Calling all weight weenies, read and cry.....all that money for minute gains....suckers!!

[obree]

as per VN today,

 

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/08/news/bike-weight-myth-fast-bikes_339880

[rouxtjie]

a minute is a minute pel.....

 

praaaaaaap

[Slowone]

Interesting reading ... Thanks.....

[davetapson]

Having just replaced my eggbeaters with Shimano 520's for an 80g penalty.... I feel better. Thanks.

[Hairy]

slightly off the mindset of what the weight saving is vs climbs, watts, etc

 

what the reduction in does improve from a FEEL point (MTB related specifically) is how easy it is to move a lighter bike around on the trail ... but then again this is just FEEL for me.

[rouxtjie]

slightly off the mindset of what the weight saving is vs climbs, watts, etc

 

what the reduction in does improve from a FEEL point (MTB related specifically) is how easy it is to move a lighter bike around on the trail ... but then again this is just FEEL for me.

Nope very valid point meneer....point and case a rigid carbon

 

Sure you save 1kg overall by fitting one....but the "nimbleness" it gives you when climbing rocky tech stuff is worth much more

[Morwa]

[RossW]

So you save 7.5 seconds over 1 mile (1.6km).

Take that to a 75km marathon means you'll save (75/1.6)=46.8 miles.

46.8*7.5=351 seconds

351/60=5min51seconds.

 

As Hairy and rouxtjie say, this is secondary to the feel of the bike which can change remarkably with a reduction in weight.

[the nerd]

Also 5min over someone is a klapping...

[New Landy new life]

That is based on you climbing for the full race no?

[divernick]

So you save 7.5 seconds over 1 mile (1.6km).

Take that to a 75km marathon means you'll save (75/1.6)=46.8 miles.

46.8*7.5=351 seconds

351/60=5min51seconds.

 

As Hairy and rouxtjie say, this is secondary to the feel of the bike which can change remarkably with a reduction in weight.

 

You're assuming that the marathon is all uphill with the equation above. Remember that weight is only really important up hills. Keeping a road bike of 10kg at 30km/h on the flats will feel very similar to keeping a 7kg bike at the same speed. On the flats and downhills air resistance is the main enemy of speed.

 

Let's assume in a marathon MTB race you have at most 50% of the distance being climbs of any significance. You'll save less than 3 minutes on a much lighter bike.

[RossW]

That is based on you climbing for the full race no?

I believe so.

 

However I do feel that this can be extrapolated to flat riding and downhills. Perhaps not to as much of a time saving.

We don't race at a constant wattage, rather a constant speed. Convert the constant watts to a constant speed means that for each reduction in weight, the watts required to keep you at a constant speed are reduced. Ultimately, this provides for a decrease in fatigue and energy use of the distance.

 

I'm sure however that no one wants to race on a 15kg bike when you could have an 11kg bike.

[RossW]

You're assuming that the marathon is all uphill with the equation above. Remember that weight is only really important up hills. Keeping a road bike of 10kg at 30km/h on the flats will feel very similar to keeping a 7kg bike at the same speed. On the flats and downhills air resistance is the main enemy of speed.

 

Let's assume in a marathon MTB race you have at most 50% of the distance being climbs of any significance. You'll save less than 3 minutes on a much lighter bike.

 

I would have hated to have been on a sturdy 14kg all-mountain/enduro type bike for the Mationals route in PMB this year. I swear that route was 80% climbing.

[Paulst12]

Its all relative... save some weight on the frame and the effects are not huge besides what the article points out... save it on the wheels and th discussion changes a little!!

 

read http://pardo.net/bik...-027/index.html to get a better idea of what saving weight on the right parts of the bike can do.

 

Even better check http://bikecalculator.com/ and enter the variables to see the time difference weight makes. Here you can enter 0 gradient, but add the elevation gain for the course to see the difference.... amazing the time difference changing to tubbies vs clinchers makes!!

Edited August 8, 2014 by Paulst12

[Oxter]

You're assuming that the marathon is all uphill with the equation above. Remember that weight is only really important up hills. Keeping a road bike of 10kg at 30km/h on the flats will feel very similar to keeping a 7kg bike at the same speed. On the flats and downhills air resistance is the main enemy of speed.

 

Let's assume in a marathon MTB race you have at most 50% of the distance being climbs of any significance. You'll save less than 3 minutes on a much lighter bike.

 

To build up momentum on a heavier object takes a lot more effort, and No you will never gain on a downhill what you lost on an uphill. Singletrack etc. takes a bit of braking and accelerating (with my skills in any case) which goes back to the momentum thing. All of this adds up and causes you to get tired more easily in my opinion. So i would say that yes it is something like a 5min+ advantage. And just to make it clear, i am not a WW

[Scott2luvit]

excuse my ignorance, is 200w, 200w? would the lighter bike not cause less fatigue? in other words, is it harder to do 200w on a heavier bike?