COMPONENT WEIGHTS

Having a lighter bicycle will save you energy every time you ride uphill. A light bike is also desirable in road races and criteriums where you will need to accelerate frequently in response to attacks. Having a lighter bike is better. This assumes that the light weight is achieved without adversely sacrificing the strength, stiffness, durability or safety of the component.

Of all the places where weight can be saved having lighter wheels will offer the greatest benefit. Fortunately lightweight tubes, tires and rim tapes are also one of the least expensive places to reduce weight. Many off the peg bikes will be specced with cheap wire bead clincher tires weighing in excess of 300g, oem rubber rim strips weighing over 30g each and inner tubes weighing over 100g each. Good quality clincher tires are available weighing less than 200g, tubes are available weighing 55g and rim tapes from 6g. Combined savings of over 300g of rotational weight compared with most OEM set ups are available.

In 2000 the UCI introduced a minimum bike weight of 6.8kg for road and TT bikes which is approximately 14.96lbs. Now its possible to buy a complete off the peg bike under this weight to which you'll need to attach weights if taking part in any races. Of course not everyone wants to race and many people get as much satisfaction in the process of building up their perfect bike by considered selection of frame, wheels and components as they do riding the finished article.

Groups Road

SRAM made claims to have produced the first sub 2kg groupset in their 2008 Red offering. However anyone who had taken the time to add up the component weights would have found that Campagnolo Record 10sp was under 2kg in 2007.

In 2011 SRAM Red still have the lightest group available (by 26g) with their BB30 crank option, however the BB30 cranks are not compatible with many bikes as yet. The Campagnolo Super Record group at 1875g is the lightest group that can be fitted to any standard bike.

Campagnolo

	Campagnolo Super Record	Campagnolo Record	Campagnolo Chorus	Campagnolo Athena
Crankset	585a	627	667	644b
BB Cups	45	46	46	72
Shift Lever	330	337	337	360
Rear Derailleur	155	172	186	209
Front Derailleur	72	74	76	92
Chain	239	239	255	255
Cassette	177	201	230	230
Brake Calipers	272	278	299	306
Group Weight in g	1875	1974	2096	2168
Group Weight in lb	4.13	4.35	4.62	4.78

^a The Super Record group was weighed with the titanium crankset option.

^b The Athena group was weighed with the carbon crankset and shift levers.

 

Shimano

	Shimano Dura Ace Di2	Shimano Dura Ace 7900	Shimano Ultegra 6700	Shimano 105 5700
Crankset	636	636	737	834
BB Cups	89	89	102	102
Shift Lever	459	448	490	492
Rear Derailleur	225	166	209	232
Front Derailleur	124	67	89	112
Chain	249	249	280	291
Cassette	163	163	204	205
Brake Calipers	293	293	330	356
Battery + Loom	137c	n/a	n/a	n/a
Group Weight in g	2375	2111	2441	2624
Group Weight in lb	5.23	4.65	5.38	5.78

^c The Di2 system requires a battery and electrical cables which cannot be cut shorter. Together the battery and cables weigh 217g for 'medium' length. Typically the weight of standard shift cables would be 80g so we have added 137g to the weight of the Di2 group to take into account this difference.

 

SRAM

	SRAM Red BB30/GXP	SRAM Force>BB30/GXP	SRAM Rival	SRAM Apex
Crankset GXP	655	676	739	890
GXP BB Cups	105	115	115	inc above
Crankset BB30	630	645	n/a	n/a
BB30 Bearings	51	52	n/a	n/a
Shift Lever	280	303	340	344
Rear Derailleur	153	178	188	190
Front Derailleur	58	88	88	89
Chain	257	257	277	277
Cassette	155	210	210	210
Brake Calipers	265	280	287	308
BB30 Group in g	1849	2013	2244	2308
BB30 Group in lb	4.07	4.43	4.94	5.08
GXP Group in g	1928	2107	n/a	n/a
GXP Group in lb	4.25	4.64	n/a	n/a