bike weight significance

hey, no arguments here, i shelled out for 2 KS posts (one for me, one for the mrs) 2 years ago. the cats ass for sure. mine crapped out once, in for a 2 week repair, and good ever since. it's the bomb. wifes has been in 2 times, with a couple of purely cable issues, but we're both pretty confident in KS posts, and i wouldn't want to be without one.

what impresses me, is those guys who ride hard without them. i tried just getting behind the seat, but a) i lose confidence b) my control goes down because i can't weight the front effectively. being centered is where it's at, i'm using that post constantly throughout each ride. had a great night ride tonight by the by…

tires are a conundrum, i do love big and bouncy for comfort and control. heck if i could justify it, i'd get P35 rims and go as big and wide as possible.

Weight does make some difference, but frame design, suspension, and brakes makes the most difference. Your bike is never too heavy to pedal uphill, you're just too weak. :lol:

but if you're weak, then dropping 20 lbs off a bike will definitely help!

but if you're weak, then dropping 20 lbs off your gut will definitely help!

you may get a quality aluminum bike from one brand and pay a good 3500 bones. the same brand may offer the same bike in carbon and higher end spec for 6500. the carbon bike may be slightly stiffer, and weigh 2-3 pounds less (at best). i know, i know, only the buyer knows the value of his or her dollar, but the question remains- does the lighter bike offer a way better riding experience? i ask because i have no idea, i've never had the pleasure of trying this kind of bike! next year i'm thinking of going to Moab for vacation during Outerbike. it may be the best opportunity to help me answer those questions, but please do wax philosophic here, if you're so inclined….

You dont have to spend outrageous amounts of money to build up something light weight personally I dont see the value of carbon frames quite yet there really not that much lighter as far as DH frames go. a couple pounds off your bike isnt worth 1000's of dollars.

When I first got into riding I didnt give a shit about weight my first fully weighed about 47 pounds, It wasnt until a friend of mine got into building up light weight bikes when I realized how much more enjoyable/practical they were to ride.

I found my bike control went way up with lighter weight bike builds and I am much faster and able to pump and shoot out of corners and flow through jumps much easier. I ride a cove hooker for dirt jumping and it comes in around 30pounds air front and rear. and my new specialized Demo build should be around 36 pounds non carbon!

bike weight is personal preference and really depends on your riding style.

Does lighter weight give a rider a better experience? Depends on what the rider wants and how they measure performance. Some people measure performance in durability, some speed or ride ability. Some people want a tire to last a whole season without showing wear, some want a tire that is super soft and grippy which won't last very long, some want a super light tire that climbs really well but may puncture easily.

People often talk about the weight of carbon this and that but it is not the weight perse but the stiffness and ride quality that comes with carbon stuff without a weight penalty that is the reason one should try it. I went from a Blur LT to a Blur LTC with all the same parts except for a new fork with a tapered steer tube and the difference in ride quality was obvious. A more precise steering bike. It just rode straighter and accelerated better too and weighed a bit less.

I'll take durability and ride experience over low weight most of the time.
I used to pedal my 47lb V-Tach uphill because it actually climbed pretty well despite its weight and it was a monster on the descents. The lighter more climbing-oriented bikes of the time weren't really an option.
But now, with light capable 6" bikes, EXO-style casings, Fox RP23s, etc there's no longer the durability/performance costs we once feared.

My 32lb Enduro w/ dropper post is as good a descender as my VTach was. It just took a while for the technology to make that lighter weight possible while still maintaining durability.

It really comes down to how hard you ride, versus how much you weight. I'm sure I could break half the new bikes out there given my point and shoot dh style riding with 250 pounds behind me. Sometimes you have to sacrifice weight for reliability.

My old balfa took years of abuse, it also came in at 49 pounds.

We will see how my sub 40 canfield does this year.

the same rider with the same fitness, riding the same trails on a 30lb bike and a 25lb bike would notice the weight difference for sure

unless the 25lb bike has compromises in the componentry that leads the rider to feel less secure, or has emptied the rider's wallet to the extent that they cannot pay their rent and crash into a tree because they are thinking hard about said rent, rather than the trail…

all things being equal, a lighter bike is generally more fun to ride, but not at the cost of your confidence, or your wallet when the real world is demanding rent and bills to be paid

regarding weight, after frame/fork then wheels (which includes tires) which are the most cost effective savings for weight reduction

your group set (transmission and brakes if you like) and finishing kit(bar,stem,seatpost, saddle, pedals, etc.) are less effective weight-savers than the wheels, but taken as an overall package will reduce weight, despite the cost rising very quickly between say Shimano SLX and XT or SRAM X-9 and X-0..

i've done my fair share of geeking out on lightweight stuff… what i learned:
1. there is such a thing as too light
2. the last 1-2 lbs aren't worth it
3. suitability to riding style is WAY more important than weight in making component choices
4. someone with a way lighter bike and someone else with a way heavier bike will skool you no matter what… and then you will realize that you should have been out riding instead of nerding out on lightweight gear
5. every component is a choice about what compromises you are willing to ride with

i've done my fair share of geeking out on lightweight stuff… what i learned:
1. there is such a thing as too light
2. the last 1-2 lbs aren't worth it
3. suitability to riding style is WAY more important than weight in making component choices
4. someone with a way lighter bike and someone else with a way heavier bike will skool you no matter what… and then you will realize that you should have been out riding instead of nerding out on lightweight gear
5. every component is a choice about what compromises you are willing to ride with

Let me correct/adjust that.

1. There is no such thing as too light, might be too fragile and too expensive though.
2. Yes they are worth it.
3. Absolutely no question there.
4. That's why I ride alone.
5 You betcha.

Let me correct/adjust that.

1. There is no such thing as too light, might be too fragile and too expensive though.
2. Yes they are worth it.
3. Absolutely no question there.
4. That's why I ride alone.
5 You betcha.

Let's try again…

1. There is such a thing as too light when it compromises handling, durability and/or expense.
2. Yes, they are definitely worth it as long as durability is retained.
3. Suitability to riding style is important as long as the part is light.
4. Some of us enjoy nerding out on lightweight gear. Shops should embrace this because we're the ones willing to fork out the $$ for new but completely unnecessary gear.
5. Not really - it is called XTR Trail! OK, maybe not for DHing but true everywhere else.

1:Strong
2:Light
3:Inexpensive
You can have 2 of the above so pickem and live with it :)

Let me correct/adjust that.

1. There is no such thing as too light, might be too fragile and too expensive though.
2. Yes they are worth it.
3. Absolutely no question there.
4. That's why I ride alone.
5 You betcha.

LOL. nice… when i said there is such a thing as too light i was thinking of the sub 1600g wheelset i ran on my nomad for a few months… they weren't too fragile or expensive but rather just didn't work with the character and intended us of frame IMO… i found the wheels limited how hard i was willing to push the rest of the bike… perhaps that's another way of saying too fragile… or that XC wheels can hold back a bigger bike… see 5 - compromises - that's what it really comes down to