Originally Posted by
TimothyH
This makes a big difference for riders who don't have lots of power.
Everyone here seems to be making a blanket statement but the the world isn't a perfect lab environment and weight does matter more for less powerful riders.
-Tim-
I'm not sure that's true--it's too much of a blanket statement itself. If someone lacks power, a small change in the weight of the bicycle may not have an effect on the ratio of power to weight big enough to be noticed. In other words, that person's acceleration on the lighter bike is still going to be weak. I don't have the math to prove this, but I suspect the stronger rider would actually be more likely to get a noticeable benefit from reducing the weight.