I need a really light bike

[nikica]

hello everyone.

i need to buy a really light bike (like around 7kg) that's easy for handling (like easy removing of wheels for putting in a car).
i currently ride a KTM city bike for a few miles almost everyday.I can manage some 30km of riding (didn't try more) on that bike, but it is quite heavy and I bought it too small for my height so it can fit in an elevator.
i'm 174cm high and have around 65kg. i would like to buy a good bike which i can bring with me on a trip in a car an maybe later do some more cycling with it. I really like bikes that guys ride in Tour the France but don't know if that sort of professional bikes are appropriate for other things other than tour racing.
i know that bikes are expensive but i would like to invest in a good bike.
do you have some suggestions? I like Cervelo bikes but don't know if women can ride them. Maybe Focus?

i would appreciate some advice and sorry if my english is not the best.

Nina

[alpinerabbit]

I'm going to assume you are not a troll or spammer.
7kg is going to be an expensive bike: you will probably have to buy a carbon frame. most brands used in pro racing are sold in sizes appropriate for you (52-54 could fit) and you can ride those even if you are not a pro, or a man (hell yeah).

you could also try a folding bike such as a bike friday for transporting in your car and elevator*. They are a bit heavier than 7kg. But I hear they ride like "big bikes".


*i don't know about your elevator but my normal-sized bikes all fit into ours... if you transport them upright!

[ilima]

ap is right: a bike that light is going to be big bucks. Not only for a light frame, but for the most expensive (and lightest) components.

At your height, you can easily ride a "men's" bike. Cervelo makes some nice bikes. The R3 is probably their lightest bike, and outfitted with Dura-Ace will eat at $5700 hole in your wallet. The RS is build with a taller head tube and costs significantly less, though, at $3500 with Ultegra.

You should try a bunch of bikes. Your height puts you at the sweet spot where shops should have a variety of bikes available in a size that's appropriate for you.

Before you buy you should think about how you want to use the bike. Do you want to be able to add a rack, for example?

[Fish_Lady]

My bike weighs about 17 pounds. What exactly are you considering "light"?

You can get a decent bike and then replace the wheels. High performance wheels can really make a difference in the bike.

(I got this answer from my husband who knows waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more about cycling than I do!)

[nikica]

hey thanks for replying.
i know it is gonna cost and i supposed it is going to have a carbon frame. problem is, i live in croatia and i suppose they will have to import a bike for me. they don't have many bikes at stock here if they have cervelo at all!
so i don't think i will have a chance to try many bikes. maybe if i go to germany and bring the bike to croatia myself by train and that is not the easiest option.

other thing, i know 7kg is very light and it doesn't have to be exactly that weight. i need it to be as light as it possibly can considering the purpose and the money. as for the price i think i wouldn't go higher than some 3800$. problem is, my current bike is i think around 18kg and it is quite clumsy for handling. my elevator is really small and since i find it difficult to put the bike upright i put it straight with the front wheel turned. this light one i could easily carry on the 2nd floor with me.

the other thing that i find problematic is whether i should buy a road bike. i live in town and have a city bike. i would really like to try a road bike but is it suitable for terrains other than concrete. what if you have to ride over the grass for a few hundred metres, or over the roads where there is no concrete? or if i have to jump on the roadside? can you do that with a road bike or you will end with a tire puncture? is it maybe better to consider a mountain bike then? or a hybrid?

thank you all for such a prompt replies.

[alpinerabbit]

ok, now we're getting closer.

If you need a multi-terrain bike, you'll probably be better off with a light hybrid.
They will be around 10 kg and you will easily fit that in your elevator.
And you'll get that for far less than a 7kg thoroughbred carbon horse.

Can you purchase in Slovenia?
I can highly recommend the BMC Alpenchallenge:
Distributor Slovenia
MITRIJE, d.o.o.
Podutiska 177
1000 Ljubljana
Tel. +386 (0)51 382 217

[nikica]

thanks a lot. i will look over the net.
slovenia is definately closer than germany if they cannot be purchased in croatia.

[TxDoc]

I agree with the suggestion of visiting the BMC dealer, BMC makes some of the finest bikes in the world.
You may also like the cross machine - it would allow you to ride everywhere and be definitely faster than a hybrid. The cross machine is a wonderful bike and fairly lightweight. You can see some specs here:
http://www.bmc-racing.com/en/us/bike...te-camo/story/
Good luck

[MartianDestiny]

ok, now we're getting closer.

If you need a multi-terrain bike, you'll probably be better off with a light hybrid.
They will be around 10 kg and you will easily fit that in your elevator.
And you'll get that for far less than a 7kg thoroughbred carbon horse.

Can you purchase in Slovenia?
I can highly recommend the BMC Alpenchallenge:
Distributor Slovenia
MITRIJE, d.o.o.
Podutiska 177
1000 Ljubljana
Tel. +386 (0)51 382 217

I completely agree with Alpine here. You can find a nice, lighter, more maneuverable bike than your current one. BUT, you certainly don't do the things you mentioned (grass, curb jumping, etc) with a 7kg, carbon, Tour de France style, race bike. They are good for one thing, going fast on pavement, and are not known to be the most durable otherwise. One probably wouldn't spontaneously combust if ridden through the grass or popped off a curb once (I've done it in an emergency) but you certainly wouldn't want to plan on it. Plus they are theft magnets (at least around here).

[nikica]

thanks again for all your answers. i found that a hybrid should do for now. i found a Trek hybrid which i like although it certainly isn't even near 7kg.
i will buy this one for now until i will be more experienced for a beauty of a light road bike.

thank you for all your suggestions.

Nina

[Geonz]

Or think about a folding bike. Amazingly easy to get in the car, under the desk, wherever

[Faster Pussycat]

What is the saying...price, weight strength - pick two?

The UCI legal limit I think is about 6.8kgs? So as already noted anything around the 7kg mark is going to be very expensive.

Is there a particular reason why you need a super light bike? I started out with a hybrid and I did go with carbon forks, seat stay etc for lightness . It weighed in about 10-11kgs and I still thought that was pretty light! I had an accident and have lost strength in my right arm so lifting heavy, awkward things in and out of the car was problematic.

Stick it out a little bit longer. My husband recently bought a Specialized Tarmac Expert and with pedals it weighed in at just over 7k. It was also AUD$8000!! Which IMHO is alot of coin for a few kilos.

Enjoy

[barefootdesign1]

Used to be poor but had a very light 16# Viscount road bike(c. '70's). I cycled most every weekend with a friend ten years my junior, in central Florida (headwinds, sand spurs, hurricanes, tourists, dehydration, water moccasins, gators, sunstroke, etc.). She rode a mountain bike. I kept up with her through sand and city riding for years, running with low pressure, knobbier road tires and reinforced tubes (forget type). I actually had an advantage in the sand because I used "Flickers" which drag lightly on the tires and knock off things like glass shards, nails and sand spurs--which puncture only after a number or revolutions drive them through the tire and into the tube. Surprisingly, she would have to stop immediately and use tweezers to pick sand spurs out of her knobby tires or risk a flat. My biggest riding problem occurred with cobblestone streets, which were a bit jarring, considering the short, stiff geometry of my frame. If you have strong rims you can do quite a few stunts on your road bike. Pedal clearance is the biggest issue then, but that only slowed me down occasionally. Popping curbs becomes a quick-stall-and-hop art form if you practice.

[nikica]

thanks again.
i bought a Trek hybrid bike for now. it sure isn't 7kg but it will be fine for now until i buy a proper road bike
i just don't know where will i put all of them.