TrekmanDan

This is getting interesting...

JohnDThompson 

Weight is easily quantifiable but rider power is not. Thus weight becomes a means by which you can readily compare yourself with other bicyclists, if that's important to you.

Sanman023

I agree that it's OCD. My other hobby is home audio, even worse than shedding grams.

wrr1020

I'm a weight weenie but at 5'11 and 143 pounds i think i've lost all the weight i can for my height. Any less i'd look anorexic.

Excelsius

"Affording" is an entirely different conversation. Many people can own or finance luxury items. The question is whether that's wise. What the OP might have implied is the large number of people who buy expensive items as a means of ostentatious consumption. Surveys, such as those of T.J. Stanley, have shown that many people buying luxury items do so for the purpose of attempted social elevation and to their financial detriment. My own interaction with successful businessmen, professionals, and friends who have actually earned their wealth has shown that they do not waste their money on any luxury items either. That's one of the reasons why they are wealthy to begin with. This is why expensive toys say nothing about the success of the owner. If anything, statistics point to the lack of success in many cases. But this is axiomatic, so this thread does not introduce any new information, maybe except for those who are not familiar with statistics of wealth and its accumulators.

WHOOOSSHHH...

Heavy bikes are not as much fun to ride.

mpath

Just so the OP doesn't feel all alone in this thread - I understand what you're saying. But oftentimes, how you say something is equally important as what you say.

Twenty years ago I was content racing a 22lbs Trek. To try and break into the teens would have been absurd. Now the new "20" is sub 15. Welcome to technology and progress. And as in all leading edge technologies - early adopters, in this case the sub 12 lbs bike - will pay a high price. But it's their choice as nobody is forcing them. would I do it? No. As I'm not typically an early adopter. I didn't buy blu ray players when they first came out.

RacerOne

I still don't have a Blue Ray, or a flat screen tv for that matter.. but I do have a 16 pound bike.

OP, spend your money on what you like, I'll spend mine on what I like.

patentcad

Incorrect.

darb85

Its my money. Ill do what I want. Dont be jealous that My bike is lighter than yours!

JimF22003

Nobody has ever noticed this, or pointed it out before.

Thanks.

tbonez

I have to admit I scratch my head when I see someone that is 30 or 40 pounds overweight obsessing and paying double for a bike part that weighs a few grams more than another....Its their money I guess.

mmoneow

It is actually the Power to Weight ratio that a cyclist trys to improve. Obviously the less weight you have at a given power level means that you will be faster, at least climbing. A 300lb powerlifter will have more power in his legs than 4-5 cyclists combined, however, he isnt going to last long going up a mountain on a bicycle.

Cutting weight on both you body and bike is a great way to climb better. Some people have money for fancy lightweight bike parts, others dont. Dont be a hater.

jamesdak 

Hmmm, ever heard the term "power to weight"?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterham_Seven

Just one of many examples.

Psimet2001 

Yeah...it's a new thing....

hodie21

I go back and forth between weight weenie and not caring. My Cervelo weighs right about 16.3 lbs with alloy seatpost,stem,handlebar and a heavy set of Mavic Ksyrium Equipes. This is the weight with bottle cages, pedals, Garmin 705, cadence/speed sensor. Think of all the crap you stuff in your jersey pockets while riding. Tubes, CO2, Gel packets, Tire levers, cell phone, etc....

I love seeing these light bikes but I'm not going to try to build one right now. Maybe if I raced I would care a little more. Don't all UCI legal bike have to weigh at least 14.9 lbs?

Psimet2001 

Actually you would probably care less.

hodie - you know where I am coming from on this one, but even though I sell bling I find myself saying this quite often, " I NEVER lost a race because I had too many spokes or because my bike was too heavy. I have lost EVERY race I have entered because either I was in worse shape, read the race incorrectly, or desired the win just that much less than the person who won. Period."

While racing you get to the point where you just want to make sure you have something that rides and performs well and won't break on you or cause issues or problems at the last minute - when you're trying to focus on the task at hand.

sbxx1985 

Another late night of drawings for pcad.

It's an obsessive sport, much like other gear oriented sports. For many, it's the gradual and natural progression.

rat fink

Need we discuss golf?

Nachoman

If I don't spend my time, energy and money on lightening the weight of my bike, what am I supposed to do? Solve world hunger?

sbxx1985 

A buddy of mine has spent a bajillion dollars on clubs. After the latest custom set, he was done.

So he bought a Di2 Wilier.

GirlAnachronism

Absolutely. My bike is heavy. Really heavy (a little over 20lbs). I'm pretty light (130) and I like long, hilly road races. I have yet to lose a race because my bike is too heavy. I continue to lose races because I lack fitness and race smarts.

Some day I might get good enough that the extra few pounds on my bike will make a difference. At that point, I'll get a lighter bike. If I had the money I'd get one now, but I already spend a ton on race fees, travel, coaching, fixing all the crap I am constantly breaking, etc. For now I just want stuff that works so that I can train a lot and get stronger.

WhyFi

You can go beyond 'sport' and just leave it with the wider reaching 'hobby' - people that like to cook like nice gear, as do photographers, audiophiles (ick - hate the term), RC folks, etc, etc. I tend to think that a lot, but not most (IME), do get in to a gearhead phase, but it'll eventually ease off. Some lucky people will reach a point where they're satisfied with what they have and others will crest a personal summit and decide that the view wasn't what they'd hoped - these disillusioned are the worst. Because they didn't get the results that they wanted, they often feel the need to rail against the proponents of quality gear.

mpath

+1. And when I bought my Wilier, that was my target weight - to be just above the legal limit. But thats just me.....I wouldn't buy non-legal golf clubs either.

rat fink

What's wrong with the term, audiophile?

Exactly.