# Does 3lbs really make a difference?



## Faybie77 (May 6, 2007)

I just got a new bike and tried it out on the trails last night. I'm back to my old self on down hills and the technical stuff, but climbing was pretty hard. I stood up in parts that I wouldn't have normally and I lost steam in some parts and had to walk it. I know I still have some adjusting to do - the shocks had bottomed out, so I made them stiffer and I'm not quite used to the gearing yet so I was in the wrong gear several times.

After getting home and feeling very frusterated me and my husband thought it would be fun to weigh our bikes. Well my new one is 3 lbs more than my old one! Does this make a big difference on climbing or are there just adjustments I need to ge used to?


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## crisillo (Jul 3, 2004)

weight will have a bigger impact specially if you are a very light weight rider... however setup is more critical to me.... evaluate if the terrain you wrote really should bottom your shocks..if it was just a mild ride, then adjusting springs or pressure will also have a bigger impact on how heavy the bike feels...


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## MightySchmoePong (Jan 12, 2004)

*3 pounds?*



Faybie77 said:


> I just got a new bike and tried it out on the trails last night. I'm back to my old self on down hills and the technical stuff, but climbing was pretty hard. I stood up in parts that I wouldn't have normally and I lost steam in some parts and had to walk it. I know I still have some adjusting to do - the shocks had bottomed out, so I made them stiffer and I'm not quite used to the gearing yet so I was in the wrong gear several times.
> 
> After getting home and feeling very frusterated me and my husband thought it would be fun to weigh our bikes. Well my new one is 3 lbs more than my old one! Does this make a big difference on climbing or are there just adjustments I need to ge used to?


No, 3 pounds shouldn't make a huge difference unless it's all in the wheels  It's probably just a case of getting used to the new bike and/or dialing it in.

Dave


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## antonio (Jan 18, 2005)

MightySchmoePong said:


> No, 3 pounds shouldn't make a huge difference unless it's all in the wheels  .
> 
> Dave


This is key. If your wheels and/or tires are carrying the brunt of the additional weight, you'll never have a light "feeling bike" (but you will get stronger).

And to add on to what Cris wrote - my FS rig rides like a sloth with the shock set at 180 psi. Raise the psi to 190 and it feels like completely different and snappier bike.

Ant


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

you don't say how much your first bike was! My first bike was #35. Three pounds heavier would have killed me. I notice all guys are replying so far. Sure, if you weight 150-200 you won't notice three pounds. If you weigh 100 -125 (or so, I am being general) three pounds is a lot.


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## [email protected] (Aug 24, 2005)

Three pounds can be a huge difference depending on your weight. Think of your bike as a percentage of your total weight then factor in three extra pounds. For me 3 lbs. is the differeence between my XC bike and my light/medium freeride bike. If you are light and bottoming your fork and shock the bike will feel like it is riding in muck. Slow, heavy on hills, brake dive and poor control at speed. Use the 25% sag standard and go from there. Also check the the bike manufacturer for what they recommend for sag. Not all bikes are 25% , my 5.5 is 30% and others are 0% ( epic & giant nrs). New bikes are so much fun to ride once you get the kinks worked out. Have fun!


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## *rt* (Jan 15, 2004)

*3 lbs IS a lot*



Faybie77 said:


> I just got a new bike and tried it out on the trails last night. I'm back to my old self on down hills and the technical stuff, but climbing was pretty hard. I stood up in parts that I wouldn't have normally and I lost steam in some parts and had to walk it. I know I still have some adjusting to do - the shocks had bottomed out, so I made them stiffer and I'm not quite used to the gearing yet so I was in the wrong gear several times.
> 
> After getting home and feeling very frusterated me and my husband thought it would be fun to weigh our bikes. Well my new one is 3 lbs more than my old one! Does this make a big difference on climbing or are there just adjustments I need to ge used to?


i agree with formica and the other high estrogen responders. 3 lbs is likely to be a significant difference, especially if you are a lighter rider (< 130 lbs). here's how i often think about it - i weigh 100 lbs; if i'm on a bike that weighs 25 lbs i'm pushing 25% of my weight up each hill. add another 3 lbs to that and i'm pushing nearly 30% of my weight up a hill. on the other hand, if i was your typical 6' 180 lb guy on those same two bikes i'd only be pushing 14% and 15% respectively up the hill. makes a difference, eh?

however, another thing to think about is the function of the bike. if you went from a lightweight XC race bike with 3" of travel front/rear to a more all-mountain bike with 4-5" of suspension you should expect an increase in the weight of the bike and different handling. some bikes are great climbers and some go down hill better. it's the nature of the geometry and set up. the poster who mentioned that the handling of their bike improved drastically once they got their new bike dialed in with regard to PSI in the suspension has a good point. get your suspension set up and the bike dialed in before you make a final judgement on whether this bike is heavy on the climbs.

rt


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## MightySchmoePong (Jan 12, 2004)

*Well*



*rt* said:


> i agree with formica and the other high estrogen responders. 3 lbs is likely to be a significant difference, especially if you are a lighter rider (< 130 lbs). here's how i often think about it - i weigh 100 lbs; if i'm on a bike that weighs 25 lbs i'm pushing 25% of my weight up each hill. add another 3 lbs to that and i'm pushing nearly 30% of my weight up a hill. on the other hand, if i was your typical 6' 180 lb guy on those same two bikes i'd only be pushing 14% and 15% respectively up the hill. makes a difference, eh?
> 
> however, another thing to think about is the function of the bike. if you went from a lightweight XC race bike with 3" of travel front/rear to a more all-mountain bike with 4-5" of suspension you should expect an increase in the weight of the bike and different handling. some bikes are great climbers and some go down hill better. it's the nature of the geometry and set up. the poster who mentioned that the handling of their bike improved drastically once they got their new bike dialed in with regard to PSI in the suspension has a good point. get your suspension set up and the bike dialed in before you make a final judgement on whether this bike is heavy on the climbs.
> 
> rt


I understand all that, but I seriously doubt 3 pounds would be the difference between making a climb and walking it. My wife weighs 120 pounds and it's not like she's suddenly walking up hills when she's retaining a few pounds of water 

Your second paragraph is right on the money. Get the bike dialed in with the correct PSI etc and see. It's possible that the bike just isn't a good fit geometry wise/suspension wise for climbing no matter what the weight is.

I'd also look at tires as these make a HUGE difference in feel while climbing.

Dave


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## Faybie77 (May 6, 2007)

Thanks for all the advise so far. Here's a little more info for you:

I weigh 125. The old bike was a Spec Stumpy FSR, which was too big for me and weighed 28.5. New bike is a Novara Bliss and it weighs 31.5 (after computer install). 

My hubby had the theory that because I was seated farther forward on the bike it may have made it easier to power up the hills. I'm sure I still need to get used to it and make some adjustments to the shocks and maybe a little more muscle wouldn't hurt!


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## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

Since you still have your old bike, you can try and emulate that cockpit to maximize climbing as well - check your distance between the seat/handlebars, as well as height difference between the two. You might find moving your seat up a bit or handlebars back a bit helps. 

This is more of a problem of getting yourself situated on a new ride than 3lbs. 

You can also move your old wheels/hubs/tires to the new ride to see fi that makes a difference!


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## Impy (Jan 6, 2004)

As a 120# rider, I feel that 3 pounds makes a definite difference.

When I am queen in fantasy land, I am going to make all guys' bikes 25-30% of their weights. Just for a day.


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## chad1433 (Apr 5, 2004)

This one?

http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...ILVER/YELLOW&img=/media/831241.jpg&view=large

Personally, I'd start with your suspension setup, as mentioned, then examine those tires. They could be slow rollers.


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## antonio (Jan 18, 2005)

I never said that 3lbs isn't a big difference. It is for me at 190lbs, and especially for my wife at 115lbs.

I stand by my initial statement - check your set-up first, then your tire/wheel situation second, before going nuts on weight-weenie parts.

By the way, 31.5lbs is a heavy bike, IMO.

Good luck!

Ant


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## Faybie77 (May 6, 2007)

chad1433 said:


> This one?
> 
> http://www.rei.com/online/store/Pro...ILVER/YELLOW&img=/media/831241.jpg&view=large
> 
> Personally, I'd start with your suspension setup, as mentioned, then examine those tires. They could be slow rollers.


Yes. That is my bike. I personally like the tires. They seem to grip well.


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## Faybie77 (May 6, 2007)

stripes said:


> I rode some tires that grip extremely well. The problem is they made my bike feel like I was pedaling through molasses on the uphills.
> 
> You have to find a compromise on grip and rolling.


OK. Gocha. I am pretty new to this - as you can tel!


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## brg (Sep 7, 2004)

Impy said:


> When I am queen in fantasy land, I am going to make all guys' bikes 25-30% of their weights. Just for a day.


oh! i daydream about this too! just so they know what it feels like.


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## Secace (Sep 8, 2004)

I agree with all those that say to shrug off the 3# mental block. I only weigh 125# and ride just as fast and efficiently on my trailbike whether or it weighs 28# or 32#. I easily handle a 42# DH bike with no problem (including climbing). When I hear folks making an issue out of bike weights, I always think back to bmx days when every bike weighed 35# with chromo frames, forks and rims and whacked gear ratios. Pedaled them all day long every day on every kind of terrain, trail and hill known to man. Raced them, launched them, hammered them, never weighed them. Just rode. It's actually an ironic engineering marvel that most full size 26" mountain bikes weigh a good deal less than your average bmx bike typically ridden by youngsters that weigh half of what most mtb riders weigh in at.There's a gang of 85# 12 year olds in my neighborhood that rip on overbuilt 40# freestyle bikes. These kids will ride next to you as long as the gearing difference allows and never miss a beat. The body acclimates to the additional weight very quickly and you'll not even notice it after an hour in the saddle. Technique is the ticket and being able to focus your strength where and when you need it. I'd throw that scale away unless your racing xc and ride on!!


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## aword4you (Jul 25, 2005)

I've read a few responses (didn't have time to read them all at the moment), but 3lbs for a female makes a BIG difference!! I was riding a 26.5lbs FS bike that hubby had lightened up for me (XTR crankset, XTR derailleurs, light wheelset, carbon bar, etc) and when I got my 29er soft tail it was SO much easier to climb with. I sped up slightly since I went from falling back on granny gear to only having a 1x9, but it was significantly better.

I'd also like to point out that I'm now selling my FS bike because I don't enjoy it as much climbing compared to anything else I'm using at the moment. So, it could also just be that the bike doesn't have the angles that you're used to and like. I've been climbing on hubby's old Enduro (which is now my DH and AM bike) and while steep climbing sucks on it, I don't mind climbing technical singletrack anymore. The slacker HA and suspension just makes it roll over anything. 

But, I DEFINITELY notice the 10lbs that it has on my Dos Niner  But it flies on downhills, so I don't complain too much.


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## Impy (Jan 6, 2004)

Secace said:


> It's actually an ironic engineering marvel that most full size 26" mountain bikes weigh a good deal less than your average bmx bike typically ridden by youngsters that weigh half of what most mtb riders weigh in at.There's a gang of 85# 12 year olds in my neighborhood that rip on overbuilt 40# freestyle bikes. These kids will ride next to you as long as the gearing difference allows and never miss a beat. The body acclimates to the additional weight very quickly and you'll not even notice it after an hour in the saddle. Technique is the ticket and being able to focus your strength where and when you need it. I'd throw that scale away unless your racing xc and ride on!!


a) i doubt very much the bmx kids are doing, say, 30 mile xc rides with 5K climbing.

b) guys' muscle distribution is not the same as girls. You don't say if you are male or female, but I suspect male. a 125 # guy is still more likely to have more power than 125 female.


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## brg (Sep 7, 2004)

Secace said:


> I easily handle a 42# DH bike with no problem (including climbing).


I'd be SUPER impressed to see you (at 125lbs) riding a 42# DH on the trails i ride. My typical rides are like Impy's - ~ 25+miles with never less then 3500 ft of elevation gain.

If climbing these types of trails is "no problem" you should switch to XC racing as you'd spank the field with your climbing ability and DH skills. 

and @105lbs - 3 lbs does make a difference to me (YMMV) - that's why i've switched to a rigid SS. :thumbsup:


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## ferday (Jan 15, 2004)

> nd @105lbs - 3 lbs does make a difference to me


not picking on you in particular....but 3 lbs will make the same difference to a 100lb female as to a 250lb clyde.

it takes the exact same amount of work to move that 3lbs up a hill regardless of rider weight. some people _notice_ more than others, and certainly big clydes have other things to consider.

we all want to feel special....but females have no special reason over males to have lighter bikes. we'd _all_ benefit from lighter bikes!!


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## formica (Jul 4, 2004)

ferday said:


> not picking on you in particular....but 3 lbs will make the same difference to a 100lb female as to a 250lb clyde.
> 
> it takes the exact same amount of work to move that 3lbs up a hill regardless of rider weight. some people _notice_ more than others, and certainly big clydes have other things to consider.
> 
> we all want to feel special....but females have no special reason over males to have lighter bikes. we'd _all_ benefit from lighter bikes!!


that make no sense at all. 3 lbs is 3% of body weight for a 100# person, 3# is .075% of a 250#. How can it take the same amount of work to move 3% of a total weight and .075% of a total weight.


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## ferday (Jan 15, 2004)

sorry ms. smarty pants...time to go back to school. 

to lift 3 lbs. to a height of 100 ft. takes the exact same *amount* of energy, regardless if a child or a forklift is *doing* the work.

a _stronger_ rider will not notice the difference as much, and as someone else mentioned guys could be _stronger_ on the average...but strength and body weight are not necessarily the same thing.


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## brg (Sep 7, 2004)

ferday said:


> some people _notice_ more than others, and certainly big clydes have other things to consider.


yes - i do notice 3 lbs. I did say YMMV.



ferday said:


> we all want to feel special....but females have no special reason over males to have lighter bikes. we'd _all_ benefit from lighter bikes!!


no - i don't need to feel special - i'm just lazy - the less i have weight i have to carry up a hill - the better!


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## Impy (Jan 6, 2004)

ferday said:


> we all want to feel special....but females have no special reason over males to have lighter bikes. we'd _all_ benefit from lighter bikes!!


But the riders with more muscle mass/more power to weight ratio will enjoy a greater benefit.

Pardon me if you hadn't noticed before, but in general, guys do tend to have nice big muscles compared to women, and are stronger. We like the muscles very much, thank you.  We know for the same pedal stroke you generate more power, too.


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## Secace (Sep 8, 2004)

brg said:


> a) i doubt very much the bmx kids are doing, say, 30 mile xc rides with 5K climbing.
> b) guys' muscle distribution is not the same as girls. You don't say if you are male or female, but I suspect male. a 125 # guy is still more likely to have more power than 125 female.
> 
> 
> ...


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## *rt* (Jan 15, 2004)

MightySchmoePong said:


> I understand all that, but I seriously doubt 3 pounds would be the difference between making a climb and walking it. My wife weighs 120 pounds and it's not like she's suddenly walking up hills when she's retaining a few pounds of water


well, i guess it depends on how strong the OP is to being with. if she's barely making the climb on her old bike then adding 3 lbs could tip the scales (so to speak ) toward walking rather than riding.

however, it is more likely that the OP's problem is a combination of factors including poor set up and increased bike weight and maybe a geometry that isn't climbing friendly.

rt


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