Question for those who think bike weight doesn't matter ...

[mustang1]

From time to time, someone mentions that bike weight doesn't matter for general cycling or commuting. Then a bunch of others who think the same will chime in solidifying the argument through repetition.

So what are those heavy e-bikes like when not using electric assist?

I heard on The Bike Show podcast they are reviewing the Smart e bike and the users said it was a great bike but really heavy. Hence they had a concern going up hill if the battery was discharged.

Does the bike weight matter in this case?

 

[Drago]

A kg or two on a normal bike doesn't matter when I weight 112kg myself. And extra 8 or 10 starts to become a big deal.

 

[Profpointy]

A kg or two on a normal bike doesn't matter when I weight 112kg myself. And extra 8 or 10 starts to become a big deal.

so why is it harder work cycling home with my PC ( 2kg?) than without?
Or carrying a bag of shopping home whilst walking for that matter.

 

[Hacienda71]

Bike weight matters as does personal weight when riding up hills, less so on the flat but still a factor. Some bloke called Newton worked out why.

 

[ColinJ]

So what are those heavy e-bikes like when not using electric assist?

I have never ridden one, but I would be willing to bet £10 that the answer is "horrid"!


PS To make it clear - that I would find it horrid, not the person who was going to get the tenner if (s)he declared it non-horrid!

 

[mustang1]

@collin j: good disclaimer

It just got me wondering at what weight do people think things are too heavy. If I bought a bike which was made of steel but weighed a kg more then I would be advised that 1 kg doesn't make a difference.

I would then get a disclaimer that steel bikes can be as light as aluminium bikes but they forget to mention the price goes up at the same time.

 

[ColinJ]

@collin j: good disclaimer

It just got me wondering at what weight do people think things are too heavy. If I bought a bike which was made of steel but weighed a kg more then I would be advised that 1 kg doesn't make a difference.

I would then get a disclaimer that steel bikes can be as light as aluminium bikes but they forget to mention the price goes up at the same time.

I have been out on my steel Basso today. It weighs about 10 kg. I ride a lot of big hills round here and can feel the difference between that bike and my aluminium Cannondale, which is more like 8.5 kg. It isn't enough difference to spoil the rides, but it is enough to tell me that I don't want my bike to weigh 15+ kg! I would love to have a carbon fibre bike weighing 6.5 kg but the Cannondale will do me for the next few years. Maybe I will treat myself to some better wheels and tyres, but that would probably only save about 3/4 kg.

Weight makes a big difference when you have to pick the bike up! (For example, to put it on a roof rack, or to take it to an upstairs flat.)

 

[Drago]

so why is it harder work cycling home with my PC ( 2kg?) than without?
Or carrying a bag of shopping home whilst walking for that matter.

For that same reason my Sportive bike feels a lot faster than my old slick-shod mtb commuter.

But when journey times are measured and compared, it actually isn't any quicker.

There are of course sensible limits, but minor weight differences seem of little real consequence to the average rider. Chumps who obsess about differences of grams with different components yet who then haul about a body with a BMI of 20 upwards are, erm, chumps.

 

[moo]

I've done a lot of hills on my commuter (madness I know). Its weight varies from 15kg in the summer to 25kg last week, and many steps in between. You can tell the bikes weight on a specific day simply by looking at my times for a hill.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

I can definitely tell the difference between my super duper super heavy Brompton with everything from Schlumpf mountain drive to dynohub lights and my fixed gear Langster.

To be honest one weighs about 15kg and the other 9kg ish. Even though I weigh a lot as I'm a big bloke, the difference of 5 to 6 Kg is massive.

 

[raleighnut]

The batteries (L-ion) on e-bikes thrive on being kept towards full charge and suffer if left low. That gives a range of 30 miles on most (15+return for the pedants) so why would someone go further on one without taking the charger with you (to work say) or charging it when you return.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Every single gram matters to some degree, as the laws of physics will confirm.

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

My steel bike is 4.5kg more than my carbon bike, but I only get 0.5mph difference in my average speed over the 20 mile commute. (only 1000ft of climbing in it)

 

[ColinJ]

My steel bike is 4.5kg more than my carbon bike, but I only get 0.5mph difference in my average speed over the 20 mile commute. (only 1000ft of climbing in it)

You do 0.75 mph on the carbon bike, and 0.25 mph on the steel bike? (Pesky red traffic lights!)

 

[Racing roadkill]

I don't weigh very much, even a slight increase in bike weight causes me issues, especially if there's a crosswind