‘Weight premium….’ Oh how things change….

[2manyoranges]

So I have just read the review for the new BMC Fourstroke - which has an assisted dropper post which goes down as well as up at the press of a button. It take an additional air tank which ‘…is worth the weight premium….’.

But I remember attitudes to weight in the 80s … when the concept of Weight Weeny was invented. Weight premium was around the weight-strength relationship - ie how fragile and low weight can I go before the component breaks, fails and strands me, etc. We filed, we drilled, we selected, we ran road components and suffered sore arses from narrow ti railed perches, were punished by very light but stupidly narrow tyres and rims, and were totally weight-neurotic.

Now….we use 29 inch tyres which weight 1600grams, cranks which could survive a meteorite strike, forks with stanchions like sewer pipes, and saddles like armchairs and weight about the same.

The thing is, this all adds up - and reviewers are casual about each component which adds ‘a weight premium’ and it’s got us to rigs where 35lbs is considered a lightweight bike….

 

[benjabbi]

That same BMC is quoted as weighing 10.5kg or 23.1lbs, thats pretty much identical to my fully rigid full XTR equipped 94 Kona Explosif or 2lbs lighter than my rigid Bonty Race, despite the auto dropper, full sus, disc brakes, 29 inch wheels etc. I would imagine it's a much more capable bike in tough terrain than either of them as well!
The 35lb bikes are aimed at being capable of taking on trails that are more akin to DH, hence are built tougher so the weight necessarily goes up.
A 35lb XC bike is a tank. A 35lb DH bike is light.
The lightweight stuff is still there if you want it and due to advances in materials, manufacturing and design is much less likely to break!

 

[2manyoranges]

That’s entirely true re overall weight of the four stroke one ltd. At 13,000 dollars.

But i think the point still stands.

I love modern bikes, I really do. And they do things which my 90s bike never ever could - but the tendency has been to push the weight upwards, with a little bit of that and a little bit of this, and this extra thing….

 

[troje]

Different purpose, different bike. I regularly throw my Stumpjumper Evo into situations where I’m really baffled the bike can handle such abuse. It’s frightening how much a modern day bike can handle. I won’t do it with my light 29’er hardtail. And certainly not with any of my 26” bikes.

 

[bjellys]

my view on all this weight worry is that looking at most people on the trails I ride , could drop 7 kilos in their personal weight instead of worrying that the bike they ride is a 1/2 a kilo heavier than the next man's.
What we all need is young legs as they seem to cope with old heavy bikes with ease. I came to this conclusion while riding the trails on holiday my nephew was riding a heavy old Mongoose full sus and his dad and I on new modern bikes and he was flying up every hill we came to telling us to hurry up.

 

[foz]

but who cares about the weight, half of modern bikes have a motor in them anyway so it's not like the rider has to put in any more effort

and if it weighs a ton then I assume more peace of mind for not breaking anything each time you ride off a kerb?

 

[2manyoranges]

Foz don’t get me started on ebikes. 55lbs of deadweight when the battery runs out.

We always say if you want to reduce the combined weight of bike and rider just have a cr*p before you go out. Loses more mass more cheaply than other weight saving measures.

I am liking strong, robust modern hard tails which come in at around 28lbs. Hugely strong and capable. And easy for a 130lb whippet like me to haul up hills.

 

[scant]

2manyoranges, you're looking in the wrong places. if you want lightweight bikes, they've readily available & considerably lighter than anything back in the day. 100mm full suspension 29ers with dropper posts at sub 22lb & sub 18lb hardtails are pretty common these days. Benjabbi is correct...​

 

[Peachy!]

2manyoranges, you're looking in the wrong places. if you want lightweight bikes, they've readily available & considerably lighter than anything back in the day. 100mm full suspension 29ers with dropper posts at sub 22lb & sub 18lb hardtails are pretty common these days. Benjabbi is correct...​

Any links to these modern featherweights?

 

[scant]

Peachy, a lot of manufacturers making bikes around those kind of weights for their top end models, eg, trek, specialized, santa cruz, orbea, scott etc.
obviously theres specific weightweenie sites with individually specced, even lighter bikes. just prepare to enter the world of marginal gains where full suspension 18lb reliable bikes ARE possible, or at the other extreme 150mm FS rigs at sub 27lbs, if you're prepared to spend big coin. weightweenie wasnt cheap in the 90s. now prices are properly eye watering at RRP

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/bike-check-dangerholms-insanely-light-scott-spark.htmlhttps://light-bikes.fr/viewforum.php?f=45https://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=6b784b6eb0a06752b370359f5b5a367f
I should add it doesnt have to be crazy expensive. sub 2k cost, 18lb, 4year old, 2nd hand 29er hardtail is a fairly easy project if you shop around.