Bike weight Vs rider weight
Gobs
Posts: 296
Shaving 1kg off a bikes weight can massively influence the way it rides, the question is, does rider weight too? What difference does it make?
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Meaning I'll be faster up the ascents?0
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Doesnt it really depend on what your starting point/level of fitness is?
If you are starting out as I was then you are increasing skill, strength, stamina, endurance, as well as decreasing weight.
In two months I've lost 1 stone and cut my regular 18 mile ride by 1hour 10 minutes. However, because of all my gains I'm still going to be faster than I was even if I added 2 stone in weights to my rucksack. I'm also now able to out-sprint and out-climb and generally overtake some other much slimmer people.
So sure - losing weight will help - but getting your body to the peak of physical fitness will probably help more.
If you are already there then a kilogram on a bike might be the next step...0 -
My fitness is good, I cycle to work daily which is an 18 mile round trip with a good mix of hills thrown in. In a group of 8 in Wales last weekend I was first or second up all the ascents, however I'm looking to lose about 1.5 stone overall and wondered if it would feel different once I was lighter, if I was more nimble etc just like a bike would be. I assume I'll just feel a little sharper0
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i have lost over 3 stone and belive me its made a big diffrence to my riding i am alot fitter and can climb faster0
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I am 8.5 stone and climbing is not a problem, wind is a major problem though! I am too light really, I am down on power compared to a fair few of the people I ride with but my lack of weight compensates somewhat, I am trying to build some power, so I can keep up better on the flat.0
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8.5 stone? :shock: :shock:
Here - eat some of these in quick succession...
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MBR had a piece sort of on this about 18 months ago. They tested adding and removing weight from the frame, forks, rear triangle (full suspension bike) and interestingly they also tested adding weight to the riders backpack.
The added rider weight was 1/2 stone and 1 stone. In the first case the riders said that the change of centre of gravity was noticable and it made it much harder work. In the second cases one of the riders said that he thought he would probably give up riding if he had to carry the extra weight round every time.
Now its a little unscientific because this weight wasn't spread evenly but the suggestion is that light weight is better. The conclusion at the end sums it up like this:- At the end of the day if you spend enough its easy to get a light bike, but are there better uses of the £1300? One of them might be a personal trainer or gym membership, allowing you to lose weight and get fitter so you could ride faster for longer.
They seem to be pretty convinced that being fitter and lighter is better.
HTH0 -
I physically cannot get lighter unless I chop a limb off - that would slow me down a bit.
11.5 stone, MTB weighs 23lbs, road bike is about 18ish lbs (apparently).
I think bike weight affects handling more than making climbing easier/harder.0 -
23lbs. Thats pretty light. I think my road bike weighs about that much. You must absoulutely fly!
On the bike weight side of things the article goes on to say that the light weight version of the bike picked up speed quicker and felt more responsive and agile tristing through the single track. It was a totally different bike on the short steep climbs, sprinting to the top leaving the heavier bike floundering.
This is a consistent theme throughout the article with the riders complaining about the extra effort that a couple of kg made to climbing. I guess you could test this out by cycling a loop, then adding 2 full water bottles to your bike and cycling the same loop. Plus if its really muddy, you could use the water to wash the mud off and make the bike even lighter before the climbs
Regards0 -
Not convinced you'd actually feel different on the bike though after shedding a couple of stone. Firstly it would likely be a gradual thing so you wouldn't notice any changes that did occur, secondly although you would be adjusting your centre of gravity I'm not sure you'd notice it that much (it's not the same as chucking a heavy weight in a backpack). What will happen though is you'll be faster on the bike for the same amount of pain
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Rider weight makes for quite a difference in riding, i used to be 80kg i was much faster, better balanced and this was on a fairly weighty rig.The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.
Giant Anthem X0 -
Rider weight seems to make a huge difference to me; this time last year I weighed 19 stone and would seriously struggle with climbs, despite being quite strong. I now weigh 14 stone and find climbing easy. Of course, the fitness I gained doing the exercise to lose 5 stone has also made the climbing easier, so it is difficult to quantify how much is down to increased fitness from training, and how much is down to less weight.
The same as in motor sport, I do believe it all comes down to power to weight ratio at the end of the day; whatever your level of fitness or 'power', the lighter the total weight you have to lug up the hill, the faster you will be!
Kev0 -
Lighter for both is good, super light bikes/wheels down hill can be a little terrifying to start with, they have less momentum and feel like your going to be deflected off line..
On the other hand uphill and on the flat is super quick. I'm starting an extensive Nick lightening plan now to match the bike!
Nick
14.5st, riding a Kona Kula Supreme 20.5lbsKona Kula Supreme, the hardtail
Scott Spark 20 the softtail
Cannondale CAAD9 the roadie0 -
Dr S - where are you based? Your posts make you appear familiar...!0
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I'm looking to drop down from 12st 11ish to around the 11st mark. I've been running recently and been amazed how much harder it seems from cycling. I'd assumed after 4 months cycling 18 miles a day I'd be in pretty good shape, but after my runs I feel much more exhausted. I'll continue those and see how I feel when hopefully lighter for my next big trip to The lakes in September0
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Hi Surf Matt,
I'm from Newbury, just moved down to Basingstoke, don't think I know you?
NickKona Kula Supreme, the hardtail
Scott Spark 20 the softtail
Cannondale CAAD9 the roadie0 -
Dr S - not who I was thinking of then - oops!0
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Surf-Matt wrote:tiny_pens wrote:23lbs. Thats pretty light. I think my road bike weighs about that much. You must absoulutely fly!
Regards
Up hills and on flat - more or less. Shame I'm such a wussy down hills!
23lbs is quite heavy for a road bike.
You'd have no choice with a 23lb bike you'd snap if you weren't ;p sorry couldn't help it Matt, was to easy...
but i find i lose out to some bigger riders to pure power. but i can keep spinning my pedals with minimal weight but mostly at the end of the day its about fun, and i enjoy what i do
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Thewaylander wrote:Surf-Matt wrote:tiny_pens wrote:23lbs. Thats pretty light. I think my road bike weighs about that much. You must absoulutely fly!
Regards
Up hills and on flat - more or less. Shame I'm such a wussy down hills!
23lbs is quite heavy for a road bike.
You'd have no choice with a 23lb bike you'd snap if you weren't ;p sorry couldn't help it Matt, was to easy...
but i find i lose out to some bigger riders to pure power. but i can keep spinning my pedals with minimal weight but mostly at the end of the day its about fun, and i enjoy what i do
totaly agree with having fun thats why we do this sport isnt it0 -
I am down from 16.5stone to 15 stone and I can safely say its made a big difference.
Trying to hit 14 stone by xmas.0 -
Waylander - I've read your post several times and am still not sure what it means - would I snap or would the bike snap? I'm fairly heavy as far as weight charts go...0
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Bike mate. sorry terrible typer on the most part. kinda read what i want to say rather than what i typed when i proof read. 0
