I am going to purchase a new road bike for exercise purposes. All of my friends are trying to get me to get one the carbon fiber models. They’re pretty cool and very light. They are also very expensive.
But for general health purposes do I really need a light one? It almost seems a heavier bike would give me a better workout.
Any advice from the 'Dopers?
All else being equal, a lighter bike is faster. Though the difference is quite small. If you weigh 180 lb, a difference between a 22-lb bike and an 18-lb bike is only 2% of your combined weight. This allows you to clibm a hill 2% faster, but is that worth the price difference? If you’re a professional racer, definitely yes. If you’re riding for excercise or transport, probably not. If you’re an amateur/recreational racer, then maybe yes - a fancy high-end bike can provide good motivation, by raising your expectations on how fast you should be able to ride.
And if you’re an enthusiast and treat it as a hobby, then anything goes.
Heavy bikes are the cheap ones, typically with lesser-grade components. The heaviness shows not just in weight but in the road feel - clunky and stiff. Better quality bikes are not just lighter but also (stiff racing bikes aside) more resilient and easier on the body. You’re not after a weight-lifting type workout, and pushing too hard (usually from too high a gear, but weight is a factor) can overstress the knees. That said, most folks don’t need the latest gee-whiz super-expensive designs. You should be able to find a suitable, reasonably light bike with a steel or aluminum frame for a price that won’t clobber you. A good bike shop can guide you in your selection.
My bicycle is something like 35 pounds. The thing is, I commute and carry many books. I also weigh a decent amount myself. I don’t care about moving fast, I care about having a sturdy vehicle that can manage a lot of weight. The general presumption on the part of friends, bike shop staff, and strangers seems to be that I’m an idiot for not having the bike as light as possible, but I’m quite happy with it. Of course, Gary T raises a good point. Mine was a special order so I know it to be of good quality (swissbike full-size folding bicycle — dreamy).
You can get one with certain parts made of carbon fiber - like the seat post or handlebars and such. They are much cheaper than having the whole bike made of CF, and it cuts down on weight.
I’m riding a cheap, heavy bike and have been for 6 years and I don’t feel the need to switch, but my SO commutes on his and he has one with CF parts and it is so much lighter. It is also easier to lift up and onto the bike carrier on the car…
Are your friends all bike geeks, perhaps?
No, you do not need the latest, ultra-light everything to ride a bicycle. You can have fun on just regular stuff. Ultra-light often also means ultra-breakable, as well as ultra-expensive.
That said, going too cheap will make biking an unpleasant experience rather than a fun one.
Go to your local bike shop and try out bikes.* They’ll help you get fitted, and help you pick a good, affordable bike and components. (Assuming you’ve got a decent LBS, of course.) There are plenty of nice, fairly light aluminum or steel frames out there. Getting a good, reasonable-weight frame that fits is the most important. You’ll change out components as you go.
*Do NOT take your bike geek friends along. It sounds like they’ll probably just try to talk you into buying the latest, coolest gadgetiest stuff.
– redtail, who rides a fully rigid, steel MTB with mid-level components and has a grand time on the trails - a complete impossibility according to most MTB bike geeks.
If you ride twenty, thirty miles at a time, a very light bike might make sense for you. A carbon fiber bike flexes under you, which eases road bumps a little. If your regimen is a 45-minute ride, round trip, then the extra weight will give you more exercise per mile and per minute.
You can get top-notch components on a heavy frame just as easily as on a featherweight frame. All those parts are your call. You’re the one with the checkbook.
My brother has a carbon fiber bike. As sort of a dream-fulfillment thing, he signed on for a bike-racing clinic. He knew right away he was in over his head the first day. He was the oldest by 25 years, and he was the only one without shaved legs. (When you fall down, and you will, the daily bandaging is much easier without leg hair.) He learned a lot, but he bagged out after three days, because he was holding everybody else back. His back went out later on, and he no longer bikes. Wanna buy a high-end bike?
Whoa there! That both is and is not true and depends heavily on quality of the bike. Steel is much less “clunky and stiff” than aluminum frames.
For road bikes, steel frames, while the heaviest option, give you a much less “rigid” ride than an aluminum frame. Aliminum tubes will be lighter so you get better acceleration, but will be a noticeably harsher ride. If you’re going for long rides they will be noticeably less comfortable than a steel frame. To really get performance benefits from the lightness of an aluminum frame you’d be looking at the $600-$700 and you would be sacrificing some comfort. That may not be a big deal to you though if you’re mostly going to be on smooth roads.
A lot of pros still like steel frames because they are so compliant. But carbon is getting better and better and newer bikes are constructed to give you a pretty nice feel. You have to be aware though that you have to keep your eye out for cracks in the joints of the frame if you’re putting a lot of miles on it.
A lot of people also mix in lighter elements on steel and aluminum frames, like replacing the seat post, front forks, and handle bars with carbon. If you’re that concerned about weight though, you’d probably woulnd’t care so much about the rigid ride.
ETA: Steel frames on a mountain bike will drive you nuts though. Way too heavy.
Missed the edit on the second go: Most triathletes and adventure racers I know don’t get much of a benefit from the more expensive frames, other than when they have to carry them. The guys I know with carbon or titanium frames are the crazy guys who do century rides twice a week or more. (That would kill me!) Plus, they will be a much greater target for theft.
More important is that the bike fits you well. An entry-level bike by a reputable manufacturer and put together at a bike shop where they can get you the best fit, will do you just fine until you’re experienced enough to know what you really want for an upgrade. Wait until you’ve got a few seasons with a good starter bike, and then you’ll have a better idea of what you personally want out of an intermediate or advanced rider’s bike.
And get a nice saddle to start or your butt will hurt.
Disclaimer: My road bike is a Meile with steel tubing and Campagnolo parts. I’m a bit biased towards steel, but would upgrade to carbon (not aluminum) if I could afford it .
It’s funny. When I saw the OP, my first thought was: “Because light cycles are AWESOME! Everyone needs a light cycle!”
I was thinking about Tron, but now I see what the OP meant: bicycles.
Oh well. Light cycles are still cool.
I want THIS ONE 
Last spring I upgraded from a Schwinn mountain bike to a Specialized Allez Elite road bike, which ran me a bit over $1,200. I’ll say that it was definitely worth it to spend the money on a better, lighter bike. Granted, the change was pretty dramatic in my case, since I was completely changing bike style, not just reducing weight. My Allez’s frame is lightweight aluminum, though the seat post, front fork, and seatstays are carbon fiber. Total weight: just over 20 pounds. Outside of riding, there is one not-so-obvious benefit to a lightweight bike: whether you foresee it or not, there are going to be times when you need to pick up your bike and carry it.
For me, the biggest benefit in buying a lightweight, high-quality bike has been that it encourages me to get out and ride more often. In that respect, it’s like the common advice given to somebody who wants to learn to play the guitar or bass: buy the best instrument you can afford, rather than a cheap “starter package”. The higher quality makes the playing experience better, and thus encourages you to play more often, and to stick with it.
My bike is not carbon fiber, but it is considerably lighter than the last one I owned and I find that it’s a lot more fun to ride. I think I spent about $450 on this one, $250 on the last one.
The fact that the bike is easier to ride and so much more fun to ride motivates me to get out there and bike more often, resulting in a net exercise gain as compared to perhaps burning slightly more calories with the heavier bike, but biking half as much.
:smack: That makes me realize that I should have been more specific: when I said get a “good starter bike”, I also meant the best your budget get get from a bike shop and NOT a pre-built beginner’s package.
It’s important to get a frame from a reputable maufacturer, have the bike set up to fit you and a saddle that fits your sit bones. The packages you get from places like “Major Kool Sports… and Appliances” stores won’t be able to do that for you.
Here is a good page about choosing a road bike. It covers a lot of the different materials too including the pros and cons of steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber.
And remember, one of the reasons you want to get the best you can now, is because upgrading compenents can be costly and a pain in the ass later. When I say “upgrade” it really means “I bought a better bike”.
My friends are bike geeks but some good points are raised here about the enjoyment of the ride. As a guitar player the analogy makes sense. Probably won’t go the whole CF route, but I’m starting to see the sense in a good bike.
Thanks SMC for the link.
BTW, Phase42 your bike looks sweet!
Like I said… 
Dude, I don’t know how you do it. :: tips hat ::
Question - does anyone you know not upgrade components? Things break, things wear out, nifty new things ya just gotta have hit the market…everyone I know is constantly upgrading components. That’s why getting a good frame is the most important thing - components are meant to be changed.
Don’t fight the hypothetical, yes, you definitely want a good bike. It just doesn’t have to be the lightest, most expensive thing available. Go to the bike shop and do some test rides; buy what you like (and can afford).
If you get hooked on biking, you’ll be buying a new one in a couple years anyway. If you don’t, well, at least your large paperweight won’t have cost you quite as much. Around here, a good starter bike will run around $300-$600, depending on what you want. You really don’t need the $1500 carbon fiber until you decide if biking’s going to be your new way to spend money. (Last I checked; I haven’t actually gone looking in the last few years.)
One other suggestion - ask 'em about used bikes. Most LBS around here take trade-ins as people upgrade. It’s a good way to get a lot more bike for your money.
