Is a stiffer bike really faster?

Stiffer, lighter, faster! It seems nearly every newly launched model aims for the superlative in the bike builder’s holy trinity.

Weight is easily quantifiable, aerodynamics ditto – but stiffness is more difficult. Instead, we often hear the frame is ‘15 per cent stiffer’ or has a ‘better stiffness to weight ratio’. A bit like the ‘mine goes to 11’ method of indexing shoe stiffness, the claims coming from assorted brands aren’t comparable.

The numbers don’t compare

Stiffness tests are completed by hanging weights from a frame and measuring