How strong are super light bikes?

Iwasgoodonce

Old School Grand Master
You can almost see the irony! I always wanted a slightly different bike BiTD. I drooled over the Breezers, Ritchey's, Ibis' and Rocky Mountains of the world.
Like more or less all of us I couldn't afford it! Now I can it seems I am just too lardy to risk it.
I have now got a nice Ritchey P21. When threading the cable under the bottom bracket, I found a sticker suggesting recommended rider weights for each frame size.
I'm a little over! In fact to be the safe weight I would probably need to remove both my legs! Obviously I couldn't ride the damn thing then. Ironically, even at my peak of fitness when I had to run around in the shower to get wet, I would still have been over.
Would I break a P21 or steel Ibis? Is there a 'safety' factor built in? I've given up on the P21, should I forget about the Ibis too?
I have never broken a bike and don't want to start now!
Your advice please!
PS I'm not fat as such. Green Peace don't try to roll me back into the sea or anything. I could probably do to loose a stone.
 
don't matter how lite you are... with lightweight bikes you can still break em.... if you dont know how to ride em! :wink:
 
ive broken a few in my time.

I have done the 20lbs mtb thing in the past thinking that light weight was cool....lightweight just means its easier to break.

orange p7 was an easy one to bend for me. :lol:

And I didnt thrash them or abuse them, was just xc racing on them :oops:

oh btw, im 6 foot 1 and i weigh 12st 4 (before the lard patrol rolls out)
 
BITD there were people who always broke stuff, and people who never broke stuff. Regardless of what it was.

I think the way you ride has as much to do with it as your weight.
 
gump":31cpzunc said:
BITD there were people who always broke stuff, and people who never broke stuff. Regardless of what it was.

I think the way you ride has as much to do with it as your weight.

Should be alright then? I have never managed to break anything apart for one chain (15,000 mile old). I'm still on my original brake cable from 1991!
 
light bikes

I think in the designers minds when they are doing a light bike that the typical rider weight is around 120-140 pounds-However, the larger frames were usually spec'ed with, perhaps, a thicker down tube or other changes to beef them up a little-which is why they almost always quote weights for their medium or small framed bikes in the brochures. As far as the P-21, remember, Tom Ritchey is a tall guy and rides what he makes, and Charlie Kelly has had a P-21 for many years and not managed to break it and he weighs a BIT more than you.
 
This has sent the little grey cells into action and I seem to recall the P21 having a reputation for only being suitable for the sort of guy who has sand kicked into his face - ie 7 stone ringing wet! However, since then many light bikes have been on the market, some much lighter than this, so was it all just marketing hype to get people to notice? If there was a problem then surely they would have all been recalled.

It makes me wonder though, if I'm OK on my Stumpjumper Pro which I consider to be light and me being 13.5 stone?
 
Breaking light frames was mainly why Trimble went down the pan. un-limited warrenty and people too heavy for the frames. I recently met some body who owned a 3lb trimble and broke it after hitting a tree. Guess what happened to the frame :roll: So he got a 3.8lb And no problems.
So try riding your p-21. Don't hit trees and should be good for you and the frame. :lol:
Why people made frames with weight limits I'll never understand. Just asking for trouble. People being people will buy the lightist frame. And risk it.
 
tintin40":1zk89wdg said:
Breaking light frames was mainly why Trimble went down the pan. un-limited warrenty and people too heavy for the frames. I recently met some body who owned a 3lb trimble and broke it after hitting a tree. Guess what happened to the frame :roll: So he got a 3.8lb And no problems.
So try riding your p-21. Don't hit trees and should be good for you and the frame. :lol:
Why people made frames with weight limits I'll never understand. Just asking for trouble. People being people will buy the lightist frame. And risk it.

But why should superquick flyweights carry the weight for the 97th percentile biffer on their frames?
Makes perfect sense to me.

Build to your target market. Biffer DH bikes are made for biffer duties, with more often biffer people.
 
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