I find the win on Powercranks less compelling (though not without some interest)…than the fact that he won a hill climb on what was probably a 19-20lb bike… WON A HILL CLIMB against fellow Cat 1/2 cyclists…who were likely riding lightweight wonderbikes…and here comes this guy on a pedestrian training bike with super-heavy cranks and a rear wheel that probably weighed 1 lb more than any one else’s in the race…
Still think you need to sweat those 30 grams you could drop by replacing your stem? What about wheels…still worried by the fact that Zipp clincher rims are so much heavier than their tubular counterparts (while not wanting the “hassle” of tubulars)? Or how about the “portliness” of, say, a 3.5lb Blade frame…
That isn’t to say that lightweight is necessarily bad…just that some level of circumspection is prudent. Too many folks are prioritizing weight too far up on the list of factors to consider in their bike/bike part purchases. A sub-15 lb bike is truly a wonder to behold…but may be more trouble than its worth if it can’t survive a reasonable training load without a ton of tinkering and replacement of failed parts.
This is all fine, but simple physics dictates that all thing other than weight being equal, this rider would have been even faster on a lighter bike. Sorry guys, the engine is most important, but the bike still matters.
I wish I would have known about this race. I could’ve made it up there, and judging by the statistics it’s almost an identical match to the front side of Glendora Mountain Road (8.2 x 2260’ compared to 8.5 x 2250’), which I ride often.
The winner went 34:20 and the fact of the matter is that is a very respectable, but not exceedlingly fast time. Certainly guys can go sub 30 up that climb, as a few have done up GMR, and when you start getting into that territory you are approaching the limits of the body, which is when 2-3kgs will make a huge difference.
Basically, if it was an important race and any notable climbers were going to show up, he’d of rode his C’dale Six13.