jschristian44

Hey
So most of you guys here made fun of me for getting a GMC Denali Road Bicycle. It was my first road bicycle and I wanted to see how I like them. I really enjoy the bicycle, but after adding a pump, saddlebag, computer, front/rear lights, extra water bottle cage, and a gel seat, it literally added like 5 pounds to the bicycle I think. I see all these pro riders out there with either Trek's or Cannondale's and their bikes probably weigh less than a pound. I was wondering if weight really matters and if those 1000-2000 bicycles are really worth it? I mean I really enjoy my bicycle that I got for practically nothing. I spent half as much on accessories than I did for the bike, but I enjoy it. I'd like to get into some clubs eventually once I have been riding more, but I want to know if I should just lose all the stuff on my bicycle or just ride with it. I had a flat tire on my dad's bicycle that I was starting on, so I prepared ahead of time and got a mini pump and saddle bag to carry an extra tire, etc. But I see pro rider's don't carry anything like that with them. Just need some imput here, Thanks!

tagaproject6

If you have to ask...

awesomejack

If you're riding a GMC Denali, then weight doesn't matter. Go test ride a $2000 bike from the shop and see how you like it.


And always carry a spare tube, tire levers, and a pump/CO2

Wylde06

Yes, I think?

unabowler

Good luck with your bike and keep riding it as long as you enjoy it. You might decide later that it's worth it to you to upgrade later, bikes costing more are worth it if you get use out of them. It's a good idea to carry a kit for some repairs in case you get in a jam and don't worry aboutthe slight increase in weight you're carrying. Most of those riders you see out there are not pros and a lot of them carry some stuff for repairs.

Trouble

lightweight (carbon) bikes are over rated and over priced. Steel rides like a dream...lol.

Bioluminescence

Mainly because that's considered _very_ entry level for a bike. Don't let anyone here bring you down if you enjoy riding it though.

A lot of that also has to do with durability and handling of the bike. Weight mainly comes into play on hills.

Most have support crews nearby.

cato_mcfly

90% rider, 10% bike. Don't sweat it as long as it is riding well. If you ever join group rides or start racing, you may then want to start thinking about something better. And keep the repair stuff with you unless you like to wait around for a pissy friend/S.O. to come get you.

Inertianinja

first of all, nobody should make fun of you for what you ride. the way it works here is that people will defend what they spent money on to the death, and put down anything that costs more or less. so ignore it.

a lighter bike (which will be more expensive) means that you have to expend less weight to get it to go - which means more energy, which means you can ride faster or longer. having gone from low-end mountain bikes to my current ride (16lbs), i think it's definitely worth it.

that doesn't make your bike any worse. it's just that this is an instance where you can get a big benefit by investing some money. there are diminishing returns, though (going from 22lbs to 16lbs isn't horrible....going from 16lbs to 13lbs gets very expensive)

Palomar01

Agree. Don't worry about what others are riding. As long as you enjoy your bike and like what you're doing, who cares what others think?

Suggestion if you want to lighten the weight on your bike:

Carry one extra inner tube, plastic tire levers, two CO2 canisters, and one small CO2 nozzle/inflator. Forget about that damn pump! Not only does it weigh you down, but do you really see yourself pumping that thing to even 50 PSi? You would be tired as all hell by the time you get to 50-60psi with a hand pump. C02 nozzle/inflator is the way to go.

Leave the lights at home unless you plan to ride in the dark.

What kind of pedals are you using? Pedals add a significant amount of weight so choose wisely. Performance Bike sells the Forte Pro SPD pedal for a mere $39 that is the lightest SPD style pedal there is. If you are already using a clip-on style shoes, this is the way to go without breaking the bank.

Do you need a "gel" seat? Big, fluffy seats add weight. Choose one that is comfortable but weigh very little. Again, Performace Bike sells the Forte Pro saddle....it is very light, very comfortable, and costs less than $50.

If your bike has a kickstand, loose it.

What kind of water bottle cages did you put? Lightweight aluminum I hope. Plastic is just as good and light.

You can go further but it's not worth it. Just keep your bike well tuned, the tires inflated right, and avoid hills! The frame, wheels, and brakes/deraillures on your Denali is what weighs it down the most. It's not wise to upgrade any further. If the bike is running smoothly, just enjoy.

spock

If you check out some TDF statistics, you'll find that on "heavy" bikes in the 80's, riders were still haulin' ass. The average speed has gone up about a whole 3 km/h...

https://bikeraceinfo.com/tdf/tdfstats.html

So yea, weight is not that important.

Palomar01

That is incredibly telling.

cato_mcfly

epo

M_FactorX19

honestly as suggested above if you want to see what the difference between your bike and a 2k bike is. go to a bike shop and test one out. then you will know.

does weight matter. some yes but its normally not that noticable. the only time it is would be when climbing or accelerating. you can always make your bike lighter but i doubt i would spend to much money on that bike.

why do you not see pros or other people with a saddle bag? they put what they need in their jersey pockets. i dont use a saddle bag but i do carry a spare tube, CO2 (to fill tires), tire levers, some tools, and patches with me in my jersey pockets.

do yourself a favor and lose the gel seat cover. honestly anything with get on a bike is bad news really. gloves maybe the only execption for some. you should buy a good seat (you can move this over to a new bike if you get one) and a good pair of bibs or shorts. again dont buy shorts or bibs with gel in them.

jschristian44

the gel seat is actually my favorite addition, why do you guys dislike it so much? but thanks for the tips, my bike seems fine for what i am doing now. can i really go to a bike shop and they would let me take a really expensive bike out for a test run for free? thanks!

55/Rad

My carbon Trek frameset weighs in at 4.1 pounds. My Orca weighed 3.8. My steel Salsa Premero is 3.9.

I'm currently riding the steel.

55/Rad

Palomar01

Well yes they will allow you to test ride. It would be nice if you were actually thinking about buying though. I mean, don't waste the shop's time on a busy Saturday or Sunday when they are trying to sell bikes to customers with true intentions of buying. If you just want to test ride with no intetion of buying, then come in on a less busy day like a weekday. I think that's fair to them.

njkayaker

Gel seats work OK for short/infrequent rides.

Have fun.

A bike that costs approximately $1000 will just tend to work better for longer than a really inexpensive bike.

A heavy bike is less pleasant to ride for long distance but the actual weight differences between normal bicycles has a tiny effect on performance for most riders. For example, while people might notice extra weight while accelerating, that doesn't mean that it has any effect on their overall speed. Keep in mind that it's the total weight (bicycle+rider+equipment) that basically matters.

Really expensive bikes ($3000+) are a case of severely diminishing returns: any extra advantage is small and really only worthwhile if you are competing (ie, racing).

You might actually not like how an expensive bike handles. Shops generally let people test ride bikes but it takes them a bit of time to set one up. If you want to demo bikes, try to demo something that you might have some chance of purchasing!

maverick31210

My bike weighs in at 14lbs and I love how light it is....in comparison, my mtb weighs 27lbs and is a pain in the ass....still love it though lol

banerjek

Seriously. A strong rider on a crappy bike is way faster than a weak rider on a great bike. Cycling is a great sport for all income levels. If you have loads of cash, you can feel good because your equipment is way better than everyone elses'. If you're dirt poor, you can feel good about dropping the guys who have loads of cash and fancy bikes while riding an iron pig.

That's what it's all about. My advice would be to ride your bike into the ground and when the time comes, get a better one. In the meantime, don't sweat upgrading or replacing anything. A better bike doesn't make you a better rider -- it only makes you slightly faster. Also, if you put many thousands of miles on crappy bikes, you'll appreciate the good stuff more when you can get it.

jschristian44

thanks for the input guys, and for the last comment, yeah i think i will put like 10,000 or so on this bike and see how it does. i saw videos of people taking it to 7000 already i think so it will definately last me. but once i get more experience, stronger legs, slimmer body, i will get a higher priced better bicycle. i was climbing a literally 45 degree hill today and i wasnt paying full attention in front of me and hit a telephone pole going like 3 mph. it barely knocked me off the bike, but my front handlebar screw came lose and the bar got bent. if i did that with a 2000 dollar bike i would have been very mad. i will keep saving up and getting better and when the time comes i will upgrade. maybe by then i will belong to a club and participate in some races. i think i would really enjoy that.

jschristian44

although when i have been out, i have been dropped pretty badly by other riders. they come up out of no where and just leave me in the dust. i dont know how they do it.

DanBell

It sounds like your bike fits you and you're having fun riding it. That's all that matters.

but on an unrelated note...

I'm not sure you know what "literally" means.

guadzilla

Hehe, now that he's on Bikeforums, he's going to have a lawyer proof-read all his posts

OP - as has been said, nice is relative. IMO, from where you are to a $700 bike will be a radical difference. From there onwards, the benefits start to diminish.

I have a theory of 2 "sweet spots" - one is the entry-level sweet spot. At this point, spending less will mean compromises which may not be acceptable to all. That sweet spot is arguably the Sora/Tiagra range (for me, it is Al frame/carbon fork/Tiagra - $800-1000).

The other is the higher-end sweet spot, where you get virtually all the performance of a top-end bikes but at a more reasonable price. To me, that is a high modulus/high quality carbon frame/Ultegra or Rival category, around $2500-3000.

In between are various options which meet various preferences of price/performance.

This is my opinion. Others will probably draw the lines differently. However, while no one is saying you shouldnt enjoy your bike if it works for you, you'll find that the consensus is that the Sora/Tiagra bike will be indeed an improvement. But as has been repeated, if you are happy with what you have, ride the snit out of it till it breaks. Dont upgrade if you dont have a pressing need.

WHOOOSSHHH...

If you really like your current bike, then toss all of that junk off of it. Get a mini blackburn pump, carry a spare tube or two, and a tire lever in your jersey pocket. Some nice light, easy rolling wheels and you are good to go...