Viewing 12 posts - 41 through 52 (of 52 total)
  • Weight of bike vs weight of rider
  • wavejumper
    Free Member

    Haven’t figured out quite how to explain it but I know if I went out for a hilly run and timed it as fast as I could and then lost 2kg and then went for another hilly run with a 2L (2kg) bottle of coke strapped to my back (theoretically, Ignore the fact this would be uncomfortable etc), I know it would be much slower and more knackering. I apply the same principles to my bike. The lighter weight I have to lug around it feels much more beneficial than loosing the same amount of weight from my body. There must be an explanation but I haven’t thought of it yet.

    stufield
    Free Member

    My Carbon road bike weighs about 16lbs my steel training bike weighs about 25lbs i weigh about 240 lbs
    So I’m 3% lighter overall but I go at least 10% faster when i do a 10 mile tt on my carbon bike

    matther01
    Free Member

    I put on 8lb in one week eating junk food whilst the wife was away and the following Sunday ride was noticeably more difficult. My balance was nowhere near the same and climbing was a little harder too.

    Biscuit tin is now padlocked by the other half.

    ollie51
    Free Member

    The only single determinant of how fast you go is how much work you put in to going fast.

    I think most rational people would assume that….

    wilko1999
    Free Member

    Rider + bike = total mass that your engine has to propel. Adding 1kg to the bike has the same effect of adding 1kg to your body. The overall mass that your engine has to propel increases by 1kg either way. Anyone searching for an explanation to their own theory is attempting to dispel the commonly accepted laws of physics 🙂

    Edit : assuming that the 1kg is fat and you maintain the same power output

    Northwind
    Full Member

    crikey – Member

    One would assume that with all the aero and weight advantages available these days, that TT records would be tumbling every week…

    Kidding? Minimum weight limit. And ask Obree about aerodynamic advantages.

    wobbliscott
    Free Member

    The TT carbon bike is more aerodynamic, and aerodynamics trumps weight, unless you’re climbing at slow speed. If you lose body weight the reality is it will come with increased fitness, so losing a pound of body weight is always better than losing a pound of bike weight. A pound off your bike is dead weight. A pound off your body comes with additional benefits in fitness.

    Upgrading bikes and kit is just nice. Full stop. Nothing to do with achieving tangible and noticeable benefits. No need to justify it. If you want it, and can afford it, and get it past your other half, fill yer boots!

    The average person is carrying about 70,000 calories of lard, so plenty of poundage to be going at before you start chasing grams off your bike justifying that its better to lose weight off the bike. Unless you’re sub 10% body fat that justification just doesn’t stick!

    stufield
    Free Member

    neither bike are tt, just plain vanilla sit up an beg road bikes. in fact carbon has BIG tubes so probably lot less aero than 1″ headtube steel bike.

    Wheels do make a difference, lighter wheels definitely make it easier.

    But generally i would agree an xtr rear mech is not going to make you faster unless you are <10% body fat
    but some parts do count. In fact I’d say properly set up trail suspension is often heavier than XC parts and that would probably make the average rider faster

    Northwind
    Full Member

    wobbliscott – Member

    If you lose body weight the reality is it will come with increased fitness

    What a ridiculous oversimplification. Lose muscle, lose weight.

    HoratioHufnagel
    Free Member

    “Don’t buy upgrades; ride up grades”. – Eddy Merckx

    Kevevs
    Free Member

    EAT LOADS OF PROTEIN, EAT LOADS OF VEG (NOT POTATOS, PASTA OR BREAD) STAY OFF THE BOOZE. DO THIS FOR 6 MONTHS AND YOU WILL BE A **** SLIM BORING HEALTHY MONK.

    peterfastlane
    Free Member

    My totally non scientific research suggests that for every pound less of bike weight I can do a lap of Cannock a minute quicker. 5lbs saves 5 minutes. Not lost any body weight so maybe that’s the way forward

Viewing 12 posts - 41 through 52 (of 52 total)

The topic ‘Weight of bike vs weight of rider’ is closed to new replies.