Every now and then a biker can be afflicted with interest in lightness in bikes.
It really makes no sense, but it happens.
It’s a marvel. If only to gawk at what people have done to build up a lightweight bike.
And, then, sometimes, a biker will fancy reducing the weight of his/her OWN bike, for some crazy reason.
OK, a light bike goes up any hill more easily. And it accelerates to keep up with the antics of any unpredictably sporty group.
But that’s about it. So let’s not get carried away.
Or…let’s do!
Check out:
*https://weightweenies.starbike.com — for a Forum and the most extensive listings on the weights of bike parts
*https://light-bikes.com — for the biggest gallery and “recipe lists” of light road-bikes and mt-bikes. (Why no tandems or recumbents? There’s no email contact that I can see, so who knows why.) Get an eyeful of 7-lb rideable road-bikes and 10-lb mt-bikes. Whoa!
Anyway, back to reality… I have my own formula for Weenie-ism, which I don’t always follow. And that is: to save the most weight most easily just leave the junk at home. I’d think you could easily go on a weeklong bike tour with 15 lbs of everyday camp stuff, no hightech. Just leave what you don’t use or need at home. Do the same for dayrides. I know people who wear a full-length clothing outfit for the first chilly hour of a ride…then have to haul it around the rest of the day. For some parts of the country this makes great sense, but if you’re only dipping down to 55F briefly AND if you want to save weight, ditch it! Put a newspaper down your jersey instead and wait for the sun. I can often easily save about 5 lbs of weight in junk if I just stop and think about it before a ride — when I care, that is.
Another way to go is to Underbike. Use a lighter bike or equipment than you might otherwise. Say your route has a few miles of dirt road. Keep the race wheels on anyway. Saves pounds and most dirt is smooth enough.
Finally, it’s cheapest and best to take care of your belly first. Push away the plate and libation-cup a week bit sooner for a month and you’ll save pounds and float up those hills.
No, no, super-finally: ride the bike. If you’re getting out and about every day you’ll be in good enough bike shape to not care what kind of weight is on your bike. But you’ll still want to watch your waistline most of all: bellyfat almost trumps fitness. Our human engines are so small that a few extra pounds around the waist will burden even a fit engine. Think of the old Virginia mountaineers: if you’re loping over ridges every day you’re going to be rawhide skinny and you won’t even get out of breath. That’s the baseline you want.
No, no, very lastly: what’s the hurry? The best recipe of all might be to take a little stove and kettle and briar pipe and book of verse and watercolors on every ride. And stop and use em. That’ll teach ya about speed. The speed of life. Otherwise, isn’t it relative?
