Just done my usual flick thro the latest threads and noticed a few (race threads) regarding weight of bikes. Let's be fair does it really matter??? What the **** difference does 5 lb less on a bike really do for all but the elite of riders/racers? I can genuinely have my lunch on a Friday, not bother with dinner, get up late sat, weigh myself, be a good 5 lb lighter, go out for a 3 hr ride and feel no difference whatsover! However I can still go out for the rest of the month cos ive not spunked 500 nicker on shiny carbon bits!![*] Anyone else?

poor effort……..

p.s. yes you can feel the difference on a lighter bike, whether you care thats a different matter

Anyone else?

Nope.

nope. I can feel the difference in weights of bikes. definitely. sorry.

p.s. yes you can feel the difference on a lighter bike,

even if you're not allowed to heft it first ?

When you have to lift your bike over several fences and gates on a day out, you'll soon get weight sensitive.

Or do you eat spinach?

I pick Stronger + Cheaper.

The LBS told me that they are gearing up for 'weight weenies' this year. All their main distributors are pushing weight saving components and pimp parts for the summer. So like the early 90's there's going to be a lot broken bits of under engineered parts laying around

I weigh over 200 lbs kitted up, as a fraction of the total system weight, shaving a bit off the bike doesn't really make a lot of sense. I've got it built up "all day reliable". I don't race so I don't care if I'm last up the hill. I do stand a good chance of being first down though. Plus I can' remember the last time my bike let me down. I got stung by the whole weight obsessive thing last time around. I'll pass this year if you don't mind. But that's just me. Thinking about it, I seem to hold the same position in our group whether I ride the 35 lb 6 pack or the 28 lb pace 305. Half a stone doesn't seem to have any advantage unless I shift it from my belly.

it makes about the same difference as a more 'compliant' frame, better damping on forks, or 'crisper' shifting.

Shaving weight off the bike is going to be far more noticeable than losing weight off yourself- I reckon I'd have to lose a good stone (which I can't as I'm already 11) to feel the same on my 31lb bouncy bike as I do on my 24lb XC race bike. It's a phenomenal difference between the two.

STW really needs some kind of filter to stop people posting these threads.

I mean every other week we ge this one, we get the 'I overtook a roadie on my MTB, therefore I = the best, I overtook a guy on a downhill bike whilst riding my CX bike…

picyclo:
When you have to lift your bike over several fences and gates on a day out, you'll soon get weight sensitive.

…as someone who has to do this, I sometimes question my choice of a Dialled Alpine in chunky trim.

I can feel difference in response but I also get headaches on planes feeling the up and down and up and down and blurrgh…

Most ppl won't as they don't race or care.

If you are a pro then yes it makes a difference!

Try weighing yourself at the same kind of time of day-a control etc.

even at my mediocre level of riding I am convinced that a few lb lighter bike makes more difference than it should from simple physics.

I also have to carry my bikes up 106 stairs when I get home – so that helps convince me a light bike is good.

A lighter bike is nice to ride up hills. Full stop. That is it.

It doesn't matter if you're a 120kg fat bastard, it is still nicer to ride.

If you don't want a light bike, that's fine, no one is telling you you should be making it lighter, just that they want to.

I think this type of thread and every other like it ie is Ti better than steel, do I need a full suss? Etc etc etc, could be crystalised into:

light is better than heavy, it really just is.

Anyone who says anything to the contrary probably hasn't got a light bike….

I am not saying you need one either, but they feel nicer

I agree that lower weight will, more often than not, be beneficial. I can't help being confused though by all the super weight-weenie stuff. Companies like Ax-Lightnes, etc always have a huge blurb about how rigorously tested their stuff is while still being feather-light. If their stuff really is the shiznit why do you never see any elite riders using it?

I know a lot of the really elite stuff is custom made for each rider but I saw an interview with some rider during the Beijing Olympics where he said he spent hours considering whether or not to remove his bottle cage bolts. He claimed that over a 24hr continuous race at constant speed the 2g bolts would equate to 6km less distance. At the same time all his finishing kit was FSA branded and his saddle looked like a sofa, not a wince-inducing sheet of carbon-fibre.

I said they go faster uphill, which is true, that means they make riding feel easier to most people, so people like them. Is it surprising?

Ever noticed how a rucksack feels lighter after you've eaten the food inside it? The combined weight of you, the bag and the food is the same, but you feel lighter.

I've always wondered that…

If you drink 2 litres of water, do you instantly gain 2kg. Everything tells me that of course you do, because it can't go anywhere, but it just seems an odd concept!

Long thread on it a couple of weeks ago here:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-difference-does-a-light-bike-make

Nothing more to discuss, move on please.

Since starting to do some 12 hour team events last year ( set2rise bonty 24/12) I have be come very weight obsessed . It may only make small differance but it does make me feel better each time lighten the bike .

Of course it does. Now, if you lost that same weight off you, it may feel the same, but it's not as satisfying!

Light is better than heavy, to a point.

Broken is never better than unbroken.

Even if its only mental, the effect of a light bike, especially if you're used to something heavier can be powerful.

I once did some usual training rides with a mate who was often struggling to match my pace (at the time!).
However on one occasion he'd got hold of a top-end demo bike from the LBS, and when I say 'demo' I mean it was full of boutique parts wayy in excess of the official full XTR spec list- very sneaky if you ask me.

This bike was stunningly light, similar in weight to many good road bikes.
Now he didnt beat me up any hills but there was no sense that he was stuggling either, as I said, even if its all in the mind, that sort of difference is worth paying for if you're racing.

The good thing about having a light bike is that they usually look bloody good too!! Also maybe if you have a heavy bike you might shy away from the really steep hills(unless you like a challenge) but if your bike is nice and light then you dont mind as you know you can fly up to the top and feel good about it!

I reckon a 'quality' bike weighted to be the same as a 'gas pipe special' will still 'feel lighter' – it's not just about mass it's about design and materials….

…and pixie dust 😉

Better lose a few pounds off my gut and not bother getting weight obsessive. Trouble is Iike a Few ugh ugh ugh beers. So what the hell I'll just have to work a bit harder going up.

I remember having a manitue HT build up with silly light stuff many moons ago. It actually felt too light. It didn't feel stable or planted down hill. Far too skittish. It was years ago so gemometry plays a part but back then, I was comparing it to other bikes with similar geometry. I still say, it was too light for all day Peak riding which is what I do. A heavier bike actually fel better. In fact, when I did lord of the loops recently, I chose my heavy bouncy toy over the lighter hardtail. Obviously other factors contribute but the weight didn't bother me.

Well lets be honest, few people who have similar FS and HT bikes are going to have a lighter FS. I would question the point in that anyway, so of course a lot of us often choose to ride the heavier bike.

In the dry, most of the time I'd rather use my FS, even though it's heavier (just).

Ever noticed how a rucksack feels lighter after you've eaten the food inside it? The combined weight of you, the bag and the food is the same, but you feel lighter.

Too true,ESPECIALLY when I am doing the food packing.

I've always wondered that…

If you drink 2 litres of water, do you instantly gain 2kg. Everything tells me that of course you do, because it can't go anywhere, but it just seems an odd concept!
You will gain the weight, but will also be constantly sweating it out so overall you lose most of it. Food is different unless you slip out a wee jobbie halfway through your ride.
Bike weight is a funny thing. A heavy bike with light wheels will ride better than a light bike with heavy wheels…and fast rolling tyres play a large part too.

You will gain the weight, but will also be constantly sweating it out so overall you lose most of it

Not really talking about riding, I mean downing it. I personally lose a fair bit of weight when I ride anyway, as I'm rubbish at drinking enough, but that's not the point.

A heavy bike with light wheels will ride better than a light bike with heavy wheels

That's a massive over-generalisation of course. Heavy wheels will likely be better at speed, but not for accelerating. Rather depends on what you're doing on the bike.

Seeing as everyone else has bitten…

even if you're not allowed to heft it first ?

Yup, just changing tyres from steel to kev beaded I can notice a pretty large difference.

At only 58 kg I cant get any lighter so it has to be the bike , i just cant stop now I have started down this dark and exspensive path . stans mmx rims next . Think I need to get some help

Paligap are going to start doing them soon, there's a shipment of rims due at the end of next month, £97 a rim, which is the same as JRA, but should mean a reliable supply. Wheelsets are still cheaper from JRA though.

thanks for that , but i have the rims sat at home just waiting on some pro lock nipples to arrive . should make a 1200g wheel set . will be interesting to see how long they last

That's a massive over-generalisation of course. Heavy wheels will likely be better at speed, but not for accelerating. Rather depends on what you're doing on the bike.

Too true…but i cant say ive ever wanted 'heavy' wheels on my dh bike.

Lighter wheels also increase the sprung/unsprung ratio, making the suspension work better.

No, but would you rather have Orangeboys 1200g wheels on it?

What hubs/spokes you using with the Podiums then?