340 Grams weight- Significant?
dmax26
Posts: 35
Hi, is 340grams a significant weight advantage? im looking at wheelset on a budget, i do long rides, with a fair amount of climbing.
Stock setup
Wheelset- 1720grms
Tires= Continental Ultra Sport - 310grams per tire
Intended setup
Wheelset - 1550grams (Mavic or Syncros Rp.15)
Tires- Continental Grand Prix 4000s II
i would save around 340grams. is it a good choice? Recommendations would help.. thanks guys... been into Road Cycling for almost 1 year already.
Thanks
Stock setup
Wheelset- 1720grms
Tires= Continental Ultra Sport - 310grams per tire
Intended setup
Wheelset - 1550grams (Mavic or Syncros Rp.15)
Tires- Continental Grand Prix 4000s II
i would save around 340grams. is it a good choice? Recommendations would help.. thanks guys... been into Road Cycling for almost 1 year already.
Thanks
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Comments
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I think it depends where on the bike you lose it, on yourself is the best place to start then I'd say wheelset next.
This is the road to expensive madness, welcome!Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
Im pretty lean at 5'8. , 150lbs0
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340g is 340g. It is less than the weight of a full 500ml bottle. You will probably notice the difference when you pick the bike up and you might get a nicer feel from the better tyres - but in practice, I'd be very surprised if it made any noticable difference to your speed or times, as there are too many other external factors that influence that anyway.0
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If you're on a budget I'd just replace the tyres and maybe get some ultralight butyl inner tubes.
I climb a lot better at 140 lbs than I did at 158 lbs
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Yes you will notice a difference. The wheels will react and spin up quicker and they will also feel better at higher speeds as the rotational weight is less. Well worth the upgrade i think.keef66 wrote:If you're on a budget I'd just replace the tyres and maybe get some ultralight butyl inner tubes.
Planet X Superlight inner tubes are £2 each and weigh 85 grams. Normal butyl inner tubes can weigh 100+ grams.
Another tip for removing more weight is to remove the rim tapes as the can weigh around 20+ grams each and instead use with 2 layers of tubeless tape. (Tesa tape 19mm is good)0 -
Yes you will notice a difference. The wheels will react and spin up quicker and they will also feel better at higher speeds as the rotational weight is less. Well worth the upgrade i think.
You might feel an initial difference in acceleration, but a heavy wheel performs in pretty much the same way as a light wheel at higher (ie constant) speed.0 -
If you're on a budget I'd just replace the tyres and maybe get some ultralight butyl inner tubes.
I climb a lot better at 140 lbs than I did at 158 lbs
But put out about 5w on the flat.0 -
Lighter wheels are generally nicer to ride, and 340g is a fair bit of weight to lose when changing wheelset. The weight does make a difference, and lighter wheels will feel faster when accelerating, but if you're upgrading from some plain stock wheels, what you upgrade to (I always recommend handbuilt) will probably be better in other respects as well. Good hubs (with well serviced bearings), spokes and rims are at least as important, and good tyres, of course.0
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Im pretty lean at 5'8. , 150lbs
I'd argue that for your height that is not that lean for a cyclist. I'm slightly taller and weigh a stone lighter.
I'd get the lighter wheels. As others eluded to, weight saving can get addictive and expensive.0 -
I recently changed out my wheels, from 1100g Zipp 202 tubulars with 23 tyres to 1400g Fulcrum Zeros with 25c tyres. The weight difference is around 400g in total. I can definitely feel it when I pick the bike up, but otherwise it makes absolutely no difference. I keep setting PB's on hills, on the flat, anywhere.
Mega light wheels do make the bike feel 'light' on hills, but ime they're no quicker unless you are switching out a set of 2.5kg boat anchors. Before the Zipps I had 1650g Syncros RR1.5 and there wasn't a huge difference, even though the Zipps saved half a kilo.
That's coming from a bit of a weight weenie, I got my Foil down to 6.3kg including pedals and cages at one point.0 -
If you're on a budget I'd just replace the tyres and maybe get some ultralight butyl inner tubes.
I climb a lot better at 140 lbs than I did at 158 lbs
But put out about 5w on the flat.
True dat. But I was only producing 5W before...
Are you one of the many cyclists that have overtaken me over the years? Statistically I suppose there's a good chance; the number is extremely large.0 -
That's coming from a bit of a weight weenie, I got my Foil down to 6.3kg including pedals and cages at one point.
What do you have on the Foil ? I always wondered what weight I can save in the seatpost, bars and stem?
Problem with cycling is it has the economic law of diminishing returns... The cost ramps up and up but the difference in weight gets less and less. The more you spend the less difference it makes."The Prince of Wales is now the King of France" - Calton Kirby0 -
You might not specifically notice the weight but you will notice a nicer ride and the bike will feel faster.
I noticed a huge difference when changing stock wheels to a set of Zondas and saving around 500g but i think a large part of that was the new tyres (conti gp4000s) and an all round better quality wheel.
IMO stock wheels are pretty naff and it is a considerable upgrade to make and its a few hundred quid well spent0 -
Dont get too hung up on weight - but get the Conti tyres they're great.
According to this - http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/forum/topics/how-does-extra-weight-slow-and-alpe-d-huez-climb
Your heavier wheels would slow you down by about 22 seconds on an ascent of Alpe d'Huez.
You'd be much much better off spending the cash by investing in your training. Something like trainerroad will make you much better if you put the time in.0 -
That's coming from a bit of a weight weenie, I got my Foil down to 6.3kg including pedals and cages at one point.
What do you have on the Foil ? I always wondered what weight I can save in the seatpost, bars and stem?
Problem with cycling is it has the economic law of diminishing returns... The cost ramps up and up but the difference in weight gets less and less. The more you spend the less difference it makes.
Seatpost/stem/bars all Ritchey WCS carbon, Red groupset with DA cassette and KMC SL chain, fizik Antares carbon railed saddle, Time Xpresso 10 pedals, Zipp carbon cages, titanium/carbon skewers and Zipp 202 tubs, that got the bike to 6.3kg. It's now 6.75kg with the Fulcrum wheels and skewers.
It's nice to have a light bike, but as mentioned above it's just bling really. A £7 per month TrainerRoad subscription made a million times more difference to my riding, as did a good bike fit that cost about the same as my saddle.0 -
340g is 340g. It is less than the weight of a full 500ml bottle.
Weight reduction is more beneficial on wheels, due to the impact of rotary inertia. Lighter rims are more beneficial than lighter hubs. Not only do you need less effort to raise that mass against gravity, but your wheels will accelerate faster with each pedal stroke, resulting in reaching top speed quicker.To err is human, but to make a real balls up takes a super computer.0 -
340g is 340g. It is less than the weight of a full 500ml bottle.
Weight reduction is more beneficial on wheels, due to the impact of rotary inertia. Lighter rims are more beneficial than lighter hubs. Not only do you need less effort to raise that mass against gravity, but your wheels will accelerate faster with each pedal stroke, resulting in reaching top speed quicker.
Mass/inertia discussions have been done to death on here, and I can't be arsed to go into another one now. Light wheels are good because they make the bike lighter. There are some marginal, initial acceleration benefits in rim weight, but light wheels - once accelerated - are subject to the same laws of physics as heavier ones.0 -
Thanks guys, im doing well on certain climbs on my stock wheelset... though yeah i do want to increase my speed on climbs. Im planning to get Zondas or Syncros RP 1.5 clinchers or the Mavics....and of course Gran Prix 4000 S II Continental....0
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Hi, is 340grams a significant weight advantage? im looking at wheelset on a budget, i do long rides, with a fair amount of climbing.
If you have a few quid to spend on your bike then this is probably the best place to start. At your weight you could easily turn that 340grams into a kilo by laying off the pies for a week."You really think you can burn off sugar with exercise?" downhill paul0 -
Thats true, getting a bit leaner since i started, getting easier to climb
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The weight difference between my wheel sets is 250gms, discernible difference riding is zilch.Thats true, getting a bit leaner since i started, getting easier to climb .
You are going the right way losing the weight.0 -
[quote="Imposter
Mass/inertia discussions have been done to death on here, and I can't be arsed to go into another one now. Light wheels are good because they make the bike lighter. There are some marginal, initial acceleration benefits in rim weight, but light wheels - once accelerated - are subject to the same laws of physics as heavier ones.[/quote]
Years ago I stopped all thoughts on wheels making me faster because I didn't notice any speed difference between light ones (1.4 kg) and heavy ones (2.0 kg)
Today I have 3 wheelsets from which I don't even know the weight, built/chose them for stiffness and rim width. >lower pressure , more grip, don't care about a few seconds uphill.0 -
Thanks guys for the input its been a few months already.. on update.. i got the Campy Zonda and COntinental Grand Prix II tyres... shaved 2kgs from my previous set up...and by the way i went from Sora to Ultegra too hehehe0
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200g of that saving is from the tyres alone, yes? Money well spent on the tyres but less so if you are getting new wheels just to save 150g ish.0
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I just got some Hunt Aero Race wheels @ 1420g with Schwalbe PRO One tubeless tyres and I'm flying at the moment. No doubt it's all psychological.0
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Best performance enhancer I found was a new set of Oakleys. Put them on and you're as strong as an ox.
The benefit only lasts one ride though sadly.0 -
I recently upgraded the wheelset on mine lobbing off 434g so a little more than the OP, cant say Ive noticed a measured improvement but it felt nippier out of the blocks so to speak.0
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The big difference in light wheels is that they *feel* nicer to ride. Who cares if they are actually faster or not 0
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I just switched back to heavier winter wheelset two weeks ago and at the same time dead feeling conti 4000s over my previous Vredestein sensa I'd say the biggest difference is the tyres rather than the weight.Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0
