Seeking the impossible - cheap road bike sub 8.5kg that can climb

[Dogtrousers]

I take a different approach.

I spend ages devising hilly routes and searching out the biggest hills I can find. These are limited by local geography. I'd cycle up bigger hills if there were any, but you have to make do with what you have.

This is why I think nothing of lugging 3-4kg or so of clobber around in my rack pack. I see it as making up for the shortcomings of the landscape. As well as being useful (tools, spares, waterproof) and tasty (pies and cakes)

 

[ColinJ]

Well, @FrothNinja certainly isn't short of big hills round here in the NW so he doesn't need to add weight to get a good workout in!

 

[Jameshow]

Last night ride a big guy of spez S works got dropped on the hills but soon caught me on the decents! Power to weight rules on hills, power rules on flat!!

 

[fossyant]

Last night ride a big guy of spez S works got dropped on the hills but soon caught me on the decents! Power to weight rules on hills, power rules on flat!!

Or he's a brain in pocket descender with bigger cahoonies !

Has the OP bought new tyres/wheels/bike/had a poop or ridden more yet ?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Well, @FrothNinja certainly isn't short of big hills round here in the NW so he doesn't need to add weight to get a good workout in!

There are always places with bigger hills. The NW isn't the Pyrenees. So you can always make it harder.

 

[DogmaStu]

Last night ride a big guy of spez S works got dropped on the hills but soon caught me on the decents! Power to weight rules on hills, power rules on flat!!

Hmmm, watts/kg will define most long climbs but power per se doesn't rule the flats; CdA plays a big role too and hence we have the Remco's of the World beating more powerful riders on the flat in TT's. Similarly Cav is far from the most powerful sprinter - his battles against Greipel, Kittel etc were against more powerful men.

Naturally, this translates to Club level too. I'm small and light but drop bigger guys on the flats.

 

[FrothNinja]

Faster on smooth tarmac, slower on the rest

 

[Proto]

To answer the original question, buy a second hand Cannondale CAAD12, rim brake model, on eBay for £300. Fabulous bike, will weigh ~8kg, fast, comfy, looks great.
Be careful of sizing but I think you’d be on a 52cm frame.

something like this, a CAAD10 but would do you very well.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25628490...486&ssuid=&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[biggs682]

Love these kind of threads where fellow ccer's are discussing spending more money than I spent on my complete fleet of bikes just to achieve what ......

 

[Alex321]

Love these kind of threads where fellow ccer's are discussing spending more money than I spent on my complete fleet of bikes just to achieve what ......

To achieve what they want.

It is completely irrelevant what you or I spend on our bikes.

 

[DogmaStu]

Love these kind of threads where fellow ccer's are discussing spending more money than I spent on my complete fleet of bikes just to achieve what ......

I know someone who spends more money on watches than I do on bikes. For what? Just to tell the time and wear jewellery. Except, it's more than that to him. It's what he enjoys, so who am I to judge just because I wouldn't see the benefit personally?

 

[vickster]

Love these kind of threads where fellow ccer's are discussing spending more money than I spent on my complete fleet of bikes just to achieve what ......

How many meet the OP’s requirement in the thread title out of interest?

 

[DogmaStu]

To answer the original question, buy a second hand Cannondale CAAD12, rim brake model, on eBay for £300. Fabulous bike, will weigh ~8kg, fast, comfy, looks great.
Be careful of sizing but I think you’d be on a 52cm frame.

something like this, a CAAD10 but would do you very well.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25628490...486&ssuid=&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

This is my Saeco Cannondale that I raced in the late 1990's. Wish I had kept it, awesome bike.

 

[ColinJ]

This is my Saeco Cannondale that I raced in the late 1990's. Wish I had kept it, awesome bike.
View attachment 713334

I still ride mine (see avatar) but I have a triple chainset now for the steep stuff which I can't get up on a 39 tooth ring any more!

 

[DogmaStu]

I still ride mine (see avatar) but I have a triple chainset now for the steep stuff which I can't get up on a 39 tooth ring any more!

Very nice! I wish I had kept my bikes through the years. Miss a few great machines that would serve me well today.