Heavy bikes v lighter bikes

[Hacienda71]

I have two road bikes one weighs in at about 9 kg the other at around 7.5 kg. On the flat you would be hard pressed to see much of a difference in speed when using the same wheels and tyres and in the same gear. On hills though there is a noticeable difference. On my commute I have a hill I have ridden countless times that rises just under 300 ft in just over half a mile. The lighter bike gives me about 3 to 5 seconds advantage on this hill. The argument that you go down hills faster on the heavier bike is only correct on my heavier bike on a straight downhill. On anything technical the lighter bike is far quicker due to having a tapered headset which makes the handling far more precise.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

After riding a 15kg touring bike for commuting and recreational rides for 4 years, and riding it just about everywhere (including 1000m+ mountain climbs), I recently got my first road bike, weighing 8kg, and let me tell you, it makes a difference!
As I'm in the middle of replacing the gear cables on the touring bike (now used mainly for commuting), I've been commuting with the road bike this week, and it's faster on the flats and up the hills, but probably a bit slower on the down hills compared to the tourer. It's also much more aerodynamic than the tourer. The main reasons I don't use the road bike for commuting every week is that the tourer has (a) more puncture-resistant tyres, is (b) more comfortable, (c) handles bumps better and (d) handles wet weather better.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

My lightest bike is now a touch under 6kg and from my own perspective unless the weight difference is massive, it matters more about where the weight is located. Extra weight on the wheels is more noticeable than the same weight on the frame and has a greater impact.

 

[User482]

i have just bought an expensive fork for my mountain bike and it had reduced the overall weight by about 800 grams.

I have looked at a number of articles regarding the argument that lighter bikes do not necessarily equate to a quicker journey time. But i take the view that if my bike was three times as heavy, there is a fair chance that i would be a bit slower on accelerating from the traffic lights and going up hill. Hence i support the view that lighter bikes will be quicker [reducing weight is what people aim to achieve when upgrading].

am i wrong in thinking that lighter bikes will be quicker and cut down on journey time [at least in theory?]

What do you all think???
Thanks

w

An 800g saving is 1% of me and my bike. How much difference do you think it will make?

 

[MacB]

On anything technical the lighter bike is far quicker due to having a tapered headset which makes the handling far more precise.

Ooooh, I'd just like to savour this for a moment

 

[grumpyoldgit]

Given the choice,who would honestly go for the heavier bike?

 

[fossyant]

Wheel rim and tyre weight matters, not the overall weight of the wheel. As for bike weight, then a kg or so isn't an issue. It's the weight off our bodies we need to drop.

You can shave loads off a hub weight, but it won't make the wheel any faster than a wheel with a bombproof hub, with the same weight rim and tyres.

Frame stiffness and wheel stiffness help, as does resilience and shock absorption.

Very subjective topic.

 

[fossyant]

Ooooh, I'd just like to savour this for a moment

Geometry is the key.

My hand built custom bike is incredibly well planted, and its 23 years old. It just goes round bends. It's steel, but was made as a general all rounder. Angles are 73 front and rear which is an exceptionally stable set up.

Any more than 74 degrees then things start getting twitchy.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Given the choice,who would honestly go for the heavier bike?

Someone who wants to burn off fat quicker by having to work harder?

 

[HLaB]

FWIW, I commute on a cheap heavy steel fixie because its that flat down here but I think if I was facing a more variable terrain, Id try and find something lighter but tbh once rolling I dont think the heavier bike is much slower its just stop/starts.

 

[simon.r]

I regularly ride the same route on my 'heavy' steel framed bike with mudguards and mid range components and my fairly light carbon framed bike. The carbon bike is fairly new, but I've put enough miles on it to get a good feel for it.

I am faster on the light bike, by about 1.5mph on average. I love the ride on both bikes but they're very different.

There is no 'right' choice unless you have a very specific aim.

 

[amaferanga]

Someone who wants to burn off fat quicker by having to work harder?

In reality they'd probably just go slower.

 

[Innis Looby]

(1996) he a $5000 zip timetrail bike the hottest thing rolling at the time ,,,, I had a $800 Steel frame (Reynolds 853 true temper ox gold tubing) used mainly for Mt Bikes, as it a bit thicker and stronger and heavier, by Kelly Bikes USA,,,,,, put aero bars on my road bike to make it bit heavier than it already was and the far heavier than the zip, but thinking about it the extra weight probably gave me an unfair advantage on the down hills because I won the timetrial that day but a good 2 minutes

 

[lejogger]

Someone who wants to burn off fat quicker by having to work harder?

I don't get this argument. I put in just as much effort no matter what bike I'm riding... I just go faster on the lighter/more efficient bike.

 

[goody]

That means you'd be on the heavier bike for longer..........