weight Weenies do love to ride their bikes, as most members here do, too.. so why the hostility?

Martin,
WW Moderator

Start racing, join a team, move up in category several times. Then you'll get them for less than Ebay prices, or free.

That's cheap?

I don't consider a 100 dollar seatpost cheap, same goes for the saddle and wheels.

I'm going to throw my hat in the ring on this one. The idea that you can gain any sort of consistent, significant performance increase by shaving 3-400g off a set of wheels is ridiculous. I know from my weight lifting days, that on any given day, no matter how much rest you've had, no matter what you've eaten, your maximum output on any excercise can fluctuate by about 5-10%. We aren't machines and our muscles do not perform consistently; there are too many variables. So let's assume, optimistically, that a 1% decrease in rotational mass results in a 2% increase in performance. Any performance gain resulting from the drop in mass will be absorbed by day-to-day fluctuations in your power output.

On your most powerful days will you be faster with lighter wheels? Assuming identical road, and wind conditions? The laws of physics suggest you will be.

Is it worth the $2K the people on this forum are talking about spending? If you've got that kind of money to blow, give it to charity.