body weight vs bike weight (2012)

zindu

hi all, just like to share my experience with you, as when i am stuck for information this forum helped me alot, so in return, hope some one get benefits from helping each others.

i know this topic previously covered but in my opinion wrong information was given like eat healthy it is cheaper to loss weight than spending fortune on light bike, or they both equal.

well this is wrong, yes if you lose weight and be fitter is better for you and faster cycling, but bike weight is different from body weight, for example let say your body weight is 180 lb if you cycle a lighter bike you feel less tired and the bike is more responsive with less effort.

i telling you this not to encourage you to buy lighter bike that is up to you! but try to keep the bike as it is and not attach extra weight on it, for instance i have a locker and a big chain both weights is about 5kg when i attache them around the seatpost, the bike is feel really heavey even when i pedalling, but whenever i cycle for long distance i put them in small shoulder back, that way the bike is lighter and the chain and locker weight distributed because you are leaning forward and all weight does not stay at the rear of the bike. do not believe me try it your self.

also not only the bike weight is matter but the tyre and the tube is matter aswell, i had a puncture, so i had to replace the tube with another 1, all i have was tyre-tube, man was absolutely killer, very hard to push and made me exausted and delayed me around by 20% even i was pussing harder.

now feel free to disagree with me and share your experience, hope this help all cyclers.

The Rookie

How can I disagree, I haven't got a clue what you tried to say!

Simon

zindu

sorry, i know my english is bad.

my point is if you lose body weight is not equal to lose in bike's weight.

the lighter the bike with component is, the better, regardless of body weight, and ilustrated with some examples.

The Rookie

OK, well I agree, and so would most on here already!

Simon

zindu

just post the topic cos i searched some forum where people say it is better to try to lose body weight, instead spending money on lighter bike, see this link:

http://www.cyclingforums.com/t/470126/b ... ody-weight

it is good alwys to back up your experience with data, that is why i said if you have bike locker on your bike around the seatpost, make bike heavier than if you carry the bike locker in a shoulder bag while cycling.

Daz555

Dropping weight from the bike costs money. Dropping weight from the gut usually saves you money.

fossyant

Total rubbish.

Dropping 5kg's body weight helps enormously. Power to weight ratio, oh and you'll be fitter. My commute bike varies between 8kg's naked and 18 plus kg's loaded with panniers, locks/clothes. It's no slower - slightly more work up hill, but nothing I worry about. I'd be far better dropping that 10kg's from me (that's too much though - 4kg post Christmas will be good).

tiny_pens

As before. MBUK did this in a (slightly) controlled test.

The results were constructed from rider feedback (survey of 2 professional riders) and were MTB biased but essentially from most noticeable to least noticeable:

- Weight on forks
- weight on rear axle (suspension)
- weight on the wheels
- weight on the frame
- weight on the rider

On timings, the weight on the wheels was biggest time difference (worst) and the order for the rest was the same.

Hence it appears you notice the weight on the bike more (which seems to make sense) and its easier to change your bike weight. Plus based on a quick google search, liposuction costs around £2500 - £5000 which could be more expensive than getting a lighter bike.

Hence the answer is to buy a new bike as its cheaper than expensive medical proceedures.

cyberknight

Utter crock, its costs you no more to eat less and more healthy food , why would you spend money on liposuction when more exercise and less pies will do it for free?

As for bike weight the law of diminishing returns is a very big factor, the more expensive components only drop the odd gram or so .My current bike cost XXX, if i looked at a better model i would have to spend another £450 to save 2 llbs of weight, i can lose that in a good week of riding without changing diet and as said my power to weight ratio will improve as well as my overall fitness.

As mercxx said "dont buy upgrades ride upgrades"

tablatom

Get an average bike (HEAVIER, means more watts), reduce PSI in the tyres (SLOWER, means more watts). Ride like this for 3 months, and the same rider over the same distance will burn more fat.
Then that rider will be 2 to 5 kg lighter, if they can loose 2 to 5 kg (THATS ME;) )
Average price of a bike 2 to 5 kg lighter than top spec racer ROAD/MTB? £100's less.

This is a no brainer for me. I am not a competitive cyclist.
Loose the body weight and save a huge amount of money.

singleton

That thread was peacefully hibernating (or possibly even expired) before you awakened it after 5 years....

chris_bass

tablatom wrote:

Get an average bike (HEAVIER, means more watts), reduce PSI in the tyres (SLOWER, means more watts). Ride like this for 3 months, and the same rider over the same distance will burn more fat.
Then that rider will be 2 to 5 kg lighter, if they can loose 2 to 5 kg (THATS ME;) )
Average price of a bike 2 to 5 kg lighter than top spec racer ROAD/MTB? £100's less.

This is a no brainer for me. I am not a competitive cyclist.
Loose the body weight and save a huge amount of money.

heavier doesn't mean more watts, it just means slower for the same watts, same with your PSI point (depending on watt (sic) you are reducing from and too).

why do people always say lose (yep, that is how you spell it!) bike weight or body weight? lose weight and the lighter bike will still be lighter, so get the lighter bike and lose weight! simple

hell27

I have lost over 2 stone since January, going from just over 20 stone to just under 18. I'm reasonably fit, just built like a rugby prop forward plus carrying some fat I'd be happy to lose - another 4st of it would help!
Anyway, as I've lost the weight, my fitness has improved drastically, have noticed I can ride up hills out of the saddle for longer periods on a sprint, strava times are tumbling, and the ride in is a LOT faster. Used to take me over 35 minutes to get home from Manchester, climbing 350ft over 6.5 miles, I can now comfortably do it in 25 minutes. Someone earlier said that losing bike weight is the law of diminishing returns, its very true. I've been looking to get a light xc mtb for a while now and to get in the sub 11kg, its 2K spend, for sub 9kg its getting closer to 3K spend!

imatfaal

Hell27 wrote:

I have lost over 2 stone since January, going from just over 20 stone to just under 18. I'm reasonably fit, just built like a rugby prop forward plus carrying some fat I'd be happy to lose - another 4st of it would help!
Anyway, as I've lost the weight, my fitness has improved drastically, have noticed I can ride up hills out of the saddle for longer periods on a sprint, strava times are tumbling, and the ride in is a LOT faster. Used to take me over 35 minutes to get home from Manchester, climbing 350ft over 6.5 miles, I can now comfortably do it in 25 minutes. Someone earlier said that losing bike weight is the law of diminishing returns, its very true. I've been looking to get a light xc mtb for a while now and to get in the sub 11kg, its 2K spend, for sub 9kg its getting closer to 3K spend!

Nice one on the weight loss - feels great doesn't it?

You can get much cheaper if you build the bike yourself from fleabay parts - but 250pounds is gonna be over the limit for lots of superlightweight components. easiest way to drop weight is not have suspension - you don't need it on roads, its easier to accelerate without it, and it is one less thing to go wrong - and rigid is cheaper and lighter

The Rookie

My 9kg hardtail XC bike cost me less than £650........on road tyres it would have been cheaper and lighter still.
My 8.7Kg Hybrid commuter even less.

hell27

Thanks for the kind words on the weight loss, yes it feels great. As for losing suspension, well I intend using it off road, so it'll have to have forks!

trivial_poursuivant

Step 1. Buy a really light bike
Step 2. attempt to get your body weight to as close to that of the bike as you can.
Step 3. With the money you saved on food, buy a lighter bike.
Step 4. Repeat step 2.