Just built my missus a tiny 650c bike using a second hand ally frame and bits sourced from ebay and here.
Comes in at 20.5lbs.

Is that a good weight? I know there’s scope to lose some from the bars and stem without too much cost, but lighter wheels, frmae and forks will cost loads more.

ask her

she thinks its too heavy.
But she’s never owned or ridden a road bike before, and neither have I so can’t compare to what’s available.

Weight is cost dependant – if it’s cheap…..

it’s certainly not heavy, I’d take good tyres on my road bike over lighter anyday.

sound similar to my GF’s giant defy 2, my cannondale six 105 is claimed at about 18 but then its £1800 and carbon

18 lbs is a decent weight for a road bike. Pro bikes are around 15 lbs. Lightest in the world is just over 6 lbs. For 650c I would’ve thought you’d go under 20 lbs quite easily.

If she has never owned or ridden one and you’ve just built one up especially for her and she’s already complaining, tell her to HTFU and go train harder.

I’ve never actually weighed my road bike, or particularly felt the need to, but now for some reason I really want to know..

my medium planet x sl carbon sram red is around 18

IIRC the cheaper offerings from Spesh Trek etc seem to be around the 21 lb mark.

Generally* around the 2k mark they start hitting 18 lb and get lighter as the price increases.

*They’ll always be a few bikes that are lighter/heavier at a given price point.

So, if it didn’t cost too much to build you’ve done ok.

She’s not even ridden this one yet! I only built it last night (not bad for a Christmas present) and she picked it up when she got back from the pub.
The other comment was that it loosk like a kid’s bike.

DSC_0842 by ir_bandito, on Flickr

Tyres are Schwalbe Stelvio folding, so fairly light. Wheels are “Madux” cheapie off ebay and the frame is Decathlon. Both could be replaced with lighter versions, but at cost. This cost about £300 all in.

1. That’s a hybrid, not a road bike.

2. I’ve got the 700c version of that frame, it’s utter ****. Weighs a ton and flexes loads. Well done on getting it down to a reasonable weight for only £300.

3. Grateful, isn’t she? 😉

That’s a fairly decent weight for a cheap hybrid.

I’d say that was a pretty reasonable weight, certainly if you built it on a budget. I doubt there’s any single place you could lose a big chunk of weight (unless you’ve got an unusually heavy frame or wheels) – it’s usually just little amounts off everything that makes the difference between what you’ve got and a (say) 18 lb bike.

My lightest bike (fast tourer/audax, Mercian 531 frame with Campag Centaur/Chorus/Record mixture) weighs a bit over 22lbs with luggage rack and mudguards, which I think is quite good for a “non-race” bike. But it’s also relatively expensive (probably cost something like £2500 to replace with new parts). In 2006 I had the frame refurbished (was new in 1990) and rebuilt the bike with road/race components rather than the old mix of MTB and road stuff (I used to use it for heavier touring). That dropped around 3 lbs from the overall weight, but using lighter wheels (OpenPros instead of the old touring rims) made a big difference to the feel of the bike. I’d say it “feels” pretty much as fast as some much lighter bikes I’ve ridden.

I wouldn’t worry so much about total weight, but definitely look at the wheels as the first area to upgrade/throw money at – makes the biggest difference to the riding experience, rather than just a number to quote at people.

EDIT Just seen your other post – I reckon you’ve done pretty well for the money. Lose the flat bars though!!!

It depends.
My first steel roadie was 21 lbs, my next one was 20 lbs, my aluminium road bike was 19 lbs, my current middle aged crisis bike is 16.75 lbs, a Scott Addict..

But two full water bottles = 1500mls = 1500g = 3.3 lbs, so overall weight = 20lbs.

20 lbs = 9 kg.

9 kg from a total weight of about 90 kg, that’s me, dressed, is 10%.

So the actual difference between my heaviest bike and my lightest one is a tiny amount when considered in terms of the real world, which is where I do most of my riding.

My 58cm frame Cannondale Supersix (ultegra)is just over 16lbs off the peg with Look Carbon Keo’s

MM

My Trek 2.3 is about 19.8lbs. RRP on that was £1,300.

My cinelli weights 7.5kg which I think is about 16.5 pounds? 8Kg is a good weight for a midrange road bike I reckon. What’s that, about 17.5 pounds?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=8kg+in+lbs

Tell the ungrateful cow to have a dump before she rides it.

And come back and let us know how she responds.

cheers all (incl chakaping)
Seems like a good one to start with. As i said, its her first road bike and it’ll be upgraded/replaced asap (incl drop bars)

Not a bad weight for that TBH, that frame and the cranks are both quite heavy. Perfectly functional though so hats off for building all that up for £300, good little bike.

UCI set a minimum weight limit for pro road bikes of 6.8kg (15lb) although that rule came in years ago when riders were drilling out alu frames to save weight and then the frames would break. With modern carbon frames and lightweight kit it’s easily possible to build up 12-13lb road bikes. If you go silly and uber expensive then sub 10lb is possible.

My alu S-Works with Dura Ace and American Classics is 16.8lb.

20.5lb for a £300 hybrid is quite frankly bloody impressive.

My road bike, a Giant Defy 2 rrp of £825 last year, is 21lb naked! And for the money, mine was one of the lightest bikes around…

Does she ride mountain bikes at all, and if so, how heavy is her bike and does she complain at the weight of it?

Yes, she rides mtbs (although not properly for a while)
She used to have a 13.5″ Marin Mount Vision which was pretty light, but is now back on her ’95 Spesh Hardrock with Pace RC36 forks which weighs about 25lbs. And she thinks that’s too heavy..

Having just got a nice light road bike, it is so much more enjoyable to ride than a 20lb plus one.

If you are putting in the miles then its worth the investment in something c 18lbs

6.8kg.
My road bike is considerably heavier, close to 10kg I imagine. I’m not that fussed about the weight as it doesn’t stop me riding it, having fun and/or taking the odd carbon bling scalp on the climbs.
Maybe she needs to focus on fitness more than anything, bad workmen/women blaming tools and all that. 😉

My canyon aeroad is 16lbs 1oz. although if the rider is carrying a few extra pounds it’s all a waste of time isn’t it?

Maybe she needs to focus on fitness more than anything

No. She doesn’t. She’s very, very fit.
But being only 5′ tall, she only weighs 7 stone or so. so her bike weighs about 20% of her body weight.

I bet you’d complain if your bike was 20% of your weight…

There are a few 14kg bikes out there, my Pipedream can’t be far off 11-12kg. Not sure of your point… 😉

To be fair, a number of the top female XC racers weigh sod all and it doesn’t make that much difference – she’s got less mass to carry up the hills.

Considering what you’ve got it seems a good weight.

Tyres are Schwalbe Stelvio folding, so fairly light[b]shite[/b]

it took me years not to be tight with road tyres but I won’t be making that schoolboy error again in a hurry.