Will a lighter bike benefit me?

shooter999

Hi Everyone

Looking for some advice. I've been riding for about 10 months, try to get out twice a week with my mates.

My current bike has full ultegra 6700, Fulcrum racing 3 wheels and weighs 7.8kg without pedals and bottle cages. My bike is a little too big for me (bought 2nd hand)

I'm looking at a bike which has full ultegra 6800, bontrager race wheels and weighs 6.5kg without pedals and bottle cages (and will be a good fit for me).

My weight is 75kg, and I dont want to lose any weight.

It's going to cost about £600 to change bikes.

Will I see any real world benefit in changing bikes, or should I stick with What I've got.

Thanks

imposter2.0

If your current bike is too big and you have the opportunity to change it for one which is a 'good fit' for you - and you are happy to pay £600 to do it - then go for it. The weight thing will be largely unnoticeable though.

I'm not sure of the significance of weighing it without pedals and bottle cages - unless that's how you ride it...

shooter999

Imposter wrote:

I'm not sure of the significance of weighing it without pedals and bottle cages - unless that's how you ride it...

Thanks for reply.

That's how the other bike has been weighed.

Escher303

Are you sure it is 6.5kg? That's very light for an Ultegra equipped bike unless it has an exotic frame and components. What is it?

shooter999

Escher303 wrote:

Are you sure it is 6.5kg? That's very light for an Ultegra equipped bike unless it has an exotic frame and components. What is it?

Trek emonda SL

nuclearred955

Find a shop which will let you test-ride one. I agree that the biggest difference will likely be because the bike's a better fit.

Anonymous

If you cannot feel the difference of 1.3kg (roughly 15% I guess by the time pedals are on it) then you really should not be buying that bike lol.

Well done for rattling the light bike haters cages by the way ;-)

fenix

The weight benefit will be minimal but the improvement in fit will be the real benefit.

(not convinced about that weight at all)

http://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/cate ... -15-49183/

simon_masterson

What 'benefits' are you looking for? Lighter bikes are nicer to ride, particularly uphill. It will make very little difference to your speed, but look at it the other way round - what are the benefits of the bike being heavier?

dstev55

Shooter999 wrote:

Escher303 wrote:

Are you sure it is 6.5kg? That's very light for an Ultegra equipped bike unless it has an exotic frame and components. What is it?

Trek emonda SL

Sure you don't mean the SLR? Or has it got some really light wheels on?

The standard Emonda SL6 definitely does not weigh 6.5kg, more like 7.5kg.

bernithebiker

It's doubtful it'll make you any faster, but it will have a much nicer feel to it. Any acceleration (that's increasing and decreasing speed, going uphill and turning) will feel easier and snappier.

shooter999

Thanks for all replies, I've asked seller to confirm weight.

kajjal

Having a bike that fits you well will be more efficient and handle better. The weight will help but 1kg is not that much even if you ride long distances in very hilly areas unless you are very fast.

Anonymous

The OP did not mention speed or wanting to be faster, yet people love to say it will not be any faster :roll:

If the bike accelerates quicker etc. etc. then surely that's a faster bike?

Personally I would not try to quantify that increase and just enjoy how much better it rides/feels (the benefit).
Try to improve your times by riding faster, but just take any help the bike gives you as a bonus.

dstev55

I will add that I've ridden an SL8 (same as the SL6, just Dura-Ace instead of Ultegra) and it rode very nicely. Very compliant frame yet felt very stiff. I thought the wheels were holding it back somewhat though.

galatzo

Its a lovely feeling picking up a 6.5kg bike to go out and ride on.
I'm tempted to compare it to a beautiful lady but I'll let you do that yourselves

imposter2.0

Carbonator wrote:

The OP did not mention speed or wanting to be faster, yet people love to say it will not be any faster :roll:

Except nobody on this thread has actually said that.

MisterMuncher

My bikes range from 10 to 6.5 kg. The lightest isn't faster than the heaviest to an extent that it justifies being three times the price, and most of the speed increase is down to the geometry. What is noticeable and worthwhile is how much better it handles and feels.

In the main, though, weight and quality tend to have an inversely proportional relationship in bikes. It's very rare to find components, frames, bikes that vary only on weight without also varying on some other metric. It's only when you get into weight-weenieing in a big way that you have to start compromising performance.

Garybarker

I have a Trek Emonda SL6, with the stock wheels plus 6800 series carbon pedals and 2 Bontrager XXX bottle cages it weighs in at 7.75kg on a 56 frame (with carbon bars).

charlie_potatoes

A lighter bike will make you faster. Much faster.
The people on here are Masons and are part of a conspiracy to hold you back.
I've put my life in danger just by posting this.

shooter999

Garybarker wrote:

I have a Trek Emonda SL6, with the stock wheels plus 6800 series carbon pedals and 2 Bontrager XXX bottle cages it weighs in at 7.75kg on a 56 frame (with carbon bars).

Thanks for this. This is the same bike I'm looking at less the pedals and bottle cages, so it would seem the weight claims aren't accurate. I don't mind this, (just would prefer honesty) as the fact that the bike will be a good fit will bring its own benefits.

rollemynot

Shooter999 wrote:

Garybarker wrote:

I have a Trek Emonda SL6, with the stock wheels plus 6800 series carbon pedals and 2 Bontrager XXX bottle cages it weighs in at 7.75kg on a 56 frame (with carbon bars).

Thanks for this. This is the same bike I'm looking at less the pedals and bottle cages, so it would seem the weight claims aren't accurate. I don't mind this, (just would prefer honesty) as the fact that the bike will be a good fit will bring its own benefits.

Maybe the thread title should change to "will a bike that fits benefit me?"

surrey_commuter

Rollemynot wrote:

Shooter999 wrote:

Garybarker wrote:

I have a Trek Emonda SL6, with the stock wheels plus 6800 series carbon pedals and 2 Bontrager XXX bottle cages it weighs in at 7.75kg on a 56 frame (with carbon bars).

Thanks for this. This is the same bike I'm looking at less the pedals and bottle cages, so it would seem the weight claims aren't accurate. I don't mind this, (just would prefer honesty) as the fact that the bike will be a good fit will bring its own benefits.

Maybe the thread title should change to "will a bike that fits benefit me?"

Or "how much does a Trek Emonda SL6 weigh?"

bernithebiker

Always take quoted bike weights with a pinch of salt.....

menthel

The Emonda is a very nice bike, even despite the weight estimates. I would have had one if I hadn't gone for the Aprire I got.

Stormtrooper

What differance does bike weight make?
By the time you have two full bottles of fluid, saddle bag with spare tube, levers, air cartridge and even a puncture kit as back up.
Plus food to keep yourself going and then your big heavy a*# sat on the saddle, by the time you add these things, unless your racing and you don't need them does a bike weight really matter?

cycleclinic

1.3kg is a fair saving though. If you you average 250W then the be a very marginal improvement in power to weight ratio from 3.012W/kg to 3.06 W/kg. If you are changing the bike anyway for a better fit then the weight saving is a bonus and it will be of some benefit just not a big one.

Anonymous

Stormtrooper wrote:

does a bike weight really matter?

Why don't you get one way heavier than the one you have and report back

mamil314

Stormtrooper wrote:

What differance does bike weight make?
By the time you have two full bottles of fluid, saddle bag with spare tube, levers, air cartridge and even a puncture kit as back up.
Plus food to keep yourself going and then your big heavy a*# sat on the saddle, by the time you add these things, unless your racing and you don't need them does a bike weight really matter?

Seriously, the water bottles argument, again? Does your body lose requirement to hydrate when on light bike?

Anonymous

The old ones are the best arnt they lol (think you meant heavy bike though?).

Don't forget that you also lose the ability to poo during daylight hours when you have a light bike.

noodleman

This whole 'bottles of water and tools' statement that keeps coming up is funny. If you put bottles and tools on a light bike and claim the benefit is gone, do you not put bottles and tools on the heavier bike then??