"Michael MacClancy" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mon, 12 Jan 2004 23:05:44 +0000 (UTC),
[email protected] wrote:
>
> > As a novice cyclist trying to get the opinions of the experienced cyclist in assessing the
> > merits of individual bikes I have been struck by the emphasis which many seem to place on the
> > weight of bikes.
> >
> > Am I wrong in believing that the variation of the weight of bikes is small compared with the
> > variation of the weight of the riders ?
>
> No, you're not wrong. (Adult) Riders might vary in weight from, say, 50kg to over 100 kg, which is
> a much bigger variation than the variation in the weight of bikes.
>
> But I think you're really asking whether the weight of the bike is all
that
> important. Well, if you're massively overweight then you'll certainly improve your performance by
> losing body weight and this should be your priority over buying a lighter bike. If you're already
> very slim *and* you're close to your performance maximum then saving bike weight may make an
> improvement. However, for the vast majority of us saving grams is pointless - and expensive.
>
> Bike weight (within reason) is really only important for the racing cyclist. When touring the load
> is going to be a significant part of the all up weight and the bike weight less important. A
> stronger, perhaps heavier, bike might be a better investment.
>
> One final comment - some people say that lighter bikes are more fun to ride.
> --
> Michael MacClancy Random pleonasm - ´In the city today, the temperature rose to 105
degrees.
> This sudden rise of temperature was responsible for the intolerable heat.¡
> www.macclancy.demon.co.uk www.macclancy.co.uk
I think that there is a real difference between a 23lb bike and one weighing 30lb assuming both are
designed for the same function. I suspect this is not solely because of weight. As bikes become
lighter they become more expensive and moving parts (hubs transmissions etc.) better engineered. At
least this is how I account for the difference between my 2 road bikes..
Julia