Current Projects chat and miscellany

Your numbers...

yeah, you're right, I accidentely took my own numbers. Second try

lightweight bike: 6,8 kilo (official UCI-limit)
heavy bike: 8 kilo (my steel racer)
average Tour de France racer: 68 kg (for 1,80 m)
outfit: helmet (250 g); shoes (500 g); jersey (150 g); bibs (250 g - wild guess); socks, gloves, glasses,... let's say 1500 g
bottles of water: 1 kg

1.9% difference? ;)

Do not confuse it's nonsense.
Lightness does matter!!!,just ride a light, aero, comfy, pricey and stiff bike to see the difference guys.
A heavy muscle strong man is going faster that thin and weak man on any bike.
A strong thin man climb hills faster on a light bike...

exactly rider weight is so much more important, but it matters the most for a pro because they have uphill finishes and uphill attacks. but we get to take that weight down a hill as well, giving us extra potential energy on top of that hill.

Peter Sagan 79 kl

Pretty sure you'd get dropped by a pro going up or down hill.
regardless of your potential energy.

So am I

Light bikes are fun to ride up hills

Stiffness and geometry are of much more importance than weight, these things make that your power is used efficiently.

I used to have a 6.5 kg Cannondale CAAD 10, now I ride an 8 kg Colnago Master Extra Light and I have at least the same amount of fun uphill and when comparing my Strava-numbers, I don't climb slower.

6.5 kg Cannondale CAAD 10

Link/specs?

Going from a decent bike like CAAD10 to Colnago is borderline criminal.

It's all important. Aerodynamics even more important. But it doesn't matter, if someone wants a light bike they can have one.

I don't climb slower.

Then you've lost weight, or you're putting out more power.

Mention you want to lose weight off your bike and everyone loses their minds, but put a set of aero bars on a no-one bats an eyelid...

Stiffness and geometry... are no incompatible with weight
this is my not finished yet tarmac, it's fun on bitumen

agreed

yeah but when you ride a heavy bike and pass people on weenie builds you get to be well smug and what's road cycling about if not smugness.

in full rapha*

so yeah.. I'm building a lightweight track bike, don't really have a reason for it.. don't feel like I have to have a reason. And if anyone has a lightweight 27,2 seatpost (preferably Rotor) lying around I'm interested :)

@amey

it was a custom built CAAD 10. I bought a 105-equipped one (summer sale for half the price) and changed everything but the frameset: Sram Force, KCNC lightweight stem, bars, seatpost, QR's, low carbon tubular wheels (1100 g), Kuota K30 crankset,...

Stiffness and geometry are of much more importance than weight

ah nice .. I think I am close with mine, will weigh this weekend. I am 65kg and quick on hills anyway.

Leith Hill HC 24th September

< Old Kent Road flyover

I'm a bit heavier (now): 75 kg for 1,82 m. Am I quick or slow on hills? Until 2 years ago I used a powermeter and my late season numbers back than were (I looked them up, don't know them by heart :-)):

5": 17.65 W/kg
1': 7.33 W/kg
5': 5.39 W/kg
20': 4.36 W/kg

So I think I wasn't that bad uphill.

Fuck me .. before I sold my PM I was at 3.65 w/kg 20 min .. I am in slightly better form now but don't think above 4 w/kg .. maybe I am. I don't race or train, mainly instagram and exposure to sponsors.

Importantly, are you entering Leith or not?