Seattle Forrest

https://bikerumor.com/2020/10/08/585...k-catching-it/

It's 75% of the cost of a base model Honda Civic. Frameset is less than 600 grams. 13 pounds off the shelf, probably 11 if you threw lots of money at it.

So now there's a weight penalty for using rim brakes.

HTupolev

Not if we're allowing comparisons to previous model years. The lightest production road bikes from the lightweight push half a decade ago were under 11 pounds, like the Fuji SL 1.1 or Trek Emonda SLR 10.

Getting below 14 pounds is hardly all that interesting for a top-end carbon lightweight-oriented climbing bike. Not in and of itself, anyway. I could head down into Seattle tomorrow and order a sub-14lb off-the-peg road bike from R&E with a steel frame, if I were so inclined.

And if we're allowing custom builds, this 6lb road bike had rim brakes.

Branko D

Depends on build, but since a hydraulic disc groupset is heavier by about 300-ish grams and disc brake wheels are also a tad heavier, you can get a rim brake bike weighting the same for many thousands less...

So, no. I ride discs but have no illusions which is lighter and (marginally) faster. Better brakes are worth a very small penalty for me.
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znomit

I guess they spent all their money on the bike and didn't have any left to buy a spirit level to adjust the seat.

rubiksoval

Level seats are old school and uncomfortable (and a result of archaic UCI regulations that have thankfully changed). If you want to get low and fast, a tilted seat is likely to be way more comfortable and sustainable for most people.

Ferrouscious 

nah

Kimmo 

Nah, yeah

genejockey 

I've seen that numerous places, but whenever my saddle is even a hair off of level with the nose down, I feel like I'm sliding toward the bars and spend the whole ride pushing back on the seat. Is there some adjustment or such that I'm missing? Is it the shape of the saddle?

WhyFi

You rabble rouser, you.

mstateglfr 

Im already working hard as it is- I dont want to spend 2-4 hours pushing my body away from the cockpit as it continually slides forward.

I honestly doubt most recreational or even most enthusiast cyclists can hold a 'low and fast' position for long enough to make a downward tilting saddle beneficial. So the rest of the time riding, they are adjusting over and over again as they slide.
This seems like a race setup decision so cool for that situation.

rubiksoval

Maybe you ride much further back? I used to feel similarly and had to make constant adjustments when I was much further behind the bottom bracket.

Once I moved my seat substantially forward to open up my hip angle and allow for a lower front end, I simply couldn't have the bike seat level and found I'm totally planted in the seat. In that position, though, hands are on the hoods, elbows are about 90 degrees, and I'm pretty far forward. There's not much room to move forward at that point.

rubiksoval

What is "nah"? Nah, I ride my bike bolt upright and don't need to have a lower front end and a saddle position to allow that? Or nah, I never noticed how many performance-oriented people are now tilting their saddle down? Or nah, I'm just going to say nah because I'm going to pretend that the way I do it is the de facto way that everyone else is doing it (aside from the photo that prompted the comment in the first place)?

HTupolev

Depends on the posture you're trying to achieve, and on the saddle. There's no one angle that's always correct in all situations for everybody, but, the point is that "always make it perfectly level" isn't a good practice. Nor is it even always well-defined, since not all saddles are flat.

genejockey 

As it happens, I have short femurs for my inseam length and height, so I'm actually pretty far forward as it is. My saddles are close to as far forward as they can get. Currently my bikes have about 8-9 cm of drop from saddle top to bars, and that works for me, especially since I swapped in new bars with shallower drop. Now I can easily do a couple miles into the wind in the drops. But I have one bike for which I think might be fun to experiment with more drop. I've got 1.5 cm of spacers to play with.

surak

Some of the Aethos lineup comes with the Power saddle, which my Retul fitter/LBS owner told me is usually more comfortable tilted down, based on Retul data. I've found that to be the case personally as well. Usually a level Power saddle would be accompanied by little if any bar drop.

Kimmo 

Lol, ten years ago I posted my ride in Hot or Not, and copped all this flak for a three degree tilt.

Yeah, that's right. So ahead of the curve over here I'm on a tangent.

DaveSSS 

Use whatever saddle angle works for you. My SMP stratos is set nose down 2-3 degrees, with a 10cm saddle to bar drop. There is certainly no rule that saddles should be level.

bruce19

Now I'm bummed. My CAAD 12 weighs 17.5 lbs and cost me $1350. For only another $12,000 or so, I could have a bike that's 3 lb lighter. What was I thinking?

vespasianus

What a loser. You should immediately spend $4000 to get that bike down to 17 lbs. And make sure you tell the wife. She will fully understand and see the logic.

Racing Dan

Its also the MOST expensive bike. This is how they move the goal posts to justify their other semi light bikes are now several grand. As if they turned back the clock a decade or more :-)

Note 13 lbs is about 5,9 kg or 5900 grams. The fame is only 11% of the total weight. Not saving the last 200-300 grams off of the frame would save a LOT of money to put into other components or in the pocket.

bruce19

You actually think someone would marry me?

Kimmo 

IKR? I've got a bike weighs 6.4kg, owes me like AU$3.5k. Owed me half that before I threw the tubulars on it, and it was 6.7.

Talk about diminishing returns...

vespasianus

LOL. Well, If you get a $12,500 bike, I am sure you would get a wife, maybe two!

Koyote

Since I don't own a Honda Civic, I could totally afford that bike.

But for $14k, I would prefer custom lugged steel with a flashy paint job, weight be damned. If I had a 13 pound bike, I wouldn't have an excuse for being so slow.

Wileyone 

Or you could just skip lunch.