[Blathma]

Personally I don't care about the weight, was just curious how others felt about it. My main concern is durability. Ages ago I tried a road bike.... Nope not for me, too hunched over and the skinny tires always felt too unstable, this was pre powerlifting days so I was allot lighter... 210 or so. Can not imagine now at 280 trying to zip around on a road bike with little rubber band tires, hunched over... Sounds painful and skittish.

At some point I'd like to update the front fork to suspension...

29x3 tires are so far perfect in what I was looking for.

 

[sixate]

Can not imagine now at 280 trying to zip around on a road bike with little rubber band tires, hunched over... Sounds painful and skittish.

I rode a road bike with 23c tires for years and loved it, but back issues forced me away from it. I got a Kona Dew years ago and use that for my road riding. I upgraded the parts and run a flat bar and either 42 or 45c tires. I could never go back to a road bike on tiny tires. You don't have to ride a road bike. I pass guys on higher end road bikes all the time and I can hop curbs and holes in the road no problem, and a little gravel on the road doesn't scare me to death.

I'm with you on 29x3 on my mtb. Tires that size are made for big guys. Not sure I could ever run anything smaller again.

 

[jonshonda]

The bike industry has always heavily focused on weight, as for a long time XC racing was a staple of the industry. The trend is moving towards heavier burly bikes, but reviews still complain about a pound or two here or there. For a 150lb rider I could see the bike feeling much different, but for guys who weigh a lot more, I just don't see it. Unsprung weight is really the only place I could see big guys feeling the difference, which is wheels. But to each their own, which is what make the world go round!

 

[jeremy3220]

reviews still complain about a pound or two here or there. For a 150lb rider I could see the bike feeling much different, but for guys who weigh a lot more, I just don't see it.

I guess you either feel it or you don't. I can feel a two pound difference. If I'm just sitting and pedaling it's not that noticeable, if I'm bunny hopping onto a rock or sprinting it's definitely noticeable.

 

[jonshonda]

I guess you either feel it or you don't. I can feel a two pound difference. If I'm just sitting and pedaling it's not that noticeable, if I'm bunny hopping onto a rock or sprinting it's definitely noticeable.

Interesting. I might have never had the opportunity to make a two pound change to my bike and feel the difference riding.

 

[Blathma]

Here's some useful weightlifting lifts that will just about insure one never notices the weight differences. Bulgarian split squats and jump squats. Jump squats require caution and technique but are fantastic for explosive strength. Bulgarians are just, probably the best squat that directly dovetails into cycling.

I was curious the other day, put the bike into low gear, lowest one actually. While holding the front brake in full lock, I can still pedal the bike forward, bike tilts up and front tire skids along... If I lean forward to put traction and weight on front, the rear just breaks loose. Kinda fun... But I'm sure it'll brake something if I keep at it. I was tempted to see how much rear brake force was needed to stop my pedaling but that would have broken something. That low gear is something, have to figure out how to utilize it without flipping the bike into a wheelie or just spinning the tire, aside from just slow pedaling. It's for climbing I know... Sure is fun for burnouts though. Is it normal to want a higher gear then the 11t the 12 speed has? Not fast enough... Wonder if there's a 10 or lower cogset... Have to look.

 

[sixate]

Is it normal to want a higher gear then the 11t the 12 speed has? Not fast enough... Wonder if there's a 10 or lower cogset... Have to look.

Newest 12sp from SRAM and Shimano have a 10t. Need XD freehub for SRAM and Shimano needs a Microspline freehub. E thirteen Helix cassette goes down to a 9T and uses an XD driver. I would like to try one of those out. Maybe next time I need a cassette I will.