Seeking the impossible - cheap road bike sub 8.5kg that can climb

[GuyBoden]

If you're an old bloke pootling up hills like myself, just get yourself a small chainring front triple and larger rear cassette sprockets. Take your time getting up steep hills and enjoy the view.


Or:
For serious Hill Climbing:
https://cyclinguphill.com
https://cyclinguphill.com/cycle-uphill-techniques/
https://cyclinguphill.com/100-climbs/
https://www.bandofclimbers.com/blogs/climbs/10-of-the-uks-toughest-climbs

A Cannondale Supersix frame and lightweight components would do some serious UK Hill Climbs.

Serious Hill Climbing bikes:
https://www.bikeradar.com/features/pro-bike/2022-hill-climb-bikes/

 

[Sharky]

Have a read of this. A shorter wheelbase would make a livelier ride.

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/what-is-a-bikes-wheelbase

 

[T4tomo]

Hello Hive of Wisdom
Suspect I'm seeking the impossible - a reliable cheap road bike sub 8.5kg that can climb well.
I'm 5'8" and the budget is c.£400 but will stretch for a bike with proper climbing gearing.
My CX's kerb weight is just over 9kg and it climbs well enough (105) but I would like to get up the local lumps a bit quicker.
I am pretty sure I will have to make do with cable operated bikes and something that is over 5 years old (closer to 10 I suspect).
Any suggestions of what to look for?
Thanks

do you want a road bike to complement your "stable" of possibly just a CX bike?

or do you want another bike specifically to go up hills faster.

if the former then there is plenty of choice...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=road+bike&_sacat=7294&_udhi=400&rt=nc&LH_BIN=1

if the latter, then as others have pointed out, work on the engine...

 

[Alex321]

Based on your OP you're looking to lose 500g.

Two low cost alternatives. Check through all the kit you carry on the bike and you'll probably shed 500g or lose that weight yourself. Easy and cheap.

For the average amateur the bike doesn't make a huge difference on hills. On the flat and rolling, yes but not, in my view, on climbs.

For the half kilo being talked about, I agree it will make very little difference.

But for bigger differences in weight, it can matter even for an average amateur. The difference between my hybrid (13.9Kg) and my road bike (9.4) makes about 5% difference in the overall weight of bike plus me, and is enough to notice.

 

[figbat]

I didn't go looking for a lightweight road bike but accidentally found one - it came up for sale through a work internal classified ads system - I wasn't really looking for a new bike at all but it seemed worth getting so I did. It's a 2014 Fuji Altamira 2.7 with Tiagra 4600 2x10, Tektro brakes, fairly cheap wheels and finishing kit and it comes in at 8.6kg. All I have done (so far) is change the stem (shorter), saddle and add PD-M 520 pedals. I love it as it is now although have some 105 5700 levers to go on it to update the looks (lose the external shift cabling at the bars) and am mulling a wider cassette with appropriate derailleur (although so far I have made it up every hill I've tried - I'm just used to the dinner plates on my MTB and gravel bikes!). It came with 23mm tyres but I have squeezed some 25mm on there - there's no room for wider.

My point it that you'll essentially have to take whatever comes up - you're at the mercy of the second hand market, which can not be predicted. Just keep an eye out and pounce on anything that hits the mark.

 

[PaulSB]

For the half kilo being talked about, I agree it will make very little difference.

But for bigger differences in weight, it can matter even for an average amateur. The difference between my hybrid (13.9Kg) and my road bike (9.4) makes about 5% difference in the overall weight of bike plus me, and is enough to notice.

Oh yes, absolutely. The difference between my Cervelo and Kinesis is huge. On the Cervelo I can climb, on the Tripster I just sit in and get to the top.

 

[GuyBoden]

The serious UK Hill Climbers are very serious about weight. Both Rider and Bike.

Current UK Hill Climb Champion Andrew Feather's bike.
https://road.cc/content/feature/andrew-feathers-539kg-cannondale-supersix-evo-hi-mod-297091

You probably guessed, Andrew Feather is as light as a feather too.

Height: 175cm or about 5ft 9inch
Weight: 62.9kg or 9 stone 12.7 pounds
Body fat: 5.8%

 

[fossyant]

You need to ride more. It's that simple. If you want the CX bike to roll a bit better, get some spare wheels with road tyres.

 

[fossyant]

500g, have a good poo first !

 

[FrothNinja]

Thanks for the feedback folks, especially the tips about bikes.
What I am looking at is adding to the stable unless I can find a set of lightweight road rims, in excellent condition, that will go tubeless, have a suitable cassette and fit my Mares (which is on discs) at under £400.
I rode a friends Defy (same kerb weight as the CX) up a local test piece and was a second quicker in spite of it being an unfamiliar bike and riding flats on clipped pedals. Also the granny gear wasn't as big as the one on the Mares.
Logic therefore dictates that a lighter bike on appropriate rubber should be faster again.
With regards the 'motor', it currently does an average of about 50 miles a week (not including friction trainer miles) and will hopefully continue to improve. It is largely irrelevant in this situation as I am talking a simple comparison. If I get faster on the CX, I would still be faster again on a proper road set-up. The gap would always be there.

 

[FrothNinja]

500g, have a good poo first !

I always offload before a ride

 

[All uphill]

I didn't go looking for a lightweight road bike but accidentally found one - it came up for sale through a work internal classified ads system - I wasn't really looking for a new bike at all but it seemed worth getting so I did. It's a 2014 Fuji Altamira 2.7 with Tiagra 4600 2x10, Tektro brakes, fairly cheap wheels and finishing kit and it comes in at 8.6kg. All I have done (so far) is change the stem (shorter), saddle and add PD-M 520 pedals. I love it as it is now although have some 105 5700 levers to go on it to update the looks (lose the external shift cabling at the bars) and am mulling a wider cassette with appropriate derailleur (although so far I have made it up every hill I've tried - I'm just used to the dinner plates on my MTB and gravel bikes!). It came with 23mm tyres but I have squeezed some 25mm on there - there's no room for wider.

My point it that you'll essentially have to take whatever comes up - you're at the mercy of the second hand market, which can not be predicted. Just keep an eye out and pounce on anything that hits the mark.

I accidentally did something similar buying a ten year old aluminium Felt 75 with 105.
I've just looked it up and contemporary tests say it weighs 8.6 kg.

 

[fossyant]

Nope, your logic is flawed. It's one ride, different conditions, and can be a placebo effect. I've got a mile off road climb that I ride at least 3 times a week. I'm actually faster on my heavy MTB with panniers than when I did it on my CX bike - the CX ride was after 30 miles off road though, and not when conditions may have been better.

Tyres affect the climbing. My CX rides pretty well on it's knobbly tyres but it's fractionally slower than my 25c tyres on my road bikes. The CX is probably the same weight. I have spare wheels for the CX bike. Tyres and wheels make a difference to how the bike feels and accelerates.

If you aren't using the CX off road, stick some road tyres on. If doing both, grab some Aksiums or something else for £200

If you want another bike (not a bad idea) then get looking on ebay - I got the CX for £330, but I spent another £150 on new cables, cages, bar tape, tyres etc etc. I wouldn't be looking for any extra weight saving, just because. You'll be quicker switching from gravel to road tyres, it's that simple.

 

[fossyant]

The only way to be faster is to ride more - frequency is the key, 5 x 10 miles is better than 1 x 50 miles.

 

[FrothNinja]

Nope, your logic is flawed. It's one ride, different conditions, and can be a placebo effect. I've got a mile off road climb that I ride at least 3 times a week. I'm actually faster on my heavy MTB with panniers than when I did it on my CX bike - the CX ride was after 30 miles off road though, and not when conditions may have been better.

Tyres affect the climbing. My CX rides pretty well on it's knobbly tyres but it's fractionally slower than my 25c tyres on my road bikes. The CX is probably the same weight. I have spare wheels for the CX bike. Tyres and wheels make a difference to how the bike feels and accelerates.

If you aren't using the CX off road, stick some road tyres on. If doing both, grab some Aksiums or something else for £200

If you want another bike (not a bad idea) then get looking on ebay - I got the CX for £330, but I spent another £150 on new cables, cages, bar tape, tyres etc etc. I wouldn't be looking for any extra weight saving, just because. You'll be quicker switching from gravel to road tyres, it's that simple.

The comparison was fairly direct. I did the same hill the day before on the CX, and had ridden the same distance on my leaden hybrid to get to the Defy.
If I can find suitable spare rims that is my preferred option but the prices for rims that would work have been closer to £1000 so far - not including rubber. Spare wheels would mean when I go away I would effectively be taking two bikes in one, which would be nice.
Current rubber on the CX is