Mountain Biking - Is mountain bike weight that important?

For a non-racer, that is. My hardtail hardrock comes in at a hair under 31 pounds. '99 frame, upgraded with Manitou splice and XT drivetrain. Juicy 7. Not a bad weight for it, I think.

Anyways, is that an okay weight for my bike? Is mountain bike weight that important compared to road bikes? Thanks. I think this is more opinionated than anything, but oh well.

i rode a 33lb bike for a while.
i now have a bike that weighs less than 23lbs.

2 things:

riding a heavy bike made me appreciate and take advantage of the 23lb bike- i feel like i'm a much better rider on the 23lb bike.

light bikes climb like goats

Not 100% sure on how much my current bike weighs, but it's not light..

My next bike (2010 Giant Filer 1) supposedly weighs a considerable amount less. I will report back when I get it ;)

I'm used to an 18 pound road bike, but can haul ass on a 31 pound mountain too. Is 31 heavy for a hardtail? Steel.

31 is a bit on the heavy side, even for a steel frame.

I thought the DT swiss wheels and full XT might drop the weight. I think the fork added to it though. That's a bit heavy.

what are the best/lightest front shocks out there?

i think weight is a HUGE difference, especially up insane ascents. i think downhill would be less of an issue, but weight can still throw off some responsiveness.

Is mountain bike weight that important?

Depends on who you try to hang with and how fast you personally want to go.

If a rider's body fat level is over 10%, the money spent on a lighter weight bike is a waste of money. Might make a rider "feel" better, it won't make him faster.

Depends on who you try to hang with and how fast you personally want to go.

I suppose. I'm not slow on my bike, though. Maybe that's because the guy I usually bike with is riding a 45 pound giant dh bike :D

If a rider's body fat level is over 10%, the money spent on a lighter weight bike is a waste of money. Might make a rider "feel" better, it won't make him faster.

Just because people keep saying stuff like this, it doesn't mean it's true. Especially for mountain biking where one is moving the bike around under him independently of his body weight.

If you don't believe me, compare carrying 5 lbs. in a backpack vs. carrying 5 lbs. hanging off the end of a 1-meter long stick. The backpack weight is analogous to body weight, while the weight on the end of the lever is analogous to a heavy front wheel/fork/whatever that is a distance away from one's body. How would you rather carry that 5 lbs.?

I suppose. I'm not slow on my bike, though. Maybe that's because the guy I usually bike with is riding a 45 pound giant dh bike :D

I go in waves/phases...some days I'm really fast, other days I'm struggling to keep up. If I looked at my avg speed...I'll bet it'd be pretty much the same either way. The only difference is the days I'm struggling seems to be the days I'm riding with B2B's crew:lol:

Puleeez, I remember you handing it to me on that SS earlier this year.

Just because people keep saying stuff like this, it doesn't mean it's true....

:roflmao2: spoken like a true consumerist. I see it all the time. Crappy climbers overweight on 22lbs bikes, too bad they don't bother to RIDE. If you want to be a better climber, go ride hilly trails. If you want to have the shinest MTB, make sure it's light too ;)

Weight is definitely important. You'll certainly notice the difference, regardless of your body weight, between climbing a 40lb bike and a 30lb or lighter bike. You'll notice it over technical stuff and down hill as well, and not to mention when you put it on your car at the end of the day :p. As you get down to the low 20 lb range, you have to decide if the cost is worth the weight savings and potential for reliability issues (light stuff can be super durable, but can also be nice and breakable).

:roflmao2: spoken like a true consumerist. I see it all the time. Crappy climbers overweight on 22lbs bikes, too bad they don't bother to RIDE. If you want to be a better climber, go ride hilly trails. If you want to have the shinest MTB, make sure it's light too ;)
Cmon man, your one sided on this. If fit people climb better, won't they too, climb better on a lighter outfit? I see your point about climbing makes a better climber, but your aguement is that light bikes carry fat riders?

...but your arguement is that light bikes carry fat riders?
OP asked if weight matters, I gave my opinion. My argument is that spending money on a light bike will not make you a better climber, it'll just waste the rider's money. If a rider wants to climb better, they need to ride trails with climbs. 5lbs is nothing, costs a fortune and sacrifices reliablity. BTW. I see lots of fatties on light bikes, isn't that why Gary Fishers always break :p

MTB'ing isn't the only sport where participants fall under the spell of consumerism. Golf, roadies, fishing...the list is as long as there are activites. There is no subsititute for actual riding :thumb:

Short answer: No. In fact, the industry trend is that the average mountain bike is today heavier than 10 or 15 years ago.

OP asked if weight matters, I gave my opinion. My argument is that spending money on a light bike will not make you a better climber, it'll just waste the rider's money.
You sir are entitled to that opinion.



If a rider wants to climb better, they need to ride trails with climbs.
Agreed.




5lbs is nothing, costs a fortune and sacrifices reliablity.

Not to all riders, Some think 5lbs is huge. Not a waste of money, and Lightweight doesn't spell unreliable for everyone.


There is no subsititute for actual riding :thumb:
Agreed.

Getting the bike to fit the rider is much more important than weight. A comfortable saddle that can be ridden for several hours before titanuim rails. Proper fitting bars before carbon fiber bars. Strong rims that allow the rider to take chances before superlight rims. Then take that money that could be spend on lighting the bike and buy several sets of tires and figure out what kind of tires work best for the rider and the conditions the rider experiences. Proper tires will help out climbing more than any other piece of gear.

Getting the bike to fit the rider is much more important than weight. A comfortable saddle that can be ridden for several hours before titanuim rails. Proper fitting bars before carbon fiber bars. Strong rims that allow the rider to take chances before superlight rims. Then take that money that could be spend on lighting the bike and buy several sets of tires and figure out what kind of tires work best for the rider and the conditions the rider experiences. Proper tires will help out climbing more than any other piece of gear.


Again I see what your are saying but there is no absolute, across the board. Your opinion is just that. It's not everyones answer. For some, " racer oriented XC style riders" weight is all. For people like Dminor, solid long travel geometry rawks. for people like Ed, " and Yourself evidently" parts that last are more important than weight.
Edit not that all light parts are easy to break, depends on budget

...Your opinion is just that....

LOL, umm, this is the internet, I am right ;)

The things I am recommending will make a rider a better climber. A bike that weighs 5 lbs less will not make the rider a better climber. It really is that simple. I hate to see people waste their money on worthless upgrades, so I thought I'd throw it out there.

There is equipment that will make a rider a better climber, lighter weight equipment isn't in the equation. Esp if the rider is a noob, BTW, they're the ones that always ask this question...Because that's what's marketed at them. The new SRAM XX kit include hydralic fork lockout, saves a couple grams. That's a breakthough that'll be a big help a rider climbing :lol:

Are we talking xc bike light or DH/FR bike light? Because light weight isn't a constant when you put it in a total perspective.

LOL, umm, this is the internet, I am right ;)

The things I am recommending will make a rider a better climber. A bike that weighs 5 lbs less will not make the rider a better climber. It really is that simple. I hate to see people waste their money on worthless upgrades, so I thought I'd throw it out there.

There is equipment that will make a rider a better climber, lighter weight equipment isn't in the equation. Esp if the rider is a noob, BTW, they're the ones that always ask this question...Because that's what's marketed at them. The new SRAM XX kit include hydralic fork lockout, saves a couple grams. That's a breakthough that'll be a big help a rider climbing :lol:


I dropped 5lbs on my bike...same geometry...just different parts. It made me a better climber. How? I have more energy. Did it make me a better technical climber? No. Can I climb a grade at a faster rate and recover quicker? Yes.


(when I say same geometry...I am comparing the previous fork at all settings for the most optimal side-by-side comparison...still, the weight made a huge difference...especially when I went from a 2.7" tire back down to a 2.4")

If you have to ask... then the answer is "no". Someday it may become "yes".

It became important to me after I racked up a few nasty accidents. Now that my body is partly broken.... I'd stab a stranger gang initiation style to make my bike thee pounds lighter.

A lightweight bike feels much different then a heavy steel bike, even to a noob. However, if a really in-shape and skilled rider makes it to the top of a hill in 25 seconds, and it takes you a minute, it is obvious that a couple thousand dollars worth of bike isn't going to help you compared to a couple thousand miles uphill.

My bike weighs in at 27 pounds and I cannot yet justify spending a crap ton of cash dropping it to 20 pounds. Until my body is a perfect machine and I am riding as fast as possible, I will continue to ride my heavy bike and have fun!

A lightweight bike feels much different then a heavy steel bike, even to a noob. However, if a really in-shape and skilled rider makes it to the top of a hill in 25 seconds, and it takes you a minute, it is obvious that a couple thousand dollars worth of bike isn't going to help you compared to a couple thousand miles uphill.

My bike weighs in at 27 pounds and I cannot yet justify spending a crap ton of cash dropping it to 20 pounds. Until my body is a perfect machine and I am riding as fast as possible, I will continue to ride my heavy bike and have fun!

My 4130 mtb weighs in at 27 pounds.

Well I would say that it is all very relative. I would assume that a large-framed downhill bike would weigh more on average than my xc hardtail. I'm just saying that my bike could weigh a lot less then it does. My cheap fork is way too heavy and my seat post and bars are steel.

Are we talking xc bike light or DH/FR bike light? Because light weight isn't a constant when you put it in a total perspective.

I am speaking of a XC bike. I guess. I don't know. Now that it is heavy I think I should change it to a trail bike, that way it sounds more appropriate :D

I'm used to an 18 pound road bike, but can haul ass on a 31 pound mountain too. Is 31 heavy for a hardtail? Steel.

Same here, 17lb road bike, 30lb mountain bike.
I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that the frame on my mtb will never give out on me, or it would have already. :giver:

i rode a 33lb bike for a while.
i now have a bike that weighs less than 23lbs.

2 things:

riding a heavy bike made me appreciate and take advantage of the 23lb bike- i feel like i'm a much better rider on the 23lb bike.

light bikes climb like goats

is that the s-works carbon then?

Yes.

Yes if you are competing, and would make a big difference up climbs. I would say though that if you have any extra weight, focus on that first rather than the 4k carbon MTB.

Your are right, in your own mind, but again your experience doesn't translate across the broad spectrum of mountain biking. Absolutes are always wrong, What always works for you, don't add up to the answer for everyone.

A lightweight bike feels much different then a heavy steel bike, even to a noob. However, if a really in-shape and skilled rider makes it to the top of a hill in 25 seconds, and it takes you a minute, it is obvious that a couple thousand dollars worth of bike isn't going to help you compared to a couple thousand miles uphill.

My bike weighs in at 27 pounds and I cannot yet justify spending a crap ton of cash dropping it to 20 pounds. Until my body is a perfect machine and I am riding as fast as possible, I will continue to ride my heavy bike and have fun!
My steel bike is 24 lbs :D

My steel bike is 24 lbs :D

is that just the frame and one wheel?;)

heck, my aluminum with rigid cromoly fork is still 30 pounds...:(

is that just the frame and one wheel?;)

heck, my aluminum with rigid cromoly fork is still 30 pounds...:(

ha, nope, full bike. 29er rigid but SS. 20" frame though :D. I <3 it.

29er rigid single speed?

My Reynold's 725 steel hardtail weighs 25 pounds... with both it's wheels and gears.

:)

It climbs better.

Short answer: No. In fact, the industry trend is that the average mountain bike is today heavier than 10 or 15 years ago.

Funny you mention that. I have a old school steel frame 96 Fisher HKEK and a 98 Fisher Aquila. Both those bikes are lighter than my built up 07 Fisher Tass and brand new 09 HKEK.

No, only if your competing I would say. Other wise you'll have just as much fun on a good 28 pound bike as you would a good 22 pound bike, but to each their own.

I used to NOT think weight meant anything significant...until I rode and BOUGHT this 18-pound XC race rocket:

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk20/Dilberto88/Light%20Bikes/DSCN0362.jpg

My steel bike is 24 lbs :D

mine is 26 lbs though i do have some boat anchors for wheels.

weight makes a difference, even a big one on longer rides. for XC and all mountain even weight plays a big part in the overall feel of the bike. Lighter IS better!

Unsprung weight is more important than sprung weight. This can make a pound shed from a hardtail feel like more weight loss than a pound shed from the rider. This can also make a hardtail feel heavier than a full suspension bike of equal weight (or help hide the weight of a heavier full suspension bike). When I was working on my College's solar car racer we used a general 2:1 rule: one pound of unsprung weight saved was the same as 2 pounds of sprung weight.

I'm small, so losing a few pounds on my MTB means the bike responds noticeably better to my mass-challenged body inputs. Really discovering that with my new bike (GF HiFi Pro).

weight makes a difference in the sense that, if all other things equal, i prefer to ride a lighter bike.