"Once you've experienced lightweight tyres you won't go back," Whittington said. However, this does come with a higher price tag (£65 / $80 per tyre or £130 / $160 per bike) in the same width.
IMAGE FRAMER UPGRADES UPGRADE
Upgrade to the German brand's Grand Prix 5000 (clincher) in the same width and you'll save almost 100 grams per tyre. The Continental Grand Sport Race (£30 / $40 per tyre or £60 / $80 per bike) is a fairly common stock tyre, and a 28mm model has a claimed weight of 330g. Tires do contribute a fair amount towards a bike's overall weight. "Don't forget about tubes - the best tyre needs to deform and reshape itself thousands of times a minute, butyl tubes create friction between the tyre and the tube and at high pressure they don't allow the tyre to deform and move around - the new generation of lightweight and latex tubes reduce this issue and save considerable rotational weight - even better go tubeless and completely remove the problem." Ask any proper crit racer if they'd like more front end grip or a lighter bike and they'll pick grip, every time. A supple tyre will pay you back a million times over as it reacts quickly to the ground beneath you to improve comfort, speed and grip. He put tyres high up on the 'spend' agenda, as well as a consideration for what's inside them: "For me, the very first thing I would consider is tyres, but also tubes and tubeless.
IMAGE FRAMER UPGRADES PRO
More supple compounds smooth out the bumps below you and offering more grip in the corners.Īeightbike's Glen Whittington has worked in multiple workshops, and has been the mechanic to several pro teams. Your tires also play a pivotal role in rolling resistance, as well as comfort. On rougher surfaces, rolling resistance has an even greater impact. The rest is accounted for by aerodynamic drag (70 per cent most of which is you) and drive train friction (10 per cent). TiresĪssuming you're riding on a smooth, flat piece of road at 40kph, rolling resistance makes up about 20 per cent of the total energy you're putting into the bike. Going custom means you're far more likely to be entirely satisfied with the result - greatly reducing the chance of a trade in a few short years down the line.įinally, if you're going to invest in a dream frame, it might be worth adding one more little extra hurdle en route to perfection by getting it faced before you build it up. The time investment is much greater, and the cost will be higher than buying an entry-level frame from a big player - but shop around and custom frames don't have to be more expensive than mid-range off-the-peg options.įor example, custom geo on an Isen steel bike adds just £380 / $465, with frames from £2990 / $3675. The surest bet here? Find a frame builder you trust and buy a custom frame.
Look for 'standard' standards, too - a lot of frames with proprietary components promise aero savings but you're stuffed if you want to replace the seat post only to find it's out of production. Make sure you're choosing a frame with geometry that suits you. Investing in your frame doesn't necessarily mean buying the latest and greatest.
It is better to buy one bike frame and have it last you a decade or more than it is to buy a new bike every three years - both from a pocket orientated and sustainability perspective.
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