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Why We Should STOP Our Obsession With Bike Weight

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Why We Should STOP Our Obsession With Bike Weight

Old 06-27-21, 11:21 PM
  #1  
alo
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Why We Should STOP Our Obsession With Bike Weight

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Old 06-28-21, 03:50 AM
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indyfabz
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I have no such obsession, so THERE!
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Old 06-28-21, 05:09 AM
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Does this bike make me look fat?
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Old 06-28-21, 05:33 AM
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Who’s this “we” you’re speaking of?
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Old 06-28-21, 05:35 AM
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Bicycle Weight Matters
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Old 06-28-21, 05:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Koyote
Who’s this “we” you’re speaking of?
Yeah, I'd have thought bike weight would be far down the list of OP's obsessions.
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Old 06-28-21, 06:26 AM
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I have steel frames on my road bikes, gravel bike, and touring/commute bike. There is no weight obsession happening.
...even still, I do enjoy trying to hit an arbitrary weight for some builds. That arbitrary goal has been 20# and 22# on my most recent two bikes. I was over by 4 or 5 oz for each...oh well.
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Old 06-28-21, 06:29 AM
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Originally Posted by Koyote
Who’s this “we” you’re speaking of?
Don’t look at me. I own two Surlys.
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Old 06-28-21, 06:29 AM
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indyfabz
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Originally Posted by shelbyfv
Yeah, I'd have thought bike weight would be far down the list of OP's obsessions.
Way below poles.

Can't wait for the frame material thread. Or maybe disc brakes vs. rim brakes.

Last edited by indyfabz; 06-28-21 at 06:33 AM.
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Old 06-28-21, 06:36 AM
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I'm not obsessed with what other people are obsessed with.
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Old 06-28-21, 06:41 AM
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certain lubes weigh less than others.
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Old 06-28-21, 06:43 AM
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I ride old bikes. 21-23 lbs for an old racing bike isn't bad and that's heavy by today's standards.
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Old 06-28-21, 06:44 AM
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Originally Posted by Troul
certain lubes weigh less than others.
For those concerned with weight, NFS is the lightest and best chain lube on the planet.
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Old 06-28-21, 06:45 AM
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
I have steel frames on my road bikes, gravel bike, and touring/commute bike. There is no weight obsession happening.
...even still, I do enjoy trying to hit an arbitrary weight for some builds. That arbitrary goal has been 20# and 22# on my most recent two bikes. I was over by 4 or 5 oz for each...oh well.
At this point, I'm pretty sure I could shave 10-12 ounces just by getting a haircut.
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Old 06-28-21, 07:03 AM
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Marketing departments love to focus on weight, despite its dubious real-world significance, because it is such an easily quantifiable and easily compared metric.
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Old 06-28-21, 07:12 AM
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I like all my bikes regardless of weight. Personality is what matters.
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Old 06-28-21, 07:15 AM
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Another reason to buy a Macargi bike
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Old 06-28-21, 09:01 AM
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Originally Posted by BikingViking793
I like all my bikes regardless of weight. Personality is what matters.
How do your bikes feel about you?
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Old 06-28-21, 09:15 AM
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If all the bikes I'm considering for purchase are for the most part equal in every other way, then I'm picking the lighter bike. Assuming of course that I like the color.
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Old 06-28-21, 09:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Iride01
If all the bikes I'm considering for purchase are for the most part equal in every other way, then I'm picking the lighter bike. Assuming of course that I like the color.

Agreed, I think that's a "well, duh" kind of calculation. The real questions come in on what you're willing to trade off for what size differences in weight.

I think these discussions are really about whether or not anyone should care that there's a few people out there who will spend many thousands of dollars to lower their bike weight from 17 pounds to 16. I wouldn't spend that way, but I really don't care if anyone else does.
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Old 06-28-21, 09:30 AM
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Originally Posted by kahn
How do your bikes feel about you?
My bikes think I’m too heavy, except for my tandem.
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Old 06-28-21, 09:32 AM
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It's not an obsession.
It's not an obsession.
It's not an obsession.
It's not an obsession.
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Old 06-28-21, 09:38 AM
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I agree that differences in bike weight make very little difference in speed in the real world, that the difference in speed objectively matters not at all to non-racers, and very little to non-pro racers. I agree that other factors (esp. rider position and other aero considerations, and rider weight) have a much greater effect on speed than bike weight over the course of a real ride.

However, a lighter bike can feel faster, even if it isn't really faster, or only marginally faster. That can have some value, the magnitude of which is defined by the buyer/user (and can even be a negative value - some people prefer a "solid/slow" feel to a "racy/twitchy" feel).
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Old 06-28-21, 09:44 AM
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That video is stupid.

Pedaling a 20 lb bike up hill takes less effort and physical exertion than a 28 lb bike. When going on a long distance ride this is the difference between burning out earlier or later in the day.
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Old 06-28-21, 09:53 AM
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Originally Posted by prj71
That video is stupid.

Pedaling a 20 lb bike up hill takes less effort and physical exertion than a 28 lb bike. When going on a long distance ride this is the difference between burning out earlier or later in the day.

It wouldn't be for me, it's just not a big enough difference in exertion to exhaust me much faster. I'm just going to take a little longer to cover the same distance with the heavier bike. Since I'm not racing, I really don't care about that.

And yes, this is actually something I've done. A lot. Ask me about my 90 mile ride on a Walmart Huffy beach cruiser.
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