once we were riding the ring of Kerry and of the team broke his right crank arm in half ! He just carried on with the left one(and one leg) for around 100 miles to the next bike shop....lol
This is very foolish! Everyone knows that the sensible thing to do is to ride facing backwards on the way back home so that you also give your left leg a workout. Admittedly though it's difficult trying to fit your left foot into your right shoe.
I saved about 3kg by doing a no. 1 & a big no. 2 before a ride. The biggest way to save weight from my bike (& probably lots of riders) would be to lose some weight. I could lose the weight of my bike before Chris’ tips would be noticeable for me.
@@jaibhardwaj4886 Well thought.Question is,by the time we bottle up that vapour and it condenses,how many ml of water would be in there?I reckon 20 or so.
I think you should make a distinction between Training and racing so when you Race its OK to make your Bike as light as pssible by taking down your saddle bag but in training you should leave it on
Yea, an often overlooked factor. It gets pretty cold where I live in the winter so I make sure to always save some of the warmer air in the summer is air tight cans.
Food for thought: When you're training on your bike, what's wrong with pumping out your normal Watts and going a couple seconds slower? It's training for god's sake
Thank you for promoting lights on GCN, Chris(!). So important to have the front bright LED considering the speeds we are approaching drivers who want to pull out onto the roads we are on. If I had to have one light, it would be the front light.
@Chris Jones It may have to do with approach speeds. We are usually always rolling from 22 to 30 MPH on the flats, so perhaps road cyclists just surprise drivers up ahead more. If doing a sedentary pace, like 16 MPH or under, I'd guess a rear light may be the best bet if only running one light. All the the car vs. bike wrecks I've seen (quite a few - there are hundreds of cyclists out on my route on good weekends), the close-calls I've both seen and been involved with, and the two times I got hit would have been mitigated by a front light and being seen. I haven't come across anyone who had a close-call from the rear that was not an intentional close-drive-by.
As a walking skeleton who should not lose body weight, I usually only ride with one water bottle even on longer sportive rides if I know when/where the water refill stations are suitably located so I never run out. Replacing my >2kg stock wheel set with a 1500g set made a massive difference in the hills, and even just normal undulations and getting back up to speed from traffic lights etc.
I’ve changed inner tubes, saddles, and cutting my seatpost (still on the manufacturer’s recommendation minimum clamp area), which allows me to reduce about 400 grams out of my bike weight, especially on the backside of the bike
From downtown Vancouver, I need to ride for about 40 minutes to get to Cypress mountain, which is the closest good climb we have here. That means I have to ride thru downtown, Stanley park, across the lions gate bridge, thru west Vancouver and highway 1. There’s potential for a puncture. In the summer I go to cypress mtn pretty often. Riding with 2 bottles and a saddle bag for training days help build strength. On days I feel strong to set up a new PR I ride with a friend and hand him over 1 of my bottles and saddle bag. That way I’m lighter, just for the climb. Then I get everything back from him for the ride back home. We take turns in carrying each other’s stuff. That’s an option for when you want to be lighter for free.
I think the GCN crew has both he GCN support vans / motos, and wives to pick them up. Locally, we have Uber. I don't like the thought of it, either, but some folks just want to be as aero and light as possible.
@@NAJMFAN yea I have had 5 random punctures from road debrie atleast 10 kilometres from home this year alone there is no way I am going out with out them
@Matthew W Depends on where you ride. I ride on some pretty sketchy roads. Last summer I had 4 punctures, two of which were bad enough to destroy my tires. That stopped after I replaced my light weight tires and tubes with 4 season style tires and heavier weight tubes. They are heavier but the don't puncture as easily. I wish I rode on really smooth roads but sadly I don't. I probably should go tubeless, but that means buying tubeless wheels.
Nuts. I thought that the 64-year-old motor was what was slowing my bike down. Sure enough, I replaced the Brooks B67 saddle on my bike with a carbon-fiber saddle, and now my Raleigh DL1 is loads faster. Next, I think I'll replace the steel brake rods with carbon nanotubes and drill lots of holes in my sturmey Archer 3-speed hub shell (which should also make it easier to oil).
@RollinRat - Of course. I've seen more than a few Black & Decker butchered chainrings, brake levers, shift levers, and derailleur cages. Even better than drillium was millium, if you had access to a machine shop that would mill small jobs. Drilling water bottles never quite caught on for some reason.
Upgraded my tubes and tyres after my last flat. Huge, huge difference. I also removed the clear plastic cassette disc and the reflectors. I do think all those things add up and have made a difference.
Here in Quebec Canada, reflectors are mandatory but nothing is said about what kind of reflectors so i installed reflective tape front and back and on the wheels.
Get rid of your front reflector. Not only for the aerodynamics, but also the light carries momentum that you're forced to overcome much like a headwind. This could save you up to 25,000 picowatts of power.
Im looking at it from my XC MTB experience. A dropper post added 300g to my bike, yet I gained around a minute on a 9km technical course. Same on the road, walking 15km home is a lot slower than fixing up a flat and riding, an uncomfortable carbon saddle will be bugging you all day and your only excuse can be 100g savings.
I got my Allez Sprint down to 7.32kg by going 1X with Etap. I also use latex tubes and carbon bars. I have a carbon Romin Sworks saddle. I have a 150mm stem so a bit of weight added there but I use carbon Look pedals. 7.3kg for an alloy race bike is awesome and I love it. Always keen for a weight save.
Stephen Lane I have bought myself an Allez Sprint Disc recently and I’m still building it up. I just weighed it and it now comes in at 6,8kg, but that is without brake calipers, cables, bottom bracket, chainset and chain. What am I doing wrong?
A Big factor in a bike feeling slow, is the trueness of the wheels actually. Whenever you feel like your bike is slowing you down on a straight, check the trueness of your wheel. Especially when the wheel is oval, the rotating mass will make the bike want to 'jump'. This jump slows you down.
Fluids it is an eye opener - I think that there should be publicly available taps for cyclists. I have found that the ultralight carbon saddles off eBay from China are mint. I like the tubeless argument too. Recently I saved further weight by doing exactly what you suggested and ditching the chainbreaker and going down to one bottle cage and instead of holding my tools in a spare bottle and I now use a perfectly size grip seal plastic bag and put it in a pocket. I like the idea of only carrying an emergency light tube - that is good idea, thank you.
When I was a lot younger I used to go youth hosteling with the club averaging around 90 miles a day usually for a week or so. I always knew it was going to be tough with some serious elite class riders on the trips too. I had the trusty Carradice saddle bag only. In it I had literally only a very thin small towel, one set of evening clothes consisting of a super thin woolen pullover and a thin pair of cotton trousers, a pair of flip flops, one change of bike gear, a tooth brush cut in half, very very small bottle of shampoo, half a tube of toothpaste…....that was about it......that was weight saving lol
On regular rides to anywhere, just cruising around about 18 mph I've decided to ride without water, even taking out my water bottle cage. Here in Washington, there are so many places to get water/ even Starbucks. Any where less than 30 miles, I don't need to bring water.
I changed my disc brakes to rim brakes 💪 Went down to 10speed cassette with 1 front drive drain 💪 Thought hell, why not go fixie 💪 and i shaved off a hella lot of weight in the end!
I have seen some modifications from a real weight weenie friend. He took a drill to his bike and started drilling holes in shifters and similar components. Hollow tech of a sort. When riding mountain bikes I found that bar height could also have a bearing. While sit up and beg is comfortable, when going up hill it can unweight the front wheel. So the solution is to drop the bars. This would put your weight over the front wheel and make climbing easier. Tyre choice is also important. My first proper mountain bike had Kenda tyres. These 2.1s were great for the trail center but the extra grip also slowed things down. I switched to Panaracers with a 1.8 profile and this worked wonders. Now I use folding tubeless and this helps with the rotational weight. This is a lesson that I have transfered onto the road bike. Duel compound folding tyres are a good investment. Clip in. It is a great way to use more of your rotation and therefore help you get up the hills. Another thing is having a larger rear casset. I have gone for a 12/28, but I could be tempted with an 11/34. However, for mtb I tend to go for an XT casset. This is aluminium and therefore lighter. It does make a difference.
Since its the cold weather if your commuting and feel sluggish, remember to inflate your tyres and wear proper clothing. Sure you may wear geans and take the cold but wearing leg warmers can make a big difference. Take ballet dancers as an example, they wear leg warmers to ensure there can perform well at the correct temp. If your taking your bike everywhere it can be easy to forget to check your tyres pressure. If you wanna save weight on your bike you can buy Titainum bolts, measure each bolt and buy the replacement (if you dont know how just google how to measure a bolt) I weighed my old steel bolt and compared it to save 3/4th the weight of the steel bolt, how much weight you save overall depends how many bolts you replace.
Once ripped the lug off my frame (30 years ago) when my derailleur went into the rear wheel as I sprinted away from some traffic lights. Then spent what felt like an age lying in the middle of a main road junction unable to get shoes out of the toe clips, with cars just driving around me. I'd still never leave one of those plastic discs on a wheel though.
@@chrisko6439 Not the ideal gear for sure, must have been largest sprocket, can't remember if was the big chainring as well. Main memory was lying in the floor trying to get shoes out of pedals.
I only have a cheap bike from Decathlon. As it was new, it weighed 13.7 kg. After one and a half years of constant upgrading it's now down to ~9.5 kg. That's a difference you can really feel. Even if my backpack weighs a few kilos more, the bike still feels more agile and more fun to ride. So it's not only about the total weight...as some are suggesting in other comments here
I assume you have gone for some carbon parts? You can probably get a 1990s steel frame that weighs less than a Decathlon frame, my 1993 Bianchi weighs in at 11 kilo's without any carbon.
@@Levi-ej6np True, but don't spoil his effort and result. He probably bought that bike not knowing anything about road cycling and had fun with it. Maybe he'll buy another, better bike in the future and will keep cycling :-)
I'll never forget how noticeable it was when I rebuilt my wheels with DT Revolution spokes. The acceleration was noticeably snappier, and climbing took a bit less effort. Don't remember the actual grams saved, but the impact was memorable !!!
Yep, great tips. I have 1 long climb, on a 26 mi. loop, that I now take only 1 water bottle. Saved 1.87 lbs. There are places along the way to refill, don't know why I ever carried 2 bottles, but no longer. My climbing bike now has tubulars, so now only a spare tub , CO2 cart, and I'm good to go. Have to re-think the tool kit. KB
The not talked about advantage of stimulants is not the added muscular ability, but the diuretic action that dumps pounds of fluid out as urine. (I jest)
After the first big rain I switched from my carbon wheels with Conti 5000s to the stock wheels with Conti GatorSkin tires. Those two changes added 583 g (1.28 pounds). I could really feel the difference. On top of all that the stock wheels do not spin as freely and take more watts to turn.
That's mostly due to the weight of the rim and the relatively heavy tyres. But good choice to use this setup in the rain. You won't trash your fancy carbon wheels and probably won't get any punctures. Little glass shards love to get through thin tyre walls when "lubricated" by water.
@@chrisko6439 The Gators are not only on the heavy side for protected tires, competitors are lighter and more pliant with a better grip. I agree that for the sake of saving a few grams, it's madness to sacrifice safety, and that brings us to cycling shoes, and how incredibly unsafe most are on wet roads when you need to put a foot down . No treads = skating.
Why carry water, tools and spares? Just get someone to drive a car round after you and hand you anything you need! That'll save a whole couple of seconds off that Strava segment! 🙄 When people are putting a few grams before the stuff they may need to get home safely, I think priorities have got a bit mixed up... and if a squidgy saddle works better for you, changing it to something lighter is not really going to make you enjoy your cycling more is it?
I agree. The only thing I do that is a bit daft is to carry the same tools that my riding mate does, when we always ride together. However I like to ride equipped, and take kit off for special sunny days if my legs feel good (which hasn't been for a while).
@@playandteach Yeah, that's true, though I have found riding mates' pumps to be unusable before, or had a loose valve in an inner tube go flying off when pump unscrewed, meaning another spare inner needed, so duplication can be good when gear is rarely checked. Besides, if both of you decide to leave the pump at home as the other will have one...
UAVr128 I agree, this video is silly, I’ll never Sacrifice comfort or safety for shaving a few grams off of my bike. If riders would spend a little time making their bodies stronger or losing some weight they’d be better off than spending $ on their already nice lightweight bikes.
Everyone removes their reflectors (me included) but worth mentioning that you should check your local law on them. For instance, in the UK I understand that some reflectors are required if riding at night.
Having recently done a night ride in a group where some had lots of reflectors and some had none. I'd say night riding without them is ridiculous. i went out the next day and bought reflective tape as i was one of the ones with minimal reflection.
I changed seat and seat post: saved 300g. Naturally, you need to have standard seat post, not a special bike model related one... I could save another 400g by changing wheels... But that one would be very expensive...
Don't forget to leave your 💩 at home before going out.... You know, I am happier cycling without thinking about these weight savings.... I am a non pro anyway.
Change your skewers - one of the most cost effective ways to shave a few grams. You'll be surprised how much light weight skewers can save. And while you're at it, bike weight is a much less important concept that aerodynamic drag.
I rarely trained on my race bike, ... just made sure training bike set up was exactly the same with cheaper, heavier more durable equipment. Always had: Tire levers, Extra Tube, Glue Patches, Mini Multi tool, Chain link, Valve extension, 2x co2 Gas All in a Zipp around container on the bottle cage. Hand pump in back pocket. Or you could just train on your lightest race bike & take your cell phone with pay wave capable .. 😎
For a moment, I forgot that you were speaking about the southern UK, a place where you can still ride the climbs in the winter because they're not high enough to get snow.
Used a chain tool in the summer (first time ever) which saved the ride. Plus a friend bought tubeless recently and a tyre blew. I am told it is wise to take an inner tube when riding tubeless. Interesting video though.
@@dzonibravo7867 That's not how it works around here, all the A groups are drop rides. Some might have a regroup spot but a lot don't. The slower groups are specified as no drop rides.
Have you ever wondered what those two pieces of metal past the brake levers at both ends of the handlebar are good for? They look pretty redundant, don't they? A recent windtunnel research by the GCN proved that keeping your hands on top is so much more aero... hence, sawing off these superfluous bar ends will benefit you at no loss other than weight. And you can recycle the remains.
Listen i have heavy 40 Yr old chromoly Bottechia in mint condition and it so smooth. Its extra wright for me sure but it makes me stronger than dopes on carbon fiber. Imagine if i switch to CF with my legs after all the training have done. Its like husain bolt training with 20 pound weight vest since he was a kid pls.
Go for rim brakes. Go for tubular tired and wheels, get rid of too large gears, use less bartape. Get lichter shoes and pedals, because they are overlooked heavy moving parts. Use no bar ends or cable ends use superglue.
The water bottle one can be big. At my local charity century they have 5 feed stops. The frequency with which you can refill means saving 750g by ditching your second water bottle.
On an unofficial race with two friends, a "stage" finished up a short, steep climb, and as a joke, I threw my bottle in a bush just at the bottom of the climb (don't worry, I got it back on the descent straight afterwords). Interestingly enough, I won the stage ! Wonder if it would have been any different with those 400g still on my bike ...
You're a nice bloke, but I'd never leave my pump at home if I were running tubeless. What if the sealant has dried up and you get a puncture? How do you know it has dried up? Been there, won't do it again. Riding an equivalent bike with rim brakes saves at least 1-1.5 lbs. A rim brake version will cost much less and weigh less while going uphill faster.
To go with that, tubeless isn't a sure bet. If the cut is big enough sealant won't close the hole. I've had that happen once. Something gashed the tire open. So glad I had a tube and pump.
@@oneninetyseven Theres more demand for more supple tires too. More supple tubeless tires are also more fragile. The probability of getting a cut which is too large to seal is even greater. Early UST qualified tires have thick sidewalls which are not supple tires. I went back to tubes long ago and dont have any endemic issues that marketing has tried convince me that I have.
@@SurpriseMeJT I completely agree. I tried tubeless for a couple years. Quickly "downgrade" any tubeless setup for commuting only. Now I'm back to using standard clinchers. I had more issues with tubeless than standard clinchers. Also a hole in tubeless tires is just too messy.
Tires. They save a lot weight but also bring benefits in the rolling resistance department. Still considering tubeless, bu for now I’m going nowhere without a spare and a pump.
Oh dear. I loathe punctures, especially having to stop for them. I have kevlar reinforced tyres and self sealing inner tubes as well, and I still carry a spare inner tube, pump and tyre levers. I suppose it depends what you value most, going a kph or two faster, or not having to fix a puncture by the side of the track late on a dark and rainy winter's afternoon.
Savings so far: 28grams: sandpaper to remove paint 34grams: removing cable for hi/lo range because beast mode is always ON 17grams: bar tape only on the parts of the bar I use 140grams: ride shirtless 22grams: no socks 40grams: remove half of the tire spokes. -alternate right and left, you dont want to compromise safety or anything....
that water bottle point are valid to be honest. my proposed solution is this: try to be a good mate with the pub/cafe/bike shop owner on the halfway of your route. ask them whether its ok to refill your bottle there. boom, job done. easy refill station
Good 1st point! I alwsys drink all the water before a long climb to reduce the weight of my bike. Nothing feels more satisfying than free weight cut!!!
Cracking show as always from GCN and another great no nonsense video. "I'm a cyclist and I live in the Pennines " and the weight penalties really do make you suffer.
Notice that removing your reflectors might make your bike NOT street legal in some countries, here in Denmark, by law you have to have certain reflectors on your bike if riding after dark, which basicly means in the winter.
Really nice video. I focus more on my body weight than the obsession of reducing the bike weight which cost more to do. Still I enjoyed the video. Stay safe and have fun riding.
Nice video 👍 Tyres are a great one as are lighter inner tubes. Bar tape and lighter bottles are other cheap options. A new lighter crankset or chain rings (later can save quite a bit on their own and are relatively cheap) are worth considering
@@stephensaines7100 You cannot change the weight of the water/liquid you are carrying, but you can buy lighter bottles. Just weigh your old bottles and the next time you are buying new ones, you can buy lighter ones. Won't cost you anything, so why don't take it?
Perhaps starting with removing some weight to the rider, but to me the most important thing he talked was to remove de 0,10gr from the valve caps that prevents to brake the valve core, and use light about 1kg(front and back) in daylight, and also the computer mout is also there. Some times I don't understand why roadies are so obsessed with weight.
The only purpose of valve caps is to stop the valve from wearing through the tube while it's in transit. It's not necessary to put it back on after installing the tube. If you buy lights from the current century, I think you'll find they weigh a lot less than 1 kg.
definitely have done the first thing of not riding with too much water. you can even ditch bottles completely at the bottom of a climb if you know you're coming back to pick them up again. i had to look up what tires my bike originally came with and i'm definitely riding with a better tire now, but the weight is actually the same (23c zaffiro vs 25c rubino). sure i could pick a lighter tire, but they wouldn't last as long or resist punctures. The saddle bag idea is not that great. Sure, don't overpack your bag like you're bikepacking or something, but the saddle bag is like insurance. you may not need any of that stuff and that would be a good day. but go out on a ride without it and have to call for a pickup would be a bad day. road tubeless requires compatible rims, so not a simple change.
500 ml bottle of water, 14.5 kg alloy road bike ( it's been abused and still kicking), 172 lbs body, legs to match that bike. So that is well over 200 lbs on the bike with only a triple ring and 7 speed freewheel 13-26. Bike was $240 so I can't complain.
Before credit cards, ceramic bearing could make your wallet lighter -> lighter pockets -> lighter rider -> lighter bike+rider. Today, it can still make a difference for those who starve in order to afford them.
To save some weight I sometimes remove the left crank and pedal with only my right leg. As a bonus I can even leave my left shoe at home.
Well, you could even have your left leg removed! Imagine how much weight that is going to save.
once we were riding the ring of Kerry and of the team broke his right crank arm in half ! He just carried on with the left one(and one leg) for around 100 miles to the next bike shop....lol
This is very foolish! Everyone knows that the sensible thing to do is to ride facing backwards on the way back home so that you also give your left leg a workout. Admittedly though it's difficult trying to fit your left foot into your right shoe.
@RollinRat A lot of fixed gear guys leave their brakes at home too: there's a bunch more weight, not to mention the aerodynamic savings!
I once saved 86kg off my bike by staying on the sofa.
😂😂😂
😝😝😝😝😝😝😝
Haaaaaaas funneee as hell mān 😂🤣😁👍🏼👍🏼
True story!
😂😂😂
I allways use worn out tyres, because they have less rubber therefore lighter
why use tires at all , if you choose a straight road you should be ok
I ride on cow intestine like the Hindenburg. It’s like floating on farts.
ALAIN BELLEMARE The Rim Riders.
I am the reason my bike slows down !
the truth hurts,its ok i feel you
Indeed! Biggest saving for me would be to remove belly weight. Although this could be a very cheap upgrade, it usually takes somes time...
if you get rid of the hooman you can save no less than 70kg (for free)
@@jotapi4010 shame we cant pinpoint where fat loss occurs during exercise !
I agree. Until I lose about 50 pounds, saving a kilo here or there is not going to make any difference.
Reason number 6: brakes slow you down massively, often to a complete stop
I once saved 5 lbs. by losing five lbs. because I rode a slower bike harder and exerted more energy and worked off more fat.
Best way to shave whatever that's not needed.Only thing that is being spent in the process is time,but it's time well spent.
Fact is not all of us do have kilos to drop
I saved about 3kg by doing a no. 1 & a big no. 2 before a ride.
The biggest way to save weight from my bike (& probably lots of riders) would be to lose some weight. I could lose the weight of my bike before Chris’ tips would be noticeable for me.
Take a dump before you ride probably saves more than all of those combined.
You could do both.
One doesn't stop you from doing the other.
ha ha ha
I was about to post the same thing lol
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Ill purchase "lightweight carbon water"
Or water that is less dense than ordinary water.Weighs less overall for the same amount of water.
@@reapanomin899 we'll use vapour instead . Lol
@@jaibhardwaj4886 Well thought.Question is,by the time we bottle up that vapour and it condenses,how many ml of water would be in there?I reckon 20 or so.
@@reapanomin899 damn , this lockdown has got our minds working . Hahah
@@jaibhardwaj4886 Yeah.After all,having less to do than during normal means more time for pondering and exploring.
Stay well!
I think you should make a distinction between Training and racing so when you Race its OK to make your Bike as light as pssible by taking down your saddle bag but in training you should leave it on
This hundred time
Do you really need saddle (and seat tube) on rides where you mostly ascend? Leave 'em home as you will mash standing and save a second or two.
If you're going to do that you can use a smaller cassette too. Every gram counts!
@@charliewhiskey8440 learn to ride without Handlebar.....
@@mortlow6688 ...and Chris Froom yourself on the descent.
Just run up the climb without a bike.
Brakes are for sissys, and you don't need them going uphill anyway.
I remove my front wheel & wheelie everywhere.
Go even lighter. Upgrade to a unicycle.
The mentioning of ceramic bearings was not necessary. They only make your pockets lighter 😛
Harald W.A. Yes but I’m sure they make GCNs pockets much much heavier.
Also, lightening your pockets lightens the bike. Win, win,! Right!?!
I always pump my tyres up on warm days cause warm air is lighter than cold air 😂
Yea, an often overlooked factor. It gets pretty cold where I live in the winter so I make sure to always save some of the warmer air in the summer is air tight cans.
Leaving the sealant out of your tubeless tires will save some weight.
Or go the extra mile and fill them with nitrogen
It will cool down later so its useless
Warm air is less dense, but if your filling it up in your tires, it'll match the outside temp
Food for thought: When you're training on your bike, what's wrong with pumping out your normal Watts and going a couple seconds slower? It's training for god's sake
Totally!! Save a few seconds up the climbs?? Would you even notice that you did?
Thank you for promoting lights on GCN, Chris(!). So important to have the front bright LED considering the speeds we are approaching drivers who want to pull out onto the roads we are on. If I had to have one light, it would be the front light.
@Chris Jones It may have to do with approach speeds. We are usually always rolling from 22 to 30 MPH on the flats, so perhaps road cyclists just surprise drivers up ahead more. If doing a sedentary pace, like 16 MPH or under, I'd guess a rear light may be the best bet if only running one light. All the the car vs. bike wrecks I've seen (quite a few - there are hundreds of cyclists out on my route on good weekends), the close-calls I've both seen and been involved with, and the two times I got hit would have been mitigated by a front light and being seen. I haven't come across anyone who had a close-call from the rear that was not an intentional close-drive-by.
As a walking skeleton who should not lose body weight, I usually only ride with one water bottle even on longer sportive rides if I know when/where the water refill stations are suitably located so I never run out.
Replacing my >2kg stock wheel set with a 1500g set made a massive difference in the hills, and even just normal undulations and getting back up to speed from traffic lights etc.
I’ve changed inner tubes, saddles, and cutting my seatpost (still on the manufacturer’s recommendation minimum clamp area), which allows me to reduce about 400 grams out of my bike weight, especially on the backside of the bike
From downtown Vancouver, I need to ride for about 40 minutes to get to Cypress mountain, which is the closest good climb we have here. That means I have to ride thru downtown, Stanley park, across the lions gate bridge, thru west Vancouver and highway 1. There’s potential for a puncture. In the summer I go to cypress mtn pretty often. Riding with 2 bottles and a saddle bag for training days help build strength. On days I feel strong to set up a new PR I ride with a friend and hand him over 1 of my bottles and saddle bag. That way I’m lighter, just for the climb. Then I get everything back from him for the ride back home. We take turns in carrying each other’s stuff. That’s an option for when you want to be lighter for free.
Lightweight alloy handlebar was the best weight gain in value for money terms I did on my bike.
Unless you're Pro what does it matter ?? enjoy bike touring ,enjoy life, enjoy nature
Agreed.
I carry dehydrated water which I rehydrate at rest stops. Its really light!
I do not recommend going out without a spare and pump.
I think the GCN crew has both he GCN support vans / motos, and wives to pick them up. Locally, we have Uber. I don't like the thought of it, either, but some folks just want to be as aero and light as possible.
I will never attach that junk on my bike
@@NAJMFAN yea I have had 5 random punctures from road debrie atleast 10 kilometres from home this year alone there is no way I am going out with out them
@Matthew W Depends on where you ride. I ride on some pretty sketchy roads. Last summer I had 4 punctures, two of which were bad enough to destroy my tires. That stopped after I replaced my light weight tires and tubes with 4 season style tires and heavier weight tubes. They are heavier but the don't puncture as easily. I wish I rode on really smooth roads but sadly I don't. I probably should go tubeless, but that means buying tubeless wheels.
simon edin you’re one of the chosen one for flats then. I am luckily not in that boat
Ok, love the channel and all the tips. But the name of this video should be: “How to up your Weight Weenie game” lol
second that !
Yeh, no massive weight savings here anywaya
Nuts. I thought that the 64-year-old motor was what was slowing my bike down. Sure enough, I replaced the Brooks B67 saddle on my bike with a carbon-fiber saddle, and now my Raleigh DL1 is loads faster. Next, I think I'll replace the steel brake rods with carbon nanotubes and drill lots of holes in my sturmey Archer 3-speed hub shell (which should also make it easier to oil).
@RollinRat - Of course. I've seen more than a few Black & Decker butchered chainrings, brake levers, shift levers, and derailleur cages. Even better than drillium was millium, if you had access to a machine shop that would mill small jobs. Drilling water bottles never quite caught on for some reason.
Crazy that this pinarello bling machine is the HEAVIEST pinarello top end model they have released since 1995!
Aero ?
Upgraded my tubes and tyres after my last flat. Huge, huge difference. I also removed the clear plastic cassette disc and the reflectors. I do think all those things add up and have made a difference.
Lab envoirnments show marginal gains in all these savings by pros. No offense, but I'm sure most of it is in your head
For me it doesn’t make much of a difference below 1 kg of saving, since I’m 93 kg myself. So I’ll just play around with the water bottle setup.
Swapped out tires and tubes, and saved 400 grams! Went from 30mm to 28mm ( lighter model as well) and latex tubes. Big difference
Here in Quebec Canada, reflectors are mandatory but nothing is said about what kind of reflectors so i installed reflective tape front and back and on the wheels.
Get rid of your front reflector. Not only for the aerodynamics, but also the light carries momentum that you're forced to overcome much like a headwind. This could save you up to 25,000 picowatts of power.
Im looking at it from my XC MTB experience. A dropper post added 300g to my bike, yet I gained around a minute on a 9km technical course. Same on the road, walking 15km home is a lot slower than fixing up a flat and riding, an uncomfortable carbon saddle will be bugging you all day and your only excuse can be 100g savings.
MrPijus123 Your dropper only added 300 grams? Which one do you have, because that is one ultralight dropper!
@@MaplePanda04 He didn't say how heavy his original post was.
@@Catcrumbs it doesnt matter if the original was 200 grams or 2000grams.
I got my Allez Sprint down to 7.32kg by going 1X with Etap. I also use latex tubes and carbon bars. I have a carbon Romin Sworks saddle. I have a 150mm stem so a bit of weight added there but I use carbon Look pedals. 7.3kg for an alloy race bike is awesome and I love it. Always keen for a weight save.
A review of my bike is on my channel
Stephen Lane I have bought myself an Allez Sprint Disc recently and I’m still building it up. I just weighed it and it now comes in at 6,8kg, but that is without brake calipers, cables, bottom bracket, chainset and chain. What am I doing wrong?
I m carrying my tummy everywhere..so hurmmm...
A Big factor in a bike feeling slow, is the trueness of the wheels actually. Whenever you feel like your bike is slowing you down on a straight, check the trueness of your wheel. Especially when the wheel is oval, the rotating mass will make the bike want to 'jump'. This jump slows you down.
Fluids it is an eye opener - I think that there should be publicly available taps for cyclists. I have found that the ultralight carbon saddles off eBay from China are mint. I like the tubeless argument too. Recently I saved further weight by doing exactly what you suggested and ditching the chainbreaker and going down to one bottle cage and instead of holding my tools in a spare bottle and I now use a perfectly size grip seal plastic bag and put it in a pocket. I like the idea of only carrying an emergency light tube - that is good idea, thank you.
When I was a lot younger I used to go youth hosteling with the club averaging around 90 miles a day usually for a week or so. I always knew it was going to be tough with some serious elite class riders on the trips too. I had the trusty Carradice saddle bag only. In it I had literally only a very thin small towel, one set of evening clothes consisting of a super thin woolen pullover and a thin pair of cotton trousers, a pair of flip flops, one change of bike gear, a tooth brush cut in half, very very small bottle of shampoo, half a tube of toothpaste…....that was about it......that was weight saving lol
On regular rides to anywhere, just cruising around about 18 mph I've decided to ride without water, even taking out my water bottle cage. Here in Washington, there are so many places to get water/ even Starbucks. Any where less than 30 miles, I don't need to bring water.
I changed my disc brakes to rim brakes 💪
Went down to 10speed cassette with 1 front drive drain 💪
Thought hell, why not go fixie 💪 and i shaved off a hella lot of weight in the end!
"When something looks cool it feels fast " true words spoken
I have seen some modifications from a real weight weenie friend. He took a drill to his bike and started drilling holes in shifters and similar components. Hollow tech of a sort. When riding mountain bikes I found that bar height could also have a bearing. While sit up and beg is comfortable, when going up hill it can unweight the front wheel. So the solution is to drop the bars. This would put your weight over the front wheel and make climbing easier. Tyre choice is also important. My first proper mountain bike had Kenda tyres. These 2.1s were great for the trail center but the extra grip also slowed things down. I switched to Panaracers with a 1.8 profile and this worked wonders. Now I use folding tubeless and this helps with the rotational weight. This is a lesson that I have transfered onto the road bike. Duel compound folding tyres are a good investment. Clip in. It is a great way to use more of your rotation and therefore help you get up the hills. Another thing is having a larger rear casset. I have gone for a 12/28, but I could be tempted with an 11/34. However, for mtb I tend to go for an XT casset. This is aluminium and therefore lighter. It does make a difference.
Since its the cold weather if your commuting and feel sluggish, remember to inflate your tyres and wear proper clothing.
Sure you may wear geans and take the cold but wearing leg warmers can make a big difference.
Take ballet dancers as an example, they wear leg warmers to ensure there can perform well at the correct temp.
If your taking your bike everywhere it can be easy to forget to check your tyres pressure.
If you wanna save weight on your bike you can buy Titainum bolts, measure each bolt and buy the replacement (if you dont know how just google how to measure a bolt)
I weighed my old steel bolt and compared it to save 3/4th the weight of the steel bolt, how much weight you save overall depends how many bolts you replace.
I actually like this advice. In addition to being lighter, the titanium is more corrosion resistant. It can be a legitimate improvement to the bike.
Once ripped the lug off my frame (30 years ago) when my derailleur went into the rear wheel as I sprinted away from some traffic lights. Then spent what felt like an age lying in the middle of a main road junction unable to get shoes out of the toe clips, with cars just driving around me. I'd still never leave one of those plastic discs on a wheel though.
They usually fall apart by themselves after a while anyway and then rattle around horribly and risk getting stuck in the wheel.
Do you sprint away from traffic light in the smallest gear /biggest cog??
@@chrisko6439 Not the ideal gear for sure, must have been largest sprocket, can't remember if was the big chainring as well. Main memory was lying in the floor trying to get shoes out of pedals.
@@WestfieldFreshAir are you talking about the plastic reflector ?
@@IXIskarfaceIXI Not a reflector, the plastic disc as shown in the video that stops the chain going into the spokes.
I drilled out the frame to save weight and also removed the handle bars.
Remove the wheels also...
I only have a cheap bike from Decathlon. As it was new, it weighed 13.7 kg. After one and a half years of constant upgrading it's now down to ~9.5 kg. That's a difference you can really feel. Even if my backpack weighs a few kilos more, the bike still feels more agile and more fun to ride. So it's not only about the total weight...as some are suggesting in other comments here
great job losing 4.2 kilos off it!
Triban 100 ? Replacing the tyres alone probably saved a kilo? ;-)
@@chrisko6439 hehe
I assume you have gone for some carbon parts?
You can probably get a 1990s steel frame that weighs less than a Decathlon frame, my 1993 Bianchi weighs in at 11 kilo's without any carbon.
@@Levi-ej6np True, but don't spoil his effort and result. He probably bought that bike not knowing anything about road cycling and had fun with it. Maybe he'll buy another, better bike in the future and will keep cycling :-)
I'll never forget how noticeable it was when I rebuilt my wheels with DT Revolution spokes. The acceleration was noticeably snappier, and climbing took a bit less effort. Don't remember the actual grams saved, but the impact was memorable !!!
I remove a litre of blood from my body before a climb, saves around a kilo, very efficient indeed.
at midnight??
Yep, great tips. I have 1 long climb, on a 26 mi. loop, that I now take only 1 water bottle. Saved 1.87 lbs. There are places along the way to refill, don't know why I ever carried 2 bottles, but no longer. My climbing bike now has tubulars, so now only a spare tub , CO2 cart, and I'm good to go. Have to re-think the tool kit. KB
I still have 70 lbs to lose from my body, so I'll keep working on that first.
The not talked about advantage of stimulants is not the added muscular ability, but the diuretic action that dumps pounds of fluid out as urine. (I jest)
After the first big rain I switched from my carbon wheels with Conti 5000s to the stock wheels with Conti GatorSkin tires. Those two changes added 583 g (1.28 pounds). I could really feel the difference. On top of all that the stock wheels do not spin as freely and take more watts to turn.
That's mostly due to the weight of the rim and the relatively heavy tyres. But good choice to use this setup in the rain. You won't trash your fancy carbon wheels and probably won't get any punctures. Little glass shards love to get through thin tyre walls when "lubricated" by water.
@@chrisko6439 The Gators are not only on the heavy side for protected tires, competitors are lighter and more pliant with a better grip. I agree that for the sake of saving a few grams, it's madness to sacrifice safety, and that brings us to cycling shoes, and how incredibly unsafe most are on wet roads when you need to put a foot down . No treads = skating.
@@stephensaines7100 Road bike tyres are too skinny to aquaplane. Treads on them serve no purpose when riding on wet roads.
Why carry water, tools and spares? Just get someone to drive a car round after you and hand you anything you need! That'll save a whole couple of seconds off that Strava segment! 🙄
When people are putting a few grams before the stuff they may need to get home safely, I think priorities have got a bit mixed up... and if a squidgy saddle works better for you, changing it to something lighter is not really going to make you enjoy your cycling more is it?
I agree. The only thing I do that is a bit daft is to carry the same tools that my riding mate does, when we always ride together. However I like to ride equipped, and take kit off for special sunny days if my legs feel good (which hasn't been for a while).
@@playandteach Yeah, that's true, though I have found riding mates' pumps to be unusable before, or had a loose valve in an inner tube go flying off when pump unscrewed, meaning another spare inner needed, so duplication can be good when gear is rarely checked. Besides, if both of you decide to leave the pump at home as the other will have one...
UAVr128 I agree, this video is silly, I’ll never Sacrifice comfort or safety for shaving a few grams off of my bike. If riders would spend a little time making their bodies stronger or losing some weight they’d be better off than spending $ on their already nice lightweight bikes.
The comments are magical 😂
This video is truly mythical
I shed 13kg by going on a diet.
Going tubeless too.
Zipp stem and seat post saved 300grm
Zipp808 wheels saved 500grams
Bontrager bottle cage saved 30grams
Decent saddle saved 200 grams
Hollow carbon crankset. 300grams
BBinfinite ceramic bb, and jockey wheels
I dropped half of the bike. I ride a unicycle now, somehow that made me slower, am I doing it right?
Everyone removes their reflectors (me included) but worth mentioning that you should check your local law on them. For instance, in the UK I understand that some reflectors are required if riding at night.
Having recently done a night ride in a group where some had lots of reflectors and some had none. I'd say night riding without them is ridiculous. i went out the next day and bought reflective tape as i was one of the ones with minimal reflection.
I changed seat and seat post: saved 300g. Naturally, you need to have standard seat post, not a special bike model related one... I could save another 400g by changing wheels... But that one would be very expensive...
Don't forget to leave your 💩 at home before going out....
You know, I am happier cycling without thinking about these weight savings.... I am a non pro anyway.
Change your skewers - one of the most cost effective ways to shave a few grams. You'll be surprised how much light weight skewers can save. And while you're at it, bike weight is a much less important concept that aerodynamic drag.
Depends if youre climbing or going fast. Drag makes a major factor at higher speeds whohc you normally don't hit going up steep hills
I rarely trained on my race bike, ... just made sure training bike set up was exactly the same with cheaper, heavier more durable equipment. Always had:
Tire levers,
Extra Tube,
Glue Patches,
Mini Multi tool,
Chain link,
Valve extension,
2x co2 Gas
All in a Zipp around container on the bottle cage.
Hand pump in back pocket.
Or you could just train on your lightest race bike & take your cell phone with pay wave capable .. 😎
For a moment, I forgot that you were speaking about the southern UK, a place where you can still ride the climbs in the winter because they're not high enough to get snow.
Used a chain tool in the summer (first time ever) which saved the ride. Plus a friend bought tubeless recently and a tyre blew. I am told it is wise to take an inner tube when riding tubeless. Interesting video though.
Wow rough crowd, keep up the good work GCN
Change my tyres to folding bead slim tyres on my mountain bike what a difference that has made 😊👍
If you spend 1 minute more on the climb while training it's minute well spend.
unless that means you get dropped from the group ride and have to ride 50-100k by yourself
No group of riders is going to drop you on training. If they do they don't like you and you shouldn't ride with them anyway.
@@dzonibravo7867 That's not how it works around here, all the A groups are drop rides. Some might have a regroup spot but a lot don't. The slower groups are specified as no drop rides.
Totally my strategy.
Have you ever wondered what those two pieces of metal past the brake levers at both ends of the handlebar are good for? They look pretty redundant, don't they? A recent windtunnel research by the GCN proved that keeping your hands on top is so much more aero... hence, sawing off these superfluous bar ends will benefit you at no loss other than weight. And you can recycle the remains.
Listen i have heavy 40
Yr old chromoly Bottechia in mint condition and it so smooth. Its extra wright for me sure but it makes me stronger than dopes on carbon fiber. Imagine if i switch to CF with my legs after all the training have done. Its like husain bolt training with 20 pound weight vest since he was a kid pls.
Love the channel, but leaving the air out of your tires makes as much sense as some of these suggestions.
I saved some weight be declining the disc brake bike the shop tried to sell me, and then found a rim brake model.
I once saved almost a tonne of weight by removing the training wheels and basket from my bike.
Bottle cages , QR skewers (titanium), titanium bolts etc
Great tips here! I’m 98 and cutting down so will do these more when I’m down 18+
Go for rim brakes. Go for tubular tired and wheels, get rid of too large gears, use less bartape. Get lichter shoes and pedals, because they are overlooked heavy moving parts. Use no bar ends or cable ends use superglue.
The water bottle one can be big. At my local charity century they have 5 feed stops. The frequency with which you can refill means saving 750g by ditching your second water bottle.
On an unofficial race with two friends, a "stage" finished up a short, steep climb, and as a joke, I threw my bottle in a bush just at the bottom of the climb (don't worry, I got it back on the descent straight afterwords). Interestingly enough, I won the stage ! Wonder if it would have been any different with those 400g still on my bike ...
My 14mm chain weights near 5Kg! that's nearly 1/2 of my bike. Crazy you say? I agree but I live in NYC. As they say, it's gone in a New York minute.
You're a nice bloke, but I'd never leave my pump at home if I were running tubeless. What if the sealant has dried up and you get a puncture? How do you know it has dried up? Been there, won't do it again.
Riding an equivalent bike with rim brakes saves at least 1-1.5 lbs. A rim brake version will cost much less and weigh less while going uphill faster.
To go with that, tubeless isn't a sure bet. If the cut is big enough sealant won't close the hole. I've had that happen once. Something gashed the tire open. So glad I had a tube and pump.
@@oneninetyseven Theres more demand for more supple tires too. More supple tubeless tires are also more fragile. The probability of getting a cut which is too large to seal is even greater.
Early UST qualified tires have thick sidewalls which are not supple tires.
I went back to tubes long ago and dont have any endemic issues that marketing has tried convince me that I have.
@@SurpriseMeJT I completely agree. I tried tubeless for a couple years. Quickly "downgrade" any tubeless setup for commuting only. Now I'm back to using standard clinchers. I had more issues with tubeless than standard clinchers.
Also a hole in tubeless tires is just too messy.
Tires. They save a lot weight but also bring benefits in the rolling resistance department.
Still considering tubeless, bu for now I’m going nowhere without a spare and a pump.
Oh dear. I loathe punctures, especially having to stop for them. I have kevlar reinforced tyres and self sealing inner tubes as well, and I still carry a spare inner tube, pump and tyre levers. I suppose it depends what you value most, going a kph or two faster, or not having to fix a puncture by the side of the track late on a dark and rainy winter's afternoon.
If you learn how to wheelie you can do without the front wheel. Big savings! xP
Forget the bike. Get a unicycle. Less frame, no handlebars, no front wheel. Lots of savings!
I’d upgraded my rear cassette on an old bike and I did notice the weight savings immediately, especially when I rode it up hill outside the bike shop.
Aren't you the guy who needed to poach tire levers during the presenter challenge?
Oh, that's low. 😆
Savings so far:
28grams: sandpaper to remove paint
34grams: removing cable for hi/lo range because beast mode is always ON
17grams: bar tape only on the parts of the bar I use
140grams: ride shirtless
22grams: no socks
40grams: remove half of the tire spokes. -alternate right and left, you dont want to compromise safety or anything....
I save weight by removing the kids seat and it helps with aero. Great tip there. You're welcome.
Remove the kid too helps...
@@truthseeker8483 you make a great point. That hadn't occurred to me. No wonder my times hadn't really improved. And I thought I was just unfit.
that water bottle point are valid to be honest. my proposed solution is this: try to be a good mate with the pub/cafe/bike shop owner on the halfway of your route. ask them whether its ok to refill your bottle there. boom, job done. easy refill station
Good 1st point! I alwsys drink all the water before a long climb to reduce the weight of my bike. Nothing feels more satisfying than free weight cut!!!
Cracking show as always from GCN and another great no nonsense video. "I'm a cyclist and I live in the Pennines " and the weight penalties really do make you suffer.
Notice that removing your reflectors might make your bike NOT street legal in some countries, here in Denmark, by law you have to have certain reflectors on your bike if riding after dark, which basicly means in the winter.
Really nice video. I focus more on my body weight than the obsession of reducing the bike weight which cost more to do. Still I enjoyed the video. Stay safe and have fun riding.
Nice video 👍 Tyres are a great one as are lighter inner tubes. Bar tape and lighter bottles are other cheap options. A new lighter crankset or chain rings (later can save quite a bit on their own and are relatively cheap) are worth considering
Mark Bentley relatively cheap cranks and chain rings.. lol
"lighter bottles" ??? It's what's in them that adds significant weight. Perhaps aerated liquid is the way to go?
@@stephensaines7100 You cannot change the weight of the water/liquid you are carrying, but you can buy lighter bottles. Just weigh your old bottles and the next time you are buying new ones, you can buy lighter ones. Won't cost you anything, so why don't take it?
Dover Ben Have you checked the price and weight saving for chain rings?
Stephen Saines Well check how much weight you save per £
Perhaps starting with removing some weight to the rider, but to me the most important thing he talked was to remove de 0,10gr from the valve caps that prevents to brake the valve core, and use light about 1kg(front and back) in daylight, and also the computer mout is also there. Some times I don't understand why roadies are so obsessed with weight.
Ruben Fernandes The lights are incredibly important for visibility, even in the daytime.
The only purpose of valve caps is to stop the valve from wearing through the tube while it's in transit. It's not necessary to put it back on after installing the tube. If you buy lights from the current century, I think you'll find they weigh a lot less than 1 kg.
I always carry a chain breaker. This is one essential tool that I need about once a year. Saved me walking home in my cleats just the other day!
Good video. Especially if every gram counts. Since going plant based and staying away from the alcohol I've shed nearly 5kg without even trying!
Recon lightweight 1 pc alloy cassette was HALF the weight of a standard Shimano unit. 140mm rotors are also a great way to reduce weight.
The bar tape, buy a light one, and wrap it so you use as little material as posible.
Stem and bar upgrade
Buttlecage
Quick relaese
Chain
It is me who slows my bike.
definitely have done the first thing of not riding with too much water. you can even ditch bottles completely at the bottom of a climb if you know you're coming back to pick them up again. i had to look up what tires my bike originally came with and i'm definitely riding with a better tire now, but the weight is actually the same (23c zaffiro vs 25c rubino). sure i could pick a lighter tire, but they wouldn't last as long or resist punctures. The saddle bag idea is not that great. Sure, don't overpack your bag like you're bikepacking or something, but the saddle bag is like insurance. you may not need any of that stuff and that would be a good day. but go out on a ride without it and have to call for a pickup would be a bad day. road tubeless requires compatible rims, so not a simple change.
500 ml bottle of water, 14.5 kg alloy road bike ( it's been abused and still kicking), 172 lbs body, legs to match that bike. So that is well over 200 lbs on the bike with only a triple ring and 7 speed freewheel 13-26. Bike was $240 so I can't complain.
Thanks i bought the full carbon saddle and it worth for climbing maybe it was the feeling of the flexing carbon
I did upgrade to carbon pedals a while back, but I've probably since compromised that by putting a longer stem on!
ceramic bearings are not worth it check out Hambini's videos on this topic
👍
funny how GCN keep promoting something there again and again is being shown to be pure marketing
Before credit cards, ceramic bearing could make your wallet lighter -> lighter pockets -> lighter rider -> lighter bike+rider.
Today, it can still make a difference for those who starve in order to afford them.