Ever noticed a big difference riding your heavier bike

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Bantamben
Posts: 102
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 11:43 am

by Bantamben

We all know weight accounts for some extra watts needed especially when climbing. I'm just curious for those of you with multiple bikes. You ever go out on a group ride with friends on your heavy bike (20lbs or so) and struggle compared to riding your light bike (15lbs). Or is it really ever not that noticeable.
Thanks

Irish
Posts: 788
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2004 8:57 pm
Location: Ireland

by Irish

There is a noticeable difference in riding my training bike and my racing bike. My training bike is much heavier than my racing bike, with most of that weight being in the wheels/tyres where it is most noticeable. It's also more noticeable when going up hill, a bit like carrying that few extra pounds on your body. .....which definitely slows you down.

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Oswald
Posts: 794
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 10:11 pm

by Oswald

A couple of weeks ago some old guy came up riding next to me when I was doing an lsd training on flat terrain. I had an average of about 28km/h. I was on a 7kg BMC GF01 with Dura Ace. He was on a 20kg trekking mountainbike. I can 't remember the brand of his bike, it was a Dutch brand. I think his wheelset inclucing tires and cassette weighed as much as my bike.
He had no trouble keeping up with me at all. He was talking all the time (mostly complaining about old people not getting out of his way and young people not having any physical capacities :p )

The reason he was able to ride as fast as me?
I ride my bike twice a week for a total of +/- 100kms a week and I also swim once a week.
He rides his bike 5 times a week doing over 100kms each ride, and he also swims a couple of times a week.

Bantamben
Posts: 102
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 11:43 am

by Bantamben

Yeah some of those old guys are beast. There's a guy by me like that rides a heavy mountain bike down a paved riverbed trail but is always flying.
For once I finally built up a second bike a derosa. It's a all steel bike with steel fork and athena 11 speed so I'm guessing it will be close to 20 lbs. I also have a pinarello with super record that is about 15.6lbs. I'm just curious in real world riding with buddies how much I will notice the difference.

aerozy
Posts: 775
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:48 am
Location: Andaluzia, Spain

by aerozy

I have noticed a significant difference in performance between my bikes specially going uphill. My lightest bike is now at 6kg and heaviest around 7.5kg. I have powermeters on both. I’d say going up a 5min climb doing the same power, my lightest bike gives me an extra 15seconds.

EDIT: Actually did the numbers on here:
http://www.cyclingpowerlab.com/VAM.aspx
At my weight 60kg, going up a 10% 150m climb at a steady wattage of 360W my lightest bike should give me an extra 10seconds.
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aerozy
Posts: 775
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:48 am
Location: Andaluzia, Spain

by aerozy

Also if you've ever ridden a TT bike you'd know how important aerodynamics can effect speed. At threshold my TT bike gives me an extra 5km/h easy.
Factor O2 Rim / Winspace 1500 Disk / Yoeleo R6 Rim / Cervelo S2 Rim

beeatnik
Posts: 368
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 7:26 pm

by beeatnik

Motorpacing with 5-10 riders on a 3 mile loop at an average speed of 55km/hr, I can comfortably do 10 laps with an avg HR of 155. Bike weighs 6.8kg
Same loop on my 10kg Master Piu, I get dropped after the first acceleration to 60km/hr. Heart rate averages 165.

NiFTY
Posts: 1493
Joined: Sat May 26, 2012 11:26 pm

by NiFTY

Hmmm the weight would only effect you during accelerations, it would have almost no effect on constant speed pacelining, other than a marginal increase in rolling resistance, I would be surprised if 3.2kg of bike makes a huge difference when pacelining.
Evo 4.9kg SL3 6.64kg Slice RS 8.89kg viewtopic.php?f=10&t=110579" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

aerozy
Posts: 775
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:48 am
Location: Andaluzia, Spain

by aerozy

^ Kidding, right? :unbelievable:
Accelerations? I guess you're right considering Einstein proved that there is no difference between acceleration motion and a gravitational field. This to say when going uphill you need to overcome a component of the gravitational force. This is equal to sin(incline percentage) x 9.81m/s^2.

Summary: Less mass ->> less gravity force ->> better VAM.

Now on the flats its a different story of course where wind and rolling resistance matters more than weight (at constant speed).
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Franklin
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:09 am

by Franklin

They are talking flats unless beeatnik can do 60kmph uphill.

And I agree with NiFTY I'd say the effect on the flats can't be that big even with 3kg extra. There must be some other issues (perhaps setup catches more wind?).

On accelerations: keep in mind that acceleration on a bike is small, even if your name is Mark Cavendish. He gets lead out with 65kph and pushes that to 70kph. Very impressive and for races everything counts, but the difference will be tiny.

Bantamben
Posts: 102
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 11:43 am

by Bantamben

Wow interesting about getting dropped on the masterlight. I could see that I've never motor paced but all my buddies are much faster then me so on the flats when we are going hard I find the little accelerations staying on there wheels tough. They seem to barrel through any rollers slight grade changes. I have a power meter and I routinely see my power meter go from 250 watts up to 500-600 to stay on there wheels. I'm guessing that's when the extra weight kicks in on those little grade changes.

Thanh
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2014 10:42 pm

by Thanh

With the same effort, off course you can tell the difference between lighter and heavier bike, but have to be like 5 kgs different imo.

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Rick
Posts: 2034
Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:30 pm

by Rick

Yes, if there is an objective comparison, like time or other competitive riders, I notice a definite difference between my lightest (15 lb) bike and my secondary (~18 lb) bike.
Even on "flat" rides there are a huge number of little accelerations and slight inclines.

On the other hand, I am always amazed at how, when there is no objective comparison, my heaviest commuter bike (probably ~27 lbs) with a triple chainring and 28mm tires doesn't really feel much different than my lightest bike. I still get to go as hard or easy as I want to or can, and it just rolls smoothly along; just a little slower apparently, but I don't really feel it.

Imaking20
Posts: 2260
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:19 am

by Imaking20

I've got some KOMs on my steel bike... some may have been aided by the pain-numbing effect of a beer before said efforts..

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jpanspac
Posts: 159
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2013 8:21 pm

by jpanspac

On the flats at a steady pace there shouldn't be any difference. If you're in the back of a paceline and dealing with the accordion effect the extra weight could be noticeable. Even then, though, I think it's mostly psychological.
My favorite components are the ones I never have to think about.

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