Alan Holmes said:
"Simon Mason" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:I've just weighed my all up hybrid with lock, saddlebag,
lights etc and it comes in at a whopping 42 lbs. I then
weighed the new road bike I've just got as I'm going to
review it and put a ride report together vs. the
hybrid
Quoted message said:and it is 22 lbs.
I shall be heading for the hills when we get the next
sunny day, although given that it's only got 2 chainrings
it might be a bit of a struggle lighter weight or not.
You'd be better off with the heavier bike, lightweights
are a waste of time.
Alan
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Reply to alan(at)windsor-berks(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk
A heavy comfortable bike is not necessarily the problem that
many cyclists assume. The Dutch are some of the best long
distance cyclists and they plod on inexorably on bikes that
most UK cyclists wouldn't be seen dead on.
I had a lightish drop handlebar road bike for years and
thought it was the bees knees until I got a hybrid style
touring bike with dynamos, locks, extra bottle cages, 26 X
1.5 Marathon tyres, extra spokes, massive hubs, full racking
etc. It was about 4 kilos heavier than the road bike.
Initially I panicked and wondered what I had done (it cost
an arm and a leg), but as soon as I put my leg over (as it
were) I was converted. The more upright position, the ample
gearing, the powerful braking and the shear sense of
security and stability made the whole experience of cycling
utterly different. Shortly after getting it I cycled 140
miles to the York Rally with full camping gear - it took 12
hours and I still had the energy to walk into town for a
drink and to go out for a fast spin on Saturday. On the road
bike I would have bonked out after about 8 hours because of
the extra concentration required on lighter weight bikes.
I still try and keep weight down where I can (I just bought
a titanium saucepan - how posey is that!!) but on the whole
I no longer worry about weight.
The trick with long distance cycling is to remain
unstressed. You must eat enough, drink enough and go slow
enough to stay calm and relaxed all day long. It might take
a little bit longer to get there but you enjoy the journey
as well as the arriving.
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J u l i a n
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