Do you really like riding a lighter bike?
#101
I'm doing it wrong.
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I carry the exact same thing except only 1 tube and 2 levers, and it all fits neatly in a small square old makeup bag I recycled from my GF, which in turn fits neatly in my jersey pocket. If it is a long unsupported ride out of range of an LBS or my GF, I carry 2 tubes AND a backup minipump, and it STILL fits in my jersey pockets, with food! I'm no weight weenie, and my bike is not the lightest thing around, and neither am I. I'm just sayin, if you are sweating the grams, why a saddle bag?!
#103
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Ah, you're right: I forgot the spare RD cable. PITA to replace but more fun for the rest of the ride than jamming it with a stick. Also forgot the spare brake shoes we carry on the tandem. It had a bad habit of shedding them. I've used everything on that list several times. That's the reason it's on the list. I put it down to 20 years of doing/leading group rides in the mountains and other backcountry. The object is to be self-reliant and self-contained. I was never one to depend on the kindness of strangers.
You could easily carry your spare saddle in a Carradice. You just haven't looked around is all. I was on a ride with a fellow who broke his saddle rails. He tried to continue standing, but got too tired and had to bag it and wait for someone to some get him. I've also broken a stem in the middle of a ride. However I've never carried a spare saddle or stem. That's a little too much. The weight of the rest of my stuff is negligible. 5 seconds/1000' of climbing maybe? Hard to say - it seems to be too small an amount of weight change for the bike calculators to pick it up.
You could easily carry your spare saddle in a Carradice. You just haven't looked around is all. I was on a ride with a fellow who broke his saddle rails. He tried to continue standing, but got too tired and had to bag it and wait for someone to some get him. I've also broken a stem in the middle of a ride. However I've never carried a spare saddle or stem. That's a little too much. The weight of the rest of my stuff is negligible. 5 seconds/1000' of climbing maybe? Hard to say - it seems to be too small an amount of weight change for the bike calculators to pick it up.
#105
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Riding a nice, light bike is great - I love it. But to be honest, it's also worth it for the lifting and carrying. I put mine in and out of my car every day and/or lift it up onto the roof, or onto the ceiling hooks in my garage. Lighter is better always, and especially when you're in your 60s and have shoulder and back issues.
#106
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Riding a nice, light bike is great - I love it. But to be honest, it's also worth it for the lifting and carrying. I put mine in and out of my car every day and/or lift it up onto the roof, or onto the ceiling hooks in my garage. Lighter is better always, and especially when you're in your 60s and have shoulder and back issues.
I dread having to lift my 26+ lb'er bike onto the hanger, especially now with some elbow issues. 6-7 pound difference makes a world of difference when hanging it up.
#107
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I can relate to what you are saying Stratocaster, and I'm even lighter than you. Last year I bought a cheap 23 pound FG bike to see if I liked the fixed thing. I did. So this year I bought a more expensive 725 Reynolds steel FG that's about 18 pounds. Both bikes are set up similarly. The lighter bike does feel less sturdy, especially when jumping train tracks or going downhill at 140 RPM crank speed.
#108
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I can relate to what you are saying Stratocaster, and I'm even lighter than you. Last year I bought a cheap 23 pound FG bike to see if I liked the fixed thing. I did. So this year I bought a more expensive 725 Reynolds steel FG that's about 18 pounds. Both bikes are set up similarly. The lighter bike does feel less sturdy, especially when jumping train tracks or going downhill at 140 RPM crank speed.
Some enjoy a lighter bike more. Heck, some day I might enjoy a lighter bike than my Felt. But for the reasons you mentioned above - yep, right now I enjoy a bike with a little more girth.
#110
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Last week i purchased a cyclocross bike which is 20#, I also have a 13# road bike. While the CX has 35mm tires the road has 25mm. It's night and day, while the CX feels like a branch, the road feels like a twig. The CX is a great bike but the road just accelerates quicker, climbs easier and the handling is superb. The CX feels solid and it awesome on descents.
Each is a tool for a slightly different job... which is why i purchased the CX bike.
Each is a tool for a slightly different job... which is why i purchased the CX bike.
#111
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Last week i purchased a cyclocross bike which is 20#, I also have a 13# road bike. While the CX has 35mm tires the road has 25mm. It's night and day, while the CX feels like a branch, the road feels like a twig. The CX is a great bike but the road just accelerates quicker, climbs easier and the handling is superb. The CX feels solid and it awesome on descents.
Each is a tool for a slightly different job... which is why i purchased the CX bike.
Each is a tool for a slightly different job... which is why i purchased the CX bike.
#112
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Its safe to assume that lighter bikes cost more. And that the parts are of a higher quality.
But all that matters is they you are happy with what you can afford.
I've been asked if I found a bike I enjoyed more than my current at half the price, what would i do. My answer is, i'd sell my current bike, buy the new bike and pocket the cash.
#113
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True... but over the winter I purchased a second hand Scott CR1 full carbon with Sram Rival. It was 17# and I was rather unimpressed.. .so i sold it and got what i paid for it.
Its safe to assume that lighter bikes cost more. And that the parts are of a higher quality.
But all that matters is they you are happy with what you can afford.
I've been asked if I found a bike I enjoyed more than my current at half the price, what would i do. My answer is, i'd sell my current bike, buy the new bike and pocket the cash.
Its safe to assume that lighter bikes cost more. And that the parts are of a higher quality.
But all that matters is they you are happy with what you can afford.
I've been asked if I found a bike I enjoyed more than my current at half the price, what would i do. My answer is, i'd sell my current bike, buy the new bike and pocket the cash.
What do you think of this article's claim? It asserts that a bike's handling gets sketchy at 15 lbs or less. I'm assuming you disagree?
Bike Weight - Smart Cycles - Norwalk, CT
#114
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That's all that matters: that you enjoy riding, and perhaps getting fit in the process.
What do you think of this article's claim? It asserts that a bike's handling gets sketchy at 15 lbs or less. I'm assuming you disagree?
Bike Weight - Smart Cycles - Norwalk, CT
What do you think of this article's claim? It asserts that a bike's handling gets sketchy at 15 lbs or less. I'm assuming you disagree?
Bike Weight - Smart Cycles - Norwalk, CT
#115
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A good racing bike gives you a feeling like every erg you make is being made into forward motion. It's a good feeling. A good sport-touring bike gives you a feeling like you are a freight train or a steamroller, steady and smooth. It's a good feeling. I haven't yet ridden a bike that felt like both together. If I do, I'll probably buy it.
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#116
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I'd be interested in why the author thinks that handling gets sketchy below that weight. I suppose that if you tried to make a steel-framed bike that light with current technology it might well lack sufficient stiffness for predictable handling (and I'd worry about durability). But that doesn't appear to be the case with decently designed carbon-fiber frames.
#117
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That's all that matters: that you enjoy riding, and perhaps getting fit in the process.
What do you think of this article's claim? It asserts that a bike's handling gets sketchy at 15 lbs or less. I'm assuming you disagree?
Bike Weight - Smart Cycles - Norwalk, CT
What do you think of this article's claim? It asserts that a bike's handling gets sketchy at 15 lbs or less. I'm assuming you disagree?
Bike Weight - Smart Cycles - Norwalk, CT
#118
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The geometries are different.
Just sayin'
#120
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#122
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The training/racing aspect is interesting though, as I've heard/read that sprinters (runners) practice running down hill so that their muscles know what it feels like to move faster.
I imagine it's the same with cycling. So I would say in that context lighter is "better".
#124
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My original post suggests heavier "feels" better to ME. Again, the advantage is that I like riding a bike that has a weightier feel without being a complete beast of a bike.
The training/racing aspect is interesting though, as I've heard/read that sprinters (runners) practice running down hill so that their muscles know what it feels like to move faster.
I imagine it's the same with cycling. So I would say in that context lighter is "better".
The training/racing aspect is interesting though, as I've heard/read that sprinters (runners) practice running down hill so that their muscles know what it feels like to move faster.
I imagine it's the same with cycling. So I would say in that context lighter is "better".