What does a very light bike feel like?

[weisan]

My bikes are heavy because I am too cheap to buy the lighter or carbon versions of equivalent components, which tend to be more expensive.

If I can get the same level of reliability and road/ride feel that I like from a lighter bike, you can bet your bottom dollar that I will choose the lighter bike EVERY TIME over the heavier bike. It's like saying, "if you can have the whole cake and eat it, why the he11 not??!"

But as it stands today, my pockets are not too deep enough, and I am not as addicted to weighing my bike as I am riding them, so I just let things slide even though i know I can get my bike lighter by swapping out some parts...I just ride.

Even though I have not ridden bikes that are lighter than 16 pounds ....I know this:

Not every light bike rides like crap.

Not every heavy(-ier) bike rides better or more stable.

It depends...on several other factors that may or may not be related to weight.

[KarlC]

Originally Posted by nahtnoj

Light bikes? Meh.

But I've never ridden any of my standard rim braked road bikes that wasn't improved dramatically by a sub-1200g set of carbon tubulars.

Originally Posted by soulspinner

There it is...…...

Yep, this over and over again and again.

.

[benb]

Originally Posted by tuscanyswe

Are you sure this is down to the car beeing light? It does not match my experience (tho i have none with the i3). Perhaps its more a question of the i3 beeing a short and high car vs beeing light and nimble?

Yah I think this is just the i3 probably having badly tuned/price engineered suspension components + maybe it has run flat tires which hurt ride quality. Maybe it has big heavy rims + heavy run flat tires which increases the unsprung weight. The i3 *is* an impressively light vehicle for what it is, it's sub-3000lbs which is super impressive. It's the only vehicle on the road with a carbon monocoque frame AFAIK that doesn't cost more than the average house. Some of the modern Minis are really impressively light they were like 2500lbs when they came out... but they don't carry a hybrid drivetrain like the i3. BMW had to cut costs somewhere to come out with a $45k hybrid that has a carbon frame.

There's no reason for a lighter vehicle to have worse ride quality. I don't think it's true for bikes or motorcycles either. Motorcycles get progressively better ride quality as they get more racy. A Harley is heavy, horrible ride quality. A Sport-Tourer type bike is significantly better. A Race Replica has a ton more money thrown into it's fully adjustable suspension, inverted fork, lighter wheels.. magic carpet ride when it's adjusted correctly. Absolutely amazing stuff.

Neither of my bikes is in this crazy 10-13lb range.. I have a Trek Domane that is just shy of 17lbs and I have an All City Space Horse that is 25-27lbs depending on setup. The Domane has drastically better ride quality, it's just a much better bike period.

I can't be bothered to spend the money to make my nice bike any lighter. It doesn't even have Dura Ace or Record, etc.. no carbon rims. Just not worth it for me.

[GParkes]

I don't care what my terraplaned Kirk with SRAM Force and good carbon tubulars weighs............the ride is perfect. Period. If I want to go uphill faster, I lose 3 kilos and train harder. Really pretty simple.

[Mzilliox]

i have a 14.5lb bike and a 18lb bike i ride a lot. im 145-150lbs

the 14.5 lb bike is easier to ride and faster on any road course. it just is, and its especially faster going up. but if im riding over 40 miles, the 18lbs steel bike is more comfy, and not so heavy it cant climb.

so whats it feel like to ride a light one?

different than a heavier one. nice, lively, jumpy.

[zap]

Light bicycles (w/ sub 250g seat and seatpost) swish easier when riding out of the saddle.

I find that light tubular wheels....sub 1200g.......requires one to stay on top of them more on the flats. I had 1100g tubulars years ago and felt they were only good on steep climbs. I'd say the sweet spot for wheels is around 1400g with reasonably light tires and tubes.

[benb]

I have a lot of PM data on my heavy bike and light bike... the light bike is at least 2mph faster for similar average power over the same course. It adds up to a large difference on a 100+ mile ride. We're talking 10lbs of weight difference along with better wheels & tires and the bike is a bit more aero. No real difference in body position though so aero is probably not significant.

The light bike stays more comfortable the whole time.

Maybe the only light bike inconvenience is gusty crosswinds? But that has a lot to do with wheel choice and less so with the actual mass of the bike/wheels.

Oh yah, cost is a big negative of lighter bikes.

[bicycletricycle]

in my experience, amazing at first and no different after a couple hundred miles. Except for when you are carrying up stairs.

Originally Posted by Fishbike

Over on the classifieds there is a thread about a fairly light parlee originally claimed to be 10 pounds but apparently actually 14 and change. But uber light bikes do exist. Anyone ride one? What does it feel like?

[Hellgate]

I really can't tell too much different between my 23lbs PX10, and the 15.9lbs 333fab. Interestingly, the PX10 climbs as well on very steep climbs as the 333. I figured it wouldn't. And that is a 42x24 vs. a 39x29 also. Go figure...

[jtakeda]

Originally Posted by martl

no it doesnt as there are actually people out ther who *dont have a BMI in the 40ies and still have a light bike.

Which qualifies to contradict my statement "a lighter bike is more fun" in exactly what way?


Lets talk physics, whcich i didnt mention, but anyway: at a constant weight of rider, a lighter bike is the better bike
lets talk non physics: a lighter bike is a more fun bike.

Just to be clear. You’re saying it’s easier to shed weight from the bike then the rider?

I think you’ve missed the point of the “lose weight off you rather than the bike” the whole concept requires that you don’t have the weight of the rider as a constant.

I agree that lighter bikes are more fun but I was under the belief that the OP was referring to an ultralight sub 14lb bike. Not a typical lightweight bike


Also I have no clue what you’re talking about with a BMI in the 40s. That would be morbidly obese?
I’m just confused by almost all of your reply

[vincenz]

A lighter bike feels more agile and reactive. You could weigh 150 lbs or 300 lbs, a light bike would still give that sprightly “performance” feel that is missing in a heavier bike.

I’ve found that I like bikes in the 15-16.5 lbs range. Anymore and it starts to feel a bit more sluggish. I weigh about 155 lbs so this works for me. I’ve not tried a bike below 15 lbs, but I believe it will start to lose more composure and ride quality on flats and descents as I started to experience that at the lower end.

[benb]

The whole thing with "lighter bike" if you're already super light & race fit yourself is you're probably actually racing and at that point you should be obeying the minimum weight limits for whatever you're racing.. which generally means unobtanium stuff like sub-14lb bike is out of the question anyway.

Stereotype for sure but outside of actual races I might be watching (I don't race anymore) I feel like I'm way more likely to see one of these featherweight bikes under a rider who needs to lose more weight than the total weight of the bike.

[Drmojo]

Originally Posted by benb

The whole thing with "lighter bike" if you're already super light & race fit yourself is you're probably actually racing and at that point you should be obeying the minimum weight limits for whatever you're racing.. which generally means unobtanium stuff like sub-14lb bike is out of the question anyway.

Stereotype for sure but outside of actual races I might be watching (I don't race anymore) I feel like I'm way more likely to see one of these featherweight bikes under a rider who needs to lose more weight than the total weight of the bike.

drop the mic

[ToonaBP]

What does a very light bike feel like.... ?

Buy my sub 14 pound ( w/out pedals ) Emonda SLR 8 and find out....

[jtbadge]

Weight weenieism is so weird.

OTOH my aluminum frame/carbon fork Rock Lobster rides just as nicely as either of the MX Leaders I used to own, and equipped with the same components/wheels, weighs 2-3 pounds less. So much more enjoyable for a climb.

There's certainly a reasonable line to be drawn.