Commuting - My Commuter's a Porker!

The road bike guys like to talk about their sub-18lb bikes.

Heh... I have my Soma Double Cross set up for commuting with a lot of heavy stuff on it.

I just weighed it... 35.5 lbs including Brooks B17 saddle, heavy duty wheels (Mavic T519 touring rims with db spokes and XT hubs and Panaracer Pasela TG 700x28 tires), Sugino XD 46/36/26 triple, 11/34 XT cassette, Speedplay frogs, 105 FD and XT RD, 105 brifters, 2 bottle holders, rear rack, pump, Niterider HID headlight/taillight/battery, fenders, computer, Carradice Barley bag (with maps, tire repair stuff, spare tube, tools, SQR mount) and a full Polar water bottle.

That's like TWO of those lightweight road bikes... but this is my only bicycle, set up for all-weather daily riding, including all the crap I normally carry. The only time it actually *feels* heavy to me is when I have to carry it up stairs.

Anyone else here care to post your "real world, ready for the commute" bike weights? If you do weigh yours, please make sure it's "ready to ride", the way you leave for your commute on it.

The easy way to weigh it is to use a bathroom scale. Weigh yourself. Then pick up the loaded bike and weigh yourself again. Subtract your weight from the total and you'll have the bike weight.

Here's a picture, dressed for battle:

Haven't weighed my Trek 420 fully rigged, but it's just under 26 pounds without anything at all on it.

You're in heavy company if you speak to people with fully loaded commuters. There are ultralight commuters, but ultralights IMO are not everyday commuters, only fair weather commuters.

My hybrid Giant Cypress SX that stock weighed something like 23 lbs is now somewhere around 37. Can't remember if that's with all the stuff I carry to work. I think it is. Must be.

On clear days without chance of precip, I have a single speed road bike that I use with a messenger bag. It weighs about 18 lbs, but then my messenger bag probably weighs 10 lbs on my back.

I enjoy both. The heavy one is perfect for those days when the weather is bad. The single speed is fun on the other days. But the 18 lb difference doesn't seem like that much.

Nice Soma!

I think this will be an interesting thread if people post their real-world weights. I don't think we have a buncha weight-weenies here. ;-)

If I can get the money together I'd like to build a SS too. My commute is pretty flat and during nice weather it'd be nice to ride something like that!

53lb when I ride out the door

53lb when I ride out the door

Whoa! Care to elaborate? Maybe I need to be carrying more stuff! :)

A SS is cheap. Look in Craigslist for a mid-80s road bike that fits and looks good. Strip it of it's gears and see the single speed/fixed forum for gear options. I bought my 1985 Trek 460 for $100 and spent an extra $60 on the conversion.

http://img315.imageshack.us/img315/5687/trekss5ek.jpg

Whoa! Care to elaborate? Maybe I need to be carrying more stuff! :)

Cheap hardtail mountain bike with suspension forks. Uses fairly heavy (therefore cheap) components. I built a 20 watt light system that includes a 7.2 Ah sealed lead-acid battery which is also quite heavy because I needed 5 hours a day of light due to my long commute being over 60 miles round trip all in darkness during winter. has a Topeak beam rack & trunk bag with a bunch of spares including 3 inner tubes. 2 water bottles, lunch, change of clothes. So my commute is more like touring than commuting :rolleyes:

A SS is cheap. Look in Craigslist for a mid-80s road bike that fits and looks good. Strip it of it's gears and see the single speed/fixed forum for gear options. I bought my 1985 Trek 460 for $100 and spent an extra $60 on the conversion.

http://img315.imageshack.us/img315/5687/trekss5ek.jpg



Niiiiiice :D

what does she weigh?

Bsyptak, I'd kill for your cranks and a pair of brake levers like that... What are they?

i have a trek 7200, i weighed my rack trunk on the UPS scale at work and it came to 15 pounds or so with my ulock, pants, lunch, coins, and other stuff.

i try to leave the u-lock at home when i can, but then i can't make a spur of the moment errand if needed

A lock isn't part of the gear I carry routinely while commuting, although sometimes I add one Ortlieb pannier and a u-lock and cable if I know I will need to stop somewhere and/or carry something.

I usually don't do spur of the moment errands during my commute unless it is a place where I feel like I can just bring the bike in.

Surprisingly few places object when I just waltz in with the bike, too.

My "piggy" is an old Schwinn World Tourist (made by Giant for Schwinn)
lugged steel framed , fendered, steel wheeled bike I bought new.

I've added.......
nashbar rack
jannd trunk
jannd econo panniers
nashbar frame bag
pair of scooter mirrors
small light duty windshield.
nashbar handlebar bag
small battery powered speakers
am/fm cassette in bar bag for tunes
mud flaps with naked ladies on them
adjustable stem
new vibe damping handgrips. (getting HARD to find now)
bicycle sized yellow triangle "slow vehicle" sign at rear
bike club bike lock
front pannier rack
Mesinger seat w/crash rail and springs fore & aft

Total weight.......
62lbs!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: :beer:

OK, you guys are starting to make my porker look puny!

53lb when I ride out the door
61-63 pounds (depending on seasonal clothing change/packed lunch) when I commute daily 24 miles r/t. 48 pounds without black bag (clothing change, tools, poncho, lunch) and water.

... amazing!

ouch!!!! I think I hurt my back ;)

I don't know exactly. But when I commute you can figure 40 give or take after you throw in the work clothes.. When I tour it's a few pounds more.
I'd love to have one of those sub-20 pound bikes for group rides.

I don't know exactly. But when I commute you can figure 40 give or take after you throw in the work clothes.. When I tour it's a few pounds more.
I'd love to have one of those sub-20 pound bikes for group rides.
I assume that group rides and commuting are mutually exclusive activities with often conflicting requirements for most suitable equipment.

I assume that group rides and commuting are mutually exclusive activities with often conflicting requirements for most suitable equipment.

That depends on what time you're riding to work.

I can always strip 10lbs off my bike fairly quickly if I want to ride a lighter one. Problem is, the stuff that's on there is stuff I feel like I *need* on there. For instance, even though I have relatively flatproof tires, I still carry a patch kit, spare tube, levers, and a pump. Kinda the old "belt & suspenders" thing I guess.

I hate not being prepared to handle at least the most likely problems, so even if I had a sub-18lb technobike I'd still feel naked riding more than a few blocks from my house (basically, walking distance) without some of the stuff.

I *have* stripped all the extra stuff off and ridden the bike, and it's fun, but I was nervous until I got home. Besides, I ride for fun and fitness, and a heavier bike is actually better for fitness riding IMO.

As for group rides? I'm too slow and too much of a curmudgeon to ride with other people.

You guys are nuts! My Dahon folder is around 23lbs out of the box. I haven't weighed it with lights and such on it, but my new main light list at about 2lbs and my red blinkie just a couple of ounces. I switched the stock pedals for SPDs but the weight difference is negligible.

Of course I carry stuff in my backpack when I ride, but I can't imagine there's more than 10lbs of stuff in it between repair stuff, a set of work clothes and a water bottle (and I have an ultralight biking backpack). So I guess my "commuting setup" comes out to probably no more than 35lbs. Light. :)

So far in *this* particular buncha folks, the mid-30lb area seems to be at the low end of the range.

I'm surprised, I thought my setup was heavy.

Havent weighed my bike but it must be in the 30lbs area. I live on the second floor at my apartment complex and it sucks having to carry it up and down. Its extra sucky when I have my pannier loaded with grocerys and a backpack on also. Real work out to get up
the stairs!

About the 1985 Trek 460 SS above, I haven't weighed it properly, but I guess around 18-19 lbs, as my Road bike is 20ish and this one's lighter.

The cranks are original equipment double SR cranks with the outer chain removed and the inner moved to the outside. Oddly, though this is a Shimano drivetrain, the BCD is 144.5, which is Campy BCD. Makes it a little harder (read: more expensive) to try out different sizes of chainrings. You can go online to www.vintage-trek.com and see the specs for the crank and bike in general.

The levers are Tektro RX 4.1 time trial levers. I got them for $20 for the pair, which seems to be about the going price in the US. The Cane Creeks are even nicer, all black, and about $5 more. But I was ordering other stuff from 1 place and wanted to get it done.

Havent weighed my bike but it must be in the 30lbs area. I live on the second floor at my apartment complex and it sucks having to carry it up and down. Its extra sucky when I have my pannier loaded with grocerys and a backpack on also. Real work out to get up
the stairs!
Your situation, as does competition cycling, calls out the importance of bike weight consideration for specific reasons. I don't have to pick up my bike at all, I cycle on level ground and seldom stop between the start and end of my 12 mile commute. I prefer comfort for my daily bicycling routine over the benefits of bragging about speed gain or weight weanie reduction.


Also I'd guess that carrying a heavy load in a backpack requires far more effort than that required by the few extra pounds for the suitable equipment that allows the bicycle to carry the same load. Not to mention the sweaty back factor.

I was worried about the weight at first but quickly came to see it as a training aid. I often strip the bike down to bare minimum (~24lb) and go for a blast. It's like being turbocharged! ...that's when I go hunting for team-lycra'd roadies ;)

I'm saving my pennies and in about 12 months I'm going to get a seriously light road bike purely for fast road riding.... lots of carbon, lots of speed :D

stop being such a *****. my MTB alone weighs that much... just imagine the weight i'm pushing when i got my books and 10lbs of chains... plus i just put some primo super tenderizers on it...

you have nothing to complain about.

I think this will be an interesting thread if people post their real-world weights. I don't think we have a buncha weight-weenies here. ;-)



Ha ha that's 4 sure...trying to be a weight weenie. Not there yet. Less wt means easier manuvering, easier to pedal.

Bike 1 45lbs aluminium hybrid - heavy rims, fenders, 2 bottles - that's all
Bike 2 38lbs carbon/alum - Rack+ trunk, fenders, seatbag, 2lb battery, front, tail lts, Rolf V wheels, 2 bottles
Bike 3 22lbs carbon - Rack, home-made battery bag, flat kit, fenders, front, tail lts, 2lb battery, B. Race light wheels, bike lock, 1 btl

Each bike gets lighter. I don't need heavy wheels and a ton of extra equipment. I've got it down to an ultra light pack, and impose a wt limit of 10lbs. Still rain gear, keys and wallet add up.

I ride an '74 Raleigh International most of the time. When I strip it down for group rides and centuries in the summer it's about 27 lbs. That's with a pump and 2 waterbottles and a seat pack holding patchkit, tube, multitool, couple of cliff bars, cel phone, keys, and glasses case.

For commuting I add fenders, lights, rack, and pannier with more tools, wallet, and work clothes. It weighs about 40 lbs. loaded for bear.


I also have an old mountain bike with a 7 speed gear hub and 2.5" slicks for foul weather commuting in the winter. It weighs over 50 lbs fully loaded.

I'm probably the odd-ball in the group, since I ride in sunny California. I commute 31 miles round trip, two days a week, on my 19 lb Trek 2300 road bike in full spandex. I use a Chrome messenger bag to carry my laptop and clothing (no shoes or other bulky stuff). I will ride in slight drizzle, but not in any real severe weather. I guess I'm a weenie. I am considering buying a hybrid for seriously rainy days, but since I'm only commuting two days a week by bike, I can usually just work around the rainy days.

- Warren

I've got an 80's centurion fixed-gear conversion that's got to weigh around 20 lbs. Add a cheap rack (2 lbs), bag of clothes and food (2 lbs.) and U-Lock (8 lbs), and I'm in the lower end of the 30's. I still need to get a blinky and a headlight though.

I'm probably the odd-ball in the group, since I ride in sunny California. I commute 31 miles round trip, two days a week, on my 19 lb Trek 2300 road bike in full spandex. I use a Chrome messenger bag to carry my laptop and clothing (no shoes or other bulky stuff). I will ride in slight drizzle, but not in any real severe weather. I guess I'm a weenie. I am considering buying a hybrid for seriously rainy days, but since I'm only commuting two days a week by bike, I can usually just work around the rainy days.

- Warren

Up here I'd have to work around the rainy months. :rolleyes:

I just weighed it... 35.5 lbs

Wow, it doesn't look a pound over 30. My commuter looks a lot more loaded than that and I thought it was a pig at 32.5. (bags unloaded) My old commuter and current mountain bike is 35.

A SS is cheap. Look in Craigslist for a mid-80s road bike that fits and looks good. Strip it of it's gears and see the single speed/fixed forum for gear options. I bought my 1985 Trek 460 for $100 and spent an extra $60 on the conversion.

You fixie types must not live with hills... There are hills around where I live that would kill you with that gear combo.

You need something like a 36-30 to climb these. Going downhill would be fun too... :eek:

61-63 pounds (depending on seasonal clothing change/packed lunch) when I commute daily 24 miles r/t. 48 pounds without black bag (clothing change, tools, poncho, lunch) and water.

That is some bizzare setup there with the rear lights... Just a suggestion as I thought it was the coolest thing I ever saw... put a small white light on your back pole and have it aim at your back. This lights you up so motorists see more than just your array of lights, they also see a human.

Saw a guy with a light from a rack aimed at his back... it really made him visible, and the refection off of his hivis jacket from the light, really stood out.

This doesn't take much of a light as you are not trying to "light the way" or any such thing... perhaps a small LED flashlight would be enough just to illuminate you the rider.

You fixie types must not live with hills... There are hills around where I live that would kill you with that gear combo.

You need something like a 36-30 to climb these. Going downhill would be fun too... :eek:

It's true, my commute is relatively flat. The hardest part of the commute is getting out of the parking garage at work! 42x16 is hard to do from stopped to ramp.

Novara Safari, with 1 Pannier that I never leave home without containing my work ID tools, and lock, but not my change of clothes came out to 38.9 pounds. Also have 2 bottles , 2 fenders, 2 tiny LEDs, and 2 racks ( I am to lazy to take the front one off between tours).

stop being such a *****. my MTB alone weighs that much... just imagine the weight i'm pushing when i got my books and 10lbs of chains... plus i just put some primo super tenderizers on it...


With or without the thicker rubber strips?

That is some bizzare setup there with the rear lights... Just a suggestion as I thought it was the coolest thing I ever saw... put a small white light on your back pole and have it aim at your back. This lights you up so motorists see more than just your array of lights, they also see a human.

Saw a guy with a light from a rack aimed at his back... it really made him visible, and the refection off of his hivis jacket from the light, really stood out.

This doesn't take much of a light as you are not trying to "light the way" or any such thing... perhaps a small LED flashlight would be enough just to illuminate you the rider.
Not bizarre at all on 10' wide 55mph roads with lots of traffic. The raised lights are for the benefit of the vehicles who cannot see through the vehicles immediatly approaching me from the rear; day AND night. I'd mount the lights even higher but wouldn't be able to park it in my own garage.

Thanks for the suggestion but I don't believe it would make me any more noticable at the distances required.

I just put my fully loaded commuter on the UPS scale in the warehouse of my company--63 lbs!

That's a Trek Multitrack 700, with two panniers loaded with work clothes, dress shoes, my standard repair kit, and rain gear. On top of that there's my laptop and paperwork in the briefcase. Up front there's a stem bag and two sets of bar ends.

Oink.

Oh dear, I'm embarrassed. When I got my Trek 4300 two years ago, I just had to have the classic milk crate attached to a rack on the back. To me that said "utility bike" like nothing else. I couldn't afford a high-end headlight, so I made my own and powered it by a five amp-hour sealed lead-acid battery (heavy), and the only way I could think of to attach it was with a wooden box (heavy) bolted to the frame. I weighed the whole contraption this morning...60 pounds.

And that's just the bike. In my backpack there is stuff that could just as well be on the bike, namely, lunch, a little covered clipboard for papers and such, rain gear, for an additional 14 pounds.

Some nice day I'm going to ride just a raw bike. I bet it will feel amazing.

Just weighed mine yesterday -- 45 lbs. Does it qualify as a porker, too? ;-)

It's a Trek Navigator 200, and was weighed with a rack, water bottle, Bug pannier (a light load today, with only clothes and shoes), my lock, and my seat bag (tire irons, C02 cartridge, spare tube, energy bar).

Cheers,
Jonobie

I did the milk-crate on the rack thing for a couple days, to see how it felt. It's amazing how much a milk-crate weighs, is what I found out. Felt like I was dragging an anchor. I went back to the trunk bag and it's a little better. Love getting to ride it without anything on it though, feels like going from a minivan to a sport-coupe.

http://conventioncostumes.asyoulikeitkc.com/gallery/albums/PersonalPics/100_0086_001.thumb.jpg (http://conventioncostumes.asyoulikeitkc.com/gallery/albums/PersonalPics/100_0086_001.jpg)

This above bike I rode as a commuter for 8 years, and it weighs at least 35lb unladen, possibly more. I rode out with a dude on a 'bent that he said weighed out at 40lb and he felt that my bike weighed at least as much as his. My old Trek is a whole lotta steel lovin'.

I don't ride it as regularly now that I have my road bike, but I still ride it to work a couple of days a week just to keep in good shape--I was afraid I was getting lazy riding the road bike all the time.

I always hated when I had much cargo to carry when I rode this bike all the time...it would feel like every breeze, every rise in the road, and every stoplight was out to get me, personally.

My commuter is fairly light. A fixed gear with kevlar belted tires an small LED lights for good weather. An old Trek 400 fixed gear with fenders and more powerful LED lights for bad weather. The former is probably 22-24lbs the latter maybe as high as 27lbs (both are steel frames over 60cm size).

However a coworker who also commutes has a real porker. His weighs over 65lbs before loading it with a laptop and clothes for the commute. He rides a recumbent delta trike (Sun EZ-3AX) with Marathon Plus tires on all three wheels. He has a dual halogen head light with bottle cage battery, two additional front headlights, two rear lights, a front fairing, a 15 gallon plastic tub mounted to a steel frame behind the seat for luggage, 3 disc brakes, 3x9 gearing and then he adds the actual cargo.
Craig

Hey Guy,

your in good company, I havnt wieghed it yet but my Surly cross check has got to be in the mid - high 30 lbs range.

B17, spd , blackburn expidition rack, 2 cages, hefty tool kit, carradice nelson, mini frame pump, handle bar bag, fenders, a triple, pretty soon a set of dual headbeams and a strobe + the batteries...

shoot, ill be adding even more wt when my new wheels come in, I ordered a set of velocity dyad with a 40 h rear/ 36 front.

tanks can be good!!

though I have to admit Im putting all the parts I stole off My 531 frame road bike that I used to originaly build the XC back on the road frame so I can have a nice light saturday or ride around the park bike.


have a great weekend

"john"