Two Wheel Blogs

I rode my rollers today and for some reason my head was not in it. I was able to get a solid hour of tempo like I had planned. It was a good workout, but my mind was wondering all over the place. I have a birthday coming up and I'm pondering buying some candy for my bike. It is hard to justify buying shiny bits when the parts they replace function perfectly. My mind shuffled through several scenarios in attempt to justify the endeavor. The best thing I could conjure was weight savings.

I have known more than a few people that spend a lot of time and money buying stuff to make their bikes lighter. I once watched a guy setup and zero a digital scale at the LBS then check every tire in inventory, before purchasing the two lightest (he did the same for tubes). I have known guys to only tape the portion of their bars that they ride on 90% of the time…saw one guy who trimmed his handle bars to reduce weight. Ever hear of drillium? I could go on. The point is there are some pretty silly things that people will do to shave a few grams (many would say what I did today was silly).

Today I considered the cost to drop a few grams since this was my attempt to justify (to myself) the expense of the bike candy I wanted to procure. Then I contemplated avenues to achieve the same weight savings by simply removing stuff. The results were surprising...and unfortunately they showed me that my rationale for buying these bits was flawed. rational/economical answer?

Desired(?) bling-increasing/weight-shaving/money-spending efforts:

Remove 2 stainless steel bottle cages
subtract 90 grams

Install 2 foam core carbon bottle cages
add 60 grams
Cost 2 x $60 = $120

Remove black titanium skewers
Subtract 95 grams

Install red anodized ultra-light Ti skewers
add 44 grams
Cost $75-$90

Net weight savings 81 grams
Net bling increase ???
Net cash outlay ~$200

Actual(!) Bling-neutral/weight-shaving/money-saving efforts:

Pull seat post and trim excess (Aluminum post, left mfg recommended minimum insertion + 10mm for
possible future adjustments)
Subtract 19 grams

Remove expanding bar plugs/Install basic plugs that came with the tape
Subtract 17 grams

Trim steer tube remove excess spacers
Subtract 18 grams

What is in the sock I carry on every ride in my jersey pocket?

Tire levers that I have not used in 3 years
(I can change a tire w/o levers)
Subtract 26 grams

Speed patch kit (I have never used this)
Subtract 8 grams

The sock that I used to carry my stuff in (and some other worthless bits)
Subtract 17 grams

Valve caps, excess shift and brake cable
Subtract 2 grams
(getting pretty carried away now)

Net weight savings 107 grams
Net bling increase See below.

Seriously, if I rode up to you and had some new skewers and bottle cages would you notice? Probably not…just like you will not notice the tuning I have done to my bike today. Who do I do this stuff for? My wife sure does not care what color my skewers are, and I only see them when I am not on my bike. If I make my bike pretty, I will just want to stare at it. Wouldn’t it be better to do something that makes me want to *ride* it?

Would I notice the grams I would have saved with the cages and skewers? Only if I put the bike on a scale. But for some reason, now I want to go ride it and appreciate the tuning I have performed (not purchased).

These changes cost me nothing more than thinking (while I was riding the rollers) and another 40 minutes of wrenching. For what it is worth, this is the really easy stuff that would make the guys on Weight Weenie Forum would laugh their asses off. I could probably shave *pounds* off my bike if I was willing to sacrifice durability and/or spend some cash the way some of those guys do.

These changes and modifications I made were a simple exercise in removing stuff that I was not (and never will) use. Take a look around; are you carrying an 8 speed master link like I was? Perhaps a dried up patch kit? That flagpole on your stem is dangerous *and* it looks bad (perhaps I am the only one with excess steerer). Do you need a huge multi-tool, or is it time to update to something less?

I guess the point of all this is to spend some quality time with my bike (while I can not be outside riding anyway), and feel a little better about my bike knowing I reduced over 100 grams for free.

This year I have done a few simple things that actually have made a big difference in my riding. One of them was to shed a bunch of weight off my motor (more than what my bike weighs). The other thing I have done is actually ride with purpose and train to improve my fitness and strength. Will I be a force in the local racing scene as a result? I seriously doubt it…I would have to start racing for that to even be a possibility.

In summary, I suppose this is all about enjoying your machine. A lot of people get enjoyment by buying something that looks like what the pros ride; others want the lightest bike in front of the coffee shop. It is all good. For me, I suppose I want a little of everything…including money in my pocket!