Bike Weight. Retro vs Modern

[bikenut2010]

I don't see any difference in my sportive times whether I'm on my 'knitted soot' Cervelo RS with a carbon campy group or an old steelie with DT shifters; in fact on the Colnago with SL and 39 / 26 I climb better than anything else except the most savage gradients.
When you think that a 12 stone rider (168lb) plus a 20lb bike, total 188 lb, the difference in TOTAL weight between types is a tiny percentage of the overall weight, and can be blurred even more by whether you are riding with 2 full 750ml bottles, carrying a hefty multitool, or didn't manage to evacuate the previous night's curry before setting off!

 

[Deax]

So.. at the risk of looking geek-like, all of my bikes are weighed on pretty accurate digital scales, old and new.

I always raise an eyebrow when I hear someone talk of `17 lb' race bike in old cycling footage. There's a piece in ITV's 1980 Tour de France coverage that does exactly that when describing a TI Raleigh team bike. Perhaps, with ultra light tubs, copious drilling and a Huret Jubilee rear mech...

My old (mid 80s or earlier) steel bikes range from 19 to 20.5 lbs. I run fairly heavy Vittoria Rally tubulars. The lighter bikes have alloy freewheels and titanium bottom bracket axles - these bikes have Campagnolo Record or Super Record group sets.

I have one bike that I've tried to make light (without drilling stuff) - the aluminium Alan - that's still over 18.5 lbs with light rims, titanium axle and alloy freewheel.

My carbon Ciocc with modern Campagnolo Super Record is 7kgs or about 15.4 lbs, and yes, you can really notice the difference. I's possible to buy a 5.5kg (12 lbs) road bike if you have budget. This is in the ball park of Merckx's '72 hour record bike (astonishingly light for its period), but of course it comes with 22 gears, brakes etc..

It's a whole other discussion, but it's worth noting that bike design is more focused on aero / ride comfort these days, as the 6.8 kg UCI limit renders really light bikes pointless.

The real difference on the road for me is the weight distribution. An old school steel frame is not actually that heavy, but the forks are. Once the forks are made carbon, a whole load of weight disappears from the front. After 30 years of man-handling steel bikes up hills, the carbon bike has shown me that my technique is poor - I'm constantly pulling wheelies on steeper inclines, and actually flipped over backwards on a 20% grade!

One more thing - top line race bikes (still predominantly Campagnolo equipped) generally got heavier towards the end of the 80s/early 90s. For example Columbus SLX tubes are heavier than SL, and the new generation of Campagnolo components were heavier - particularly the chain sets and brakes (Delta, Dual Pivot). First there's the functional breakthrough, then it takes a while to match it with light weight.

I take it everyone's seen:

http://weightweenies.starbike.com/

?

Paul

 

[mj3200]

Can I Weigh In?

An interesting thread this.
I've always been suspicious of these figures banded around for bike weights, so here are my findings:
Firstly I am using scales that I have checked variously 1) Weighed container dry on both my scales and my luggage ones which seem accurate. Both readings identical. Added exactly 6 litres of water and the additional weight was 6kg +/- 10g. 2)I have a set of brass chemist's weights which are stamped by some govt department and their total was 2.85kg - again bang on to within a few grammes. 3) Weighed my friend's bike on both my scales and his scales and again both are spot on. 4) Most recently had a pair of wheels made by Pete Matthews and according to my post office cert scales at work they weigh 1,427g on my scales 1.43kg. So without being super scientific pretty spot on. Agreed?
Here are the results over the years:-
The lightest 6.88kg C50 Record half Ti cassette full Ti pedals Hyperons etc.
PDM Concorde Record Open Pro and as you see it 9.45kg
Colnago Master X lite with Record tubs etc 8.20kg
753 Peugeot Chorus 9.15kg
Willier Isoard Chorus 11 Neutron regular 7.93
Cannondale Super Six Ultegra cheapish Kysiriums 8.2kg
Somec Falcon 1.1 Dura Ace 7.85kg
All the bikes are those in the pictures and they are weighed pedals, cages etc on - ready to go.

 

[mj3200]

More pics to go with above post

 

[bert g]

my old master olympic with modern ish campag chorus and campag midrange wheels is around 19lb. I love the ride and it feels quick enough after the mtb and crossbike.
I am hoping to race it this year and may upgrade the old square taper chainset for something lighter and stiffer but I suspect stiffness is more of an issue to performance than overall weight as long as wheels and tyres are of high quality. I would think the skinny tubes offer an aerodynamic advantage too as this seems to be the area where all the top brands are concentrating.
Ive toyed with the idea of a modern bike for racing but this would leave the colnago neglected and that would be a waste! Anyway, its about the legs at the end of the day!

 

[Mike Muz]

its not about the bike

If you can't save the weight of a bag of sugar from your own weight , then you must be an elite category racer ( or Pete Doherty) . If you are the former , you will not bat an eyelid flying past when the road heads skywards , and if you are the latter , you wont know know where you left your bike , or even if you have one !

 

[NeilM]

Re: its not about the bike

If you can't save the weight of a bag of sugar from your own weight , then you must be an elite category racer

I'm 53 years old, just over 6' 1" tall and weigh 76Kg's.

The only way I see me losing another kilo is to ride daily, and I think that would somewhat take the pleasure out of cycling, after all riding is supposed to be fun.

No, I'm not an elite racer, although they did ask me that question at the hospital when I dislocated my shoulder back in August

 

[gregs656]

This thread has made me think. I was looking about today at different things as I'd like to shed some weight from my bike. Considering it is only a 52cm frame, I think it's a bit on the lardy side; tipping the scales at just over 20lbs.

Been looking about today, and for a meagre £17 I could save 135g just on the QR skewers :shock:

 

[daj]

weighed the master today

its 57cm seat tube 54.5 top with ultegra/600 mix group carrying rear sks guard and pump . came in a 22.6lb

 

[NeilM]

weighed the master today

its 57cm seat tube 54.5 top with ultegra/600 mix group carrying rear sks guard and pump . came in a 22.6lb

Wow, that's a little heavier than I would have thought.

I rode the Concorde for the first time today, and I've got to say it did not feel like a heavy bike at all, so until I inherit my son's cast off Boardman, I will content myself with my 'not the lightest ever' bike.