It’s a bit of a heavy beast for long days – say 50+ miles. I’ve only had mine three months and although we got off to a bad start I’m now loving it for a lot of things but it’s a fair lump of metal and that weight takes a toll after a lot of climbing over many hours

I’ve got a couple of big days lined up for this year and I had thought I’d be changing frames for them. I wonder if I shouldn’t just be gritting my teeth and ploughing on.

How far have you gone on yours.

Probably around 40 miles.

That’s about my limit full stop (that’s a big day these days) mainly because of time constraints but also the effect on my middle time constraints have had.

Mine is built up with XT 1X9 rigid steel forks and 69r or fox vanilla 32s and 26r.

I find it fits so well I don’t really consider the weight much of an issue.

Having said that I have a 98 Schwinn Homegrown built up fairly light and it’s noticeably easier to ride long, rolling downland rides on.

I did ~60km on mine when I still had it. Did W2 at Afan last november as well, about 40km and lots of climbing. The thing was so fun on descents that I wasn’t bothered that it wasn’t a mountain goat on the climbs.

1500 miles on the Tour Divide between Rooseville and Steamboat Springs 😀

Yes there may be lighter bikes, but its taken lots of abuse and not let me down so far

Just under 60 miles the other week, and quite a few 30/40 milers leading up to that.
I’d imagine some of the climbs would’ve been easier on a lighter bike, but until I save up for a carbon 456, the steel one will do me fine 🙂

I was hoping Chew would chime in….. 🙂

Does this really matter about the weight of a bike? I have always wondered the effect of the weight of the bike compared to the weight of a <chubby like me> rider.

I have been considering a 456 (or more likely a 45650) as a fun bike compared to FS XC bike – I weigh 90kgs and havent prescribed to the weigh weeny theory due to my obvious lack of will power to eat less. This thread makes me doubt that….. anyone else with a ‘larger frame’ find much difference between a couple of kgs on a bike?

couple of 75km rides on the IoM, few 50’s probably. The problem with mine isn’t the frame it’ the kit hangin off it.

If you’re bothered about what it weighs, then you’ve got the wrong bike. Anyway, the only time you’ll ever notice an extra kg is when you have to lift the bike over a gate.

Smiles not Miles is what a 456 is about.

I will also add on one of the e2e’s I was heading down the road and 2 lads where drafting along with me as we lept some groups, they took the lead but I couldn’t hold them, one was on a 1st gen mega with Marz 55’s etc he finished in a very respectable time (ok so it was Matt Simmonds)

Whats the build on the bike? It’s lighter than my 140mm carbon FS apparently as a frame and I raced that over 200km/4 days in January with no real ill effects and that bike can build fairly light.

marko75 – Member
Does this really matter about the weight of a bike? I have always wondered the effect of the weight of the bike compared to the weight of a <chubby like me> rider.

Well, I’m a skinny 60kg and I can ride my carbon HT a lot longer than my alu FS. The FS is ~7lbs heavier.

@Chew, that’s a hell of a big flag to have attached to the back of your bike

It’s the overall weight that matters really, not the weight of individual parts. And I regularly managed +40 miles on mine before swapping over to a 456Ti.

Does this really matter about the weight of a bike? I have always wondered the effect of the weight of the bike compared to the weight of a <chubby like me> rider.

It probably makes about 10% as much difference as people think it does! The only time I notice my FS being quite a lot heavier than my HT is when trying to manhandle it into the car or over fences – it’s less tiring and faster most of the time.

Most i’ve done is about 45, but this Sunday I’m going for a 60 mile plus route……

Does terrain come into it? Surely the amount of climbing is what you’re interested in, not just the distance travelled?

I have to agree with some that the weight penalty has a massive psychological effect on your ride but there’s also no denying that extra weight will be harder to move around.

When I had one, the longest I did was about 50 miles. Fairly regular 30/40 milers.

I’ve got a couple of big days lined up for this year and I had thought I’d be changing frames for them

It weighs probably about a pound more than a ‘fancy’ steel frame. That’s only a bit more than a can of coke…

I wonder if I shouldn’t just be gritting my teeth and ploughing on.

Yep.

I was hoping Chew would chime in…..

Hehe, exactly what I thought when I saw the title – the guy’s a machine!

Chew – that’s brilliant.

I did a couple of centuries last year on a Rockhopper. Yet to test the 456 over big distance but it felt so different once I’d built it and had the first few rides on it. I’m more used to it now and it doesn’t feel too bad on the climbs. I’m a strong climber but a rubbish descender, hence the choice of frame. It’s somehow kind of even on the climbs – not sprinty but doesn’t seem any slower overall. It’s going to be a bugger to shoulder for any length of time.
I think that it probably will save me some fatigue on the descents. Previous alloy frame with a short fork was jarring on a few rocky munros.

Has anyone done the West Highland Way in a one shot on 456? Chew?

It’s going to be a bugger to shoulder for any length of time.

I reckon I’ve carried mine up most of the mountains in the lakes along with plenty of heavier bikes. Square across the back over your pack works fine.

Did 48 miles a couple of weeks ago. Felt brilliant

Haha it’s you! Maxlight… That 15 minutes has me hankering for long travel/wee wheels/slack head.

Ha – so a bit of purchase research brought you to this thread. We should just swap bikes for the WHW.

Much like the dogs and owners thing,this describes both the bike and me.

long travel/wee wheels/slack head

I was thinking of testing the distance riding today as it’s a day off and the sun is shining, however I’ve forty miles of commute tomorrow and needing to be a bit gentle with my sore back. But then, who knows – certainly not me. I’ve ended up on epics on a whim before….

Haha no new bikes. I’m going single ring at the front though.

Update: I did 88 miles with 6000ft of ascent on the 456 yesterday. A lot of road sections – pretty easy riding for the most part but I felt okay afterwards and could have continued had I not run out of time. This was two days after a 95 mile road ride (which I felt more tired from but it was my first proper road ride) so I’m pleased that I’m building fitness for some super big days.

2lbs difference in the weight of the Carbon vs Evo2 frame, if that difference limits how far you can physically ride in a day, you probably need to exercise more, carry less water, remove your dust caps, file your brake pads down, etc.

Having said that, the carbon frame is on sale at a pretty good price….

a 95 mile road ride

Not tempted to put the extra 5 miles in?!

Good work!

Wun’undred.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/the-rob-roy-way

TdBN 75kms. 10UTB 96ish kms. 14 laps of Puffer 154kms. All on a 456 Summer Season. Not the best tool for it but it was the best I had at the time and I loved it.

You can ride any bike any distance you want as long as your legs can keep going.

mikewsmith

Whats the build on the bike? It’s lighter than my 140mm carbon FS apparently as a frame and I raced that over 200km/4 days in January with no real ill effects and that bike can build fairly light.

Finally gets around to answering… The bike has a Sektor R fork set at 130, 1 x 10 with XT mech and FSA cranks, Stan’s flow on Hope hub front and a er, Mavic 729 on a hope hub on rear. Everything else is pretty much vanilla. I’d quite like to have a lighter back wheel.

Just to update my own thread again: A West Highland Way century

Bike’s a good ‘un. Smiles and miles.