LIVE2BIKE80

here's a rant to ruffle some feathers. i find the following situation ironic:

i see guys come into the lbs and drop thousands of dollars on the newest, lightest carbon fiber or ti frame. and they pick it up and marvel at how light it is, feeling so proud of the two pound difference they just spent thousands on. all the time, while staring at this marvel they stradle between their legs they never see the gut jutting out from their lycra. instead of investing all this money for a weight difference, wouldnt it be cheaper to lose the weight yourself? now they have a bike that they will never be able to ride to it's fullest potential. kinda like the balding guy with his gray strands in a pony tail who buys a viper. will he ever be able to drive it to it's potential?

the bike can only make you a better cyclist to a certain extent, the rest is up to you.

Keith99

You just don't get it. Every guy wants something impressive between his legs. Some have it others try to buy it.

tinrobot

kinda like the balding guy with his gray strands in a pony tail who buys a viper. will he ever be able to drive it to it's potential?

Sure he can.

Driving a car really fast doesn't require that you have a good haircut.

...and for the guys with the guts on the super-expensive bikes. It's their money, they can waste it however they want.

umd

If you can save a few pounds, you save a few pounds, regardless of where its from. Maybe he (hypothetical fat person buying an expensive bike) is working on getting the weight off and is getting a new lighter bike to reward himself for his effort so far. Maybe a lighter bike will motivate him to ride more. Maybe he has enough disposable income that the cost is not important. You shouldn't judge.

ravenmore

you have to realize weight weenie-ism is a seperate hobby from cycling.

ElJamoquio

No kidding. I have to remind myself often that the 100 grams doesn't actually make a difference...

But every time I pick up my bike I want it to be even lighter. Thankfully, I haven't spent any weight-reduction money on the bike... yet.

Sprocket Man

Some fat guys have a lot of money and like to buy nice stuff. Ain't nothing wrong with that.

EventServices

We see this in all sports. For example: Golf
It's not the club that hits the ball straight. It's the swing.
Still, cool clubs are cool clubs.

2Rodies

OK here's a question (BTW I'm on the 'it's your money do what you want with it side) at what weight does a bike become a 'weight weenie' bike? If you ride a 23lb bike and the guy next to you is riding a 19lb bike is his bike a WW? Is the cut off 17,16,15,or 14lbs?

LIVE2BIKE80

never even thought about that. when i think of weight weenies i think of the guy who comes into the bike shop and puts all the components on a gram counter. i am guilty of it, wanting the lightest stuff. its also ironic that i will buy light components and then put a bottle full of lead shot in my cage and fill a hydration pack to the max to make climbing harder. so i guess i am an ironic a#*hole.

cydewaze

I see the weight weenie thing as more of a disease. After my new wheelset upgrade, I weighed my bike and it came in at 17lb 6 oz. I never really cared much about the weight, but as soon as I saw that "17" on the scale, I started eyeballing my seatpost, and bars, and stem, etc, wondering where I could shave a few more oz.

It's a disease I tell you!

But I think I'll wait til I lose another 5 lbs of body weight before I worry about taking more weight off the bike.

2Rodies

Well the thing that gets me is this. I ride a 16# CAAD8 in race trim. I've seen guys with bikes that are in the low 14's at the races. My feelings about that are more of admiration for the bad ass machine that someone built.

My cousin in really into hot roding. I'm sports car guy, but I really appreciate rods for their craftsmanship even if the are not my cup of tea. Seems to me that there are a lot guys on this forum that get pretty irate when they read/see a bike that is uber expensive or uber light they get all pissed off about it. When I see one of those bikes, even if it's being ridden by 500lb, bald 80 year-old, I just think *****in bike!

umd

That's a very good question, and does the WW bike threshold change depending on the weight of the rider. Is 18lb more or less WW for a 130lb rider vs. one than is 150, 160, or even 200?

And a further question, when is somebody light enough that they "deserve" a light bike?

fmw

It's not OK with you if a fat guy buys an expensive bike? That's pretty arrogant of you. Who are to to tell someone else what he can or can't have or how he should spend his money? What business is it of yours in the first place? Sorry, I find your attitude not only arrogant but backward. Perhaps as you mature into adulthood you'll understand life and people better. Certainly you will when you have some gray strands of your own.

cs1

I made a similar remark and was soundly flamed for months. I learned my lesson, good luck on yours.


Tim

Keith99

If I ride a 23 lb bike anyone trying to get to where his bike weight rounds to 22 lbs. is a weight weenie!

Hey I'm more honest than most.

merlinextraligh

I think the official rule is that if you don't have a power at LT threshold of over 3.5w/kg, you are not supposed to buy a bike under 23lbs.

Snicklefritz

don't be too harsh. I think the guy you quoted had some valid points...if they are buying the lightweight bike to improve performance, then yes they would be better off by losing the weight first. The lightweight stuff really wouldn't help them as much as getting rid of the 30 lbs or whatever.
Not only would they weigh less, but in losing the weight, they would probably become more fit. Double bonus.

I saw a picture somewhere on the web from one of Lemond's cycling fantasy camps. Some dude with a 30-50lb gut was sitting on his bike in the San Diego wind tunnel. To be more aero, he really should have lost the gut. I thought it was kind of silly to be worried about aerodynamics when the guy's gut was really his biggest impediment. But then again, it's his money and his life so might as well let him waste it how he wants. If he's using it as a motivator to help him get on track with a weight loss program then more power to him.

This brings up an interesting point. Let's say you weigh X and you want to get to Y and the difference between the two is anywhere between 15 and 30 lbs. Is it a complete waste to worry about aerodynamic positioning when you aren't at your ideal weight? Do you have to reconfigure your position when you get to Y lbs Or can you assume that you should adopt a similar position regardless?

Mellow Johnny

If you got the dough more power to you. So if you're fat you cant enjoy high quality gear. You have to start on the crap until you are skinny. Sounds more like jealousy to me.

Im fat, rich, got a smokin wife, and a full Dura Ace Cannondale six-13. Sorry, don't hate me.

thewalrus

I guess you're not riding in US Cycling/UCI sanctioned races?

umd

Oh good. Mine's about 4 so I guess I deserve my new 18lb. bike

Leviathan

One of the most important things my grandfather (who was a carpenter) ever taught me was to buy the best tools that you can possibly afford.

SpongeDad

For some people, a pound off the bike for $1000 comes easier than a pound off the butt.

Still, weight weenie-ism is a hobby; cycling is exercise / sport. Frankly, I enjoy both, with some OCP mixed in just because I'm so damn handsome in lycra.

And remember, it's the riders who dump money on this year's "newest and lightest" who are funding the advances that allow all this great stuff to be reasonably priced a few years down the line.

2Rodies

Sure I am but I've never once seen an official with a scale. I don't think they really care much about a some local race USCF sanctioning or not.

ravenmore

yeah - it'd be like drug testing all the Cat 5 racers. Now that's a funny thought.....