Why the obssession about weight ?

JimboM

Hi all

I'm brand new to biking (only been on my bike twice) so please forgive what may be an obvious question but... on reading through the forums there seems an obssession about not adding weight to the bike

I realise that a few gs here and there can add up to a kg or 2 overall but what difference does this really make ? Is this more of a concern for those that compete or as a fun rider should I be looking to lighten things up as well ?

Cheers

Jim

junglist_matty

Lighter bikes are mainly XC specific bikes or all day trail bikes - bike weight makes a big difference when your struggling your way up a nice long climb, although there are many other small factors such as bike strength, bike geometry etc. That have a large effect on the bikes useage and performance.

BigJimmyB

I find rider weight is a factor too.

I'll lose some myself before splashing on any more carbon!

llamafarmer

Less weight is obviously an advantage for XC or trail riding, but there comes a point where the law of diminishing returns comes into play and you get less gain for your extra cash.

If I'm upgrading or replacing a component I try to get something lighter than the part I took off, and if I'm honest I do have a niggling desire to constantly make my bike lighter and better, but I know there's not a lot to gain for all that money spent.

If I finish a ride with half a litre of water in my Camelbak, that's 500g of excess weight I've been dragging around - it wouldn't be cheap to shift half a kilo in bike upgrades!

jayson

A light bike will always be more fun to ride but as said above it does very much depend on what kind of riding u intend on doin.

A 22lb carbon whippet will be masses fun to race XC but will fall flat on its face DH or even AM where strength and therefore more weight (unless ur willing to spend serious money) become more important.

Theres nothing wrong with wanting to lighten ur bike but it can become an obsession that will cost u thousands if u get carried away!!!!

Me personally, i'd rather have a bit more mass and rest safe in the knowledge that my bike will take whatever i throw at it rather than a superlight whippet that cringes everytime i even sneeze near it.

Its horses for courses at the end of the day and everyones different.

MacAndCheese

BigJimmyB wrote:

I find rider weight is a factor too.

I'll lose some myself before splashing on any more carbon!

Me Too...been pretty obsessed with getting this new build i'm working on under 25lb - more of a challenge then anything really - but I could and should lose 25lbs in weight myself and I would be a lot healthier, but i Like donuts and pasties!!

Also when I brought Wolfridge there was quite alot of reviews that were negative about the weight, but I've not really had any problems with it.

clodhoppa74

that's what i said to the LBS guy when getting new tyres. he offered me the option of getting kevlar beaded versions as they're lighter, but as i said to him, i think it's cheaper for me not to eat chips to get the same weight saving!

when i can lose no more weight, the bike can stay full fat, as it were. when i can't, then maybe it will.

plus lugging a heavier bike about probably gets me fitter in the long run anyway, which is half the point of me having a bike anyway!

diy

I saved 7kg on my bike just by riding it more

junglist_matty

I do mountain biking because of a few reasons:

- I enjoy being outdoors doing fun stuff rather than sat around playing computers etc.
- I enjoy socialising with friends whilst on rides
- I enjoy meeting other bikers having a chat en-route
- I enjoy the mechanical side of bikes, tinkering about etc...
- I enjoy taking in many of the stunning scenery a lot of trails have to offer


If I have some money to buy a nice shiney bike part I do so not because I want to shave some weight, I want to have quality parts on my bike that perform well on the trail, give me less hassle and allow me to have more fun. If they're light or heavy doesn't matter to much for me.

Father Faff

While losing weight off your body is obviously cheaper than losing weight off a bike and will make quite a difference, especially to climbing, I think there are some very good reasons to lose weight off a bike:

1) Generally a light bike is quicker accelerating and more responsive and easier to get airborne when you want to or need to.

2) When you have to carry your bike or lift it over things then the difference between a 25lb bike and a 35lb bike is enormous!

3) A heavy bike will wear you out quicker.

That said you obviously need a bike strong enough for the type of riding you do.

Northwind

I'm a wee bit of a weight weenie... WIthin reason like, it didn't stop me fitting a gravity dropper But if I can make it lighter, I do. Just been running around with a heavier-than-usual bike lately though and most of the time, it doesn't make much difference- I can feel the extra weight but it doesn't spoil the ride... Though I've never ridden it to exhaustion, I think that might come a bit sooner than it does on the Soul. But when I was pushing and lifting it up the local DH track, I thought my arms were going to drop off

Dirtydog11

JimboM wrote:

Hi all



I realise that a few gs here and there can add up to a kg or 2


Jim

Your already on the slippery slope. Thats the logic of a weight weenie.

supersonic

clodhoppa74 wrote:

that's what i said to the LBS guy when getting new tyres. he offered me the option of getting kevlar beaded versions as they're lighter, but as i said to him, i think it's cheaper for me not to eat chips to get the same weight saving!

when i can lose no more weight, the bike can stay full fat, as it were. when i can't, then maybe it will.

plus lugging a heavier bike about probably gets me fitter in the long run anyway, which is half the point of me having a bike anyway!

Kevlar beaded tyres, in my opinion, are the single best upgrade you can make. For say 15 quid extra per tyre you can save upto 100g in weight, that is rotating weight too, and often have better tyre compounds as well.

weeksy59

Which ones for example Sonic ?

supersonic

Conti Mountain King 2.2 for example. The 2.2 wire is RRP £15 and 660g. The 2.2 Kevlar is RRP £22 and 580g.

weeksy59

thank you squire

KonaKurt

The weight issue can sometimes be taken to an extreme. But generally speaking, saving as much weight as possible from the bike itself not only makes steeper climbs easier, but also allows you to take more weight with you in the form of water and essential tools.

KK.

Northwind

I think people always fixate on climbing, but it's not only there, a lighter bike's easier to shift around under you, which is pretty useful on fast or techy trails. There's a bit on a local trail which has a rooted overhang with a drop beside it, on the soul I just kind of fling it round and out the other side, on the GT I just have no idea how to ride it, I can't make it do the same thing as easily.

dave_hill

It's about striking a balance. My main ride weighs 32lbs all up - there's no doubt that I could probably knock a good 3 or 4 pounds off the weight of it but then it would be compromised as to durability and suitability for the way I ride. It would also cost a bloody fortune and being a notorious tight-wad it's not something I'm aiming to do.

bungalistic

I would love for my main bike to weigh less, it currently weighs about 34lbs or so (t'is one heavy hardtail) i'm sure if I posted it's parts list on here we could reduce that down but then I feel i'd be sacrificing certain aspects of my ride. I don't feel the weight when jumping or going downhill, just when climbing or lifting it, it's an extra work out though I guess.

x-isle

I once read that spending £150 on making your bike lighter is the same as taking a dump before you go out on a ride! :P

Of course, I suppose the argument would be how about spending £150 and also having a dump........ :twisted:

Northwind

Depends what your baseline is. Like, spending £30 for a pair of nevegals saved over 800 grams on my Kraken. That's a big poo.

NatoED

wheels are most important thing to make lighter . wheels increase weight with every revolution (i think it's something like twice the weight every 10mph or something) . get you wheel mass down the better my wheels weight a Tonne but i can half the weight by changing my rims to DT swiss E430 (430g) instead of my halo combats( old DH and DJ days) that weigh 900g each

millermilla

I must have carried my bike over 30 gates on a ride yesterday and now I have a real appreciation for light weight parts. My riding buddy has an very old bike that is probably made from cast iron and on the roads there is little difference between my 10x more expensive bike but off road and when you've got to carry it the weight saving is well worth the cost.

uphillbothways

It's mostly because weight is the only easily quantifiable aspect of bike quality. If you're comparing two tyres you don't have any sure way of comparing them in terms of ride quality or durability or anything else, but the weight is right there on the label.

For racers, weight is a big deal because they're paid to eke out every last bit of possible performance. They're already at 4% body fat, they can't train any harder, they've got good coaching, their diet is sorted, it'd be foolish not to spend a few quid to shave off a few grams and gain a few seconds on the climbs. Of course on the road aerodynamics is far more important than weight, but there's no number in the catalogue that says how aero a part is.

From the perspective of a recreational rider - especially an unfit or overweight rider - it makes no sense at all to pay much attention to weight. If you ride for pleasure then buy for pleasure; Forget the racer image and build up your bike to be comfortable and reliable.

blister pus

uphillbothways wrote:

From the perspective of a recreational rider - especially an unfit or overweight rider - it makes no sense at all to pay much attention to weight. If you ride for pleasure then buy for pleasure; Forget the racer image and build up your bike to be comfortable and reliable.

A 35lbs bike with a heavy wheel / tyre set up is going to be a tùrd to get around on doing general xc, whether your fit or unfit, fat or thin. But if you're out of condition you'll certainly feel it more - and it'll more than likely end up restricting what you do and how you use the bike and end up putting you off riding. Knocking 5, 6 or 7 lbs off that weight and making sure some of that is off rolling weight makes a difference in the way it rides and how it handles. It goes from big fat tùrd to something far more manageable and enjoyable. But you do get to the law of diminishing returns pretty fast once you've got to a certain bike weight and you're fitness and muscle mass is half decent.