[douglas]

So last night before my race, I happened to be standing next to a guy w/ a Kona Kikapu Deluxe (I have a Kona ManoMano). Basically same frame except his is Easton Ultralite.
His bike is decked out w/XTR & Easton, etc where I have deore, LX, some XT. He has a fox fork, I have bottom of the line Marz.


Anyway, my bike=28.5 lbs., his=23.5 lbs !!
5 freaking lbs difference


So, how much of a diifernce do you think that makes in the race, how much faster/quicker would I be on the same bike, but 5 lbs lighter?

 

[Konabumm]

I am riding a Kona Stinky Primo = weight 34lbs

I have spent all summer trainning, now I can keep up with or pass people with 25lbs bike.

I try not to spend to much time thinking about weight. Really do you think by shaving 1/2 a pound off your bike is going to drop 2 min off your time?

Train hard = go faster

 

[TheJaybird]

So how'd you do in your race? How'd that other guy do? I'm a weight weenie but for me, counting grams is only to satisfy the voices and to keep them away at night so I can sleep

 

[douglas]

Originally posted by TheJaybird
So how'd you do in your race? How'd that other guy do? I'm a weight weenie but for me, counting grams is only to satisfy the voices and to keep them away at night so I can sleep

re:voices = lol

it's a training race series, choice of 1, 2 or 3 laps - that guy does 3, I do 2 - so we didnt race each other but I can guarentee he's faster.

I usually am 2nd in my age group and like 5/6th overall (out of the 20-25 "2" lap racers)

 

[Echo]

It will make you less fatigued so you will be faster longer... just replace parts when they break with lighter ones and you'll eventually get there

 

[Serial Midget]

The longer the event the more the 5 LBS will matter. In road biking just one pound can be a huge difference at the end of a 100 mile ride.

My bikes HT and FS both weigh about 27 LBS but I am much faster on the Y-22 because of the lighter wheel build. On our 12 mile cardio loop that is basically a training loop for climbing I will be nearly 10 minutes faster with the 517s and Vs than I am with the Rhino Lites and disks.

 

[El Jefe]

Originally posted by konabumm
I am riding a Kona Stinky Primo = weight 34lbs

I have spent all summer trainning, now I can keep up with or pass people with 25lbs bike.

I try not to spend to much time thinking about weight. Really do you think by shaving 1/2 a pound off your bike is going to drop 2 min off your time?

Train hard = go faster

Your Stinky is 34lbs? Damn! I have mine up to 41.5lbs now, and when I get the Shiver put on, it'll be 43+. Still, I have no problem pedaling it up just about anything and keeping up with the weight weenies. It's all about what you get used to.

originally posted by Douglas
So, how much of a diifernce do you think that makes in the race, how much faster/quicker would I be on the same bike, but 5 lbs lighter?

My XC bike weighs 25.3lbs, not exactly super svelt, but not a pig either. It climbs like a mutha, but most of that is because of the ECC lockout on the Zoke Marathon S, and having a super light wheelset. I had the wheelset custom built, 1490g for a disc wheelset....one of the lightest I've ever heard of for a disc wheelset, and it makes all the difference.

Rotational weight is where you'll find the most benefit in shaving weight. If you want to make an upgrade, find a lighter wheelset and tires. A 28lbs bike with a light wheelset is going to feel lighter when pedaling than a 26lbs bike with a heavier wheelset.
Just my $0.02

 

[douglas]

Originally posted by Serial Midget
The longer the event the more the 5 LBS will matter. In road biking just one pound can be a huge difference at the end of a 100 mile ride.

My bikes HT and FS both weigh about 27 LBS but I am much faster on the Y-22 because of the lighter wheel build. On our 12 mile cardio loop that is basically a training loop for climbing I will be nearly 10 minutes faster with the 517s and Vs than I am with the Rhino Lites and disks.

damn, 10 minutes is such a BIG difference !!

 

[douglas]

Originally posted by El Jefe

Rotational weight is where you'll find the most benefit in shaving weight. If you want to make an upgrade, find a lighter wheelset and tires. A 28lbs bike with a light wheelset is going to feel lighter when pedaling than a 26lbs bike with a heavier wheelset.
Just my $0.02 [/B]

I'm running Mavic 317 w/XT discs and Hutchinson python gold(485g), I need some tubes so I was going get performance lights (104g)

 

[Serial Midget]

Originally posted by douglas
damn, 10 minutes is such a BIG difference !!

Rhino Lites are pigs but I didn't get them for racing. My tires may also have an impact - I really don't know what they weigh. Y-22 has Hutchinson Aligator Golds and the XTC hardtail has Panaracer XC Pros. Weight aside - the Hutchinsons are faster tires.

 

[El Jefe]

Originally posted by douglas
I'm running Mavic 317 w/XT discs and Hutchinson python gold(485g), I need some tubes so I was going get performance lights (104g)

Go tubeless....Stan's has a decent set up, and I invented my own..Jefe's Pimp Juice.

Either way, whether Jefe's or Stan's, you'll shave weight, decrease rolling resistance and eliminate flats with tubeless. (and you can run non-UST tires on the Stan's or Jefe's system.)

 

[Echo]

Originally posted by douglas
I'm running Mavic 317 w/XT discs and Hutchinson python gold(485g), I need some tubes so I was going get performance lights (104g)

XT discs are a good cheap hub, but they are boat anchors...

 

[Babar]

When the trails flat it wont matter much but if the trail goes up, youre gonna be sloooooowwwww. Also save some watts in rolling resistance, you will feel the most difference there.

 

[douglas]

Originally posted by Echo
XT discs are a good cheap hub, but they are boat anchors...

Why did everyne wait until AFTER I bought this wheelset, to tell me XT hubs are HEAVY!

 

[Echo]

I didn't realize it either, until I held an XT in one hand and a King in the other. It's not often you can really feel a significant weight difference in small bike parts, but it was pretty surprising how heavy the XT was.

 

[douglas]

Originally posted by Echo
I didn't realize it either, until I held an XT in one hand and a King in the other. It's not often you can really feel a significant weight difference in small bike parts, but it was pretty surprising how heavy the XT was.

When I was comparing our 2 Kona's......the biggest visable differnce was his XTR Hyd. brakes compared to my Hayes mechanicals - it looked like my brakes (each) weighed 1/2lb more than his !!

 

[Ifelloffabike]

Originally posted by konabumm
I am riding a Kona Stinky Primo = weight 34lbs

I have spent all summer trainning, now I can keep up with or pass people with 25lbs bike.

I try not to spend to much time thinking about weight. Really do you think by shaving 1/2 a pound off your bike is going to drop 2 min off your time?

Train hard = go faster

but just think how many more people you would catch if your current self (who catches people on a 34lb bike) were racing on a 24lb bike

 

[MikeOK]

Originally posted by TheJaybird
So how'd you do in your race? How'd that other guy do? I'm a weight weenie but for me, counting grams is only to satisfy the voices and to keep them away at night so I can sleep

LOL!!!

5 lb's will make a big difference in a long race. Try it sometime and you will see. Especially in whirling weight (tires, wheels). There does seem to be a magic weight thast it makes the most difference, somewhere around 28-30 lb's.

 

[zzyxzz]

He probably gave a false weight (on the light side natch).