Weight Weenie : (definition) – A road bicycle enthusiast who becomes obsessed with subtracting weight from his bicycle at all costs–including overriding safety concerns and practicality.
A Weight Weenie will always replace a 100 gram component with a 99 gram component–regardless of all other factors–including cost, durability, and overall design and functionality.
Materials that are commonly used in the pursuit of lightness include: aluminum, carbon fiber, composites, and titanium.
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The cycling industry in general–and a fair number of cycling enthusiasts–are obsessed with bike weight.
The prevailing mantra is that “lighter” is always “better’–lighter is always “faster”.
Despite the fact that scientific research simply does not support this mantra.
James C. Martin, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of exercise and sport science at the University of Utah provided some interesting calculations that make the cost of weight very clear.
He posited a 5 kilometer distance with a 7% grade. (That’s a good, stiff climb. The legendarily brutal Passo dello Stelvio route in the Italian Alps averages a 7.5% grade.)
He further assessed that 160 lb a rider who can kick out 250 watts will take 19 minutes and 21 seconds to get up the hill. And that every 5 pounds added to the bike + rider combined weight make the trip up the hill take 30 seconds longer.
That means each added pound adds 6 seconds to the time it takes to get up this hill. That is only 6 seconds on a stiff, 20 minute climb.
So, given our roughly 4-pound range from a full steel bike to a super-light carbon or aluminum bike, the time difference up this hill would only be 24 seconds from best to worst.
Now, if you are competing in the Tour de France, 24 seconds could certainly make the difference between winning and losing a given stage. (In fact, many of the 100 mile + stages of that race come down to sprints to the finish line and are decided by split seconds.) But if you are talking about riding the MS150–a two day charity ride that covers roughly 150 miles over five or so hours of casual riding per day–on fairly flat terrain–with multiple stops every day for water, bathroom breaks, lunch, mechanical issues, etc–the performance difference between a steel bike, an aluminum bike, and a carbon bike would be virtually zero.
Of course, different types of frames–steel, aluminum, carbon–have other properties that might make them more appropriate or less appropriate for whatever type of riding you plan on doing… (basic road / fitness training, touring, racing, triathlons, etc). And every single model–from every single bike vendor–has different geometry, different components, different wheels and tires–all of which result in a unique combination of characteristics and fit. And, truly, the only sure way to know which bike(s) work best for you is to test ride them. All of them. As many of them as you possibly can.
If you are a recreational rider, limiting yourself to–say–carbon bikes only–would be a rookie mistake. Even if you are just looking for the lightest bike you can afford–as ill-conceived and narrow a criteria as that is–there are plenty of high end aluminum bikes that weigh significantly less than most entry level–and many mid-level–full carbon bikes. I previously owned a 2005 Fuji Team SL with full Dura Ace that weighed in right around 15 lbs. The 2003 Fuji Team Super Lite also weighed in around 16 lbs will full Ultegra. Both of those bikes are lighter than a brand new, full carbon, full Ultegra, $3500 2014 Trek Madone 5.2… and just as fast with the same pair of legs spinning the cranks. Are those bikes all comparable? That simply depends on what criteria you are using to compare them. And in terms of “fit”, there’s no way to know which of those bikes you would be more comfortable on… without riding them all back to back on the same course.
And, of course, there is the more obvious reality to consider: Your own personal weight.
I weigh between 170 and 180 lbs, depending on the time of year and how much riding and running I happen to be doing. And from day to day, week to week, my weight EASILY fluctuates by 1 to 5%.
A typical carbon road bike in my inventory–nothing ultra expensive–weighs around 17 to 18 lbs. The more expensive / lightweight bikes I have weigh in closer to 15 to 16 lbs. So, we’re talking 2 to 3 lbs difference between a bike that cost $2500 new and a bike that cost $5000 new. And by laying off training for a week you could easily add more weight to your body than that 2 to 3 lbs that you paid all of that money to save. Or, conversely, by skipping a few meals here and there, eating just a tiny bit more wisely, and exercising one additional day a week, you could easily shed 5 to 10 lbs in a couple of weeks. For free.
Because, in the end, it’s your TOTAL combined weight–you AND the bike–that matter most when you are mashing up that steep hill.
(Some additional interesting reading)
http://www.smartcycles.com/bike_weight.htm
http://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/bikes-and-gear-features/call-it-comeback