ericmerg1

In a few months I'll be moving into my first apartment with my best friend and cycling mentor, as a gift to myself I'm arguing with myself over a new lightweight wheelset (bringing the bike down to 12 and change) or adding another half lb and buying a power meter and garmin. Should I go for the power meter at ~800$ or the wheelset at 500$

Maelochs

Do you want to be able to go faster or be able to prove to people that you didn't go faster?

Power meter really only matters if you are on a serious training program, and need to know all your numbers so you can make sure you are hitting your numbers and that your training program is working, and also are competing so you can set different targets at different parts of the race and make sure you are riding to the number.

A power meter might be a fun toy for a non-competitive rider, and there is nothing wrong, per se, about having more data. But will the data help you enjoy your ride more? For whom would you be collecting this data and what use would you make of it? How would it improve your life?

On a different hand, having lighter wheels should allow you to climb and accelerate more quickly---but the difference might be so slight that you couldn't even tell with out a power meter.

Redbullet

I would go for power meter. It allows very good and smooth training, no matter the scope.

I recently experienced, after more than 2000 km tests, that the difference between a very good bike with good wheels (8 kg in total) and a very cheap bike with poor wheels (11 kg in total) was below 0.5 km/h on roads that are mainly flat. I doubt that a few hundred grams difference in wheels weight would make noticeable difference in speed, even on climbs.

Silvercivic27

I'd get both but I'd get the powermeter first.

WhyFi

If you're a $500 wheelset away from being under 13lbs, that's already pretty damn light. I'd say to go for the power meter. Or you could compromise and get a PT hub (the GS is only $300) and lace it to a nice rim of choice.

Doge

A $500 wheelset bringing a bike to 12 (lbs?) and change is truly impressive. May we see a picture?

Doge

We use a big hill and stopwatch for that.
It measures the whole system better. More power is only useful if it makes you faster. The clock tells that better than the PM.

RChung

Ask your best friend and cycling mentor.

Seattle Forrest

Power meter. If you're that conscious about grams, put the Garmin on your wrist instead of on the bike.

noodle soup

a Stages power meter weighs about 20g, not 8oz.

Lets see this lightweight bike of yours.

ericmerg1

things changed since the pictures taken

lighter seatpost

powercordz cables with alum housing

cloth bar tape

lighter tubes (66g ea)

octaramp chainrings

13.68lbs currently Chinese carbon tubbs (big events and climbing only days) will get me down to about 12.8lb assuming I get the 1060g tubs and veloflex record 22 tyres

noodle soup

Drillium brake levers?

ericmerg1

got 4000 miles on them so far, don't think they're going anywhere.

noodle soup

no one ever does, until the moment they fail.

Silvercivic27

You should remove the brakes and the saddle too. That would save you at least 400 grams.

ericmerg1

removing the brakes and saddle would actually only knock off ~300 brakes are only 200g with pads and holders per pair and saddle is 92g lol besides going boutique carbon stuff like THM or AX lightness I can't get those any lighter

Silvercivic27

Naw, there's more weight to lose than that. You use Sram so you can just chop off that drilled brake lever instead of just letting it fall off like an 8 year old's tooth naturally. You can also get rid of the cables and the housings. Won't need seatpost clamp or seatpost anymore, should save some there too. BMX style. Come On, man. Do it right. Where's your mentor? Tell him to quit smoking weed and help you with this.

Dan333SP

You can drill tiny holes in your femurs to save a bit of additional weight. If you do it correctly you won't even lose that much strength, although I wouldn't recommend doing the long jump at a track meet.

Dan333SP

Seriously though, @ericmerg1, it's a nice bike but I have to ask... are you as light as possible yourself?

I guess I've never understood the true WW obsession, especially if the rider has 10-15 lbs they could shed with a bit more training and less beer.

WhyFi

Get out.

Doge

It does something taking it off the bike that taking it off the body doesn't.
That said - I ride a ~19lb bike. Can't remember if I took the saddle bag off for that. And of course - I have a Brooks.

My son's climbing setup is ~12lbs with unmodified DA Di2 (levers, fd, rd, crankset and pedals). It is pretty easy to take 1lb from that too, but not for $500. I think the DA stuff just works better and is worth the weight.
But yea - to your point. He has to manage his weight and does to the half pound. He's heavy now at 147 and will be 142 when it matters. When you can control your weight that well it seems 1-2lbs off the bike make a huge difference. And in uphill TTs, it mean mins. Ask Contador (Paris-Nice 2017) how important 2 sec are.

Seattle Forrest

Great idea! But how will that make the bike lighter? I think all this will do is improve your w/kg score, who needs that?

Dan333SP

Your kid is the exception to the rule around here. He's obviously a rider where 1 pound could potentially keep him off a podium and keep him from getting to the next level, and he clearly isn't someone carrying around a spare tire under their XL jersey.

The rest of us... not so much.

Doge

It is fun. Some of that stuff is so well made and so shockingly light I don't want to put it on the bike. The GELU seat < 50g sat on my desk for a month. The mailman got to hold it as well as every other person that came by. Each of them cracked a grin when they picked it up.

The Extralite (brand) stuff amazes me. They are machining wizards (I've been around CNC shops since the 80s - my job)
. Same with RECON one piece cassettes. I have some of that stuff in my car and can instantly get conversations going with all levels just saying - "want to hold something cool?".

So WW stuff is arguably not worth it in the go fast department, but it has value. And I use it for that. It never needs to make it to the bike.

GuitarBob

Eric, good for you for having a bike that is already very light -- and quieting the skeptics, at least for a few moments

You've got two different hobbies to feed. If you want to become a stronger cyclist, get a PM so you can better structure your training. If you want a lighter bike, get the wheels.