jrobe

This entire forum is full of 210 lbers wondering which set of carbon clinchers to buy.

You are the first guy to, at least, recognize the obvious.

adriano 

absolutely not! and thats the rub.

banerjek

The difference between 23 lbs and 15 lbs is a few grand. Would you be willing to lug a gallon of milk on every ride to save a few grand? If yes, buy the bling. If no, save the dough...

patentcad

The lofty standards of the 41 never fail to inspire.

adriano 

some folks carry two or three gallons of bootyliciousness 24 7.

z90

Play around here for a while, then get back to us.
https://bikecalculator.com/veloUS.html

AdelaaR

Nothing ever actually matters ... unless you are competing in an actual sanctioned race.

In the case of the OP, weighing 210lbs ... the calculator says that at 200W the difference between a 15lbs and a 25lbs bike will be 0.07MPH on flat ground.
A thousand dollars for a 0.07MPH gain ... it's up to the OP to decide if that seems reasonable for him, but for casual people, riding for fun ...
common sense says: "That's a helluva lotta money for next to nothing".

tntyz

Because maybe you won't always be 210.

ARE.

My LBS talked me out of ordering a replacement stem for my bike on the basis that it was 20g heavier than the stock stem. I was tempted to point out that given my weight, being 210 lbs by the end of a good summer, 20g wasn't my biggest weight concern.

laxpatrick

If you have the means and it keeps you riding, hellyeah...

sakonnetclip

Certainly geeking out on the gear, tinkering and such is part of the fun. I try and ensure things don't get too far out of whack. Being 25 lbs overweight wearing skin tight threads seems silly, although having fabric flapping around is also annoying. I've certainly contemplated getting some aero wheels but always came to my senses before pulling the trigger. Once I saw a guy with a big belly in full kit riding a 10k bike...I don't want to be him.

It's about balance. Like making sure you're not wearing heavy wool socks with light-weight trousers etc...

Mansram01

If I was doing a lot of climbing and cycling is my thing, then yes, go for it. Can't imagine staying at 200+ lbs for long if you put in the time.

Doohickie

Come to Texas and ride with me. You'll always have the lighter bike.

Nachoman

You've still got plenty of room for improvement.

Porkponey

That is legitimately depressing. According to that, cutting my 22lb bike down to 15lbs would save me about 30 seconds off of my last 53 mile ride. It does say that if I drop my weight from 215lbs to 140lbs I could cut a full 5 minutes off.

Ugh.

Hendo252 

Well, it is too bad so many folks have chosen to be snippy and sarcastic. You ask a good question that many of us have wondered about when contemplating N+1.

My suggestion... put ten pounds of dead weight on your bike and go ride. That should give you a feeling for the impact of an additional 10 lb. Reducing by the same amount should have about the same, but positive, effect.

The weight impact will probably be greater when climbing, so if you climb a lot then you'll see more benefit.

But as many have said, most of us on this board are amateurs riding for fun and fitness, not pros earning a living. So if the new, lightweight bike puts a smile on your face, then go for it.

A lot has been written about the impact of steel vs aluminum vs titanium vs carbon etc on ride quality. Ditto on bike fit.

Bottom line is that the new bike probably won't be a huge impact on your performance, but if you enjoy it more and as a result ride more often then your body will probably benefit.

As my dad used to say, "you pay your money and take your choice!"

-Tom in SoCal

generalkdi

Depressing you say? I'm 130lbs and my bike weight 17lbs. If I drop the weight of my bike to 15lbs, I go slower. That's depressing!

Porkponey

Wow that IS depressing. I don't get it.

I guess my thing is, I want to be superman, I want to get down to a competitive weight and be a LOT faster than I am right now, not 6 minutes over 50+ miles. Granted I'm sure there will be huge changes in my athletic ability and my strength and wattage output, so it doesn't tell the entire picture without me changing the wattage.

danvuquoc

What?

EnellCH

At 210lbs, it's ridiculous to look at lightening an already light bike. Stay off the fries and drop down to 170-180 territory and you'll ride way faster/easier. A great tool is the "Lose It" app for iPhone, keep check on them calories..

I am 165lbs (down from 177 a few years back) and don't think for a second my bike has anything to do with my lack of speed...(granted I already have a bike way faster than I will ever get

mmmdonuts

It matters to the bike.

androidtt

Although, I think the calculator is a bit off... Go from hoods to aerobars and there's a 4.5mph jump up. On my clip-ons, the most I've ever gotten was 2-3.

IthaDan 

What is this unit? 12mph over 4+ hours?

The math in this thread is bewildering.

snowman40

Maybe the calculator is assuming you are on a TT bike when you select aerobars...

rangerdavid

wut?