Why the obsession with weight?
Comments
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How do you mean?
I did not quote anything you said and had not read the whole thread properly or take note of who said what, so I am not picking on you if thats what you mean.0 -
I "mean" that I can, and will, interpret any ambiguity in a way that suits me.How do you mean?
I did not quote anything you said and had not read the whole thread properly or take note of who said what, so I am not picking on you if thats what you mean.
For example - I don't know what you are referring to as I am not mean.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 -
F = ma.
Your bike is almost always accelerating, therefore it's mass is also always in play and generating forces.
Higher forces = harder to turn (even if you turn on the flat, at constant speed (not velocity!) you are accelerating).
= harder to brake
= harder to increase speed
= harder to move up against gravity.
Lighter is better, mathematically, and in the real world, but with some caveats;
a) the lighter YOU are the more you will benefit, proportionally from a lighter bike
b) you will have less inertia, so on a 'rollercoaster' type hill, you will carry less momentum into the uphill part.0 -
I'm not sure there is an obsession. I think that up to a point people find mass a simple and easily-measured factor to deal with when comparing components.
Add this to the symbiotic and profit-driven relationship between press and manufacturers and the slight yearning to be another Eric Zabel or Peter Sagan and you have (up to a point) an unslakable thirst for newer, lighter, more costly components.
My current 'lightest' bike is significantly lighter than any other bike I've owned, but it is no lightweight. An alloy frame with the odd carbon bit (forks, seat post, seat stays etc.) and some fairly zingy (for me) wheels, but it is a heavyweight clunker in comparison to many at the club.
But I do not feel 'cheap' for having my bike and I don't think they feel better or cleverer or more 'alpha'. Some of them have truly lovely bikes - although some are look-at-me over-pimped dollar signs on wheels. But it is a free world and a sort-of free market.
Certainly, I could save 100 grammes more easily by foregoing a bun rather than buying a lighter saddle.... but I like buns - and I like my cheapo Selle Italia saddle.... so it's a win-win for me.
At the end of the day, it's just a bicycle and if it's fun to ride it's light enough.0 -
GCN weighed some bikes at the Abu Dhabi tour. Granted most were aero bikes and the scales may have been not 100% accurate. But they weren't all bang on the 6.8kg limit as you might expect, a fair few were well into the 7kgs0
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Until it starts interfering with performance (be that comfort, reliability, stiffness or whatever) then I don't really see the problem. I remember an MTB section thread many moons ago now where a guy was complaining that his 6g seat clamp wasnt holding his seat post tight and it kept slipping down. That had a few of us banging our heads on the desk...We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
"F = ma. Your bike is almost always accelerating"
Yours might be; mine is generally not; I think at heart I'm a touring cyclist. I chose my bikes for the type of riding I do, and weight was a long way down the list of criteria. Practicality, comfort and durability were certainly higher.
If you want to see what focusing purely on weight can do, pop over to weight weenies. Some go to extraordinary lengths to nibble a few extra grams from the weight of an already light component, and the term obsession can I think be fairly applied to some of them. Naked carbon saddles and chainrings. All fascinating stuff, but I wouldn't want to own one or ride one fast down hill.
Each to their own though!0 -
The thing with weight weenies is getting the weight of their bike down is a hobby in itself, it doesn't necessarily have to transfer to performance on the road.0
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All weight is not equal.
It's also important to factor in where the weight is. A 7.5KG bike with 1400g wheels and light tyres will feel quite different to a .5KG bike with 2kg wheels. Same goes for the weight of the bike versus the weight of the rider. I agree that a few hundred grams are probably unnoticable on a frame but light bikes feel different.0 -
I've recently lost half a stone.
Before this, I much preferred riding my light, best bike and I was noticeably faster on it than my 2.5Kg heavier winter bike.
Now, I much prefer riding my light, best bike and I am noticeably faster on it than my 2.5Kg heavier winter bike.0 -
I've recently lost half a stone.
Before this, I much preferred riding my light, best bike and I was noticeably faster on it than my 2.5Kg heavier winter bike.
Now, I much prefer riding my light, best bike and I am noticeably faster on it than my 2.5Kg heavier winter bike.
BR Gold
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^^^
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I've recently lost half a stone.
Before this, I much preferred riding my light, best bike and I was noticeably faster on it than my 2.5Kg heavier winter bike.
Now, I much prefer riding my light, best bike and I am noticeably faster on it than my 2.5Kg heavier winter bike.
But, surely, adding a water bottles ruins your weight loss achievement!0 -
I've recently lost half a stone.
Before this, I much preferred riding my light, best bike and I was noticeably faster on it than my 2.5Kg heavier winter bike.
Now, I much prefer riding my light, best bike and I am noticeably faster on it than my 2.5Kg heavier winter bike.
But, surely, adding a water bottles ruins your weight loss achievement!
This would only make sense if your logic is that he didn't use water bottles when he was heavier and only uses them now that he's lighter.....which I suspect isn't the case.0 -
I've recently lost half a stone.
Before this, I much preferred riding my light, best bike and I was noticeably faster on it than my 2.5Kg heavier winter bike.
Now, I much prefer riding my light, best bike and I am noticeably faster on it than my 2.5Kg heavier winter bike.
But, surely, adding a water bottles ruins your weight loss achievement!
that very much depends on where you think he is adding his water bottles!www.conjunctivitis.com - a site for sore eyes0 -
If there remains an obsession with weight it is a pale shadow of its former self. The up-to-date obsession is aerodynamics.
Presumably because there is no point, once you're bike is 6.8kg or thereabouts, which is easy with modern equipment, you aren't allowed to go lighter in UCI races, so why bother.0 -
Is 'obsession' really the right word though?0
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No "aeroweenies" is the word.
Sometimes there is a thread on BR where "dragweenies" show up.....0 -
I am too afraid to Google that.No "aeroweenies" is the word.
Sometimes there is a thread on BR where "dragweenies" show up.....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 -
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. :P
I've been enjoying both beer and pies recently
IN season marginal gains is all important for me. 0 -
Ok you anti or non weightweenies, at what point does the bike become too heavy?
Lets start with one bike that weights 6.8kg and one that weighs 20kg.
Everyone surely agrees that 20kg will affect your performance or will spoil your enjoyment. No?
At what weight does weight actually matter and become too heavy?0 -
Unless you are racing, who cares about performance?Ok you anti or non weightweenies, at what point does the bike become too heavy?
Lets start with one bike that weights 6.8kg and one that weighs 20kg.
Everyone surely agrees that 20kg will affect your performance or will spoil your enjoyment. No?
At what weight does weight actually matter and become too heavy?
A 20kg bike can be great fun on an undulating descent.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 -
Ok you anti or non weightweenies, at what point does the bike become too heavy?
Lets start with one bike that weights 6.8kg and one that weighs 20kg.
Everyone surely agrees that 20kg will affect your performance or will spoil your enjoyment. No?
At what weight does weight actually matter and become too heavy?
Actually making the difference between you getting up that hill or not? At a point you can't easily buy a modern road bike at. Otherwise, you can reduce both weight and drag as much as you like and measure the results.0 -
Ok you anti or non weightweenies, at what point does the bike become too heavy?
Lets start with one bike that weights 6.8kg and one that weighs 20kg.
Everyone surely agrees that 20kg will affect your performance or will spoil your enjoyment. No?
At what weight does weight actually matter and become too heavy?
Will a 20kg bike spoil your enjoyment? Depends what you are doing. You wouldn't enter a hill climb on a 20kg bike just as you wouldn't tour the world on a 6kg bike.
I have a 20kg bike and of all my bikes, it is the one that instantly puts a smile on my face. Love it (big Japanese city bike with a sit up and beg position and huge tyres), but only for riding down the shops/pub and certainly avoiding hills!
I did ride 100km on it once, it was less fun. Mostly.0 -
I rode a 20kg hotel bike up the local col (5km, 6%) on holiday in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
It had 2 seats!! And 3 gears.
I was a real hoot, great fun, but getting it up that hill took everything I had.
Everything is affected by that weight; cornering, braking, acceleration; you have to think ahead 3 seconds more to adjust.
Heavy town bikes are fun for commuting or messing about on, for proper riding, forget it. By the same token, a 6kg bike is better than a 10kg, all else being equal.0 -
Ok you anti or non weightweenies, at what point does the bike become too heavy?
Lets start with one bike that weights 6.8kg and one that weighs 20kg.
Everyone surely agrees that 20kg will affect your performance or will spoil your enjoyment. No?
At what weight does weight actually matter and become too heavy?
Will a 20kg bike spoil your enjoyment? Depends what you are doing. You wouldn't enter a hill climb on a 20kg bike just as you wouldn't tour the world on a 6kg bike.
I have a 20kg bike and of all my bikes, it is the one that instantly puts a smile on my face. Love it (big Japanese city bike with a sit up and beg position and huge tyres), but only for riding down the shops/pub and certainly avoiding hills!
I did ride 100km on it once, it was less fun. Mostly.
Exactly, If you are avoiding hills with your 20kg bike then this is the point i am getting at.
At what weight wouldn't you avoid the hills?0 -
Ok you anti or non weightweenies, at what point does the bike become too heavy?
Lets start with one bike that weights 6.8kg and one that weighs 20kg.
Everyone surely agrees that 20kg will affect your performance or will spoil your enjoyment. No?
At what weight does weight actually matter and become too heavy?
Will a 20kg bike spoil your enjoyment? Depends what you are doing. You wouldn't enter a hill climb on a 20kg bike just as you wouldn't tour the world on a 6kg bike.
I have a 20kg bike and of all my bikes, it is the one that instantly puts a smile on my face. Love it (big Japanese city bike with a sit up and beg position and huge tyres), but only for riding down the shops/pub and certainly avoiding hills!
I did ride 100km on it once, it was less fun. Mostly.
Exactly, If you are avoiding hills with your 20kg bike then this is the point i am getting at.
At what weight wouldn't you avoid the hills?
Very true, and this is the question I often ask of sceptics when they poo-poo (!) a light bike.
"OK so if I ask you carry my 1kg water bottle you won't mind?" Needless to say, they do! (mind!)0 -
Ok you anti or non weightweenies, at what point does the bike become too heavy?
Lets start with one bike that weights 6.8kg and one that weighs 20kg.
Everyone surely agrees that 20kg will affect your performance or will spoil your enjoyment. No?
At what weight does weight actually matter and become too heavy?
Will a 20kg bike spoil your enjoyment? Depends what you are doing. You wouldn't enter a hill climb on a 20kg bike just as you wouldn't tour the world on a 6kg bike.
I have a 20kg bike and of all my bikes, it is the one that instantly puts a smile on my face. Love it (big Japanese city bike with a sit up and beg position and huge tyres), but only for riding down the shops/pub and certainly avoiding hills!
I did ride 100km on it once, it was less fun. Mostly.
Exactly, If you are avoiding hills with your 20kg bike then this is the point i am getting at.
At what weight wouldn't you avoid the hills?
Avoiding the hills on that bike has nothing to do with weight personally. Lack of gears (it's singlespeed). I can wrestle it up hills, but it's a shopping bike - why would I? If I were going on a hilly ride, I would choose a different bike.
If the 20kg bike had gears, then hills are fine - just like touring bikes which might have an all up weight of 40-50kg, but gears down to 20 inches etc.
I am not suggesting in any way that weight doesn't matter - of course it does and I endeavor to keep weight down on my distance bikes (though never at the expense of comfort). However, suggesting it is not possible to enjoy yourself on a bike because it is heavy is totally subjective. I wouldn't enter a hill climb on a 20kg bike - but let's say I did, would I enjoy it? Yes I probably would because it would be hilarious. Doubly so if I won. 0 -
...all else being equal.
I think this is the bottom line - it's pretty difficult to get a bike that's exactly the same as a regular road bike, just three times the weight.0 -
Up to a certain point, though, light weight and better performance go hand-in-hand. When you get into silly-light components, that goes away certainly, but in the main it's a factor to be considered.0
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