What all of you guys who who say the "weight of a bike isn't important" seem to forget is that a 26lb bike feels and rides differently to a 32lb bike. Depending on your preference you might prefer the feel of a heavier bike???, but loads of riders prefer the nimble feel and zippy acceleration you get from a light bike, regardless of rider weight.If you enjoy riding a great lump of metal good for you, but for normal riding around anything over 30lbs seems dead and lifeless to me.
Bike Forum
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bike weights
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Posted 2 years ago #
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taxi25 but for normal riding around anything over 30lbs seems dead and lifeless to me.
Define normal.
Posted 2 years ago # -
here are some pics...
Posted 2 years ago # -
Hardtail 28lbs ish depending on tyres, tandem 50 lbs ish. weighed on bathroom scales so distinctly ish
Both with full mudguards and bottle cages, the tandem also has a rack. Hardtail has pikes so a lb or so could be saved there, take off the guards and bottle cage a bit more gone, 5.1 rims ain't the lightest. No carbon 'cos it scares me. I can easily believe a hardtail in the low 20 lbs without spending silly money with wise choices
all my bikes including the tandem have to be carried up 106 stairs at the end of every ride - weight is important to me. I also ain't that fit but like going into the big mountains.
You can buy a hardtail tandem that is 35 lbs and strong enough for real offroad use - just don't ask the price
Posted 2 years ago # -
kimbers
here are some pics...
Yes it's true, judging by those pics you weigh 13 stone.
Posted 2 years ago # -
judging by my beer belly in this pic i could easily shave off a kilo with some liposuction
Posted 2 years ago # -
OK, have a guess at the weight of this...
...
I have no idea how so many people can claim a 'racing' FS to be the same sort of weight.
Well based on the latter comment, I'd have a stab at 21.5lbs
Based on the spec I'd kind of have thought lighter than that, but then ti frames aren't all that light, road wheels are almost certainly heavier than my MTB wheels (my fairly light road wheels are!) and your finishing kit is almost certainly heavier than what I have.
Posted 2 years ago # -
A hardtail in the low 20s? Easy
Full Suss in the low 20s is a bit more spendy though. My Blur XC Carbon is around 24lbs with full XTR, Rebas, NNs on 355/Pro2 and carbon bars & stem. I can think of a few ways to make it a bit lighter at some additional cost, but also feel it would start to be getting a bit less robust. Weight is important for me because I expect to be pushing/carrying it up a few mountains.
Posted 2 years ago # -
My 6" bike is 28lbs
Oh, that's with a huge front tyre, lock-on's and heavy Hope Tech M4's
Quite possible, although I'm guessing a very light frame, like an Ibis.
These threads are quite ammusing. Usually the same people saying the same things I like a light bike because I'm fairly light myself, so its more important. But I don't go to extremes.
Did anyone know that Julian Absalon only uses 3 bolts on his chain rings! - I'd so laugh if it broke and he lost a race because of it!I am sure he is 100% happy that it is safe for HIM to do that. No doubt he has tested is lots of times and had no problems. If he thought that an extra 5g would cost him a race, then he wouldn't do it... but if your sure it wont break then why not?
Posted 2 years ago # -
My bike above is a tad over 20lbs & its skittish as hell, in a good way though, I don't think I could ride a trail bike that was less than 25lbs ish.
Posted 2 years ago # -
That's not gonna be less than 25 that one at a guess?
Spreadsheet says just over 23lbs but I've not weighed the bike at the spec it is now. Wouldn't be surprised if it was really more like 24-25lbs though.
It's about as light as is reasonable and without spending a lot more cash. As it is it has mostly XTR drivetrain and brakes (XT cassette and LX front mech), Hope XC/317 wheels, carbon 'post and bars, SID Team forks, a sub 200g saddle and light (400g) Continental Speed King Supersonic tyres. Most of those were 2nd hand and therefore not too expensive. I'm very happy with the bike in its current form and have no plans to change anything - except possibly switching the tyres to 1.8 Fire XC Pro's for the winter.
It's a lot lighter than the original spec (it was a 2005 base model V-braked bike) but also rides way, way better than it did then.
I could lose twice that weight from my own bodyweight and still be regarded as overweight, but despite that I do find that a saving of 3 or 4 pounds of the weight of the bike has a significant impact when climbing, much more so than a similar saving in bodyweight.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I have just discover that 13kg =30 lbs:'(
I always thought 30 lbs = 15kg...
How well I just have an heavy bike then... For what I care... It goes up at reasonnable pace and down even quicker.
And for all the people that spend hours browsing spreadsheets, online shop lbs etc etc etc to be able to get their bike lighter "so they can ride for longer" just a tip...
So doing it and ride the **** damn thing Posted 2 years ago # -
My Santa Cruz Jackal with a good stong build comes in at 28lb which feels great on a 4x track or dirt jumps. And my Lapierre Froggy is 34lb which I think is good going for a 7" travel frame and feels perfect, I would not want to go much lighter.
Most of the weight saved on the builds is from the wheels and tyres.
Posted 2 years ago # -
The lightweight FS bikes on here are seriously expensive bits of kit, it's as simple as that!
The 3 that come to mind are Dougal's MSC, aracer's Scott and my Epic. All three are significantly >£5000 worth. That's how you get a light FS bike!
Yes sorry Steve, that's going to be a fair chunk more than 23, that's an early Epic frame, 03-04, and that itself weighed a lot, the wheels are heavy. Add at least 10% to any spreadsheet weight!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Bike weights are advertised without pedals.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Aye, and even 4ti Eggbeaters are 165g, which is over 1/3 lb. XTR pedals are pretty much double that.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Yes sorry Steve, that's going to be a fair chunk more than 23, that's an early Epic frame, 03-04, and that itself weighed a lot, the wheels are heavy. Add at least 10% to any spreadsheet weight!
It's a 2003. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it is around 25lbs or so - in fact for the type of general riding I do that's probably about the best weight for it. Based on previous experience with hardtails I've tended to find them quite skittish if they're down into the low 20's.
The weight weenies/spreadsheet weights are only really useful for comparison between components in my experience. For full bike weights they seem to give an optomistic value.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Yes WW is a good resource for that certainly, although a lot of the listings are now really out of date, seems fewer and fewer people are uploading things these days.
Agree light bikes do get very skittish, planted is not a word I'd use to describe my Epic, which is why it wouldn't be my choice for 'normal' trail riding in an ideal world. Great race bike though!
Posted 2 years ago # -
Rusty - even if it's the newer lighter frame, that sounds superlight for a jackal (or is it singlespeed?).
if you're using light tyres and rims on a 7" travel bike you're kidding yourself that you need anywhere near 7" travel.
just IMO of course Posted 2 years ago # -
Yeah I though the Froggy was meant to be about 38lb - 4lbs off is a fair old chunk for a 'freeride' bike.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Wow, nice hybrid. That must make short work of your commute.
Posted 2 years ago # -
In answer to how much that weighs I'd guess at 21-22lbs.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I'd say lighter. My CX bike is about 22-23lbs and that has nothing fancy on it at all. That thing has the look of a proper spastic Bambi.
Posted 2 years ago # -
It was informed by the fact he was shocked at FS bikes being the same weight!
To be honest a dark photo makes it virtually impossible to tell anyway! It appears to have FSA wheels, which are rather porky for a start!
Posted 2 years ago # -
My 456SE is over 30lbs easily.
My Heckler is 35lbs easily with an air shock.
My Scott Octane is 32lbs.
My Fisher is 25lbs.
My roadbike should be around 25lbs one day but is 30lbs.
Why bother with scales, us common sense!Posted 2 years ago # -
In the midst of a very quiet afternoon at work I googled the weights of each of the components of my Marin Rock Springs and input them into an Excel spreadsheet. I managed to get within a few ounces of the 34lb published weight and then made the necessary adjustments for the upgrades I've fitted since... The results were somewhat shocking.
Despite replacing the fork, cranks, seatpost, tyres, saddle and shifters I have only managed to lose 1lb from the all up weight!
Then I decided to stop being so anal about how much my bike weighs, man up and lose fomr pounds from me instead.
Posted 2 years ago # -
within a few ounces of the 34lb published weight
Which will also be very optimistic
Posted 2 years ago # -
Which will also be very optimistic
My thoughts exactly! I was surprised to get so close.
It was slightly depressing to realise my preferred Crank Bros Mallets cost me nearly a lb over the Candy pedals the bike was shipped with.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Aye, adds up very quickly.
Posted 2 years ago # -
kimbers where is that woodwork trail in your 3rd picture?
Posted 2 years ago # -
richc its chicksands
Posted 2 years ago # -
My Spec' SX Trail 1 is about 37-40Lbs, still 'rideable' on day though
Posted 2 years ago # -
The lust for lightweight is frustrating, best place to loose weight from is your wheels and tyres, the most important parts of your bike are? yep you guessed it tyres (the bits that enable you to accelerate, brake and turn) and wheels (too light and weedy = walk home)
Grrr!if you want a lightweight bike you have to care about 5grams, I like Tazzy's cake analogy.
I guess people want to lose weight from their bikes instead of themselves coz it's instant gratification something our society is keen on nowadays. Plus it's easy to identify, if you ride a 35lb bike and someone hands you a 25lber you'll see/feel the difference right away. Slowly losing weight and getting into shape is harder to notice, (unless you time yourself and stuff) the changes are so slow and gradual.
(none of my bikes are light)
Posted 2 years ago # -
If you have an un-flashy heavy bike, and ride as much as someone with a light one, you will be a) fitter, and b) richer. I don't see what's not to like, to be honest.
Posted 2 years ago # -
mmmmm, a set of fishing scales has just landed on my desk to weigh this weekends new bike build when its done.... Been trying to get my mate Lard's weight off him to work out his % on his 27/8lb full susser but he is being very coy about it...
Posted 2 years ago #
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