Where does all the weight come from?

[Sam Kennedy]

I read that the frame of a Specialized Allez Sport 08 is 1400g.
So where does the rest of the weight come from? I'm guessing the fork and wheels and bars add the most weight, but I can't really see that all adding up to around 9-10kg. (How much does a 56cm allez sport weigh?)

Where does it all come from?

 

[ianrauk]

group sets and drive chains can be very heavy

 

[Arch]

Well, you could try lifting a frame, then adding all the bits and lifting it again....

It does all add up. Just the drivechain weighs a fair bit. There's a lot of metal in even light wheels. Stem, bars, saddle, pedals, tyres, tubes, cables, cable outers, nuts and bolts, levers, shifters, bar tape. Try buying it all and carrying it home from the shop....

 

[Tynan]

aren't bike manufacturers' weights notoriously suspect?

 

[l4dva]

the stock tyres that came with my tricross weigh a ton! I recently put them back on my bike (for the winter riding) and my bike feels soo heavy with them back on (i swapped em for some proper michellin road tyres) I guess all the other bits on the bike add loads of weight too.

 

[gavintc]

Spec a bike and you will be quite surprised at just how difficult it is to make a lightweight bike even starting with a light frame. Having done it 3 times, you get anal on silly things. But on a cheapish pair of wheels, you are looking at 2kg, the groupset another 2.5kg and then you have tyres, tubes, pedals, saddle, bars, stem and seatpost. It does add up.

 

[bonj2]

wheels and cranks are possibly the only other components that weight > 500g (not counting the groupset as one) but most of the other components are at least 200g each, and they all add up...

 

[Dave5N]

As Keith said: 'light, strong, cheap. Pick two'.

 

[bonj2]

As Keith said: 'light, strong, cheap. Pick two'.

Light and strong please. ta.

 

[Arch]

Light and strong please. ta.

Sugar?

 

[chris667]

Cables are nearly 1lb!

 

[amnesia]

Not to mention the 80kg of organic matter sat on the saddle

 

[Sam Kennedy]

80!? ahem... 63

 

[jimboalee]

80!? ahem... 63

That's 17 kg of muscle you've got to put on then.

 

[Sam Kennedy]

That's 17 kg of muscle you've got to put on then.

But then I'll be slightly less aerodynamic!