Originally Posted by Ranger
Less weight means the ride is more enjoyable? So when i ride my 22lb road bike, I am enjoying it more than when i ride my 31 lb mountain bike? I guess i never noticed that out of the thousands of miles i've ridden. I'll have to pay better attention next time.
Yes. Less weight makes the ride more enjoyable...depending on where you are riding. It also depends on who is riding the bike. You've already stated that you don't do singletrack. You also live in Salina, KS. We obviously ride in very different environments. I can tell you from personal experience that hucking a 31 pound bike 4 to 6 hours into the mountains of Colorado to an altitude of 12,000 to 13,000 feet is a less than enjoyable experience. On a 25lb bike, what was a death march becomes an adventure.
And take my argument in context. A 100 lb woman is trying to push 1/3 of her body weight up that same hill. Do you ride a bike that is 1/3 of your body weight? Even at 25 lbs it's going to be 1/4 of her body weight. I doubt if your 31 pound machine even weights 1/4 of your body weight. Would you be willing to ride a 40 or 50 lb bike everywhere? Would it be enjoyable? Maybe or maybe not. I have ridden bikes that are approaching 1/3 of my body weight - willingly. And I've had fun doing it. But I wouldn't want to do it every day on every ride. It just wouldn't be that fun all the time.
Originally Posted by Ranger
More durable? That is possible but debatable. I've ridden entry level components for thousands of miles with not problems. Same with better stuff. The facts are that weight has little to do with how much you enjoy your bike.
More durable in that it is better made and better sealed against the elements. Higher end components will perform better - usually - in bad conditions longer than less expensive components. And if those components are performing better, the ride is more enjoyable. The fact that they weigh less is a bonus.
Originally Posted by Ranger
I'd put ACCESSORIES way above weight in terms of enjoying cycling. Save $500 when buying the bike and spend it on a nice pair of shorts, a comfortable saddle, a bike rack so you can bring the bike with you, a nice jersey, some basic tools for repair, etc. Those items will have a much greater impact on your enjoyment.
I'd MUCH rather have a $500 Trek 4500, with all the accessories, than a Trek 6700 with no accessories.
I don't look on it as an either/or proposition. Perhaps it's because I've been doing this for so long. I already have all that stuff and don't have to worry about it. There are, however, some items that I consider as essential as wheels:
1. A pump, so that you don't end up having to walk 20 or 30 miles out of the middle of nowhere. I would no more leave home without my pump then I'd walk out of my house without my glasses.
2. Something to fix a flat. See above
3. Tools to fix broken stuff