The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised weights

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

If I had the money to go and buy a new bike today pretending I'd not had any sort of all terrain bicycle for some time, I dont think the weight would be that much of a factor.

It wasnt that much of a factor 20 years ago when I bought my first real quality bike either. But back then I was astounded by how little the front wheel felt it weighed (231/ M732/ DT/ Dart) when compared to previous purchases.

About 7 years later, my next big purchase had Mavic Crossmax that gave a similar impression despite having a rotor and an IRC Mythos attached. The next big purchase after that(2003) was when it started to go wrong and things felt heavier, parts looked cheaper and the bike felt leaden to ride despite being of similar build/ equipment level to a second hand purchase about 4 years previously.

Going back to a shop now, ignoring previous experiences, I think I would be back to my teenage self and looking for as many bells and whistles as possible, the 'boring' looking hardtail being left to gather dust in time for the end of season sale.

Looking in a magazine, this is what you are supposed to do. Going out looking like you are prepared for an 8 day epic journey is the norm. That extra 5kg of equipment totally ruins any gains from the lighter bike purchase.

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

CAPIN":epn9d044 said:

Im waiting when function is sorted and everybody start to think about the weight of these things..

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Yeah, imagine that! Then all these ridiculously heavy, ugly modern bikes might be some good!

QUEST:
<to pick up the axe, go back to page 2>
<to drink the wholehearted agreement potion, go to page 6>
<to fight the ugly bikes dragon, go to page 3>
<to exit this dungeon, click forum>

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

cce":35m2rf5r said:

This is what you can do if you're really trying

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/articles.php?ID=94

yep... a UCI-illegal suspension mountainbike.

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Could run a double chain-ring too....how the hell did he get the SIDs down to sub-1Kg? Did he take the oil out?

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

I might weight-weenie the Zaskar just for a laugh...

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

Tho obvious thing is of course, that back in the day half weighed their bikes differently to other, and the other half lied through their teeth. In cycling terms its like getting nostalgic for the black death.

And the other point missed by many is that today, just like back in the day, there are crap bikes as well as good one, well finished bikes as well as flaky ones, good value ones as well as vastly overpriced. To make sweeping generalisations about modern bikes being heavy, expensive (in comparative real terms) or badly performing is like saying all Frenchmen wear berets and a string of onions round their necks. It's beyond laughable it's narrow minded and blinkered. The year an mtb was made, or the era from which it harks, has little to do with how bottom-line-darn-good or otherwise it mat be. Crap bikes were around back then, same as they've now. Being retro doesn't instantly bestow a bike with goodness, but neither does being spanky brand new.

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

Hold the phone, there maybe a bulge appearing in my trousers right now; what's this witchcraft? 18lbs for under a grand? Now you're talking. What's the setup?

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carbon frame rigid fork (direct from factory) was the starting point and then judicious use of online sales and end of season bargains at the LBS to build it up resulted in a 19.5lb build, then I swapped some finishing bits like stem, seatpost and bars out tubelessed the tyres and knocked another pound and a half off.

Raceface turbine cranks (never actually weight them but seemed light!)
Easton carbon Seatpost
Raceface next bars, foam grips, silly light Kore stem
Bioflex ti railed saddle
Hope Tech X2 brakes
Mixture of Hope and WTB wheels with tubeless Bontrager tyres
Single azonic chainring and Superstar chain device, XO 9sp shifter and rear mech, XTR cassette and chain
and my trusty old XT SPDs

It's not an off the peg option but shows it can be done if you look carefully, had I bought everything at full retail instead of trawling sales it would still have only been ~£1500

having said all that it's not my bike of choice and only really gets used when I want proper balls out XC speeds and for racing, normally I'll take a 24lb SS hardtail or >30lb full suss for bigger days out or the local DH tracks.

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

https://www.eta.co.uk/2012/01/13/bicycles-cost-2000-per-kg-saved/

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

Interesting article, but that headline doesn't tell the whole story does it...

The lighter bike is more expensive, but its also more expensive because it has higher spec'd parts, which by their nature are often lighter, but that extra 2k is not only buying you a weight loss, its buying you better components as well, its a circular argument and ignores all other factors by focussing on just the weight.

It would be just as feasible to spend the xtra 2k and not lose any weight, or even to spend <100 and still lose the 1kg (swaping tyres can often drop 1/2 kg or more alone).

You could choose a different parameter to measure, such as component longevity, or strength and just as easily re-write the headline as 'Bicycles cost £2k per extra 50miles of life*'

*obviously I plucked that figure out of thin air but you get my point

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

I have run some very light bikes. BITD, as they say, many people's starting point was a Canonndale for a light bike. They seemed to appeal to roadies in a big way, and being used to lighter bikes I guess many did not accept the status quo and wanted super light go anywhere bikes.

Of course spending a little more on components generally means an increase in quality, but on the other side of the coin there are many that are designed with lightness as the primary goal, and have restrictions on use/weight limits.

Nowadays many people are discarding the flexibility of those extra chain rings and cogs in favour of shedding some weight, or supposed complexity, so there are tonnes of lightweight mountain bikes that really can't do mountains any more. May as well be riding much lighter road bikes.

Re: The good old days when bike manufacturers publicised wei

Isn't that why cyclocross seems to be more popular than I remember it being