Weight Weenie

As with many people in this over-weight world we live in, I've been trying to lose weight. You see, I didn't like how fake I'd look on a really nice bike, with my gut hitting the top tube. I actually have lost some weight (about 10lbs), but I don't look anywhere near road-biker-skinny yet.

One of the reasons I like my Synapse so well, and a factor in why I fell in love with it during my review, was the weight. You see, I was surprised that I could really tell the difference (especially in the wheels) when compared to my old heavy road bike. Some of that difference is in the stiffness of the frame, but surely not all of it.

Thus began my love of all things light.

Or, to be more precise, it reminded me of how much I used to love light things before I gave all that up in favor of fun.

Back before suspension forks were all the rage, I remember counting grams on my old mountain bike--no small feat considering how many grams made up my bike. I remeber looking at things like titanium bolts and scandium brake boosters thinking such things as, "Wow, that'd save about 50 grams off my current setup" and, "$30 for a bolt isn't that expensive." Luckily, I didn't have any money back then to spend on bolts.

More recently (but not the present), I realized that I'd rather have a plush full-suspension bike with gobs of travel, big disc brakes, and beefy tires. My mountain bike is heavy, but oh so fun. Sure, I'd rather have a lighter stem, wheels or tires, but I really enjoy riding my bike.

Lately, I've been putting more miles on the Synapse. In fact, my mountain bike probably feels a little dejected. (At least part of my neglect, though, is due to the snow in the mountains.) Because of that, I've been really thinking about how I could shave some weight off my current mountain rig. Funny, that.

*wife, don't read this next part*

In truth, though, my real desire isn't to make my full suspension bike lighter. What I'm really planning out in my evil plotting mind is what I want for my next bike. Perhaps a light-weight hardtail? Maybe something more XC-oriented? It's an illness, I know.

*okay, wife, you can read again*

I won't be buying anything anytime soon, though, and I'm quite happy with what I've got. Who wouldn't be? I'd better just concentrate on my weight for now. It's much cheaper--though perhaps not as fun to obsess over.