asu_gt
new member
Reged: 12/28/07
Posts: 13
|
|
I am thinking of ordering a single dragonfly, in looking at the website description of the d'fly it said:
"This may not seem like much, but the way to make a 12 pound bike is to address every component and look for opportunities for weight savings, no matter how small."
I assume that must be the smallest frame size with some uberlight components. Just curious as to weight of other d'flys out there..especially those that are 58cm.
I bought a d'fly tandem last year and absolutely love it. It has completely removed any tandem envy...the ride, responsiveness and weight are better than anything else i have ridden or owned (trek, co-motion, cannondale, burley and paketa).
J
|
Darby
sage
Reged: 08/03/06
Posts: 423
Loc: Orange County California
|
|
Quote:
asu_gt wrote:
I am thinking of ordering a single dragonfly, in looking at the website description of the d'fly it said:
"This may not seem like much, but the way to make a 12 pound bike is to address every component and look for opportunities for weight savings, no matter how small."
I assume that must be the smallest frame size with some uberlight components. Just curious as to weight of other d'flys out there..especially those that are 58cm.
I bought a d'fly tandem last year and absolutely love it. It has completely removed any tandem envy...the ride, responsiveness and weight are better than anything else i have ridden or owned (trek, co-motion, cannondale, burley and paketa).
J
I would call Craig on it. The 12 pound bike mentioned on the website was probably a 54cm. That seems to be the standard size used for comparison. I would think that a 58cm would add somewhere between 4 - 8 ounces which would still give you a bike less than 13 pounds.
Bruce
|
Bruce
contributor
Reged: 12/27/03
Posts: 133
Loc: North of NYC
|
|
That is basically correct. To get an ultra light bike, you have to consider "everything". An ultra light bike may not be very ridable for very long. For example, ultra light saddles, while 78 grams, are torture for some, depends on the person.
Also, be aware that most published weights are not 100% accurate. Some companies are very good about weights and give you a max weight. Your actual weight may be a few grams less. Tufo tires come to mind. Some manufacturers state a "we made one once that was that" weight, but your copy is generally 15+ grams heavier. While 15 grams may not seem like much, it is 1/2 an ounce, and if 16 components are all 15 grams over, your ultra light bike now weighs 1/2 pound more than it should / you expected.
Also, ultra light is ultra expensive. I did a 60 cm DFly when they first came out and got the bike to 16lb without too much weight weenie stuff, but I still had to count grams.
The basic formula is it costs about $1 per gram you want to remove. It gets expensive quickly.
The argument against weight weenieism is that full water bottles add about 28 ounces of weight (a fluid ounce of water is about 1.043 ounces of weight, not sure why these two obsolete English scales are related, but apparently they are), so why try to save weight when you have to carry water anyway. The counter argument is that weight matters, just try to ride a heavy bike up a hill. Weenie haters don't seem to understand this, or why they are really really slow on hills.
So the bottom like is how light a bike can you afford / want, and when does it become not worth it to lose more weight.
And all this does not address durability / safety issues.
Bruce
|
asu_gt
new member
Reged: 12/28/07
Posts: 13
|
|
My goal is to build it up as hill climber that can also be used for ultra distance events. Before my D'fly tandem I always thought lightweight and durability/comfort would require two bikes.
I am a weight weenie that likes to ride long distance...hoping a single D'fly will provide the same joy as the D'fly tandem.
J
|
Bruce
contributor
Reged: 12/27/03
Posts: 133
Loc: North of NYC
|
|
DFly would be a good choice then. I use mine for a 200 every year. I could probably now get a 60 cm in at 15lb, but not sure if I would want to ride it 200 miles. The DFly is a great frame.
I would try to make a general all around bike. With the amount of $$$ you need to spend, you want to get the most riding out of it. If money is not an issue, check out the new Lew wheels. You will also need a pair of clinchers for daily riding. I love the Topolinos, but there may be a lighter clincher out there, but not by much.
How much does the DFly tandem weigh in at?
We have a Tetra triple at 50lb, and 35 in tandem mode. Disk brakes and string rims. It rocks!
|
asu_gt
new member
Reged: 12/28/07
Posts: 13
|
|
the D'fly tandem weighs in at 27.1 lbs..that includes bottle cages (n=3) and pedals. we could get it down a bit more if we swapped out my wife's saddle for a lighter one...but then she wouldn't ride with me. I think I'll keep the saddle and the wife.
I will check out the LEW wheels.
jay
|
dbarnet1
friend
Reged: 10/09/06
Posts: 34
|
|
I am just putting the finishing touches on my Dragon Fly Custom. I plan on riding it across the country in 2009. The frame size is 53cm. Head Tube and Seat Tube are 72.5 deg. Top tube is 54cm. It has an extended head tube and seat tube. Some how the frame ended up with ?extra strong tubes? and weigh?s 1134 grams un painted and 1215 grams custom painted. The fork is an Alpha Q and weighs 411 grams painted.
I have all of the parts and the bike will weigh?s 6121 grams (13.40 pounds) I could have gotten the bike into the 12+ pound range if I wanted. It has taken me over a year to get all of the components together and now I am in the process of assembling it.
Doing a project like this is a lot of fun. But like Bruce said you must make a list of every single part and then weigh the parts when they are purchased. Here is just one example of what happed with the crank assembly. FSA advertised there new K-Force Light Crank set at 630 grams in the USA and 620 grams in Europe. But when I weighed all the parts the total weight was 670 grams. I sent several e-mails and gave them hell at Interbike last year. Finally they updated there web site and the ?New Light Crank? is listed at 660 grams. Good luck with your project.
|
asu_gt
new member
Reged: 12/28/07
Posts: 13
|
|
I just put the order in for the D'fly. There are some lighter options, but I needed to consider compatibility with my current bikes (in case of a need to part swap the night before an event) and familiarity since I do my own wrenching.
Here is the specs that Craig and I came up with:
58 CM D'fly pro (Cab. red to match my tandem)
DA 10 drivetrain
Ritchey carbon post (may swap that for Thomson superlight)
Zipp SL bar
Zipp Vuma crankset
Zero G Negative G brakes
Ti Cassette
Alpha Q GS-30 fork
No wheelset at the moment...once it arrives I will use an existing set of Mavic ES wheels. These wheels are pretty light and are bombproof from my experience.
|
dbarnet1
friend
Reged: 10/09/06
Posts: 34
|
|
Sounds great to me. good luck with your build.
Dave
|
Bruce
contributor
Reged: 12/27/03
Posts: 133
Loc: North of NYC
|
|
Why paint? Paint adds weight for looks only, you don't need to paint carbon, so why do it?
Nude is cooler, especially since Calfee is about the only carbon bike you can get nude.
Good luck with the bike. Which I could ride a tiny frame like 53cm.
Bruce
|
asu_gt
new member
Reged: 12/28/07
Posts: 13
|
|
paint is pretty :-) actually it will match our tandem. I have a nude kestrel and it is ok, but after detailing my bike i kind of like to see is shine a bit.
i'll use a smaller water bottle to offset the weight of paint.
|
Darby
sage
Reged: 08/03/06
Posts: 423
Loc: Orange County California
|
|
Quote:
asu_gt wrote:
paint is pretty :-) actually it will match our tandem. I have a nude kestrel and it is ok, but after detailing my bike i kind of like to see is shine a bit.
i'll use a smaller water bottle to offset the weight of paint.
I certainly understand that some people do not like the look of a nude bike. However, if you use 303 protectant on it, the frame will shine as much if not more than paint. For me the advantage of the nude finish isn't about weight savings, it is about durability. A nude finish is much more durable than paint. No more chips, scratches or dings in the clear coat paint. So, a 5 or 10 year old frame still looks new.
Bruce
|
asu_gt
new member
Reged: 12/28/07
Posts: 13
|
|
i'll have to try 303 on the kestrel
|
Umlungu
contributor
Reged: 03/04/05
Posts: 184
Loc: Plano, TX
|
|
To me the thing that really makes the nude carbon from Calfee so striking is the unidirectional and unique carbon weaves they use.
The unidirectional fibers really look cool when the 303 is used whereas the standard crosshatch carbon fibers look better but not nearly as stunning. I don't know the technical terms for the types of CF, so if this doesn't make sense I apologize.
The 303 does make the nude carbon pop quite nicely!
|
dbarnet1
friend
Reged: 10/09/06
Posts: 34
|
|
To paint or not to paint? There is no question that the paint on the frame and fork will add 100 grams to the weight of a bike. I chose to paint my bike because it looks awesome, and the additional weight is static not rotational. But the nice thing about this sport/hobby is that a person can choose to build the dream bike that they want.
I will try and post a picture of the frame soon.
But wait; there is another way to save hundreds of grams. Thinking outside the bike an on to the shoes of all things. This is a place most cyclists don't even consider. I can't count the number of people e I've seen ridding with titanium spindles on there pedals and shoes that weigh 600 grams or more pair. My shoes are made by Rocket 7 and weigh 367 grams per pair, that?s a savings of 233 grams of rotational weight. An yes, it could still be 100 grams lighter.
|
Bruce
contributor
Reged: 12/27/03
Posts: 133
Loc: North of NYC
|
|
Rocket 7s are great shoes. I love taking them off after 200 miles. My feet feel totally fine, no hot spots, nothing. For me, it is not about the weight (although that helps a lot), it is about the comfort of a custom shoe.
I did notice a big difference when I went with new pedals and the Rocket 7s. Made spinning so much easier.
|
dbarnet1
friend
Reged: 10/09/06
Posts: 34
|
|
I agree, mine fit like a glove.
|
asu_gt
new member
Reged: 12/28/07
Posts: 13
|
|
the frame should be shipping this week. 
|
dbarnet1
friend
Reged: 10/09/06
Posts: 34
|
|
Good Luck with your build
|
Previous
Thread Index
Next
Threaded
The 12lb Dragonfly mentioned on the website
Edit
Reply
Quote
[Re: 
Re: The 12lb Dragonfly mentioned on the website