Commuting - Heavy commuter

How many of you use a heavy bike for your commute?

I am using an older steel Raleigh Mustang ATB for commuting. This thing is heavier than my FS MTB!

Ok, I just wieghed my bike with the loaded pannier I normally commute with. (You better have a seat.) It weighs 54lbs/24.5KG! :eek: Its no wonder my average speed on this bike is around 10MPH!

I like the idea of the heavy bike for commuting for a better workout.

Thanks, you just go me to do something I have been meaning to do for a while. I just weighed my early ‘90s Trek 930 steel MTB that I use for nasty weather commuting. 32 pounds without the battery and seat bag. I can’t wait for dry roads and daylight so I can get on the titanium Le Mond (18 pounds?). I’ll feel like I can fly. I could post on an existing thread: Another reason to commute !

My '02 Trek 800 Sport is an iron lung, made even heavier by full fenders, mirror, and panniers. I have no idea what it actually weighs, but I'm happy I have only one flight of stairs to our apartment!

I, too, prefer to think that I'm a stronger rider for it. Regardless, it's a great bike.

Bloody hell! That's almost as much as I weigh!

Bloody hell! That's almost as much as I weigh!

Oh, you high-metabolism guys really tick me off sometimes! :mad:

:p

I stepped on the scale with the bike, noted the weight. Then I stepped off and set the bike down and stepped back on the scale.

You can get a close proximation of your bikes weight this way.

Ive used heavy (40lbs) 3-speeds for getting around flat cities, but I wouldnt want to use a 50lbs bike, that is just masochistic.
When I lived on the 4th floor, I had to haul the bike+ shopping up stairs. I use an old sport bike, no lightweight, but a reasonable mid-weight.
Bikes should way what they need to weight. A tough, practical touring style bike weights in at under 30lbs, and you really dont need to carry more metal.

When the school bus is not running, I take my daughter along and drop her off on the way to work. That's a 30 pound bike plus a 20 pound trailer, plus 40 pounds of child and child supplies -- 90 pounds/41 kg. It is possibly more, since I do not have an exact bike weight.

It feels quite normal on the flat, but one really notices the weight on the hills. I agree -- it is a workout!

The first week of commutes after removing the trailer, I really feel like I am flying.

Paul

N7CZinMT, you make me look bad.
You sure your frame isn’t full of water ?

I commute on an old iron horse at-50, straight gauge 4130 cromo with ridgid fork, I've built it up using shimano LX crank and XT drive train, syncros rims, 36 hole, XT hubs and 14 g spokes, brooks B-17 standard saddle, shimano DX-636 pedals, 2" riser bars and planet bike hardcore freddy fenders. I have topeak rack mule racks a topeak DX trunk bag with parts, tools and extra gloves of varying warmth, a topeak bar bag so the things I need quickly are right at hand, Large panniers to carry my lunch work cloths and laptop. A night rider classic duel beam headlight with tail light, and a nalgene water bottle that's usually frozen this time of year. in the summer riding on conti top touring 2000, 26 X 1.75 tires it all weighs 64 pounds ready to go in the morning, In the winter while riding on nokian W-160, mount and ground studs it weighs in at 67 pounds. Last year I covered 9250 miles commuting on that baby.

My bike is light, but with the fenders, rack, lights and all the crap I carry I'm sure it's well over 55-60 pounds. Hmmm... I'm not sure I really want to know, but I'm having a great time.

I used to ride a Kronan single speed around Boston - it weighed in at 50+lbs unloaded... I used that puppy to do the midnight Boston tour with the sidewall generator engaged most of the time (got to ride through the Ted Williams Tunnel - you never realize how steep the input and output grades are until you ride them)... the midnight tour ran about 50-60 miles... I think, I dunno.. I got home around dawn and passed out. I reckon, though, my new commuter will run about 30-35lbs...

N7CZinMT, you make me look bad.
You sure your frame isn’t full of water ?

Water? No, lead perhaps? could be, could be... :)


My bike is light, but with the fenders, rack, lights and all the crap I carry I'm sure it's well over 55-60 pounds. Hmmm... I'm not sure I really want to know, but I'm having a great time.

My full fenders are very light and my rack is too. This bike is just plain heavy! :( But it works pretty good if you don't want to get into a hurry.. :p


I got home around dawn and passed out.

Yea, that is the way I feel after climbing the hill up to the turn off to my road out here. Its a pretty short steep climb.


I, too, prefer to think that I'm a stronger rider for it. Regardless, it's a great bike.

Yea me too.


90 pounds/41 kg. It is possibly more, since I do not have an exact bike weight.

Oh man! You are the KING :D

Weight! I haven't weighed in on this issue, yet.

Y'all make me feel light. When I see roadies in their bright, tropical-bird-like colorings, with their bikes almost totally naked--stripped of any excess weight, I see myself as a lumbering, overweight, slow-moving commuter. I even tell myself, "I have to put in the miles with this excess weight, I can't go fast." Now y'all tell me you weigh up to 90 lbs.?

I can't win!

Yeah, well, we might be slow, we might be heavy, but we get there, day after day - rain, snow, sleet, mud, muck, hot, cold, etc

Yeah, well, we might be slow, we might be heavy, but we get there, day after day - rain, snow, sleet, mud, muck, hot, cold, etc

AMEN BROTHER... :D

The other day I was grocery shopping with about 50 lbs in two panniers and another 25 on my back. I recall thinking, "Gee this isn't so bad once you get rolling on the flats; In fact with the snow conditions, the extra weight keeps me from sliding around a bunch".

Dan

my singlespeed is my everyday commuter, with rack, fenders, bag and lights it is 37 pounds.

I live on the 4th floor of an apt building and it's fine i use the elevator, but when the elevator is busted then I start cursing cuz its a ***** to drag down 4 flights of stairs.

Sorry for revive this old thread, but I thought some may want to see the "tank" that started this thread. Photo was take yesterday March 23, 2004 temp was 71F! (Sorry, the fat guy that rides it is in the photo too) :o

WOW, no wonder it's heavy - you have dumpster on the back! :p

WOW, no wonder it's heavy - you have dumpster on the back! :p

Yea, it gives me that added storage space I need... :eek: