On this edition of the Ask Coach Parry Cycling podcast we chat to Devlin Eyden, our cycling coach and find out how critical the weight of your bike is in your performance.  We find out how big a role the weight of the bike and the weight of the rider together is going to have.  He warns us against the cost outweighing the actual weight of the bike.

Transcript

David Katz: This is the Ask Coach Parry Cycling podcast. I’m Mr Active, David Katz, joined by Devlin Eyden and today we are looking at weight because as things become more technical, carbon fibre, everyone is wanting a lighter bike and in the old days everyone had these steel frames, they were really heavy, but times are changing.

Devlin, basically today what the question is, is how much of an impact does the weight of your bike really play?

Does the weight of your bike outweigh the cost that you’re spending?

Devlin Eyden:      So, this is again, we like the term weight weenie where the guys are generally worrying about every gram on the bike. To put it simply, the weight of the bike and for that matter the weight of the rider together is going to have a huge role. When you’re having to exert an external force or an external load and have to move that in a direction. Imagine the load that you’re carrying and the bike that’s with you and you need to get that in a forward motion, so the kind of force that you need to put out to get that moving forward, as well as getting all that weight up and over a climb for instance.

Ideally, as cyclists and especially when we start talking much longer and the endurance kind of cycling, you generally want to try and be as light as possible. In saying that though, there’s a couple of things you take into account. Power to weight ratio is going to be key, so if you can get your bike lighter and get you as the rider lighter, without sacrificing any muscle strength and power output, you’re always going to have a benefit there. Having a higher power to weight ratio is always going to be of benefit, but then comes the question. The weight of your bike, does it outweigh the cost that you’re spending to try and get that bike as light as possible.

This is the question that I see a lot and I’m constantly dealing with it on a daily basis where riders are buying the most expensive carbon fibre handlebars and wheel sets and stems to save, not even a couple of hundred grams on their bike, yet the rider himself/herself might actually be carrying a little bit of excess weight that could quite easily be lost over a period of time.

Power to weight ratio is key

It is important that rather do the work and get yourself to a point where you’re at the sharp end of the sport, when I say that I’m referring to top level, not much more than you can do about your body weight, before actually worrying about the weight of the bike. I just feel you, as the individual, need to determine, does it outweigh the cost that you’re going to be spending on the bike itself, to try and get it as light as possible.

Rather do the work, get your power up and you’re going to have that benefit and again, in saying that, I’m not saying don’t try and make your bike light and don’t spend that money on components and things that aren’t completely necessary, but keep in mind, what are you trying to achieve and what do you feel you can improve on still, before you start tinkering too much with the bike.

DK:         Devlin, thanks for another fantastic answer here on the Ask Coach Parry Cycling podcast and if you want some one on one time with Devlin and to join a really engaged group, sign up for the online community, go to coahparry.com/join for exclusive members-only video content, video coaching and access to the private Facebook group.

From Devlin Eyden and myself Mr Active, David Katz, we’ll catch up with you again on the next edition of the podcast.