Bicycle Mechanics - Old bikes and their weights

Some of the old road bikes that I have seen weigh as much as 35 pounds. What is making these old bikes weigh this much? Is most of the weight in the frame? Is there anything that can be done to lessen the weight of the old bikes?

Depending on tubing, my 53 cm, bare, "old" steel frames run from a low of 4 pounds for Columbus SL up to 7 pounds on a high ten frame, so most of the weight would be from all the other components. Especially anything where steel is used instead of the alloy parts found on lighter bikes....Such as seat post, rims, headset, stem, bars, crankset, pedals, brakes, derailleurs, freewheel cogs & even the saddle. To lighten, freely substitute alloy for steel parts. There are threads detailing the process for lightening a Schwinn Varsity or Super Sport. Don

On a Varsity I took apart recently the kickstand itself weighed 15 ounces. The stem was forged steel instead of alloy. The bars were steel instead of alloy. Steel seatpost, forged steel forks, heavy seat, and steel rims. They didn't spare the steel in the pedals either. It all adds up, a few ounces each on 20 different components and you have 10 pounds before you know what happened.

I have an old Fuji Monterey that is in excellent condition with the original 27" chrome, steel rims. I replaced those wheels briefly with a set of alloy 700C Araya's from my Ross, not exactly lightweight wheels, but I still reduced the Fuji's total weight by over 2lbs. Brought that early 80's bike down to respectable 26lbs! This bike has the Valite tubing Fuji used to reduce weight before chromoly.
I have a Varsity that I'm probably going to flip sitting in my basement. That thing must weigh about 35 lbs. Those frames were not chromoly and used a heavy grade of steel. As was said before, everything on those bikes is made of steel.

Thanks for the good info. I was wanting to know about the weights because I am thinking about picking up an old varsity or such bike at a thrift store and I was wondering if I would just have to live with the weight. I was hoping that I could find a frame the size that I want and then replace the parts that need replacing and have something that would fit me better than my present thrift store bike. I am wanting to try a 59 to 61 cm c to top frame and the only bike that I have seen so far weighted about 40 pounds so I decided to pass on it. I know that the cost of replacing parts adds up quickly and it probably is not going to be economical to replace very many parts unless I can just swap parts from some of my old bikes. So I will probably just keep looking for something a little lighter that is the size that I want to try out.

If anyone has a link to the thread/threads about lightening up a varsity or schwinn link me up.

If you're really concerned about weight, the Varsity would be a poor choice, as it's heavy even when compared to other bikes of its era that weren't terribly light either. A better choice would be a road bike from the '80's, something like a Schwinn le tour or Traveler. From the mid-'80's onward, those bikes had frames of chromoly steel of one type or another, nice Sugino cranksets, aluminum rims, aluminum stems, seatposts, handlebars, etc, and you'll probably find that the price at a thrift store, yard sale, etc. for a bike like that will be roughly equal to a Varsity. In stock form, an entry to mid level road bike from the mid-'80's typically weighed a little over 25 lbs., 15-20 lbs. lighter than a Varsity from the '70's........as for what makes a bike heavy, it's the same thing that makes a bike light: every little bit counts, with the biggest single factors being frame, wheels, and crankset. In the realm of 35 lb. bikes, you're talking about bikes with high ten frames (as opposed to chromoly steel) and steel rims for example. And by the way, I've never owned a Varsity, but from what I've heard 35 lbs. would be very generous, I think they're actually more like 40-45 lbs-

Varsity & Continental bikes were very heavy, still remember my then teenaged son's amazement when his lift test found my raleigh sports 3 speed to be a bit lighter than his Varsity!

Points well taken. I will probably just keep an eye out for something that is already in the 25 pound range and the size that I am wanting to try. One day the right bike will find me.

My recently completed Varsity project:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=264885

The giant thread that started me on my Varsity project. I list the weight of many of the components as I strip them off a donor.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=227813

When I was at LSUBR late 60's early 70's the Schwinns-Varsity and the Continental were considered very good bikes. I remember them being expensive-maybe $125-$150 in the late 60's-a lot of $$-like $600 now.There were plenty of them on campus.A buddy of mine Catalog ordered 3 single speed 26" bikes from Sears-they were just under $40 each-my 1st bike.It looked a little like an English Racer with the "skinny" 26" tires, but it was pretty crude and heavy(probably not as heavy as the Schwinns). Soon I moves up to a true 10 speed-a real POS called a Kollkoff ?? made in W Germany.The Germans still made lots of junk then. After about 6 months a chainstay or seatstay(can't remember which) suddenly let go. To its credit,I didn't wreck, and it might have even been "pedalable". Brought it back to the bike store-no warranty-the owner sent it out to a welder.When it returned-she( the owner) said the welder had no faith in his handy work, you could seen some frothy looking "bubbles" on the edge of the weld.Heck, it looked fine to me, I rode it 3 more years until I got my 1st good bike-a Bottechia Pro "Full Campy".Well,almost full-it had POS Universal 63?? brakes.
The $150 Schwinns were expensive back then, and considered very good bikes;you could buy Schwinns high end 22-23 lb bike for $300. I guess that was the Paramount, though I don't remember that name(it might have been chrome plated-can't remember for sure).I used to go in a bike store in BR just to "lift test" that bike. It was the 1st real "racing bike" I ever saw.It made almost as big an impression on me as the 1st English Racer I saw in 1955.
Thanks,
Charlie
Luck,Charlie

The Schwinn electro forged frames were heavy but the components were worse. My single speed winter bike is based on a Schwinn Racer. It currently weighs 27 pounds and still has the steel crank, sprocket, kick stand, and original frame. I changed the bars, stem, seat, brakes and much lighter wheels. The original bike was a three speed and weighed 36+ pounds. Roger

I have a mid 80s Miyata 710 that weighs in at 24 lbs., with a heavy seat, seatpost and pedals. It is all original except for the seat and pedals. I bet with wheel replacement and maybe seat and post I could easily get it down to 22-23lbs. I won't cause it is just my backup, so why spend the $$$ to do it.

My early 80's 3Rensho weighs about 19 lbs with sew ups, so its a bit of a myth that old bikes weighed more. Sure, cheap road bikes of the 80's era were heavy, but so are cheap steel road bikes of today.

If its heavy, its probably because its cheap. I wouldn't waste money trying to get the weight down.

so its a bit of a myth that old bikes weighed more.

I disagree. Road bikes have gotten steadily lighter for decades, from entry level to the highest end stuff. Say what you will, but the driving force in the industry is lighter, lighter, and lighter, in that order. Whether that's as important as it's made out to be is a different matter-

I have to resoind to this. Just as today there were different levels of bikes during the late sixties early seventies bike boom. The Varrsity was Schwinn's cheapest and heaviest ten speeds. It is a welded steel frame, with Astabula steel cranks and steel most everything else including a frame mounted kick stand. The Contimental was a step up with center pull brakes and other alloy parts but was still a tank even for its day as a UO-8, Peugeot's bottom line, although more eecpensive than the Schwinn. weighed a good ten pounds less. By the way I paid $70 for my UO-8 in 1970.

I disagree. Road bikes have gotten steadily lighter for decades, from entry level to the highest end stuff. Say what you will, but the driving force in the industry is lighter, lighter, and lighter, in that order. Whether that's as important as it's made out to be is a different matter-

Ha, my old 80s mid-range Bianchi road bikes weigh less than the comparable models of today. Since I run new components on them, that leaves one difference - the frames. The driving force behind components might be weight, but when it comes to frames, if someone is worried about weight they're probably buying carbon or ti.

My recently completed Varsity project:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=264885

The giant thread that started me on my Varsity project. I list the weight of many of the components as I strip them off a donor.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=227813

You can hang any components you want on that boat anchor and you will still have a heavy frame constructed of seamed tubing made from mild steel. These frames were designed for ease of manufacture with no thought given to ride quality, and they feel like it.

Talk about throwing good money after bad!

The driving force behind components might be weight, but when it comes to frames, if someone is worried about weight they're probably buying carbon or ti.

The fact that carbon, aluminum, and ti frames are available these days, and have largely replaced steel as a frame material, is further proof that the driving force is weight savings. I don't see your point-

You can hang any components you want on that boat anchor and you will still have a heavy frame constructed of seamed tubing made from mild steel. These frames were designed for ease of manufacture with no thought given to ride quality, and they feel like it.

Talk about throwing good money after bad!

The frame itself weighed 9 lbs, 6.4 oz -- at most only 5 or 6 lbs heavier than the lightest and most expensive frames made today. It's probably only 4 lbs more than most aluminum frames. How does that make it a boat anchor?

Throwing good money after bad? I paid $11 bucks for the frame. Every single part can be transfered over to a nicer frame if and when I tire of the Varsity. How have I wasted any real money here?

My first 'adult' bike was a '73 Continental. That electro-forged boat anchor was fairly durable but completely mediocre in every respect. The '76 LeTour that replaced it, on the other hand, while not a contender for World's Greatest Bike, was lively and fun (at least, after the the steel rims were replaced with alloy.)

I think if you are looking for a nice light [B]steel[B] frame the mid to late 80's are great values. My centurian and nishiki 12 speeds weight 24 lbs. with original components. Look for a minimum of alloy wheels.

Bent

The fact that carbon, aluminum, and ti frames are available these days, and have largely replaced steel as a frame material, is further proof that the driving force is weight savings. I don't see your point-

The point is that newer steel frames are not any lighter, and are in some cases heavier than their vintage counterparts, because specific to steel frames, weight is not a driving factor, so the manufactures opt for other considerations - like cost. People don't buy steel frames if weight is a concern, so bike makers are not obsessing about creating lightweight steel bikes.

My old Bianchi xcross bike weighs less than a new Bianchi Eros...even with the fenders, 32c tires, brooks saddle and Velocity Fusion 32/36sp wheels. How do I know? We weighed them at my LBS one day.

http://www.chipcom.net/bikes/bianchi_x.jpg

The point is that newer steel frames are not any lighter, and are in some cases heavier than their vintage counterparts, because specific to steel frames, weight is not a driving factor, so the manufactures opt for other considerations - like cost. People don't buy steel frames if weight is a concern, so bike makers are not obsessing about creating lightweight steel bikes.

In the case of the highest end steel frames, that's incorrect, the new frames are lighter. But back to the point, if you were talking specifically about steel frames, you should have said so. I saw no reason to limit the discussion to steel frames when I made the statement that lighter weight (road) bikes are the driving force in the bike industry. Walk into a typical bike shop that carries mainstream brands, and see how many new steel framed road bikes you see. Years ago, you'd have seen almost exclusively steel framed bikes, of course, and now you don't see many steel framed models from the major brands; so I was simply comparing modern vs. vintage, and pointing out what's been the driving force all along: lighter weight bikes. When you're talking about mainstream road bike weights, modern vs. vintage, it's silly to say "yeah, but let's just talk about steel frames" because there aren't that many steel frames produced for the mainstream market these days. Which makes my point even further: steel, for the most part, has been replaced by lighter weight frame materials, from entry level bikes to the most expensive ones.

As for modern steel frames, I agree that brands such as Surly, Soma, etc. aren't about light weight, but good quality steel at a value price. My '83 Schwinn, lugged 4130 frame, is pretty much identical in weight to a Surly LHT frame-

My old Bianchi xcross bike weighs less than a new Bianchi Eros...even with the fenders, 32c tires, brooks saddle and Velocity Fusion 32/36sp wheels. How do I know? We weighed them at my LBS one day.

It weighs less than 23 lbs? How much does your bike weigh?

What would the xcross be made out of that's significantly lighter than 631?

The frame itself weighed 9 lbs, 6.4 oz -- at most only 5 or 6 lbs heavier than the lightest and most expensive frames made today. It's probably only 4 lbs more than most aluminum frames. How does that make it a boat anchor?

Throwing good money after bad? I paid $11 bucks for the frame. Every single part can be transfered over to a nicer frame if and when I tire of the Varsity. How have I wasted any real money here?

Well, I had a 10 lb. anchor for a fishing canoe once so I guess the Varsity pretty much qualifies in the weight department.

As for the money aspect, IMHO the $11 could have gone toward one of many significantly better-riding frames as cited in this thread for not much more money. Hell, I've seen all sorts of decent cro-mo bikes in thrift stores and at garage sales for as little as $25; just think how much happier your components would be on one of them instead of your gas-pipe special!

Lastly, the frame is the suspension of a road bike and a dead-feeling frame saps your energy and provides sluggish handling. You may not care about such things (or be willing to admit that you do) but a lively, responsive frame is a joy to ride, and you don't have to spend a fortune to get one; just avoid the duds.

It weighs less than 23 lbs? How much does your bike weigh?

What would the xcross be made out of that's significantly lighter than 631?

21lbs. I have no idea what it is, I suspected SL or SLX, but it may well be a Japanese, rather than Italian built frame. The frame was already repainted (for quite some time judging by the wear) this ugly green when I picked it up and I haven't tried to track it down via the serial number, which is on the BB half hidden by the cable guides. I'm gonna replace the crankset soon, so perhaps I'll get the number and try to check it out. I may just go ahead and strip it down and weigh the frame itself. The guy I got it from was a road racer who was using it for his winter bike...nice older DuraAce components and an R600 crankset. I'm just glad I stumbled upon it, it's become my favorite bike. :)

I got the idea to weigh it when I was looking over a new Eros at my LBS. When I picked it up I was surprised at how heavy it was compared to my beater - so we decided to weigh them both to see. The Eros was actually a bit less than 23lbs.

Gazelle Champion (531c): 21.5 lbs as currently built

Barracuda Mk.I (Tange Infinity main tubes, HiTen stays/fork): 25.7lbs

Schwinn Passage (Columbus Tenax, full touring fitted): 32lbs. (fenders, rack, heavy duty wheel/tire seet, and a Brooks B17)

Links to each bike showing photos and builds are in my sig.

The frame itself weighed 9 lbs, 6.4 oz -- at most only 5 or 6 lbs heavier than the lightest and most expensive frames made today. It's probably only 4 lbs more than most aluminum frames. How does that make it a boat anchor?

Throwing good money after bad? I paid $11 bucks for the frame. Every single part can be transfered over to a nicer frame if and when I tire of the Varsity. How have I wasted any real money here?

Pay no attention to the weight-weenies, they get their kicks by harassing other people. I rebuilt a Varsity with modern crank and wheels also. It came in at about 29 pounds.

The flash welded Schwinn frames are indestructible, I've never seen one fail under normal use. I use my "modern" Varsity as a utility bike. I've piled 50 pounds worth of groceries on that bike without a problem. The frame is over 30 years old, shows zero signs of fatigue, and will probably go another 30 years.

BTW, the same people who run their mouths about "boat anchors" don't seem to have any problem with riding 35 pound mountain bikes.

+1 on their indestructability! Years back, I gave my grandsons a Schwinn Collegiate 3 speed. It has already passed down unscathed through 3 active boys. Now awaiting the youngest, who will soon have his chance to build memories on it. Don

Pay no attention to the weight-weenies, they get their kicks by harassing other people. I rebuilt a Varsity with modern crank and wheels also. It came in at about 29 pounds.

The flash welded Schwinn frames are indestructible, I've never seen one fail under normal use. I use my "modern" Varsity as a utility bike. I've piled 50 pounds worth of groceries on that bike without a problem. The frame is over 30 years old, shows zero signs of fatigue, and will probably go another 30 years.

BTW, the same people who run their mouths about "boat anchors" don't seem to have any problem with riding 35 pound mountain bikes.

Well, since I'm the one who ran his mouth about boat anchors I guess I just have to reply.

First off, I no longer ride mountain bikes; I'm a roadie at heart and my knees are just not up to the grind.

More importantly, although I did make a few jokes about the unnecessary weight of the varsity, my biggest gripe was and is ride quality, and I have yet to hear a credible rebuttal to that. I have several high-quality bikes; most are steel. I am not a "weight weenie"; I like quality stuff that works well; Schwinn's version of the Big Mac does not work well at all; it was just cheap to produce and came in marketable colors.

Indestructible? Maybe, but so is an MTA bus. I'm still not going to look forward to riding either one.

+1 on their indestructability! Years back, I gave my grandsons a Schwinn Collegiate 3 speed. It has already passed down unscathed through 3 active boys. Now awaiting the youngest, who will soon have his chance to build memories on it. Don

Yup. That's what the old Schwinns were known for. Flash welded Schwinns didn't have the smoothest components, nor were they light or fast. They were some of the most bomb proof bicycles ever built. The bikes were also beautifully finished in their day. That's the reason why Schwinn sold those bikes in the millions -- and they were by no means cheap.

If you have a flash welded Schwinn frame, and a box of modern components, build one up. These frames make really good recreation or utility bikes.

Well, since I'm the one who ran his mouth about boat anchors I guess I just have to reply.

First off, I no longer ride mountain bikes; I'm a roadie at heart and my knees are just not up to the grind.

More importantly, although I did make a few jokes about the unnecessary weight of the varsity, my biggest gripe was and is ride quality, and I have yet to hear a credible rebuttal to that. I have several high-quality bikes; most are steel. I am not a "weight weenie"; I like quality stuff that works well; Schwinn's version of the Big Mac does not work well at all; it was just cheap to produce and came in marketable colors.

Indestructible? Maybe, but so is an MTA bus. I'm still not going to look forward to riding either one.

It's true, the old Varsinentals rode like crap, it was because of the horrible steel OEM wheels. I have a Varsity frame that I built with modern alloy rims, it completely transformed the ride quality. There are a number of other people on this forum who have done the same thing. They all report a similar experience, ride quality improved tremendously -- not to mention braking.

+1 on their indestructability! Years back, I gave my grandsons a Schwinn Collegiate 3 speed. It has already passed down unscathed through 3 active boys. Now awaiting the youngest, who will soon have his chance to build memories on it. Don

Not to be ugly, but most Varsinental owners are casual riders at best. You just don't see many centuries or week-long tours being done on them, so why wouldn't they last a long time?

Not to be ugly, but most Varsinental owners are casual riders at best. You just don't see many centuries or week-long tours being done on them, so why wouldn't they last a long time?

When these bikes were new, they were intended for adolescences or young adults. This demographic may not have ridden many centuries, but they sure has hell beat the living daylights out of these bikes. When I was a kid, I curb slammed my Continental on a daily basis -- I even rode it down the steps in front of the school. Try riding one of your road bikes down a concrete staircase and report back.

Most of my bikes from twenty years back weigh 22 or 23 pounds before I add stuff, such as lights and fenders. With "pro" level wheels and tires, they could weigh 20 or 21 pounds. That is plenty light for a recreational rider such as I, with a high priority on reliability and durability, and zero interest in owning the lightest bike in town.

When these bikes were new, they were intended for adolescences or young adults. This demographic may not have ridden many centuries, but they sure has hell beat the living daylights out of these bikes. When I was a kid, I curb slammed my Continental on a daily basis -- I even rode it down the steps in front of the school. Try riding one of your road bikes down a concrete staircase and report back.

Maybe I'm missing something, but for some reason riding down concrete stairs is just not part of my cycling routine. Oh, that's right; I'm no longer a stupid kid.

If that kind of stuff is important to you then by all means do it on a Schwinn; that way when you fold it up the rest of us won't really care.

Hmmm, disposable bikes; as American as... Schwinn!

Maybe I'm missing something, but for some reason riding down concrete stairs is just not part of my cycling routine. Oh, that's right; I'm no longer a stupid kid.

If that kind of stuff is important to you then by all means do it on a Schwinn; that way when you fold it up the rest of us won't really care.

Hmmm, disposable bikes; as American as... Schwinn!

This is the kind of sneering response I would expect from an elitist roadie.

You questioned the durability of the flash welded Schwinn frames, so I provided some evidence. My stair riding days are long over.

The Schwinns were not disposable junk. As I recall, my father paid $165 for my Schwinn back in 1976, that would be about $600 in today's money. At that time, department store bikes sold for about $50.

What is a Varsinental worth today? About $25 in good riding condition. Would I go out of my way to buy one today? No. If I had one lying around and I had a box of used modern components would I build one up? Yes, to use as a utility bike, a fixie, or to give to someone who is new to bike riding.

Why this seems to bother you so much I can't imagine. No one is forcing you to ride one, so why don't you let the rest of us do our thing without the wise-guy comments?

BTW, I also own a modern road bike as well as a mountain bike.

Back before mountain bikes were invented, young guys were using Schwinn Varsities as mountain bikes. And, as gravel road bike, dirt road bikes, and the "trail across the back forty" bikes. They were designed by Schwinn to take any abuse a typical teen-age boy could dish out, understanding that boy was not gonna be going into the bike shop for a monthly wheel truing.

I've never seen a Schwinn Varsity frame or fork break, unless that bike was run over by a truck. Nothing a rider could do was going to break one. When I was in college, even in January, guys were running across campus on their Varsities. The guys with the fancy super-light road bikes always had their bikes in the shop. They got to ride them on a few sunny Saturdays in June.

It struck me at the time that a forty pound bike that is on the road is a faster way to get around than a twenty pound bike that is in the shop.

Of course, by 1985, it was possible to buy a twenty-five pound bike that was just as tough as a Varsity, ending the need for such bikes. But, in 1965, the Varsity was in a class of its own: the ten speed bike that no rider can break.

My 10-speed in high school was a Schwinn World Traveler -- Steel wheels and all. I went up and down curbs all the time. That bike took a tremendous amount of abuse. I rode it through college and even into the 80's during a Minnesota winter. It was unbreakable. I doubt there were any other bikes of that era that could have taken the punishment I layed out on that Schwinn. Were there better bikes? Sure. What made those bikes better? I'm making a very low-risk bet that what made those other bikes better was the components, not the frames. Will it ride like a pig? I won't find out today -- it's 11 below zero right now. My bet is it will ride just find and start a lot of conversations.

I wouldn't worry much about the overall weight of a Road frame. I'm a clyde though... Other components (Wheels, cranks, rotating weight) I can see a difference in though.

On an old schwinn I'd suggest replacing the Wheels, Crank (Get a nice 3 piece conversion job...), maybe the pedals. I bet that would improve your ride more than a nicer frame, if we're talking about old stuff. Then keep the old parts around for when you will trash the modern lightweight goods.

I've got 2 suburbans, one is a 5 speed and one is a 10 speed. The 5 speed is in nearly pristine condition so I think I might rebuild the 10 speed as a lightweight commuter, just to see what I can do. (Shame it's not the other way around, the 5 speed has only a single braze on set for derailleurs and thus would look really clean with an internal hub on it.)

With essentially stock components, my 55cm C-T 1981 tre tubi (all steel; butted Columbus main triangle) Bianchi weighs 10 kg / 22 lb, which was very typical in its day, and still light enough for my purposes. My circa 1960 Capo (butted Reynolds 531) is almost a kg heavier, but much of that is attributable to the Brooks saddle.

For several years my daily commute included a 1 km climb up a 12% grade. I replaced my early 1970s Varsity, which I had equipped with aluminum rims, with a Peugeot UO-8, which lasted four years until the right chainstay cracked between the clearance dimples. I suspect the Varsity would still be going strong if I still had it.

Interesting to see how this thread turned into a Schwinn Varsity nostalgia thread... :D

Interesting to see how this thread turned into a Schwinn Varsity nostalgia thread... :D

Just goes to show we don't remember how heavy the bikes were so much as how fun they were to ride. :)

Ha, my old 80s mid-range Bianchi road bikes weigh less than the comparable models of today. Since I run new components on them, that leaves one difference - the frames. The driving force behind components might be weight, but when it comes to frames, if someone is worried about weight they're probably buying carbon or ti.

Right!! we talk today about 21 to 24 pound steel bikes being "heavy," and they do weigh more than 16 pound carbon bikes. But 21 pounds is still a heck of a good weight for a bicycle.

Right!! we talk today about 21 to 24 pound steel bikes being "heavy," and they do weigh more than 16 pound carbon bikes. But 21 pounds is still a heck of a good weight for a bicycle.

+1 very true!

My early 80's 3Rensho weighs about 19 lbs with sew ups, so its a bit of a myth that old bikes weighed more. Sure, cheap road bikes of the 80's era were heavy, but so are cheap steel road bikes of today.

If its heavy, its probably because its cheap. I wouldn't waste money trying to get the weight down. I also have an 80's Scapin that weighs in under 18lbs with tubulars and oval spokes laced to super-record hubs. It's a gorgeous bike. But compared to my newer bike, I find new bike to be stiffer in sprints, softer on bumps, and shifts better. Some builders are doing pretty radical things with tube shapes.

I have this book (http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/goldenage.html) and the Rene Herse "Coucours de Machines" bike from 1947 weighs 17.4lbs. That's with with fenders, lights, bell, cantilever brakes, and gears. Quelle object d'art!

edit: I forgot to mention the Herse bike has a generator for the lights since battery technology was pretty lame in 1947. The small alkaline battery wasn't even invented until 1949. Still weighed under 18lbs. Not your everyday rider.

I have two Continentals currently, a red 72 and a brown 71. The one time I had a Collegiate Sport it seemed incredibly heavy. Must be the steel bars, forged stem, wide heavy 1 3/8" wheels, chainguard etc. Indestructible for sure, though. The seat stays were both bent on the brown one when I got it, not sure what was done to cause that. I bent them back into shape, and no problems. Yes they're heavy bikes, but not many look as cool, hehe.,,,,BD

I still want a lime Continental, but the Sierra brown is my favorite. I just picked up a super sport last week for $10. It will soon be on the road again. Doing the moustache bar and knobbies(27x 1 3/8") The SS is no lightweight, but it is compared to the Conti's...

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/Kustombyker/redconti2.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/Kustombyker/71Sierra.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n267/Kustombyker/73blueSS.jpg

My '74 Maserati with campy nouvo record weighs about 21lbs. My '02-ish gunnar roadie with ultegra... about 21lbs.