Weight Problems!

[ralpher]

Guys, seriously, I have been reading articles about saving weight on bikes that weigh less than a well-fed five year old child. "I can remove the bank sensor and save 110 grams!" Really?! Now I'm new on here and I'd hate people to think of me as a Heretic *cough, cough* but 110 grams isn't even a good cr@p, in fact according to my calculations it's a little shy of four (4) ounces... Now I'm an engineer so I'm familiar with cumulative effects etc. but is it really that important to save a few grams here and there in persuit of having a bike that's a tiny bit lighter than another already diminutive machine?

Now that I'm already thought of as a Heretic, I may as well continue my rant... These are the probable forces at work (in our phyche) in my opinion.

 

1) We need something to obsess about. (yes we do, you know it's true!)

2) People are generally bored $h1tl3$$ in the evenings, especially during the long dark winter months.

3) I will be a better rider if only my bike was faster/lighter/more responsive/(add your own excuse here).

 

Okay, that bit's out of the way, now for my explanations:

Point number 1) We all have obsessions, I'm not brave (or drunk enough) to go down the gender route, but we have fads, I have a garage full! Spend on this and that, buy the latest rubber gear lever etc, better to spend time riding?

Point number 2) Boredom, our old friend boredom, Ebay made billions from it! I don't know about you guys (and gals) but I spend hours trawling through Fleabay looking at and buying mods and upgrades (?) which I never have time to fit to my bikes - let alone ride and enjoy!

Point number 3) If I had Tony Bou's bike, I could ride up the west face of Everest and down the other side while collecting 50 years worth of tin cans left on the mountain - by dragging a magnet behind me. The reality is surely that a few grams/ounces/pounds even, would make little difference to most of our bikes performance, might be better for all involved if we ate and drank a little less? A few pounds less around the waist would surely improve everyone's riding and improve a lot of other things beside I might well imagine!

[taffe]

Wow! who's got time on their hands? ?

Taff

[lineaway]

Some start with a big fat pig. Some slowly turn into one. Some just trade the fat pig in for a newer model.

[michael_t]

This might help explain things... basically we are all idiots but life is too short not to have some fun with it.  

 

https://youtu.be/lhj2QtnsA90

Edited May 14, 2016 by michael_t

[toneh]

Yes you can stop at saving 110grams

But that would be pointless

Now look at everthing on the bike and Think how many items you can save 110 grams ( a lot )

I don't get the theory about saving wieght by eating less , taking a dump

Your moving the bike , hopping , flicking

Lifting , even on occasion dragging when it's all gone pear shaped

I too am in engineering so used that skill and knowledge and contacts to start putting the bike on diet

It doesn't take vast amounts of money it takes a little time , effort and thought

So far I've saved close on 4kg off my 4rt

And still know where another 2kg can be lost

Now strap a 3kg wieght on each arm or leg and say you can't tell any difference

Yes folk will say "but the bike does the work , agreed but we are not all experts and quite often I find I wish my bike wieghed 50kg ( stuck in the boggy moor at ilkley grand national springs to mind )

So I'm looking at a total of a 6kg saving that's been challenging , ocuppies my mind, and makes my bike mine with my ideas and effort

And the cost will still come in a lot less than a new standard mont and if I spent the same as an rr I think I could make it float away

[crazybond700]

There is also something like ''feeling''. Its not the same as factual kg's on a scale. E.g compare a same weight heavy four stroke, with a 2stroke bike. The latter one will feel lighter.

 

It also depends very much where the weight is. Lighter wheels, tyres, and suspension is deffenatly feelable.

[anotherfive]

I fill my belly with beer and my tyres with helium and just float over the sections dropping no marks whatsoever !!!

[ralpher]

All interesting points I'm sure, however it is the "feel" which is important as Crazybond700 points out, for example - here in the west (the UK in my case) we prefer slim ladies (gross unfounded generalisation) but in various other cultures the men-folk "prefer" ladies of more substantial proportions. Who is to say which is best? It's all down to individuality (I know, you think I'm drifting way off topic now, but as it's my post I feel that it's okay), so can we also equate this to motorcycles? Is there such a thing as a bike that's just too skinny? Sometimes some weight can be useful, ask the England Rugby team! *Glances at his Welsh friend* So, can the same be said of bikes? It's not all about power-to-weight ratios.

 

Note:  Anotherfive, where can I get cheap Helium?

 

Note 2: Toneh, if you think pushing your 4RT in a bog is bad, try being 5'5" and trying to drag a KTM EXC-F250 (39 inch seat height!) out of the quagmire of mud on top of clay/chalk and rain... I fell off SEVEN times the other week, full enduro garb, pishing with rain on a trail with dozens of delighted "Ramblers" trying to sound concilatory when they were clearly delighted at my frequent spills, I'd lost several pounds in sweat and any dignity which I may have had left

[petorius]

Well there is big and lardy and big and curvy, nothing wrong with a few extra pounds as long as it's the latter.

[toneh]

Should have saved a bit of wieght on the ktm

Then you might have struggled a little less

Or with the money you've saved by not making it lighter you could buy some nice platform boots so the seat hight isn't so much of an issue

☺

Edited May 14, 2016 by toneh

[hrmad]

Can't see a problem with folks lightening their bikes, surely its up to individual? Can't see how its hurting anyone or why it would be an issue, its personal preference

[s.e.lucas]

lighter bike ≠ less riding

 

lighter body ≠ lighter bike

 

brb going auschwitz mode so my 4rt feels like a bicycle

 

 

[ralpher]

Lol S.E.Lucas, the 4RT feels like a bicycle anyway after riding the things I used to have to get along with! I remember one of my first bikes was an AJS/Matchless 350, none of us kids were heavy or strong enough to kick start the darn thing, so it was imperative to have a gang of you along to start the bike and push it when (inevitably) we ran out of fuel or broke down... Wish I still had some of the old bikes and cars I demolished as a youth

[ralpher]

Should have saved a bit of wieght on the ktm

Then you might have struggled a little less

Or with the money you've saved by not making it lighter you could buy some nice platform boots so the seat hight isn't so much of an issue

☺

 

Ha ha Toneh you are a wag! I have already tried it pal, I borrowed a pair of the Mrs' high heels, trouble is they tend to stick into the ground exacerbating the problem, coupled with the funny looks I was getting from the neighbours, expecially when I snagged one of my stockings while swinging my leg over the seat, think I will just have to accept being a short-a$$