Funnily enough, the first time I noticed a journalist trying out the new ‘weight isn’t important any more’ line was when reviewing a 10kg, £2,200 Trek. At least the stated weights of the new ones are bit lighter…

I had been looking at an SL6 disc pre lockdown. 2020 model was £2400, now £2100 (if there are any in stock). The 2021 model is £2900 and a smidge heavier.

I can’t fathom why the SL5 is only 50g lighter than the AL5.

Just regards the whole obsession with lightweight versus aero, or the quest to get both in some cases – the BMC Timemachine would be my bike of choice, and the answer to question a while back to if I had 5k to spend on a new road bike (plus another two more) .

BMC list weights on their website which is interesting. The base model Timemachine at 7k weighs about 9kg. The top end model, if you have about 11k, weighs 7.8 kg. But I know I’d rather carry that extra kg and ride a frame and bike with all that innovation, instead of just a pure weight weeny machine. But that’s just my view. Edit; I know these are well over 5k.

https://www.bmc-switzerland.com/timemachine-01-road-one-302033.html

It was definitely 4.6kg’s, my LBS (a large Trek Dealer) had it on demo, we weighed. It was being sold a few years ago at a fair bit cheaper than the £11k, closer to £5k if I remember correctly, obviously thats second hand as it had been sent around the country to other Trek stores and used in various photo shoots.

That’s nice Ben. From Epic? Might get one of those… 👍

Prompted by this I weighed my Focus Izalco Max – with added eTap, Quarq power meter, pedals, cages, pump mount and garmin mount.

Which I’m quite happy with.

Without.

Never quite understood why folks post weights of a bike without the pedals, you may as well remove the rear wheel and weigh it! Thats not a pop at you footflaps, so many folks do it.

Still under 7.5kg with pedals is bloody good for what looks like a fairly aero disk bike. Definitely lighter than my fairly high spec TCR and I’d say it looks better as well. What is it exactly and may I ask how much it was?

Also there is still a price premium attached to discs, so not only are you paying more for (negligibly, admittedly) heavier components, but that additional cost is eating into the available budget for nice kit elsewhere, hence heavier kit specced elsewhere too!

Same argument for a lot of steel bikes I think, you’re paying more for the steel frame, which is heavier, and now have less available budget for components elsewhere so end up with a heavier frame AND heavier parts.

Edit: and finally, since disc brakes will never win a weight argument, manufacturers are now pushing aero more, and aero is heavier, so you’re more likely to see a heavier aero frameset, with heavier brakes and cheaper, heavier components. Triple whammy! 😉

Much stiffer than my CR1, can’t tell if its the frame or the wheels, but accelerates quicker and more road vibration

I went from a CR1 SL to a Boardman with a hi-mod frame this year. The new bike was described in reviews as being on the firm side (but very well priced).

Yes it was rattly with the 28c tyres at my normal 90psi-ish, but once I dropped them to 70-ish it was waaaay more comfy – and I’m sold on road tubeless after absent-mindedly hitting a square-edged pothole at speed, feeling the rims hit but didn’t get a flat either end.

It’s just over 1kg heavier, but faster everywhere so far.

* I’m with you….weight is but a number and most of us posting here including those concerned about the bikes weight would likely see bigger gains from one less pie than the difference in weight between disks and calipers.

But is it at all conceivable that you could eat one less pie AND buy a lighter bike? Win-win! 😀

Also, as you eat fewer pies and get lighter, the bike starts to become a greater proportion of the overall ‘system’ weight, so the fewer pies you eat, the MORE you need a lighter bike.

Anyway, moving away from the theoretical and back to the real world. My ‘light’ bike is significantly more fun to ride than my ‘heavy’ bike. Difference in weight is 1.5kg. Perhaps it’s psychological, but not only do I enjoy riding it more, I’m faster on it, and that’s despite having cheaper heavier tyres on the light bike so that I can pop it on the rollers on wet days.

Until I’m competing and trying to shave seconds off my time I’ll never be convinced of the merits of heavier bikes 😉

(oh and p.s. @trail_rat, thanks for helping me sell that saddle, it was much too heavy, I’ve found one 30g lighter 😉 )

Ha talking of budget. I bought a Raleigh Criterium Elite during lockdown from the selling pages mainly to use on my turbo..

Quoted weight was 8.8kg with wired tires, a lead seatpost and a sofa of a saddle.

Cost £200.

Swapped out tyres for Ones, put in a carbon post, lighter but still cheap saddle and campag potenzza brakes rather then the heavy(and flexy) RSP ones, lighter QR skewers, lighter seat collar and a prime lightweight stem.

(and cleaned off about 3kg of grime and grease!)

Total weight now 7.9kg according to proper scales

Total cost £420.

Footflaps – it looks really nice. You are tempting me.