does a light bike equal more speed for a heavy rider?

Hi

I am thinking of buying a custom framed bike with Reynolds 853
oversize. I have only ever had cheap bikes in the past.

I am over 20 stone and I was wondering if this weight will prevent any
speed gain from a light frame. I live in a mountainous area and my
comfortable average speed is about 8 mph. I want to increase it in due
course to 12 mph. Obviously this will require a considerable amount of
training but I was wondering if the lighter bike would give me a faster
speed for the same effort. If so, what could I expect? An increase of
less than1/2mph or would it be better than that? I really haven't a
clue, but it would be nice to have some idea before I spend up to
£2,000.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks
Ray

wrote:

Hi

I am thinking of buying a custom framed bike with Reynolds 853
oversize. I have only ever had cheap bikes in the past.

I am over 20 stone and I was wondering if this weight will prevent any
speed gain from a light frame. I live in a mountainous area and my
comfortable average speed is about 8 mph. I want to increase it in due
course to 12 mph. Obviously this will require a considerable amount of
training but I was wondering if the lighter bike would give me a
faster speed for the same effort. If so, what could I expect? An
increase of less than1/2mph or would it be better than that? I really
haven't a clue, but it would be nice to have some idea before I spend
up to £2,000.


In a word - no. A few kgs won't make much difference to you.
But if you want to increase your cycling efforts, then buy a good bike.
Maybe a bike and some spare wheels

--
Mike

On Thu, 12 Oct 2006 15:30:24 -0500, "mb" wrote:

wrote:

Hi

I am thinking of buying a custom framed bike with Reynolds 853
oversize. I have only ever had cheap bikes in the past.

I am over 20 stone and I was wondering if this weight will prevent any
speed gain from a light frame. I live in a mountainous area and my
comfortable average speed is about 8 mph. I want to increase it in due
course to 12 mph. Obviously this will require a considerable amount of
training but I was wondering if the lighter bike would give me a
faster speed for the same effort. If so, what could I expect? An
increase of less than1/2mph or would it be better than that? I really
haven't a clue, but it would be nice to have some idea before I spend
up to £2,000.


In a word - no. A few kgs won't make much difference to you.
But if you want to increase your cycling efforts, then buy a good bike.
Maybe a bike and some spare wheels

You think that a good bike, with a good fit, clipless pedals, narrower
tires and a stiffer, more responsive frame would not make a difference?

Might be a psychological boost too.

Thing is, if you get an improvement you have to continue to work hard and
eat right and get plenty of rest to keep that improvement.

Otherwise climbing speed tends to drift back down in a few weeks. For one
thing with a lighter bike you may not be doing as much work with a lighter
bike.

2 cents

wrote:
Hi

I am thinking of buying a custom framed bike with Reynolds 853
oversize. I have only ever had cheap bikes in the past.

I am over 20 stone and I was wondering if this weight will prevent any
speed gain from a light frame. I live in a mountainous area and my
comfortable average speed is about 8 mph. I want to increase it in due
course to 12 mph. Obviously this will require a considerable amount of
training but I was wondering if the lighter bike would give me a
faster speed for the same effort. If so, what could I expect? An
increase of less than1/2mph or would it be better than that? I really
haven't a clue, but it would be nice to have some idea before I spend
up to £2,000.

The weight difference of a better bike will make little difference to you
directly (I won't guess a figure), but an improvement in handling and
responsiveness would add to the enjoyment enough to inspire you to cycle
further and more often. Your fitness and speed would then automatically
increase.

By the way, to make much of a difference to bike weight, you need to change
a lot more than the frame -- though a better frame could be stiffer, meaning
less of your energy is wasted.

~PB

wrote:

I am thinking of buying a custom framed bike with Reynolds 853
oversize. I have only ever had cheap bikes in the past.

could be a good call.

a friend is 20st++. He had a normal mid-range MTB which he rode on a 12
mile round trip commute. The standard wheels went first so he had some
made, touring rims on disk hubs, and they've been indestructable. After
2 years the frame cracked, & the warranty claim was such a pain ....

he talked himself into a custom frame from Curtis (who make jump &
downhill MTB's). It's just been built around the components from his
dead MTB, and very fine it is too. Bit early to say whether it'll turn
him into an all weather bike riding nut, but he's got to do a lot of
trips to pay for it. ;o)

I was wondering if the lighter bike would give me a faster
speed for the same effort. If so, what could I expect?

not really. 20st = 280lbs. A 25lb bike versus a 35lb bike makes 3%
difference, so at 8mph you wouldnt get 1/2mph from weight efficiency gains.

You might get 1/2mph from better engineering & less loss to flex etc.

The biggest gain in nice bikes is, they're just nicer to ride, mortals
who can be distracted from riding will want to go out more on a fun bike
they enjoy using.

Phil

I am thinking of buying a custom framed bike with Reynolds 853
oversize. I have only ever had cheap bikes in the past.

I am over 20 stone and I was wondering if this weight will prevent any
speed gain from a light frame. I live in a mountainous area and my
comfortable average speed is about 8 mph. I want to increase it in due
course to 12 mph. Obviously this will require a considerable amount of
training but I was wondering if the lighter bike would give me a faster
speed for the same effort. If so, what could I expect? An increase of
less than1/2mph or would it be better than that? I really haven't a
clue, but it would be nice to have some idea before I spend up to
£2,000.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

You don't get much speed from a light bike, as what counts is bike+rider,
but the 'feel' is a lot different. When you stomp down on the pedals you
can feel the difference between a light and heavy bike - the lighter one
seems to surge ahead more noticeably than the heavier one. Until your body
drags it back :-)

On 12 Oct 2006 21:37:05 GMT, Mark Thompson
pleasegivegenerously@warmmail*_turn_up_the_heat_t o_reply*.com wrote:

I am thinking of buying a custom framed bike with Reynolds 853
oversize. I have only ever had cheap bikes in the past.

I am over 20 stone and I was wondering if this weight will prevent any
speed gain from a light frame. I live in a mountainous area and my
comfortable average speed is about 8 mph. I want to increase it in due
course to 12 mph. Obviously this will require a considerable amount of
training but I was wondering if the lighter bike would give me a faster
speed for the same effort. If so, what could I expect? An increase of
less than1/2mph or would it be better than that? I really haven't a
clue, but it would be nice to have some idea before I spend up to
£2,000.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

You don't get much speed from a light bike, as what counts is bike+rider,
but the 'feel' is a lot different. When you stomp down on the pedals you
can feel the difference between a light and heavy bike - the lighter one
seems to surge ahead more noticeably than the heavier one. Until your body
drags it back :-)

I've promised myself that when I do my first 15km ride at 30km/hr avg
speed that I'll get myself an under-20lb bike.

I'm getting close breaking 28km/hr avg speed this summer on the flats for
that distance.

I know, it's kinda silly, but hey, it's a carrot. ;-)

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi

I am thinking of buying a custom framed bike with Reynolds 853
oversize. I have only ever had cheap bikes in the past.

I am over 20 stone and I was wondering if this weight will prevent any
speed gain from a light frame. I live in a mountainous area and my
comfortable average speed is about 8 mph. I want to increase it in due
course to 12 mph. Obviously this will require a considerable amount of
training but I was wondering if the lighter bike would give me a faster
speed for the same effort. If so, what could I expect? An increase of
less than1/2mph or would it be better than that? I really haven't a
clue, but it would be nice to have some idea before I spend up to
£2,000.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

__________________________________________________ _______________

Have you thought about losing weight first? I was thinking along similar
lines to you, and although not so heavy, decided that I would first get rid
of the excess lbs on my frame before buying a lighter bike. That way, you
feel better physically and you will better appreciate the new bike.
Graham

wrote:
Hi

I am thinking of buying a custom framed bike with Reynolds 853
oversize. I have only ever had cheap bikes in the past.

I am over 20 stone and I was wondering if this weight will prevent any
speed gain from a light frame. I live in a mountainous area and my
comfortable average speed is about 8 mph. I want to increase it in due
course to 12 mph. Obviously this will require a considerable amount of
training but I was wondering if the lighter bike would give me a faster
speed for the same effort. If so, what could I expect? An increase of
less than1/2mph or would it be better than that? I really haven't a
clue, but it would be nice to have some idea before I spend up to
£2,000.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

I'm sure a lighter bike does help a racer... but for us normal cyclists
maybe it helps a bit but I think there maybe better and cheaper ways to
improve your speed (I'm talking from my own experience and I'm no way an
expert!)

- A well tuned bike which is a joy to ride takes much less effort.
Riding a bike should be a silent affair... tyres should be pumped up to
the correct pressures etc. As an engineer drives me mad when a cyclist
goes past with flat tyres or scraping noises!

- Set yourself goals. Think of small goals that take a few minutes to
do... for example in the Tour de France stages, they get points for
climbs / speed trails then return back into normal racing. I apply
similar goals / methodology to my daily commute.

Sorry if this already applies to you, but I thought it might be useful
to those lurking!

Regards
Mark

in message .com,
') wrote:

Hi

I am thinking of buying a custom framed bike with Reynolds 853
oversize. I have only ever had cheap bikes in the past.

I am over 20 stone and I was wondering if this weight will prevent any
speed gain from a light frame. I live in a mountainous area and my
comfortable average speed is about 8 mph. I want to increase it in due
course to 12 mph.

A light bike will be much faster than a heavier one, especially in a
mountainous area. In my area which is hilly but not mountainous, I'm a lot
faster on my 8.5Kg carbon bike than on my roughly 12Kg steel one. I weight
13 stone, more or less (usually more); but I have a friend who is twenty
stone and experiences the same phenomenon.

Obviously this will require a considerable amount of
training but I was wondering if the lighter bike would give me a faster
speed for the same effort. If so, what could I expect? An increase of
less than1/2mph or would it be better than that?

Considerably better. For me it's the difference between averaging 13mph and
averaging almost 16mph. The lighter bike is also far nicer to ride.

I can't explain the difference in speed in terms of physics, because, as
you say, the weight of the bike is trivial compared to the weight of the
rider. But it's amazing the difference it makes.

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Do not sail on uphill water.
- Bill Lee