Often the subject of the weight of a bike comes up,apart from carrying them upstairs etc: what is the effect of the actual bikes weight on performance,compared to the actual weight of the rider,losing 2 kilos of bike weight can be very expensive,would it actually add more to the performance of the bike than losing two kilos of body weight,also would carrying your batteries in a rucksack improve the performance of the bike (not counting better handling which seems obvious).
Bike weight does it matter
- Thread starter fishingpaul
- Start date
The only relevant difference is one of muscle tone.
Within normal bounds, our muscles develop to carry and move about our weight at any point in time, so a gradual weight gain is automatically compensated.
There is no equivalent compensation for bike weight of course, so a gain of X kilos on a bike or on our bodies are very different. The first affects performance, the second doesn't, unless the body weight moves into the more obese zone where the muscles can no longer keep up.
Losing body weight can lose some muscle power over time due to the same compensation factor, so again there's not necessarily any performance gain. However, those losing weight often achieve that by additional exercise, so there can be a performance gain in that circumstance due to the exercise increasing muscle strength.
Carrying dead weight in a rucksack has no benefit, it's still dead weight just like any in panniers. However, there is another factor which cannot be ignored. Some prefer to carry weight on their body in a rucksack and the psychological benefit of doing it that way can easily produce the extra effort needed to compensate. The extra work is still being done but its not being felt.
.
Within normal bounds, our muscles develop to carry and move about our weight at any point in time, so a gradual weight gain is automatically compensated.
There is no equivalent compensation for bike weight of course, so a gain of X kilos on a bike or on our bodies are very different. The first affects performance, the second doesn't, unless the body weight moves into the more obese zone where the muscles can no longer keep up.
Losing body weight can lose some muscle power over time due to the same compensation factor, so again there's not necessarily any performance gain. However, those losing weight often achieve that by additional exercise, so there can be a performance gain in that circumstance due to the exercise increasing muscle strength.
Carrying dead weight in a rucksack has no benefit, it's still dead weight just like any in panniers. However, there is another factor which cannot be ignored. Some prefer to carry weight on their body in a rucksack and the psychological benefit of doing it that way can easily produce the extra effort needed to compensate. The extra work is still being done but its not being felt.
.
Last edited:
Wouldn't that depend on how much and how you use the bike?
Imagine two commuters who switched from an antique steel utility bikes to modern minimalist road bikes for their daily hour long commute. Both experience an initial gain in performance: the first cyclist gets to work in 50 min feel just as exhausted as ever, the second gets to work in an hour as usual but feeling less tired.
If they carry on like this then over time the first cyclist would continue to feel the benefit in that his commute would remain at 50 min but the second cyclist's muscles would compensate for the easier ride and after a while he would end up feeling just as tired as he used to on his old bike.
As flecc says it's all down to muscle tone. Reducing weight in any way will improve performance and make cycling easier freeing up energy in your muscles. If you use that energy by cycling more, pushing yourself harder or doing some other exercise then you will keep the improved performance, if you don't use that energy then your muscles will realise that you don't need it and you will lose muscle tone putting you back were you started.
I've lost 8 kilos over the last couple of months and I can definitely feel the difference on both my electric and normal bike.
Plus, the loss of weight is free. My ordinary bike is 15 kilos. Imagine what it would cost to change components on it to get the weight down to 15-8/or 7 kilos. Or my Kalkhoff down from 25 to 17 kilos.
Could it be done, I wonder?
Plus, the loss of weight is free. My ordinary bike is 15 kilos. Imagine what it would cost to change components on it to get the weight down to 15-8/or 7 kilos. Or my Kalkhoff down from 25 to 17 kilos.
Could it be done, I wonder?
Yes of course, but it has to be gained over time while the extra bike weight still exists and makes extra work until the muscles get up to speed.
In contrast, the body keeps the muscles in synch with the body weight variation all the time, so there is no sudden increase in work of the sort extra bike weight produces initially.
It's important to remember that the body weight is exercising the muscles to keep them in synch at all times, so the compensation is continuous whether cycling or not. The bike weight will only permit compensation gain while cycling, a tiny fraction of our total life.
.
Surely what also comes into play is the difference between sprung and unsprung mass, which is why the extra bike weight is much more noticeable over rough ground.
My philosophy is go as light as possible. I think you still get the same amount of exercise on a lighter bike but you just go faster. This is what I have found on my electric bike compared to my normal bike - my legs still hurt, I still feel tired but I go at 20mph instesd of 15.
Wheels make a big difference on the feel of a bike - lightweight wheels make a bike feel twitchy.
Wheels make a big difference on the feel of a bike - lightweight wheels make a bike feel twitchy.
Indeed it does, and some discuss related issues in answers to my suspension article in the Technical Section.
However bringing in every little factor in answer to the original question could make the answer too complex to be of much use.
.
Last edited:
weight matters ... oh yes!
Hi folks,
My first post and on a matter close to my heart.
By way of introduction, a dying (now dead) rear wheel on my Giant LaFree brought me here (that'll be the subject of another thread); this LaFree was my 24th bike in 47years of cycling.
And so to weight ... does it matter. Yes! My LeFree (28kg all up weight?) now being unridable I've reverted to another bike for day-today transport ... a Campagnolo-specced Colnago (all up weight ~10kg). While I wouldn't want to be lugging my weekly shopping home on it, the difference is ... marked.
The Colnago is like Mohamed Ali ... light as a butterfly, dancing along the road. Bliss!
The LeFree? My favourite carthorse workhorse. Once it's reshod with a new wheel it'll be my daily trnsport again. But its weight makes it stolid.
Matthew
PS on weight and its position ... the lower the better
Hi folks,
My first post and on a matter close to my heart.
By way of introduction, a dying (now dead) rear wheel on my Giant LaFree brought me here (that'll be the subject of another thread); this LaFree was my 24th bike in 47years of cycling.
And so to weight ... does it matter. Yes! My LeFree (28kg all up weight?) now being unridable I've reverted to another bike for day-today transport ... a Campagnolo-specced Colnago (all up weight ~10kg). While I wouldn't want to be lugging my weekly shopping home on it, the difference is ... marked.
The Colnago is like Mohamed Ali ... light as a butterfly, dancing along the road. Bliss!
The LeFree? My favourite carthorse workhorse. Once it's reshod with a new wheel it'll be my daily trnsport again. But its weight makes it stolid.
Matthew
PS on weight and its position ... the lower the better
Very Interesting Suspension/weight threads. I have recently acquired an old IZIP Trailz AL to go with my Powabyke X6.
I have broken two hubs on the Powarbyke Road bike - the roads are that bad around here!
The IZIP has MTB tyres and front suspension - I'm unconvinced about the front forks - all weight seems to be on the back wheel.
IZIP is heavier - but range seems to be fine, assisted Top speed I'm sure is lower - I often ride faster than top Assist speed on the Izip - I only did this downhill on the Powabyke. I'll try and borrow a Speedo to test both Top Speeds.
Best thing about the Izip is the tyres - I now can use 3 off road routes that avoid busy roads - I can also ride in a straight line on the main roads - only needing to avoid the very worst potholes rather then every little scrape.
One aspect often forgotten is the bike handling when not riding, a heavy bike can be a pain to move up stairs etc.
As to performance bike weight makes a bigger difference than what the calculations show if you ride in hilly enviroments, the less power you have to put out on each hill the further you can ride before getting exhausted, this assumes maintaining the same speed.
On my unpowered trikes 4kg is the difference between catching most riders or just being able to maintain the distance on hills.
As to performance bike weight makes a bigger difference than what the calculations show if you ride in hilly enviroments, the less power you have to put out on each hill the further you can ride before getting exhausted, this assumes maintaining the same speed.
On my unpowered trikes 4kg is the difference between catching most riders or just being able to maintain the distance on hills.
An uncle of mine once remarked that he much preferred heavier motorbikes because they feel a lot more stable and planted on the road. I can kind of see what he means. On the other hand I find adding too much weight to your bicycle really makes potholes painful!
Related Articles
-
MTF Enterprises announces acquisition of EMU Electric Bikes- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Wisper 806T folding bike wins Which? ‘Best Buy’- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Sustrans calls for protected cycle lanes- Started by: Pedelecs
-
Amazon launch their first UK e-cargo micromobility hub- Started by: Pedelecs
