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Weight... whats the fuss?

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You may not be aware of the particularly British form of time trialling known as a Hill Cliimb.
Although some events do occur outside of the UK, I think we do have a certain fondness for this
'niche' form of bicycle sport, so beloved by 'weight weenies'
Perhaps this article may help explain the passion for lightness.....


...crazy? I couldn't possibly comment.
 
I still don’t get the weight argument. Isn’t easier and better to ride a 40 lb. bike and lose 30 lbs. yourself? Same as having 10 lb. bike, but more durable and probably better looking - both you and the bike. It’s the weight of the bike/ rider system that matters.
it is not what you ride but how you ride. I have been on a few vintage rides and they ride much slower than I do. some fellow Cabers and I met up for the Niles Canyon ride. fun times and good people. I think it is 6 miles up and 6 back, I went up with them then back to the start alone, then back about half way again and turned around... probably 20 miles VS 12 for the original ride

when I ride vintage I ride like a roadie, fast. get the heart rate up. many times I do "intervals " where you go fast and get max heart rate then coast, then repeat. I can get a good workout in a short distance and minimal time. sometimes I do "hot laps" just around the block for 10 minutes. get the heart rate up, get that burn in my legs.

it is not better to ride a 40 pound bike unless your goal is to build muscle rather than cardiovascular fitness. I feel a burn in my legs on my Phantom I do not get with a road bike.

with all that being said I ride my vintage bikes much more than my road bikes and Mountain bike.

another advantage for a good road bike is the 50MPH downhills I used to do when I was young and fearless.😛
 
it is not what you ride but how you ride. I have been on a few vintage rides and they ride much slower than I do. some fellow Cabers and I met up for the Niles Canyon ride. fun times and good people. I think it is 6 miles up and 6 back, I went up with them then back to the start alone, then back about half way again and turned around... probably 20 miles VS 12 for the original ride

when I ride vintage I ride like a roadie, fast. get the heart rate up. many times I do "intervals " where you go fast and get max heart rate then coast, then repeat. I can get a good workout in a short distance and minimal time. sometimes I do "hot laps" just around the block for 10 minutes. get the heart rate up, get that burn in my legs.

it is not better to ride a 40 pound bike unless your goal is to build muscle rather than cardiovascular fitness. I feel a burn in my legs on my Phantom I do not get with a road bike.

with all that being said I ride my vintage bikes much more than my road bikes and Mountain bike.

another advantage for a good road bike is the 50MPH downhills I used to do when I was young and fearless.😛
The capability for those 50mph+ downhills is why the Tour de France has that minimum weight limit.
I don't think many of those Hill-Climb bikes I mentioned above would survive more than one alpine descent.
Wish I was still young and fearless, now I'm just considered old and crazy!
 
On a Human powered machine, it’s all about friction loss and rotating mass.
Super free running bearing assemblies and the lightest rims and tires will go along way to get you down the road with the least amount of effort.
Wind resistance is also a big factor.
Reduce these three elements, and your good to go, regardless of how much you and your bike weigh.
 
On a Human powered machine, it’s all about friction loss and rotating mass.
Super free running bearing assemblies and the lightest rims and tires will go along way to get you down the road with the least amount of effort.
Wind resistance is also a big factor.
Reduce these three elements, and your good to go, regardless of how much you and your bike weigh.
Opposite of that; to be Stronger!
IDK what it weighs when loaded, "wind-bag" catcher.
Riders look at me funny....🤣
IMG_9601.jpg

Never yet, to go really fast downhill; Morrow coaster brake, Eclipse HD front (Floating axle, same size as rear axle), rolls for days....🤓
 
The fit comes first. An ill-fitting bicycle will not be a good choice, regardless of how light; and a proper-fitting bicycle can be ridden, even if quite heavy. A proper-fitting and lightweight bike will give more return for the effort. Weight-saving is a game of diminishing returns. Save on the wheels first, then go to the frame and peripherals. Whether to do that depends on the kind of project you have at hand. There is no crime to using aluminum rims on a bike that was parted out already and not original (make the bike yours, as they say). But you also would not swap out good original rims on an otherwise 100% original bike. Don't sweat a few grams on peripherals with a vintage bike. Have fun and don't stress out over this stuff.
 
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