How much does less weight help?

[aleeharmon]

Hello I am relatively new to road biking I’ve been riding for about 2 years. I have also been doing some tris here and there. I have also done so crits and road racing. Oh yea and I love climbing. My current bike weights about 25 pounds and it is 13 years old. I am a growing boy so I haven’t wanted to spend money then out grow that frame and get a new one. So I ride on a 58cm even though I am 5' 9''. Well never mind about that. How much would it help my climbs and riding to get a bike around 17 lbs considering that I weight 110lbs.

-All in put is helpful thanks.

 

[Powerful Pete]

Hello there. All the answers you want are at http://www.analyticcycling.com/ - interesting site!

Beyond the specifics, considering a similar level of fitness, 8lbs difference (be it on your gut or your bike) will make a significant, noticeable difference in terms of your climbing.

A word of advice, always try to get a frame which is more or less (we all have financial constraints!) the correct size- it will make a world of difference.

 

[Chaim]

Originally posted by Powerful Pete
Hello there. All the answers you want are at http://www.analyticcycling.com/ - interesting site!

Beyond the specifics, considering a similar level of fitness, 8lbs difference (be it on your gut or your bike) will make a significant, noticeable difference in terms of your climbing.

A word of advice, always try to get a frame which is more or less (we all have financial constraints!) the correct size- it will make a world of difference.

Which model should be used at that web site to estimate the "difference" in performance (speed/wats/etc?) due to wheight?

 

[Chaim]

Originally posted by Chaim
Which model should be used at that web site to estimate the "difference" in performance (speed/wats/etc?) due to wheight?

I found the model to calculate the benefits of my weight loses…
It is: http://www.analyticcycling.com/ForcesLessWeight_Page.html
Great web site for numbers lovers!

I went on a diet to lose (rounded numbers) 40 lb / 20 kg (my plan was to go from 220 lb / 100 kg to at least/maximum 180 lb / 80 kg. I am currently at 197 lb / 89 kg).

I used 20 lb / 9 kg for the bike weight.

The calculated benefits for me may be DRAMATIC. I usually do very well on flats. In club rides/”friendly races” I finish at top 10% and many times win. On hills the story is flipped…with the following calculated improvements, I may do very well even on hilly rides. On the average, 1 minute or a quarter of a kilometer is the difference between staying with or loosing the pack…

ON A 3% SLOPE:
This Much Less Weight-20-kg
Over This Distance-2000-meters
On Hill of Slope-0.03-Decimal
Faster by-40.46-s
Ahead by-241.89-m
Weight Rider & Bike-109-kg
Power-250-watts

ON A 5% SLOPE:
This Much Less Weight-20-kg
Over This Distance-2000-meters
On Hill of Slope-0.05-Decimal
Faster by-76.12-s
Ahead by-315.31-m
Weight Rider & Bike-109-kg
Power-250-watts

 

[Powerful Pete]

Chaim,

Yes, the results would dramatically improve, IF the weight loss is done gradually through a training programme coupled with a specific diet. Obviously you must be able to lose weight without losing muscle in the process.

In any event, sounds like you are doing a great job as it is! Congratulations!

Happy riding.

 

[tafi]

Weight lost from the body has a greater benefit than just having less to haul up a hill. Less body mass means less areas which blood must flow too meaning that more is available to your muscles/ lungs etc. This may or may not give you an increase in power but it will improve your capacity and your ability to recover as well as your body's temperature regulation. So if you lose weight (where it is waranted) you thus have the advantage of feeling much more comfortable on a ride/race.

Cheers

 

[tuney]

Its not just about going uphill, it's about the accelerations, the corning and general effort of riding with extra weight which all adds up to a LOT of extra watts needed!

 

[tafi]

Originally posted by tuney
Its not just about going uphill, it's about the accelerations, the corning and general effort of riding with extra weight which all adds up to a LOT of extra watts needed!

Not as much as you would think. All the good crit riders are quite big blokes and Magnus Backstedt is about 90kg yet he won the Paris Roubaix (which has lots of 90 degree turns) with a good acceleration at the end. The result of being as lean as you can safely be is that you can get the most out of the mass that you HAVE to carry. Accelerations are only ever a small part of a race (even a crit).