Bike weight and the myth of ‘fast’ bikes - VeloNation - Cycling Forums, Bicycle Forums, Community Forums

Login

Home

Unanswered Active Topics

Forums Search

Bike weight and the myth of ‘fast’ bikes

Last Post 08/09/2014 09:52 PM by Orange Crush. 22 Replies.

Sort:

You are not authorized to post a reply.

Page 2 of 2

Author

Messages

Posts:781

08/07/2014 12:48 PM
Perception is a strange thing. I sent this article to a friend and we were discussing it online. He brought up frame stiffness. I said that the engineer in me just doesn't see how marginal differences in frame flex really makes a difference in terms quantifiable differences in power and speed as the frame flex usually measured has no affect on the drivetrains (the chain more specifically) ability to transfer power.

----- It is his word versus ours. We like our word. We like where we stand and we like our credibility."--Lance Armstrong.

Posts:511

08/07/2014 03:04 PM
I find frame stiffness does make difference in the handling of a bike. Especially off road where it is rough and you have a long fork.

Posts:4209

08/07/2014 03:41 PM
Another example to add to the "perception" issue....high PSI in tires. It feels fast to jack up the tire pressure, but we know that in reality, it slows you down. Damn that Isaac Newton!!

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:3180

08/07/2014 09:56 PM
There's a flip side to this "perception". If you don't know it's slow, it isn't Those heavy seats the rider feels as he tosses his bike while climbing? He knows. It's slow. Put heavy stuff in a tourer's 3rd WB cage under the DT. Free weight! You can't feel it. You can't see it. But you have to ride with no electronics! If you have a computer screen on your HBs, CK will figure a way to hack into it and announce that pound you cannot see is costing you X seconds/mile or100' of climbing. And once you know, that old speed is gone for good. Ben

Posts:4209

Posts:197

08/09/2014 01:43 PM
I will say that I ride aero wheels most of the time. My zipp 404's also happen to be my lightest wheelset. I have done a bunch of TTs and I have tried multiple combos on hilly courses and flat. The full disk rear with 404 on front is the fastest except one particular course. On flat one flat 15k course it was about one minute. I bow to CK. Aero overall rules. On a long climb where you are going slow is the exception.

Posts:4209

08/09/2014 08:52 PM
The conversion continues!!! I'm in the me boat as you....my lightest wheels are also my aero wheels. It is nice when you don't have to make a choice!! Best of both worlds!

Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!

Posts:4499

08/09/2014 09:52 PM
There is no myth. Between my commuter, my winter road bike and my summer road bike there's definitely one that is faster. Perhaps the author is confused with the rule of incremental returns.