Gilbert's Canyon

[djconnel]

Some people were surprised at the claimed weight for Phillippe Gilbert's bike in the recent CyclingNews article:

Total weight as pictured is 6.90kg (15.21lb)

The wheels are listed at 1.75 kg, or 2.33 kg with tires. So adding up some reasonable numbers, bearing in mind the frame is heavily painted which will add close to 100 grams compared to a naked frame:

Campy: 1.9 kg
frame: 1.1 kg (total: 3.0)
wheels: 2.33 kg (5.33) w/ tires
headset 0.1 kg (5.43)
cables: 0.2 kg (5.63)
pedals: 0.2 kg (5.83)
bars: 0.25 kg (6.08)
stem: 0.15 kg (6.23)
tape: 0.05 kg (6.28)
fork: 0.35 kg (6.63)
cages:0.1 kg (6.73)
bolts:0.05 kg (6.78)
saddle: 0.2 kg (6.98)
seatpost: 0.2 kg (7.18)
quick releases: 0.12 kg (7.30)
total: 7.3 kg

I suspect the listed weight isn't "as pictured" but rather with different wheels. Hard to pull 400 grams out of my estimates.

 

[the student]

I dont know i think you are way too high with the frame... the frameset is at 1090 on their website. But you can shave some bits of at evrything. I think that bike will come a little bit closer to 7.1.

 

[hfer07]

Wheels= 1750 g.

 

[LugHugger]

I dont know i think you are way too high with the frame... the frameset is at 1090 on their website. But you can shave some bits of at evrything. I think that bike will come a little bit closer to 7.1.

no surprise. the frameset is stated at 1090g so start by subtracting stem and post weight from the above equation giving you a saving of 350g and bringing you to within 50g. are any of us really that anal that we'll quibble of the weight of a mid-ride pee? excuse the phrasology

 

[the student]

Or the added weight of two water bottles

 

[ergmonkey]

I think Gilbert's a lot more likely to care about the extra flex in this year's frame. The "improved aerodynamics" on the other hand--I'm pretty skeptical.

 

[djconnel]

Wheels= 1750 g.

The number I have includes tires, from the Mavic website. 1750 is w/o tires.... yes, these wheels will keep moving once you get them up to speed .

I have 1100 for the frame. I assume the naked frame's around 1000 grams (same as the old Cervelo SLC-SL, small size) but the heavy white paint and increased size bring it up to 1100. But now I see the frame, listed in "matte black", is indeed listed at 1090. There's no way 1090 includes the fork. So with the white paint it's probably closer to 1.2 kg, not even accounting for size difference.

edited: I'd accidently typed R3-SL. I'd meant SLC-SL.

 

[Jancouver]

The number I have includes tires, from the Mavic website. 1750 is w/o tires.... yes, these wheels will keep moving once you get them up to speed .

I have 1100 for the frame. I assume the naked frame's around 1000 grams (same as the old Cervelo RS-SL, small size) but the heavy white paint and increased size bring it up to 1100. But now I see the frame, listed in "matte black", is indeed listed at 1090. There's no way 1090 includes the fork. So with the white paint it's probably closer to 1.2 kg, not even accounting for size difference.

Why do you think the frame is so heavy? He may even have some lighter version and the paint is already counted in. Same for the size. Bigger bikes are not much heavier. I have size 60 SuperSix that is 900g and fork around 330g. Even if we talk "heavy" aero frames, my Cervelo P3 TT bike size 61 with pedals and everything including 50mm carbon wheels is 16lb.

 

[djconnel]

Actually, I've never heard of pro riders using lighter versions of production frames: only heavier or stock.

They have little motivation to go to lighter frames, since they can easily get to the UCI 6.8 kg limit with carbon wheels, and since more carbon on the frame typically makes a stiffer bike with a better ride. Look at Pinarellos, which are probably the heaviest stock carbon frames on the Pro Tour, and yet are very popular with riders.

Bettini, for example, rode a special 1200 gram Specialized Tarmac, which he specifically had beefed up from the production model.

This goes back for decades. Jan Heine has two very nice books out: "The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles" and "The Competition Bicycle". Each has stats for frames from randonneuring (the first book) and racing (the second book). The lightest frames are from the former, where there were competitions for producing lightweight bikes which could be ridden over challenging routes. The racers, on the other hand, have always preferred stiffer, stronger frames.

What makes this bike so heavy is the wheels: they're at least 600 grams heavier than "typical" carbon tubulars.