Rizal Philippines
January 23,2018
Buying an expensive carbon fiber bike frame may not be the only and the best way to make your bike lighter and consequently go faster. There are other ways. A bike frame investment could be as little as P20t if you buy unbranded from Lazada. or on the average P30t if you buy second hand, from OEM importers from Cebu, CDO Antipolo City (P39k doon)
1. Carbon fiber frame may not be the lightest. Carbon fiber bike frame does not necessarily mean lighter bike. Some older models may be heavier than alum or your existing bike. Like in the current sale, their cheapest weighs 1.2 kg. Same as some Giant, or Caad 8 frames. You may actually be going higher in cost and weight. The high end frame may be in the vicinity of P70k and that means they weigh under 1 kg.
Carbon fiber or alum frame?
2. Carbon fiber wheelset may not also be the lightest. Rim height of 3.5 cm or more require more materials and hence contribute to more weight. Aero has another purpose - to cut through the wind resistance and thus save you watts and increase your speed. Aero also works if your speed is beyond 30kph. Now if you ride at 20 kph.... Some alum bikes are lighter than carbon fiber wheelsets. And wheelsets with carbon fiber brake line become ugly and dirty over time and suffer degradation in wet conditions. Should you stick to your alum wheelsets?
AmCla wheelsets are known to be light and sub 1.5 kg. I got a wheelset that is only 1,435 grams. A fulcrum quattro weighs 1.7kg. Some name brands are heavy . The Colnago Bora 2 which will save you additional 200 grams costs more than P100K. That is P500.00/gram. That is stiff. P50.00/gram is an acceptable investment
3. The other parts: seat post, stem, saddle, drop bar. Say they total:
Seat post - 350 grams
Saddle 400 grams
Alum drop bar 500 grams
Stem 300 grams
Total 1,550 grams
You can buy China parts from Lazada with substantial savings: (who cares if they come from China? Mura naman at gagaan bike.
Seat post 240 grams
Saddle 150 grams
Alum drop bar 250 grams
Stem 200 grams
New total 840 grams
Weight reduced 710 grams
Estimated cost P5,200/710 P7.32 /gram a very cost effective method.
If you buy from a bike shop, the entire investment may be P30,000 or morel. An alum drop
would cost P15,000 or more, a seat post maybe of an even amount. A medium priced
saddle would cost about P8,000.
4. Tires and tubes.
Many readings recommend that this items be given first priority because the rotating mass is the one being pushed by the rider. It is best to be lightweight and efficient in this area
Buy lightweight tires and tubes. You may invest the following:
Weight reduced
Carbon frame - P35,000 300 grams
Carbon wheelset 30,000 200 grams
High end GS 30,000 200 grams
Total 95,000 700 grams
And yet at the end of the day, your bike still feels heavy and sluggish. Why, because of your tires. They are heavy.
Invest in light weight tires and tubes.
Ordinary tires weight Lightweight tires Weight savings
Tires 300 grams 190, 154 110, l46
Tubes 110 60 50
Total 160 x 2 = 320
Imagine that 320 grams saved for let us say investment for
Tires 2,000 x 2 = P4,000
Tubes 280 x 2 560
Total 4,560/320 14.25/gram
Cheap and cost effective. How much more if your favorite tire is CST or Panaracer
Some lightweight tires from Weight Weenies
Continental GP Supersonic - 140 grams
Kenda Kaliente light 165 grans
Maxxis Xenith Equipe Legere 160 grams
Panaracer Stradius TT 170 grams
Schwalbe Ultremo 180 grams
Veloflex Record Kevlar 140 grams
Vittoria Diamante Pro light 175 grams
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