Why the obsession with weight?
deejaysee
Posts: 149
I understand bikes/components should be light but when i see X is 50 grams lighter than Y so you should buy that, its all a bit daft really.
As soon as you put two bottles of water on your bike that probably blows any weight saving straight off the bike anyway
As soon as you put two bottles of water on your bike that probably blows any weight saving straight off the bike anyway
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Not to mention the rider.
I'd wager that there are not many on here who could not do with losing a lot more than 50g.
It is simply a way of justifying the purchase of over priced goods.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Agree with both of you. I like alot of riders could do with losing a few kilos which is happening slowly, however I love to beat, pass people on substantially lighter and more expensive bikes than mine. This is a disease of both roadies and MTBrs as is the they're older than me must beat them. Well tough I don't a monkey's if your built like a racing snake and on a bike that weighs less than a bag of sugar or costs half the UK,s national debt, if they are in front of me and I can, I will overtake and frequently do regardless of the fact I'm 80kg and now 50 and my bikes aren't light either.
But who is to say they are riding at tempo when you pass them? You're having your own race if they aren't actually racing you. They could be coming to the end of a long day's ride when you come across them, or minding an injury or simply on a recovery ride. I have absolutely no interest whether I pass someone going slower than me or I am passed by someone much faster. There's no race that I or them are aware of.I ride a bike. Doesn't make me green or a tree hugger. I drive a car too.0 -
Look at the weight issue another way, if you don't want you bike heavier then buying a component 50grams lighter means you can have thats couple of extra biscuits
Personally i think people do go way over the top with weight. Although, if competing then i can fully understand why.0 -
Case in point.
I dream of being 80kg and the OP question hints as to why I ride a steel bike.
Why worry over 1kg bike weight if you are 10kg heavier than desired.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Are lighter bikes only OK for light people?0
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Yes.Are lighter bikes only OK for light people?
Heavier people need to work out more, and need a stronger bike.
Only joking but it is funny because it is true.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Look after the grammes and the kilos will look after themselves?!
Or ride a heavier bike, work harder and lose the flab quicker?! 0 -
This 'adding water/energy bar negates weight savings' argument again. If i come out for a 70 mile ride through Surrey Hills, i will want to carry 2 bottles of water, regardless. Are you saying that it does not matter whether my bike is 8 kg or 10 kg before adding water?
What kind of logic is this?0 -
I love a bit of excess!still easier to lug 10g less up hill even if you are 20lbs overweight. marginal gains yeah.
Furthermore nobody likes excessThe above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Look in the mirror and consider the big picture.This 'adding water/energy bar negates weight savings' argument again. If i come out for a 70 mile ride through Surrey Hills, i will want to carry 2 bottles of water, regardless. Are you saying that it does not matter whether my bike is 8 kg or 10 kg before adding water?
What kind of logic is this?
Does 2kg matter?The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
All I know is that if I take my little saddle bag off that holds a tube, levers + CO2 the bike feels different enough to notice. If I ride my winter bike that weighs a bit more, that feels lees satisfying, ergo lighter is nicer. I expect it's also probably something to do with unsprung weight (it is in motor sport) but even so, a lighter bike is nicer and more nimble. It just is, and if it happens to be lighter in increments of 50g instead of whatever a bag + tube + levers + CO2 weighs, that just means the improvement in niceness is different. Still an improvement tho.
I'd also have a small wager on the idea that we don't notice our own weight (within reason) as we naturally adapt to it. Lugging me + a 12lb bike up a hill is easier than lugging me + a 26lb bike made of scaffolding up the same hill.
Anyone who doesn't agree that light is nice is welcome to buy a BSO from Tesco and then try to convince us that it really is just as nice a riding experience as a pukkah carbon bike.0 -
Look in the mirror and consider the big picture.This 'adding water/energy bar negates weight savings' argument again. If i come out for a 70 mile ride through Surrey Hills, i will want to carry 2 bottles of water, regardless. Are you saying that it does not matter whether my bike is 8 kg or 10 kg before adding water?
What kind of logic is this?
Does 2kg matter?
I'll take the bike that's 2kg lighter thanks, not much to consider really.
Now do my socks match my jersey?0 -
Relative percentages.
A 83kg rider's 7kg bike is 8.4% of his weight.
A 83kg rider's 8kg bike is 9.6% of his weight. A 14.3% increase. Noticeable but not substantial.
A 83 kg rider's 15kg bike is 18.1% of his weight. A 115.5% increase. WOAH!
Statistics.
The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
I can't see your socks when you stuff them in your underpants.
Look in the mirror and consider the big picture.This 'adding water/energy bar negates weight savings' argument again. If i come out for a 70 mile ride through Surrey Hills, i will want to carry 2 bottles of water, regardless. Are you saying that it does not matter whether my bike is 8 kg or 10 kg before adding water?
What kind of logic is this?
Does 2kg matter?
Do my socks match my jersey?
I'll take the bike that's 2kg lighter thanks, not much to consider really.
Taking a 2kg lighter bike is understandable, but illegal. Are you happy to pay for it?The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
a lighter bike is nicer and more nimble. It just is,
Exactly so. Yes the rider + bike total is what matters for climbing hills etc, but that doesn't take into account that a light bike is just nicer to ride, no matter how much weight you need to lose.0 -
Look in the mirror and consider the big picture.This 'adding water/energy bar negates weight savings' argument again. If i come out for a 70 mile ride through Surrey Hills, i will want to carry 2 bottles of water, regardless. Are you saying that it does not matter whether my bike is 8 kg or 10 kg before adding water?
What kind of logic is this?
Does 2kg matter?
Once again, exactly same logic. Regardless of rider's weight, is climbing on 8 kg bike the same as on 10 kg bike?Then again, considering ad hominem, you're probably just trolling here.0 -
Trolling? No.
Look in the mirror and consider the big picture.This 'adding water/energy bar negates weight savings' argument again. If i come out for a 70 mile ride through Surrey Hills, i will want to carry 2 bottles of water, regardless. Are you saying that it does not matter whether my bike is 8 kg or 10 kg before adding water?
What kind of logic is this?
Does 2kg matter?
Once again, exactly same logic. Regardless of rider's weight, is climbing on 8 kg bike the same as on 10 kg bike?Then again, considering ad hominem, you're probably just trolling here.
Taking it seriously? No.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Why the obsession with riding a heavier bike?
If you want to ride a bike that's 50g heavier then fine, go ahead, but don't make this an about lighter bikes. Back to your pies and i'll wait for you at the top. 0 -
There are quite a few people that have a lot of money and will spend a lot of it on making their bikes lighter - of course they market this stuff (though the published weights may or may not be accurate). Aerodynamics go a long way towards making a bike feel flighty as well, though - my TT bike is about 8.5kg ish I think at the moment, and many are heavier still.0
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My commuting bike (steel frame; lights; saddle bag; cycle computer; bell; mudguards etc) weighs just under 13.8kg whereas my Sunday best bike (carbon frame; saddle bag; cycle computer; water bottle) weighs just under 8.7kg.
I know that is extremes but the differences are very very noticeable - it's like losing nearly a stone but in all honesty I'd love to lose the near stone from my body :-)0 -
For climbing steep hills that get over say 15%, my 10.5kg hybrid is better and a bit faster than my 8a lighter bike is nicer and more nimble. It just is,
Exactly so. Yes the rider + bike total is what matters for climbing hills etc, but that doesn't take into account that a light bike is just nicer to ride, no matter how much weight you need to lose.
kg carbon road bike - because the hybrid has a triple and lower gears meaning I can spin up at a higher cadence.0 -
Look in the mirror and consider the big picture.This 'adding water/energy bar negates weight savings' argument again. If i come out for a 70 mile ride through Surrey Hills, i will want to carry 2 bottles of water, regardless. Are you saying that it does not matter whether my bike is 8 kg or 10 kg before adding water?
What kind of logic is this?
Does 2kg matter?
Yes.0 -
Jealous.
Look in the mirror and consider the big picture.This 'adding water/energy bar negates weight savings' argument again. If i come out for a 70 mile ride through Surrey Hills, i will want to carry 2 bottles of water, regardless. Are you saying that it does not matter whether my bike is 8 kg or 10 kg before adding water?
What kind of logic is this?
Does 2kg matter?
Yes.
But then I know that marginal gains will make zero difference to my riding, or the enjoyment.
I can put the money saved on bling towards beer and pies. Win win. :PThe above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
Agree with both of you. I like alot of riders could do with losing a few kilos which is happening slowly, however I love to beat, pass people on substantially lighter and more expensive bikes than mine. This is a disease of both roadies and MTBrs as is the they're older than me must beat them. Well tough I don't a monkey's if your built like a racing snake and on a bike that weighs less than a bag of sugar or costs half the UK,s national debt, if they are in front of me and I can, I will overtake and frequently do regardless of the fact I'm 80kg and now 50 and my bikes aren't light either.
But who is to say they are riding at tempo when you pass them? You're having your own race if they aren't actually racing you. They could be coming to the end of a long day's ride when you come across them, or minding an injury or simply on a recovery ride. I have absolutely no interest whether I pass someone going slower than me or I am passed by someone much faster. There's no race that I or them are aware of.
Could not have put it better myself
The only constant is jealousy lol.
As to weight of bike:
A/ I am not sure people are actually 'obsessed'
B/ So much BS talked about water bottles and rider weight.
You need water on either bike so WTF has water got to do with it?
Similar for rider weight. Lose weight if you can and get a light bike. The two things are separate, do both.
6lb off your body does not feel the same as a 6lb lighter bike anyway.
C/ Light bikes are always better (from toddlers to old todgers) deal with it. They also have better components which ride better too, again, deal with it.
D/ They cost more, but thats just life, nice things do. Don't become a hater.
I have a light bike and my wife's new one will be super light. There is no 'obsession', the bikes are just much nicer to ride and a bit faster.
We like cycling and want nice bikes. Seems fairly straight forward to me.
Loads of haters would like a really nice bike but don't want to spend the money on it.
Its often not that they cannot afford it, they just don't want to do without something else to get it.
They want everything they have and the nice bike, but because that is not possible they slag off everything nice/expensive so that their own little world seems that much nicer.0 -
No.Loads of haters would like a really nice bike but don't want to spend the money on it.
Its often not that they cannot afford it, they just don't want to do without something else to get it.
They want everything they have and the nice bike, but because that is not possible they slag off everything nice/expensive so that their own little world seems that much nicer.
I have everything I want. I have money in the bank.
I don't have a lightweight bike simply because I prefer the one that I have.
No hating from here.
Do try not to presume.
My World is quite nice though.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
No.Loads of haters would like a really nice bike but don't want to spend the money on it.
Its often not that they cannot afford it, they just don't want to do without something else to get it.
They want everything they have and the nice bike, but because that is not possible they slag off everything nice/expensive so that their own little world seems that much nicer.
My World is quite nice though.
except you see Pina on here0 -
Almost perfect.
No.Loads of haters would like a really nice bike but don't want to spend the money on it.
Its often not that they cannot afford it, they just don't want to do without something else to get it.
They want everything they have and the nice bike, but because that is not possible they slag off everything nice/expensive so that their own little world seems that much nicer.
My World is quite nice though.
except you see Pina on here
He does compensate in a certain other thread though.The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0 -
No.Loads of haters would like a really nice bike but don't want to spend the money on it.
Its often not that they cannot afford it, they just don't want to do without something else to get it.
They want everything they have and the nice bike, but because that is not possible they slag off everything nice/expensive so that their own little world seems that much nicer.
I have everything I want. I have money in the bank.
I don't have a lightweight bike simply because I prefer the one that I have.
No hating from here.
Do try not to presume.
My World is quite nice though.
My comments were not directed at you so how am I presuming anything?
They are correct about lots of people about lots of things (not just bikes) though.
Glad your world is nice, but does seem a bit like I touched a nerve.0 -
Ah, but everything is about me, me, me.
No.Loads of haters would like a really nice bike but don't want to spend the money on it.
Its often not that they cannot afford it, they just don't want to do without something else to get it.
They want everything they have and the nice bike, but because that is not possible they slag off everything nice/expensive so that their own little world seems that much nicer.
I have everything I want. I have money in the bank.
I don't have a lightweight bike simply because I prefer the one that I have.
No hating from here.
Do try not to presume.
My World is quite nice though.
My comments were not directed at you so how am I presuming anything?
They are correct about lots of people about lots of things (not just bikes). The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
I am not sure. You have no chance.Veronese68 wrote:PB is the most sensible person on here.0
