Why bike weight matters?

[Shut Up Legs]

I was riding my 15kg Vivente tourer for commuting and all weekend rides, then when I bought the 8kg Specialized Roubaix road bike, I could really notice the difference when climbing mountains. My body weight is close to optimum and has been for years, so I couldn't lose weight that way.

 

[MontyVeda]

I have further reduced the weight of my bike by not only ditching the water bottle altogether, along with its cage... but by also taking the tyres off... it's knackering but worth it

 

[clid61]

My winter commute weighs in at 17 kg .
Alu frame mountain bike , Marathon winter tyres , 2 750ml bottles permanently full and left in cages, me in my thermals and waterproofs + my workclothes and lunch for a full days work.
I ascend and descend roughly 500ft during my commute, when I go out to play on my 9kg road bike I feel like Im flying and the bike really does go, all that extra weight does help increase your stamina and strength

 

[clid61]

I have further reduced the weight of my bike by not only ditching the water bottle altogether, along with its cage... but by also taking the tyres off... it's knackering but worth it

Bet you get through a few more inner tubes though !

 

[Old Plodder]

It's not so much the overall weight but the rolling weight, once a heavy bike is rolling the weight is working for you, but when you hit the hills you have to propel all that weight up them. Thinner/narrower tyres are easier going uphill, as are higher pressure tyres. Another difference between road bikes & most others is the length of chainstays, the shorter the better, as it allows your power to be transferred more efficiently, & makes hill climbing that much easier.

 

[Cuchilo]

I mentioned to a friend that I seem to be going faster on a heavier bike , or rather I am not beating alot of my recorded times on a lighter bike . We are talking a couple of kg here though so not a massive amount . It seemed odd so we just ignored it as me talking rubbish but what you say is ringing true . On longer rides with hills the lighter bike wins hands down .

 

[jack smith]

The most important thing is that your bike is lighter than your mates. If it's not than you've got to keep spending rediculous amounts on useless items until it is! .....this is the real reason....

 

[Cuchilo]

Jack is right ! Once you have spent that money on the item you also need to remove it to make the bike lighter

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Basically that.

It is important, as are aerodynamic considerations. It all makes a considerable difference.

BUT, not the differences the marketting hype would have you believe. But, that hype is there to persuade you to part with your hard earned.

Spend £xxx on this, and you will float up the hills is their message because they are in the market of selling you stuff. They don't make money from you getting up at 5am each morning and heading off for a couple of hours of interval training.

Sure, you'll float a little better than you did when your setup was 200g more - but, unless you put in the effort and work hard, it will still be hard work.

Don't get me wrong, everyone should strive to ride the most aero and lightest setup suited to their purposes, but, as ever, don't believe the hype. A larger, unfit rider is still going to find hills hard work whether they are on a 10kg bike or a 7kg one.

Why's that then?

 

[SpokeyDokey]

It's not so much the overall weight but the rolling weight, once a heavy bike is rolling the weight is working for you, but when you hit the hills you have to propel all that weight up them. Thinner/narrower tyres are easier going uphill, as are higher pressure tyres. Another difference between road bikes & most others is the length of chainstays, the shorter the better, as it allows your power to be transferred more efficiently, & makes hill climbing that much easier.

Why better? Maybe better for going up hill quicker.

But longer stays that lengthen the wheelbase will be more comfy over rough roads thus lessening fatigue leaving you with more energy to go up hills faster. Therefore, longer is better!

Tbh - not aiming this directly at you btw but there's a load of old cods talked in the beginners section at times. This marginal stuff is pretty much irrelevant to most people in here.

 

[clid61]

Mort , its to keep the weight up

 

[Nigelnaturist]

My winter commute weighs in at 17 kg .
Alu frame mountain bike , Marathon winter tyres , 2 750ml bottles permanently full and left in cages, me in my thermals and waterproofs + my workclothes and lunch for a full days work.
I ascend and descend roughly 500ft during my commute, when I go out to play on my 9kg road bike I feel like Im flying and the bike really does go, all that extra weight does help increase your stamina and strength

Hope for me yet as my only bike weighs in at a min of 12Kgs stripped down and is usually about the 14-15 mark.

 

[HLaB]

I was ill about 15years back (gawd I'm getting old), I'm around 9stone 10 now but at the time I fell to 9stone and had a roadie at the time nicely lecture me about loosing weight of me not the bike (Ithink my doctor would have argued) As I said on another thread, whilst there is some truth in the lose weight of the person not the bike thing; if folk want to buy lighter components and it makes them happy and cycle more so be it

 

[sazzaa]

I notice the weight of my bike on hills, it's light compared to my OH's mtb and feels easier. But then in gusts of wind it's not quite as stable...

 

[Old Plodder]

Why better? Maybe better for going up hill quicker.

But longer stays that lengthen the wheelbase will be more comfy over rough roads thus lessening fatigue leaving you with more energy to go up hills faster. Therefore, longer is better!

Tbh - not aiming this directly at you btw but there's a load of old cods talked in the beginners section at times. This marginal stuff is pretty much irrelevant to most people in here.

The shorter chainstays also transfer your power more efficiently on the flat as well, i.e. when starting off at a road junctions, etc.

I think you will find that more fatigue is caused by a more rigid front fork than shorter chainstays; but everyone is welcome to their own choices.