Under 9kg alu

dowlass

Hi all,

Returnee to cycling, though been pottering around on a tourer for donkeys years. Looking at some more serious mileage now with some hill climbing.

What do folk think of the chances of getting a sub 9kg aluminium roadie for under £400 - because 2nd-hand is mandatory. I'm aware that I'll be in the ebay lottery and you don't win 'em all. But what bike might I be looking out for that would near enough meet that target?

It should be said I do have a roadie at the moment, but it's an older 'traditional geometry' 7005 aluminium that weighs a spritely 11kg! Although it does have 105 shifters, Tiagra drivetrain and Mavic Axsium hoops. It's not entirely shoddy, just a bit old - you have to work it hard. Sorry, that should be I have to work it hard

Any advice welcome. Yeah, I'm looking for the moon on a stick. But why not!

cheers

fenix

Don't get hung up on weight. It really doesn't matter that much. I've no idea what any of my bikes weigh and just by adding bottles you can take the weight up by 1.5kg. Do you notice your bike being faster on the way home after emptying the bottles ?

cld531c

New wheels on your old bike would probably be a better investment

craigus89

You will be lucky to get second hand aluminium at that weight. Modern alu seems to be getting the weight down but the framesets alone cost more than your budget.

If that were my absolute budget I would honestly look for bargains around £250 on gumtree (Older Giant Defy, Felt, Boardman et al) and chuck some better budget wheels on like Fulcrum 5's (£200) or similar. I think that would be a better use of your budget than worrying about the weight.

dowlass

Thanks guys.

Can't say I do notice it being lighter with empty bottles, no! But I figure everyone adds bottle weight...I'm just starting at the bare bike weight premise.

Wheels? Well that's a possibility - although I do like strong wheels because the roads round here are..let's say 'not so good'. I even worry about the Axsiums not taking the punishment.

sloppyschleckonds

You'll get a CAAD10 for that money probably

dowlass

Yeah, I've read good things about the CAAD's - I suppose I'm looking for something that feels a bit spritelier and reactive, even if not massively lighter. I just feel I'm dragging a shed, at the moment. Could just be me, of course!

bungalballs

I have a 2012 Giant Defy 0, stock parts other than the wheels (not the lightest; hand built archetypes/ultegra hubs) and a portly Brooks C17, and that is bang on 9kg.

One of the main reasons i still have it is that I cant imagine it is worth anything near £400!

My point being, if you know what to look for I reckon there must be loads of decent alu bikes in that weight range.

joe_totale-2

Would be worth searching for second hand Decathlon bikes as they may come under your budget, for example this one just ended on eBay which would have ticked your boxes:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Btwin-700AF- ... 7675.l2557

dannbodge

My Allez is sub 9kg on 4700 Tiagra with Fulcrum Quattro wheels and normal finishing kit.
Cost me less than £500 to build from just a frame.

When I put my newer wheels, brakes and saddle on it it should be nearer the 8.5kg mark.

mamil314

I ride CAAD and tried Inflite and can recommend both. Don't forget to heck facebook marketplace and gumtree, too.
And how the frack water bottles still make their way into bike weight conversations!?

dowlass

Thanks for the replies, guys - as some of you suggest, I think it is possible to find what I'm seeking. Good points to cover facebook and gumtree, too.

Having said that I agree I shouldn't get carried away by the weight thing, and it's quite possible that a new set of wheels could transform the feel and alacrity of the existing bike. But maybe something in me just wants to try something new!

Cube Peloton?.....

supermurph09

Keep riding what you have, save more cash and get something that will give you a lot more.

thegreatdivide

Bank another 100 quid and keep an eye out for a Trek Emonda ALR. These keep popping up all the time:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2016-Trek-Em ... SwfBFbiBcd

I've tricked mine out over time so that it now weighs a baw hair over 6.8kg.

dannbodge

dowlass wrote:

Thanks for the replies, guys - as some of you suggest, I think it is possible to find what I'm seeking. Good points to cover facebook and gumtree, too.

Having said that I agree I shouldn't get carried away by the weight thing, and it's quite possible that a new set of wheels could transform the feel and alacrity of the existing bike. But maybe something in me just wants to try something new!

Cube Peloton?.....

My first bike was a Cube Peloton.

Was a great bike, bit to endurance based for me now but I had no complaints.

dowlass

Thanks Dannbodge. What exactly does 'endurance' mean in the general scheme of cycling these days? Obviously it's not an Audax bike!

MiddleRinger

You'd be pretty lucky to get that under your price range.If you shop around wisely and snag a few good bargains you could get lucky. Weight is not the be all and end all so don't worry too much.

My alu framed Kinesis hovers a shade over 7kg, but yeah... Dollars...

Dannbodge wrote:

My Allez is sub 9kg on 4700 Tiagra with Fulcrum Quattro wheels and normal finishing kit.
Cost me less than £500 to build from just a frame.

When I put my newer wheels, brakes and saddle on it it should be nearer the 8.5kg mark.

Good job!

dannbodge

dowlass wrote:

Thanks Dannbodge. What exactly does 'endurance' mean in the general scheme of cycling these days? Obviously it's not an Audax bike!

Longer headtube and a more upright stack/reach ratio (not as aggressive as say a Spesh tarmac)

Basically will be somewhere between comfort and speed.

dowlass

MiddleRinger wrote:

My alu framed Kinesis hovers a shade over 7kg, but yeah... Dollars...

...Which seems to suggest that weight does matter

Dannbodge wrote:

Longer headtube and a more upright stack/reach ratio (not as aggressive as say a Spesh tarmac)

Basically will be somewhere between comfort and speed.

Understood. That's definitely what I'd go for, I'm not racing.

luv2ride

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3432865329
I had one of these and it was a good platform for a light bike.

dowlass

Luv2ride wrote:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/323432865329
I had one of these and it was a good platform for a light bike.

thx luv2ride, that's an interesting option. Certainly seem to be some bikes within the target range I was thinking of.

MiddleRinger

dowlass wrote:

MiddleRinger wrote:

My alu framed Kinesis hovers a shade over 7kg, but yeah... Dollars...

...Which seems to suggest that weight does matter

Of course it matters, but it shouldn't be an obsession unless you're building a hill climb bike.

dowlass

MiddleRinger wrote:

Of course it matters, but it shouldn't be an obsession unless you're building a hill climb bike.

Well not exclusively for hill climbing, no - I like a bike I can ride anywhere.

But generally rides round my area (Yorkshire Dales. Bowland) have plenty of hill work. This is typical ground which might form part of a longer ride: https://cyclinguphill.com/100-climbs/cross-of-greet/ - upto 20%.

I don't intend it to be an obsession (I've got other obsessions ), I'd just like to make the most of my ageing engine! And perhaps a slightly lighter bike might help me along.

jimmocrates

dowlass wrote:

MiddleRinger wrote:

Of course it matters, but it shouldn't be an obsession unless you're building a hill climb bike.

Well not exclusively for hill climbing, no - I like a bike I can ride anywhere.

But generally rides round my area (Yorkshire Dales. Bowland) have plenty of hill work. This is typical ground which might form part of a longer ride: https://cyclinguphill.com/100-climbs/cross-of-greet/ - upto 20%.

I don't intend it to be an obsession (I've got other obsessions ), I'd just like to make the most of my ageing engine! And perhaps a slightly lighter bike might help me along.

I live near Clitheroe and never had any probs with Waddy Fell/Trough/Bowland Knotts as well as the steeper stuff like whalley nab/jeffrey hillon my 2012 Giant Defy1.Can be picked up for a bargain on ebay.
Lasted really well and gives a lot of potential for upgrades

dowlass

oxoman - thanks for the idea, there, looks a nice bike for sure. Maybe a bit racy for me and it would have to be built up from used parts on a 58 frame if I could ever find one. Building own bike does have a kind of appeal, though!

Jimmocrates - yes, the Defy 1 (or 2) look like options if they can be had for the price. Jeffrey Hill...now there's a name from the past (I used to work at the Newdrop Inn) - I must pop round and try that one! I suspect your climbing engine is better than mine, though