In the tradition of Jeff Foxworthy:
If you have ever weighed your bike before and after washing the dirt off…you might be a weight weenie.
If you have ever taken your bike completely apart and weighed each component on a gram scale…you might be a weight weenie
If youboughtthis bike… you might be a weight weenie
If youhave ever shaved off all your body hair andweighedit…you might be a weight weenie.
While it’s good to avoid cast iron wheels and lead frames, where does it cross the line into an obsession? At what point have you gone so far that you put light weight ahead of durability or financial responsibility?
Here are a couple of guidelines to help you assess a purchase and make sure you are considering the whole picture and not just the number of grams.
The first thing to remember is the old saying, lightweight, durable, inexpensive: pick two. Any time you drastically cut the weight, but keep the durability of a component, the price is going to skyrocket.
Next, determine if saving weight is even a factor. For example, if your bike is already a reasonable weight, saving 50 grams on a new seat post isn’t that big of a deal and most riders won’t even notice the difference. On the other hand, shaving 1 pound or more of rotating weight off your wheels and/or tires will make a huge difference and even the most novice rider will instantly feel the improvement.
Finally, once you have decided to upgrade a component and weight is one of your deciding factors, do a bit of cost/benefit analysis to make sure you’re not overspending.
One of my riding buddies who races a lot, and is a bit of a weight weenie, defines the optimal cost/benefit value as $1 per gram saved. Here are some examples using that metric:
Good Purchase
Iupgradedmy heavy wheel set with a pair of Easton XC Ones that I got on sale for $300. Net weight savings: 710 grams, or $0.42 per gram. That’s a good cost ratio, and a huge weight benefit since it was all rotating weight.
Not So Good Purchase
My stock Shimano SLX 10-spd rearderailleurweighs 260 grams. A new XTR 10-spd rear derailleur weighs 176 grams. Net weight savings: 84 grams. Cost: $185. $2.20 per gram is not a good purchase based on weight savings alone. Granted the XTR (allegedly) could shift better, but you will have to decide if it’s that much better, or if maybe an XT-level derailleur is the better way to go. Even considering the cost difference between the two derailleurs (about $100), it’s still over $1 per gram.
Insanely Bad Purchase
The Delta 7 Arantix carbon fiber hardtail MTB frame weighs in at 1,243 grams and costs $4,895! By comparison, a Giant xTC composite frame weighs 1,300 grams and costs $1,450. Net weight savings: 57 grams. Based on the cost difference between the two, that’s $60.44 PER GRAM!!!
So even though mountain bikers are always discussing the weight of this or that component, try to remember that it is only one aspect of a purchase. Make sure to consider durability,compatibility, warranty, and suitability for your specific application. Use the $1 per gram number as a baseline, and also make sure to read reviews andarticlesby other people who have used the item you are considering. This will help you make an informed purchase and results in a component that you are happy with over the long term.
In other words, don’t be a weight weenie. 😀
Also, disturbingly, all of the examples at the beginning of this post are real…
21 Comments
Feb 13, 2012
I SO need to try this the next time I come home after a muddy, wet, gloppy trail ride.
Feb 14, 2012
and $300? :D
Feb 13, 2012
That's what I try to go by (key word being try.)
The only thing I've weighed is my Haro F4 with and without pegs. I took just over 3 pounds off the bike by removing them (and I didn't need pegs for riding anyway.) It was more curiosity than anything.
Granted, I'm much newer to the sport than everyone posting here...
Feb 13, 2012
There is something wrong there if someone wants to raise the price $40 on a stem
Where I get my hardware (titanium) for a stem like that the bolts only cost $2.55 each retail (M5x17.5mm) so a stem uses about 6 bolts, that makes total cost $18.00...Someone is trying to make some extra money there...
Feb 14, 2012
Feb 13, 2012
http://bikethomson.com/2012/02/07/ti-bolts/
Feb 13, 2012
Feb 13, 2012
Something called the "Law of diminishing returns"
Ex.....Formula One.....
Cars cost well over $10million each and manufactures and spending millions on developing way and new materials to shead grams off of parts.
Feb 13, 2012
Feb 13, 2012
However, if you're comparing just frames, the rule applies nicely to the weight/cost difference between frames. (like my Arantix vs xTC comparison)
By the way, I saw a guy riding an Arantix at 24 Hours of Moab in 2010. In fact, I passed him on my 32 lb Giant Trance. :D
Feb 13, 2012
Feb 13, 2012
Here's another real-life "you might be a weight weenie if..."
I've you've ever made a big deal about claimed weight vs. actual weight... you might be a weight weenie. Apparently some folks stress about the weigh variance that occurs in manufacturing a component. So, for example, if you weigh 10 XT derailleurs, some will naturally weigh a few grams less than others - and there are people out there who will do whatever they can to buy the ones that weigh less than the average. I've heard of riders going so far as asking the shop to open boxes and weigh everything in stock to find the lightest one.
The dollar-per-gram rule of thumb is new to me but it seems to hold up pretty well. So what is the "baseline" weight for a mountain bike to make this work?
Feb 13, 2012
Sometimes I catch myself reading through issues like Bike's Bible of Bike Tests and thinking that one bike must totally be better than the one above it because it weighs 1/4 of a pound less... and then I realize that I probably lose a pound or two whenever I sit down on the john...
Feb 13, 2012
I like the $/gram rule. Another example: titanium hardware. Thomson recently looked at swapping ti hardware onto their stems. For the X4 MTB stem ti bolts would save 6 grams and increase the cost of the stem by $40 (or more) - that's $6.66 (or more) per gram. They're sticking with the steel bolts.
Feb 14, 2012
I do like the $1 per gram factor, and I had never thought about the impact of reducing the "rolling weight" of the wheelsets. I'll have to keep that in mind. Since I have only had one ride on my new bike, I think I will keep things stock for a while...
Good post. I actually passed on reading it a couple of times because I didn't think it was up my alley. Just goes to show you. Thanks.
Feb 16, 2012
Feb 13, 2012
In the end, everyone is entitled to spend their money as they see fit. A great purchase in one persons eyes may be an unreasonable purchase in someone elses eyes.
Feb 13, 2012
Feb 14, 2012
@ fat_billy, did you weigh 12oz or 16oz more after the beer? I prefer a pint.
Feb 13, 2012
Feb 14, 2012