Body weight/Bike weight

[joconn]

Would losing ten pounds of body weight have the same effect as shaving ten pounds off your bike in regards to easier pedaling?

 

[PK99]

Would losing ten pounds of body weight have the same effect as shaving ten pounds off your bike in regards to easier pedaling?

for most of us losing 10lbs body weight is a damn site easier and cheaper!

 

[gavintc]

A light bike is always good fun and much easier to pedal uphill. My 2 bikes are 17 and 20lb and I can definitely feel the difference between the two of them despite losing 8lbs in body weight the last 4 months. The lighter bike is always the lighter bike.

 

[xpc316e]

Your power to weight ratio is what governs your performance. So 10lbs off you will result in precisely the same ride as losing 10lbs from the bike. However, the previous posters are right about how much difference a light bike will make in terms of 'feel'. Light wheels make a lot of difference to the way a bike changes direction and how it accelerates. A light bike will generally be built with better quality components and you will feel like riding it further, faster, and more often.

 

[fossyant]

You'll be a damn site better off dropping 10lbs off the body.

Lighter bikes are generally have better kit, but the most important point is the engine. Get a decent bike, and it won't matter much.

10lbs off a bike is a lot....... If you don't have a road bike, then switching to a road bike for climbing hills makes a big difference.

What sort of bike do you have ?

 

[montage]

Drop 10lbs off the body. Go faster. Drop some more, go even faster. Get addicted. Spend £1000s to drop 10lbs off bike etc etc

 

[joconn]

You'll be a damn site better off dropping 10lbs off the body.

Lighter bikes are generally have better kit, but the most important point is the engine. Get a decent bike, and it won't matter much.

10lbs off a bike is a lot....... If you don't have a road bike, then switching to a road bike for climbing hills makes a big difference.

What sort of bike do you have ?

My ride is a ten year old Minelli mtb with cromoly frame. Heavy!

 

[arallsopp]

My ride is a ten year old Minelli mtb with cromoly frame. Heavy!

Ah... in that case, you might find a reasonably priced modern equivalent will almost certainly be easier going. If you travel MTB terrain, an aluminium hardtail could be a much lighter way forwards. If you travel light trails a modern hybrid would suit. If you're on the road all the time, there are considerable weight and resistance savings on offer.

The weight you lose from yourself will still be the best bang per buck, but if that minelli is running original components, I reckon you could be in for a bit of a treat should you upgrade.

 

[Riding in Circles]

The best place to lose weight on the bike is in the wheels and tyres, you would notice a saving of 2lbs there more than a saving of 2lbs in the frame. Someone else can bore you with relativity theory to explain why.

 

[lukesdad]

I have alittle training ride I do from work,a short out and back and 6 laps of a loop. I have been doing it consistently all year gradually dropping the times on my Dolan Mythos ( Not a heavyweight by any means.)

Ive just rebuilt the Litespeed Vela with loads of new parts. Shook it down this week. Ending up flat out on this run and dropped the time from the Mythos 53-57 to a 50 -53, and that was with a westerly wind although the route is fairly well sheltered.

AVHR and PHR the same, and calories burned exactly the same ( how I percieve effort). This was done with light racing wheels ( Dura ace) But still could add the sram S60 s to drop time even further.

Of course the bike makes a difference, at what ever level your at,but elevating your level through weight loss or training will produce the best increase in performance.

 

[joconn]

I want to thank those who responded to my question. Much appreciated. Unfortunatly, there will be no new bike for me this year. I will have to keep on pounding the mtb and losing a few more pounds. Actually, it`s win-win isn`t it?