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Bike Weights
I'm only a little guy, struggling to get over 60kgs even with regular weight training.
Thus I feel that light bikes or the weight of bikes is important to me.
It's annoying that manufacturers don't list the weight of their competition bikes. Of course, they claim things such as:
"How much does this bike weigh? It’s a common question, and rightly so. But the truth is, there are no industry standards for claiming bike weights—and this leads to a lot of misinformation. Variances exist based on size, frame material, finish and hardware. And as bikes get lighter, these differences become more critical. At Really Big Bikes, we believe the only way to truly know the weight of any particular bike is to find out for yourself at your local retailer."
Coming from a stats background, I would rather trust the manufacturer to take a sample of n bikes, specify exactly what was measured - with/without pedals, frame size etc, than my bike shop taking a sample of one which might be way out. I appreciate that all sorts of things like shock oil, amount of welding will lead to a variance... but can't manufacturers give a range +-100g?
The exeption is Scott who has all the weights (accurately or not) of bikes in their 2011 range catalogue.
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http://weightweenies.starbike.com/
in the bike industry about the weight of their products, hence the comments from the bike manufacturer you quote.
In your research, bear in mind that rotating mass is probably most important. Light wheels and tyres not only improve suspension performance by reducing unsprung weight, they ease acceleration by giving you less mass to spin up and slow down. Pedals, cranks and shoes also impact rotating mass. It is said that rotating mass is worth three times weight saved elsewhere on the bike.
Happy number crunching
This will come as a real shock but...
I have found that for high end parts the quoted weights are usually pretty good, and that for cheaper ones they can vary quite a lot.
Eg. last build I did was this, which would hope classifies as the former
Yes, yes, it's a road bike, but it's only for reference/example. Claimed v actual of a few parts:
Fork (3T Funda Pro) 375 v 363
Frame (Cervelo RS 58cm) 1030 v 1038
Crankset (SRAM Red 175mm 39/53) 661 v 666
BB (SRAM GPX Ceramic 68 English) 114 v 114
Cassette (SRAM OG-1090 11-25) 166 v 161
Wheels (Shimano Dura-Ace Wheels CL Clincher 7850) 1434 v 1446
And I could go on... but as you can see, these are almost spot on, some are even under weight. It was pretty much the same with all the parts
The Weight Weenies site is OK but sadly lacking in a lot of newer parts. Hardly surprising for a community created site I guess. That and I tried to add to it once and failed so gave up
Well, there you go. I stand corrected.
Your quote is from the Giant website. Magazines often have the weight.
My Trance X0 is 11.54 kg (including 400g pedals). I"m now 70kgs (put on 10 in three years since quitting smoking). A friend is 100 kg and his bike is 14 kg. I understand your concern. At times, I carry this bike up stairs etc. I often wish it was all a bit lighter and more fragile. I've got some finesse, I don't think I'm going to bust too many frames. All that extra strength is wasted imo. I also think my small frame is the same weight as a large frame. I'd be interested to know otherwise.
Just walk into a shop and weigh the bike you are interested in.
I find stated weights are pretty accurate. In tires I've certainly seen some variances.
Personally I have found that a nice light wheelset can make a slightly heavier bike feel and ride better than a lighter bike with not so good wheelset. So I've never really worried too much about frame weight. My disclaimer though is that I am no light weight super fast whippet on the bike.
Interesting article here on taking weight into account when designing and speccing a bike.
http://www.twentysixinches.com/2011/wait-mtb-wei...
All bike parts should be weighed on a calibrated pressure sensitive laboratory balance with readings to the nearest 100th of a gram.
I'm a little disappointed that my new frame came in at a few hundred grams heavier than advertised, but when bike+rider weight is >117kgs, it doesn't really matter that much to me. Visiting the smallest room in the house for a few minutes before a ride can shave a few grams off here and there... and much cheaper than upgrading parts too.
Yeah I actively try to get that water from the hydro pack, down the throat and out the python as fast as possible. I mean that's 1.5 litres (1.5 kilos) if I can drain the pack and the "python".
You can lose a few K's in weight really easily as well, that would help I would think!
You can get much stronger without adding huge amounts of muscle. As you develop the neurological system, you will be able to recruit more of the muscle that you already have.
You would be well advised to ensure that your core is strong and that (more importantly) it is engaged.
Rather than dropping wedge on bike stuff, it might be a useful venture to speak to an exercise physiologist or similar (rather than a Personal Trainer) and ask them to gauge your phsical condition with a Functional Movement Test (google this to get some more info).
You could end up spending only a small amount to reap a huge amount of information and benefit instead of spending a lot on upgrades and not seeing a huge difference.