Body weight vs bike weight
10-04-20, 10:07 AM
#26
Junior Member
10-04-20, 12:10 PM
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,972
Bikes: Habanero Titanium Team Nuevo
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 399 Post(s)
Liked 186 Times
in
122 Posts
I ran one of my fastest marathons when I weight about 180 pounds did it in 3:10. My PR is 3:06 at 172. I am not overweight but at some point I lose muscle mass and today at 169 pounds I don't ride any faster than than a few years ago at around 175. Bike weight matters when climbing by far. On the flats those bigger guys can move. The real answer is body weight matters if you are overweight.
10-04-20, 03:22 PM
#28
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 5,956
Bikes: Colnago, Van Dessel, Factor, Cervelo, Ritchey
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3958 Post(s)
Liked 7,313 Times
in
2,951 Posts
Bike weight should never exceed body weight.
10-04-20, 04:16 PM
#30
I'm good to go!
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 15,011
Bikes: Tarmac Disc Comp Di2 - 2020
Mentioned: 51 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6203 Post(s)
Liked 4,816 Times
in
3,323 Posts
Likes For Iride01:
10-04-20, 06:55 PM
#31
Pizzaiolo Americano
In my opinion weight is weight; riding a bicycle is combination of Body + Bike Weight.
If I lost 3lbs of body weight or decided to ride by removing 3lbs of component weight from my bike the total weight reduced is still the same.
When I lost 10lbs one summer I was as fast as I had ever been on the bike - I could never find a way to remove 10lbs of component/frame weight from my bike (it only weighs 14lbs as it is).
If I lost 3lbs of body weight or decided to ride by removing 3lbs of component weight from my bike the total weight reduced is still the same.
When I lost 10lbs one summer I was as fast as I had ever been on the bike - I could never find a way to remove 10lbs of component/frame weight from my bike (it only weighs 14lbs as it is).
10-04-20, 10:39 PM
#32
Junior Member
10-05-20, 04:19 AM
#33
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: East Tennessee
Posts: 13
Bikes: 2006 Litespeed Firenze
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
It's 14.1 / 6.39 kg to be exact lol
I never really tried to make it super light or made a conscious effort to shave weight, it basically came this way- I just added wheels
Firenze frame, Ultegra 6600 components, HP design carbon fork, CC headset, Ritchey seat post, FSA ceramic bottom bracket, Bontrager XXX wheels
10-05-20, 04:41 AM
#34
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 1,680
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 980 Post(s)
Liked 776 Times
in
402 Posts
Most people need to try and justify upgrading their already expensive bicycles.
It’s not uncommon in other sports/hobbies but pound for pound(pun intended)cycling is at or near the top of the list for upgradeitis.
This is usually when the cost of sailing or owning an airplane or spaceship get referenced lol.
It’s not uncommon in other sports/hobbies but pound for pound(pun intended)cycling is at or near the top of the list for upgradeitis.
This is usually when the cost of sailing or owning an airplane or spaceship get referenced lol.
10-05-20, 06:04 AM
#35
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Music City, USA
Posts: 4,444
Bikes: bikes
Mentioned: 52 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2622 Post(s)
Liked 1,429 Times
in
711 Posts
Not instant, but certainly in the short term: starting a ride with two full water bottles and finishing with two empty ones. That's about four pounds.
I don't notice that.
10-05-20, 07:14 AM
#36
• —
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Land of Pleasant Living
Posts: 12,250
Bikes: Shmikes
Mentioned: 59 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10176 Post(s)
Liked 5,873 Times
in
3,161 Posts
Most people need to try and justify upgrading their already expensive bicycles.
It’s not uncommon in other sports/hobbies but pound for pound(pun intended)cycling is at or near the top of the list for upgradeitis.
This is usually when the cost of sailing or owning an airplane or spaceship get referenced lol.
It’s not uncommon in other sports/hobbies but pound for pound(pun intended)cycling is at or near the top of the list for upgradeitis.
This is usually when the cost of sailing or owning an airplane or spaceship get referenced lol.
Likes For MoAlpha:
10-06-20, 06:10 PM
#37
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Melbourne, Oz
Posts: 9,547
Bikes: https://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=152015&p=1404231
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1529 Post(s)
Liked 718 Times
in
510 Posts
2# difference can't be felt. Not at all. Not in the least. Anyone saying they can feel 2# lighter overall when riding a bike is lying to you or to themselves. If an average enthusiast male cyclist is 170#, they are 190#(at least) with clothing and bike gear. Changing that to 188# is basically a 1% change in overall weight. Nope, not gonna feel it. And since many are over 170#, that weight difference is an even smaller % for them.
10-06-20, 06:42 PM
#38
Sunshine
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,619
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10971 Post(s)
Liked 7,499 Times
in
4,194 Posts
10-06-20, 10:31 PM
#39
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Melbourne, Oz
Posts: 9,547
Bikes: https://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=152015&p=1404231
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1529 Post(s)
Liked 718 Times
in
510 Posts
Pretty sure I could feel a 100g difference in seat or bars, to up the stakes. I was being conservative. Seems to me you haven't done much bike upgrading...
And to head off any straw manning, I'll repeat it'd make stuff-all difference to speed. Bike would definitely feel snappier with 100g less up top though, without a doubt.
Last edited by Kimmo; 10-06-20 at 10:35 PM.
10-07-20, 12:49 PM
#41
Me duelen las nalgas
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 13,513
Bikes: Centurion Ironman, Trek 5900, Univega Via Carisma, Globe Carmel
Mentioned: 199 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4560 Post(s)
Liked 2,802 Times
in
1,800 Posts
I can feel the difference in bike weight between my 24 lb steel bike and sub-20 lb carbon bikes. Can't say it translates to consistent speed increases.
Ditto, carrying stuff on the bike vs in my jersey pockets. Feels different. Doesn't translate to consistent differences in speed. When I put my mini-pump, spare tube and patch kit in a jersey pocket rather than on the bike, the bike *feels* lighter and more responsive. The slight added weight on my body *feels* like it might be helping a bit with acceleration when I stand to stomp the pedals. But none of that works out to any data that leans one way or the other.
But I don't race or do anything that would benefit from lighter weight overall or lighter wheels for quicker acceleration. Our terrain is mostly rollers, lots of short, steep-ish hillettes, and it's rare to find a steady climb that lasts longer than a couple of minutes without at least a short flat or slight downhill. Once I'm rolling I doubt any of it matters.
Biggest single improvement I could make would be aero gains, but with a gimpy neck there are limits to how long I can hold an aero tuck. So even a TT/tri-bike wouldn't gain me much, although the weight wouldn't matter much either. When I've used aero bars I averaged the same modest speed gain on my 1989 road bike with old Scott aero bars and on a mid-2000s time trial bike with more comfortable Profile carbon aero bars. All that mattered was getting low, not the weight or shape of the bike.
Ditto, carrying stuff on the bike vs in my jersey pockets. Feels different. Doesn't translate to consistent differences in speed. When I put my mini-pump, spare tube and patch kit in a jersey pocket rather than on the bike, the bike *feels* lighter and more responsive. The slight added weight on my body *feels* like it might be helping a bit with acceleration when I stand to stomp the pedals. But none of that works out to any data that leans one way or the other.
But I don't race or do anything that would benefit from lighter weight overall or lighter wheels for quicker acceleration. Our terrain is mostly rollers, lots of short, steep-ish hillettes, and it's rare to find a steady climb that lasts longer than a couple of minutes without at least a short flat or slight downhill. Once I'm rolling I doubt any of it matters.
Biggest single improvement I could make would be aero gains, but with a gimpy neck there are limits to how long I can hold an aero tuck. So even a TT/tri-bike wouldn't gain me much, although the weight wouldn't matter much either. When I've used aero bars I averaged the same modest speed gain on my 1989 road bike with old Scott aero bars and on a mid-2000s time trial bike with more comfortable Profile carbon aero bars. All that mattered was getting low, not the weight or shape of the bike.
Likes For canklecat:
