Super-light road bike

[Pale Rider]

My road bike is around 6.1kg including Zipp 303 aero wheels. With my Mavic wheels it dips below 6kg. I've never found it to be a problem in cross-winds or descents - and I live on the coast, winds can be fairly strong here. However, I can imagine sub-4kg being a challenge.

It is great as a climbing bike and generally fairly quick (more KOM's on this than my previous bike), very responsive albeit not as outright fast overall on the flats as an aero bike. Where I would criticise it most though is for sprinting; under full gas the rear wheel does move around a bit scrabbling for traction. It's also not a bike for taller, heavier riders, I'm short, 65kg and I think this bikes recommended limit is 80kg including bike + accessories!

I'm definitely interested in lighter bike tech but would prefer to see a better lightweight/aero combination.



View attachment 501301

Full length bar tape, and are those dust caps I see on the valves?

You couldn't care less, could you?

 

[Algarvecycling]

I'll be out in March for a month's cycling (and decorating!!) I shall keep an eye out for you. However I have to say the bike I keep out there is not a patch on yours!!!

March should be a good time for cycling, we're having a warm winter this year so far. I'm generally out and about around Lagoa and Silves to Monchique and Alte. Message me when you are here if you want to go for a ride.

 

[Algarvecycling]

Full length bar tape, and are those dust caps I see on the valves?

You couldn't care less, could you?

No...I'll never graduate to being a true weight weenie

 

[fossala]

My road bike is around 6.1kg including Zipp 303 aero wheels. With my Mavic wheels it dips below 6kg. I've never found it to be a problem in cross-winds or descents - and I live on the coast, winds can be fairly strong here. However, I can imagine sub-4kg being a challenge.

It is great as a climbing bike and generally fairly quick (more KOM's on this than my previous bike), very responsive albeit not as outright fast overall on the flats as an aero bike. Where I would criticise it most though is for sprinting; under full gas the rear wheel does move around a bit scrabbling for traction. It's also not a bike for taller, heavier riders, I'm short, 65kg and I think this bikes recommended limit is 80kg including bike + accessories!

I'm definitely interested in lighter bike tech but would prefer to see a better lightweight/aero combination.



View attachment 501301

I live in Cornwall so hills and wind are a given. It felt OK at 6.5kg, just didn't feel stable spinning 180rpm down hill when it got silly light. Anyway, aero is king nowerdays and my fixed TT bike weighs a hefty 7.2kg...

 

[ColinJ]

... It felt OK at 6.5kg, just didn't feel stable spinning 180rpm down hill when it got silly light.

I'm amazed that any bike feels 'stable' when spinning at 180 rpm downhill!

I can see why you might need to use a cadence like that on fixed downhill, but that is just another reason why I would never try fixed round here. (I would actually need to be doing 240+ rpm with a 70-inch gear on some of my local descents.)

 

[fossala]

I'm amazed that any bike feels 'stable' when spinning at 180 rpm downhill!

I can see why you might need to use a cadence like that on fixed downhill, but that is just another reason why I would never try fixed round here. (I would actually need to be doing 240+ rpm with a 70-inch gear on some of my local descents.)

I'm on a 75" at the moment. Top out at around 47mph. Enough for me.

 

[ColinJ]

I'm on a 75" at the moment. Top out at around 47mph. Enough for me.

It can be a bit scary going faster than that but there are a couple of safe descents that I sometimes hit 80+ km/hr on if there is a tailwind. (Normally a cross/headwind).

I would be quite interested in trying fixed going uphill. I have seen people ride up steep stuff in what I would consider to be a crazily high gear but obviously there is the help of the chain to get the cranks over TDC, the lack of which is the problem I have on my singlespeed. 10% is about my limit on that and I don't like to do more than a couple of hundred metres of it in one go because it hammers my legs.

 

[fossala]

It can be a bit scary going faster than that but there are a couple of safe descents that I sometimes hit 80+ km/hr on if there is a tailwind. (Normally a cross/headwind).

I would be quite interested in trying fixed going uphill. I have seen people ride up steep stuff in what I would consider to be a crazily high gear but obviously there is the help of the chain to get the cranks over TDC, the lack of which is the problem I have on my singlespeed. 10% is about my limit on that and I don't like to do more than a couple of hundred metres of it in one go because it hammers my legs.

I did the Dartmoor devil on fixed last year.

 

[ColinJ]

I did the Dartmoor devil on fixed last year.

I suspect you are moderately fitter than me!

I would still struggle on steep stuff, but I'd like to feel how much the action of the fixed transmission helped.

 

[Ian H]

'Berk' derives from Berkley Hunt. It's rhyming slang.

 

[fossala]

I suspect you are moderately fitter than me!

I would still struggle on steep stuff, but I'd like to feel how much the action of the fixed transmission helped.

I started riding fixed exclusively a year and a half ago, I am much fitter since I took it up. I had to do a club ride on my wife's geared bike the other day, first real geared ride in over a year. I hated it and found it much harder than on a fixed. YMMV

 

[Ian H]

After riding the fixed, it's always pleasant to go with gears & a freewheel. Mind you, after gears & a freewheel, I always find fixed to be a pleasant change.

 

[Ajax Bay]

I don't know if it's commonly used in the UK, but in Australia, "berk" is a word used to describe someone in an unflattering manner.

I suspect usage of the term 'berk' is rather limited nowadays but certainly 50 years ago it was used (in London anyway) as you put it "in an unflattering manner".

I always find fixed to be a pleasant change.

Have never seen you at 180rpm, though, Ian. Even with your souplesse, increasing through 150 sees the transition from impressive to forced enjoyment.

 

[Ian H]

Have never seen you at 180rpm, though, Ian. Even with your souplesse, increasing through 150 sees the transition from impressive to forced enjoyment.

In my youth, said the old man,
I'd exceed that with ease.
But now that I'm older
I take care of my knees.
[With apologies to the Rev Dodgson & R Southey Esq]

 

[rogerzilla]

I wish people wouldn't quote weights in kg to make the numbers smaller...it's like the tabloids screaming "100°F!" when it's hot and "-10°C!" when it's cold