Has it become too easy to be a weightweenie?

[synchronicity]

I was just wondering...

Now with active forums an internet searches, super-lightweight parts have become common knowledege. 5-10 years ago, do you think lightweight parts were more exclusive?

Do you think that in the race to create the lighest bike it was more about 'knowing the industry' better than anyone else, rather than simply 'forking over the cash' for the latest & greatest parts?

Now it seems to me, all that's required is to type into a search function "lightest brake" and voila!

[Taz]

Being a weightweenie was never rocket science.
Anyone who can ad numbers (excel helps ) and the cash to buy the parts can build a pretty light bike.

[frd]

The real challenge (for me) is not to simply build a lightweight bike, but to build a lightweight bike that is also stiff, durable, doesn't cost an arm and a leg, is functionally perfect and works well without much maintenance.

This is still not easy as it forces to choose for ex. sturdy wheels that you can jump potholes on without a worry, brakes that actually brake, quick releases that actually keep the wheel there without flexing all over the place, bottle cages that keep the bottle in place, handlebars that don't need inspection/tape rewrapping everytime they hit something etc... All this without destroying the bank account.

[LouisN]

A lot of factors are involved.

- Bikes are more and more "marketed" as human powered F 1's, and the desire to actually OWN a "real McCoy" racing machine can be fulfilled with bikes, not really in the car business...
- Every (almost) reasonnably wealthy Sunday cyclist wants THE lightest and "blingest" machine (it's called "inflatable neighbor")...
- The popularity of "machine tuning", wether it's car, motorcycle or bikes... a lot of small companies are aware of that fact, and existing because of it.
- And so on, and so on...

I thought I did a great deal buying a 24 lbs steel, with downtube 7 speed shifters bike two years ago...
Now I feel I own a 17 lbs TANK, and always thinking about what I can do to improve the bike (personnally, I always think weight in terms of performance, and not as a finality)...


Of course,forums like this, being public, helped creat that "trend".

It's a good thing IMO.

Personnally, I went from bike Dummy...to a little less bike Dummy, because of a lot of WW members, who are open minded, helpful and friendly...

I had great fun building a "project" last year, and still miss that (stolen) unique bike...




Louis

[Danton]

Easy? Yes if you have a big wallet.

But look at the main part of this forum, a significant proportion of the posts are not about weight saving. There are questions about time trial parts, mechanical tips and more, plus the large number of "fashion weenie" parts, where people need approval from others when it comes to choosing the colour of the saddle or the bar tape !

But many come here for real advice. Type "lightest brake" into your search engine and you don't always get the right component for you, people help others a lot to find the right parts. Anyone can buy a WW bike, but it might not be suited to the rider. For satisfying riding, you need a fully functioning bike and most of this forum seems dedicated to that, not to showpiece specials.

[J-Nice]

I remember running into this guy named Kenny Sloan in a bike shop in Bergen County New Jersey. He was the first guy I saw who had a weightweenie bike-I mean EVERYTHING on that thing was lightweight and exotic.

That was around 1995. The weight of his bike rivaled many that I see today. It was meticulously put together and functional-I was definitely impressed by the time and effort it took to put those pieces together. What was also impressive was that he trained and raced on it-it wasn't some exotic museum piece that he took out every once in a while for other riders to ooh and aah about. He also rode the first carbon saddle I've ever seen if I'm not mistaken.

I think the difference now is there aren't that many ti components and small parts makers as there were before. Now everything is carbon.

And many road hub manufacturers went by the wayside. I recall getting bike catalogs from those days and there were many road hub options to choose from to build a light wheelset and the prices weren't that bad. Many of those manufacturers are gone as well.

But the main difference was most of those parts were easily sourced here in the US, even though you had to do a bit more research to get them and network with riders and bike shops and definitely had to get those catalogs in the mail.

So its' easier now because there is less tweaking involved to get the weight down on a frame, but much more expensive. Before you had to be creative with rim/hub/spoke choices. Now its' Carbonsports, Lew, Zipp, etc.

Before you had to really be careful with the characteristics of the frame material you chose. Now its' nothing but carbon.

[ras11]

I agree, I think being WW not easier, just more expensive. I think tinkerers are less prone to mod their cranks when they cost $1000.

[Hyde]

Too easy? Only if you are willing to spend what it takes. With all the light options out there it's more of a challenge to to find the parts that work the best & last at a minimal weight. Research!!! It never ends

[Johnny Rad]

IMHO, the Internet makes it "easy."

Next to nobody here knows of BTP, for example. How would I get anything from them? I'd have to luck into some good WW shops and/or riders. That's work. Hit the net instead for instant gratification.

Hello, Internet.

[geraldatwork]

It also depends what the definition of a WW bike is. 12 lbs 15 lbs???. Because of competition between component manufacturers and information on the internet I think it has become a lot easier. While my Bianchi isn't a true WW machine at 16.5 lbs it cost $1850 new delivered from ebay and only a few simple relatively inexpensive changes brought it down to it's present weight. It is certainly serviceable enough weight wise as I am a 212 lb masher and would be uncomfortable with components needed on a bike that weighed sub 15 lbs.