tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post8455707030850913755..comments2024-03-18T10:19:55.782-04:00Comments on The Velo ORANGE Blog: Weight WeeniesVelo Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835615331417822722noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-2847013115378086372009-08-24T23:06:35.476-04:002009-08-24T23:06:35.476-04:00If you have to carry a bike up 4 flights of stairs...If you have to carry a bike up 4 flights of stairs for your walk-up apartment, the weight of the bicycle matters. If you have to then store your bike on a hook on the wall because you don't have a garage, weight matters. If you're carrying your bike upstairs from a train platform, the weight of your bike matters.<br /><br />There are a number of practical reasons to be concerned about bike weight for many slim urban dwellers.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07181057642629651868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-17570896903537723022009-08-12T21:28:07.310-04:002009-08-12T21:28:07.310-04:00Pierre's generalization about the American att...Pierre's generalization about the American attitude towards cycling seems reasonable from my viewpoint in Southern California. I don't see a lot of power meters, but computers, gels, obsession with bike weight all seem pretty common. (He could have added "aerobars.")<br /><br />But his generalization about the French attitude surprises me. I'm a long way from Paris, so I don't have first hand knowlege, but based on imported French cycling products, I would have thought the French cycling attitude is ultra high tech. The products I see are:<br /><br /> (1) Clipless pedals. If I'm not mistaken, that's an innovation in the 1980's of the Frech company Look when it was then better known for ski bindings.<br /><br />(2) Carbon frames (Look and Time).<br /><br />(3) Wheels without many spokes (Mavic, including the famous exploding R-Sys).<br /><br />By contrast, it seems like the French cyclo touring products aren't made any more (for instance, Ideale saddles and Maxi-Car hubs).<br /><br />Like I say, I'm not in the ground in France, so maybe my impression is wrongly skewed by what gets imported to the US.<br /><br />--WayneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-58869766836129248682009-08-11T21:33:25.437-04:002009-08-11T21:33:25.437-04:00Pierre, you generalizations about americans make y...Pierre, you generalizations about americans make you sound simply like a small minded bigot. Is tha part of the French wayGeorge Sticknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-37425292283473646022009-08-11T14:00:45.028-04:002009-08-11T14:00:45.028-04:00An aunt over from Europe said it nicely, "wha...An aunt over from Europe said it nicely, "what is it with pregnant men here all riding $10,000 bikes?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-32446079444035699062009-08-11T13:19:01.662-04:002009-08-11T13:19:01.662-04:00French riders have won the tour 36 times. American...French riders have won the tour 36 times. Americans have won it 10 times, Belgians 18, Spanish 12, Italians 9, etc. A Cagot has never won.<br /><br />What does that have to do with cyclo-touring or enjoying life.Le Cagotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-27581895201350942422009-08-11T13:01:22.466-04:002009-08-11T13:01:22.466-04:00Pierre, how many times have the French won the Tou...Pierre, how many times have the French won the Tour de France in the last decade ? Go eat another croissant .American Patriotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-46998481702639252412009-08-11T10:42:39.408-04:002009-08-11T10:42:39.408-04:00French style traditional bikes are meaningless wit...French style traditional bikes are meaningless without the French attitude about life. <br /><br />Enjoy the ride, enjoy food, enjoy drink... but without going overboard.<br /><br />Or do it the American way... obsess about the weight of your bike, obsess about the numbers on your cyclocomputer and powermeter, eat gel, obsess about diet... because life is meaningless without those things.<br /><br />I prefer the traditional way, myself.<br /><br />P.S. Yes, my name really is Pierre :-)Pierrenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-37605482578716967042009-08-10T18:34:35.410-04:002009-08-10T18:34:35.410-04:00regarding the comment from Anonymous:"I'm...regarding the comment from Anonymous:"I'm not positive about this, but I think "low fat" usually equates to more sugar. The calories have to come from somewhere."<br /><br />I can verify that. Many years ago I managed the training store for a major buffet chain in the southwest. We tested the recipes and products for the chain. A major manufacturer was giving us a chance to test their new "no fat" dressings on our salad bar. When the rep made his pitch I asked him how they managed to emulsify and stabilize the seasoning without oil or fat. He explained they added a great "new mono-saccharide!" He was a little embarassed when I guessed that meant simple sugar.<br />Rather than getting fat, you're given something which forces you to produce more fat.<br />Oh, yeah. We tested the product and they are wildly popular all over the country.Marchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11240252773932276478noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-90753325949378608992009-08-10T17:35:30.041-04:002009-08-10T17:35:30.041-04:00Hear Hear!!!Hear Hear!!!SingletrackM1ndhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11213140649542131333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-14728789637762419142009-08-10T17:03:32.515-04:002009-08-10T17:03:32.515-04:00Diet notes:
I gotta tell you people get pretty up...Diet notes:<br /><br />I gotta tell you people get pretty upset, IRATE, positively <b>go flamewarrior</b> over diets. And I'm guilty. Friends have had to separate me from health fair booth demonstrators talking about "effective carbs" (one problem is the "effective carb" number is derived by subtracting all the sugar alcohol carbohydrates, when the American Diabetes Association recommends counting them as half, and in actuality some sugar alcohols affect blood sugar levels at about the same way as glucose, your glycemic index may vary, and in part because "effective carbs" is too too close for comfort or explaination among the credulous to "net carbohydrates," where you subtract the dietary fiber carbohydrates from the food content, if you really want to know more ask a Registered Dietician or your favorite Type 1 diabetic).<br /><br />I think you see where I'm going to here. In the US, the food supplement industry has a bit of a reputation for underregulation and lax product monitoring (so "I took an American dietary supplement" is a favorite excuse for athletes caught with wacky hormones in their blood, not to mention the occasional "Chinese herbs" that are "good for your blood sugar" that have been dusted with glyburide).<br /><br />Let's not forget what we can call "the study effect." I don't have a link on me, but Jenny Brand-Miller did one study where the four college-student study cohorts were given different proportions and glycemic indexes of fats, proteins and carbohydrates in their diets, but allowed to eat however much they wanted. The punchline, yeah there were rate of loss differences, but all the cohorts lost weight. If they'd eaten the amounts which they they ate on the study to begin with, they'd all have been nice and thin no matter what their fat/protein/carb and high vs. low glycemic index diet properties would be.<br /><br />Yeah, I need to lose some weight....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-61794349042078794402009-08-10T16:49:43.552-04:002009-08-10T16:49:43.552-04:00Re: Bike weight. Our local "Surly Randonneur&...Re: Bike weight. Our local "Surly Randonneur" (rides brevets on a Long Haul Trucker) estimates he's shaved sixteen pounds from the total system by removing the racks, using water bottles in frame-mounted cages instead of wearing the Camelback and somehow getting six pounds off the engine. No new wheels or tires (yet). The results are astounding in terms of his completion time. I really WILL have to lock him in the bathroom at the midpoint if I want to "beat" him in the next 200 km brevet.<br /><br />Actually, not. I ride brevets more as a fitness check for touring than anything, so between my bike (Trek 520), my equipment and my essential laziness (I'd rather carry the front racks all over than take them off and put them back on when I need them) my total consist is about 40 pounds. It'd be less if I left the lock and the maps at home....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-34511954258720866942009-08-10T09:57:40.865-04:002009-08-10T09:57:40.865-04:00The paleo diet is not hard, except breakfast since...The paleo diet is not hard, except breakfast since I'm used to nothing but coffee and fruit, or a croissant. I'm not super strict about it, still drink coffee and wine, still eat some extra carbs when at restaurants. Overall, I generally feel fine and plan to continue.<br /><br />The thing that's cool is that if you eat only protein and veggies, it seems to stave off hunger for a long time. I've missed breakfast once and dinner twice and felt only mildly peckish, no hunger pangs at all.Velo Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02835615331417822722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-22661091644065885522009-08-10T09:54:08.089-04:002009-08-10T09:54:08.089-04:00Joel said:
"A while back, Vintage Bike Quart...Joel said:<br /><br />"A while back, Vintage Bike Quarterly reported on a road test Jan Heine and crew did on wheel rolling resistance.<br />Their results showed wide smooth tires with quality rubber compound were actually faster than more thin (and presumably lighter - I lent the magazine to someone who did not return it) tires. <br />Pro Racers use what their sponsors give them. Most amateurs use what they see the pros using. It could be that race tires while lighter do not necessarily a faster biker make."<br /><br /><br /><br />Interesting article, and a great justification for old guys (like me) to use wider tires.<br /><br />But this shows a bit of selective memory also. The fastest tire in the test was a 24mm Deda race tire. Jan's conclusion was that the construction of the tire is more important than the width.<br /><br />He has also mentioned that skinny tires are faster on smooth pavement and wider tires are faster on rough pavement. Who doesn't have rough pavement? Most racers, that's who.<br /><br />Race tires are in fact lighter than wide tires, and rolling resistance doesn't mean much when you're climbing the Alps at race pace. A 15 pound bike climbs faster than a 25 pound bike for the same power input.<br /><br />Race sponsors are in the game to win. If the team doesn't win, it isn't worth the advertising budget. The bikes are built to win, not necessarily for comfort. Racers ride what they're given, but it's a mistake to think that they're given equipment that's not as fast as the team can afford.<br /><br />We might be scoffing at the wannabes who are buying the equivalent of F1 cars for club rides when we think that they ought to buy a Lexus, but that doesn't reduce the need for F1 drivers to use those cars to win races.<br /><br />Rich F.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-50792206132941460642009-08-10T00:13:09.010-04:002009-08-10T00:13:09.010-04:00Chris: I'm interested on your take on the pal...Chris: I'm interested on your take on the paleo diet. How difficult was it and how did you like it? Did it become pleasurable? Do you think you will continue it after your experimentation perios? Have you noticed anything else other than weight loss?rgonethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08618366706012716015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-82566465984974202712009-08-09T22:29:32.641-04:002009-08-09T22:29:32.641-04:00I went on the same basic ride twice today - once w...I went on the same basic ride twice today - once while loaded up with my weekly groceries and once with no panniers, bags, etc - just a u-lock strapped to the front.<br /><br />My bike felt like it was made of carbon on the second ride! Perception is key - there's always something lighter, always something heavier. It's better just to ride a bike that does what you need it to do.J ustin.https://www.blogger.com/profile/14381051517089463268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-79153912979632407942009-08-09T14:55:13.095-04:002009-08-09T14:55:13.095-04:00I think there may be something deeply paleo about ...I think there may be something deeply paleo about parts weight obsession. It's not really about the weight -- it's about the hunt. It's about finding, the rarest, most exotic, most fabled parts. <br /><br />To me craftsmanship and history are worth hunting for.<br /><br />Balance and proportion effect ride at least as much as raw weight. A bicycle is, after all, an instrument.M Benjaminhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10198546739878131465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-31906810329314037592009-08-09T12:34:59.714-04:002009-08-09T12:34:59.714-04:00The weight weenie fixations on dropping grams will...The weight weenie fixations on dropping grams will never end. All the rationale for paying ridiculous amounts of cash to shave a few more grams from ones bike falls on deaf ears to those who peruse such things. I've seen more than my share of fellow riders touting their latest, lighter-than-ever part to the rest of the club riders. It is true, cutting rider weight rather than buying some feather weight bike jewelry part is the better way to go - healthier and less bruising to ones wallet. Ever note that women rarely fall prey to such idiocy - perhaps they are not only the fairer sex, but the wiser as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-18163355868822642222009-08-09T04:47:53.033-04:002009-08-09T04:47:53.033-04:00...also the lighter a rider is the more important ......also the lighter a rider is the more important the weight of the bicycle is. I have found this to be very significant. A 50kg rider will notice one hell of a difference between a 7kg bike and a 9kg. I suspect the sensitivity is similar to the exponential curve. A 40kg rider would really be slapped about. Heavier people are really lucky in this respect. They push the limits of components without even trying, they flow with the bicycle mass better. This is my experience, naturally.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11813027859982015505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-28032745257058324842009-08-09T04:41:54.205-04:002009-08-09T04:41:54.205-04:00Bicycle weight is very, very important. How the w...Bicycle weight is very, very important. How the weight is distributed etc ... it's endless. The less experience you have the more significant weight weighs into your bicycle, just the "whole" weight. I'm inclined to ride a bike that feels great to ride and weighs more than a bicycle that weighs far less but feels terrible. I don't think a case exists for diminishing the importance of weight. I take a great riding bicycle that is lighter over a great riding bicycle that is heavier. I do feel sorry for those people who need to sell bicycles to people who recognize little about the value of weight.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11813027859982015505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-45735146789649923092009-08-09T01:45:46.679-04:002009-08-09T01:45:46.679-04:00Wind resistance takes the majority of a bicyclist&...Wind resistance takes the majority of a bicyclist's energy, not a few pounds difference.<br /><br />That being said, I enjoyed replacing heavy clunky parts on my Heron with lighter parts. For instance, the Truvative "road triple" was a joy to ditch in favor of a Sugino PX with two TA rings. <br /><br />My bike's pretty heavy because of the saddlebag and all the stuff I carry. When I take that off, I'm amazed how light it is, and I like that.<br /><br />Bear in mind, I weigh 135 pounds and am 6 foot. I can never seem to eat enough...Garthnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-55731968220081818722009-08-08T22:56:39.373-04:002009-08-08T22:56:39.373-04:00Anonymous: It actually IS more complicated than ca...Anonymous: It actually IS more complicated than calories in, calories out. Everyone has a different level of sensitivity to carbs, and the way their insulin response works. Some people can stay thin on lots of carbs, but lots of people can't. As Gary Taubes says, there is something "uniquely fattening" about carbs.Andrew Fhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08917065225850153006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-52350318091216340892009-08-08T22:49:22.666-04:002009-08-08T22:49:22.666-04:00I would certainly agree that some cyclists get way...I would certainly agree that some cyclists get way too carried away with the weight of their bikes and/or components, but I can say with certainty that for me, a 20-pound bike is easier to pedal up a given hill at a given speed than a 25-pound one. That said, I don't worry whether I have a 23-pound bike or a 24-pound one for any particular situation (for example).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-28965953967708828062009-08-08T19:35:24.147-04:002009-08-08T19:35:24.147-04:00An anonymous poster said:
cyclists definitely wor...An anonymous poster said:<br /><i><br />cyclists definitely worry too much about weight...<br /><br />they also worry too much about what they eat...<br /></i><br /><br />Now why does this bring <i>The Triplets of Belleville</i> to mind, I wonder?Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18127635083892565152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-8295849317445648142009-08-08T17:12:48.585-04:002009-08-08T17:12:48.585-04:00"I have stopped eating things that claim to b..."I have stopped eating things that claim to be "low fat" and that actually has worked out OK for me."<br /><br />I'm not positive about this, but I think "low fat" usually equates to more sugar. The calories have to come from somewhere.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-71700448614145102472009-08-08T15:58:15.139-04:002009-08-08T15:58:15.139-04:00Taken from the copenhagencyclechic.com blog
&qu...Taken from the copenhagencyclechic.com blog <br /><br />"The North American fascination over weight is a hangover from decades of the bicycle being a product of the the sports/hobby industry. Those times are changing now. They can start putting kickstands, fenders, back racks and baskets back on now. We're not out to win the Tour de France. We just want to ride"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com