General Cycling Discussion - How much does your bike weigh?

As a hiker, the first thing I look at in a peice of gear is the weight. Absolutely essential to hiking. If the seller doesn't list the weight, up front and center on its webpage, the gear will not sell. The seller will also be considered stupid.

But so far, none of the bike sellers list bike weights. Why? My thought is that everyone probably understands the general weight of bikes made of carbon fiber, aluminum, steel, and so forth, and the difference is considered neglibible since you don't feel every ounce (unlike in the hiking world). Right?

Regardless, what does your bike weigh? I've asked the weights of some carbon fiber bikes in the local shops and gotten 15 pounds. One guy there said his weighed 14 -- and he was very proud of his bike. What about yours?

As light as I can afford. Do have a couple at just over 15lbs but these are good road bikes. Then there is the Runaround road bike at 18lbs and the Beater at 28.

Although there is no way I would like to tackle the Hills on the Beater- there is no way I am taking the lightweights down town to do the shopping.

Mountain bikes and a couple at 22 and 24lbs and the beast at 55lbs. Full offroad Tandem that is built to take everything that a rough downhill can hit it with.

But weight of a bike does not matter too much unless you are climbing mountains or racing. What can matter is the quality and weight of the wheels.

My favorite bike is my Box Dog Pelican, configured as an all-rounder with full fenders, front rack, genhub and lights, etc. About 27 pounds, more or less.

A heck of a lot more comfortable than my 18-pound "fast" bike, which in the end, I'm not really any faster on.

Jamis list weight. Some of the others don't. Lapierre list weight as equipped. The problem is most listed weights exclude such things as water bottle cages, water bottles, and pedals. Most people ditch the stock wheels and get lighter ones but new wheels list weight without tires or skewers. Add a seat bag and pump and then weigh the bike. For group rides my CF bike goes close to 20 pounds, water, pump, bag and all. If I race it with my race wheels and no pump seat bag and Light tires I can get down to 16.5. My Back up bike hasn't been weighed so I can't guess. But it feels lighter than my last steel road bike and that was 22 pounds. My problem is I am not light enough myself to ride the ultra light wheels like some can. For my weight 1600 gram wheels are about as light as I can get. American Classic makes a 1100 gram clincher but unless I was down in the Stapfam weight range I could't race them. That then would get me into the 15+ pound range.

As a hiker, the first thing I look at in a peice of gear is the weight. Absolutely essential to hiking. If the seller doesn't list the weight, up front and center on its webpage, the gear will not sell. The seller will also be considered stupid.

But so far, none of the bike sellers list bike weights. Why? My thought is that everyone probably understands the general weight of bikes made of carbon fiber, aluminum, steel, and so forth, and the difference is considered neglibible since you don't feel every ounce (unlike in the hiking world). Right?

Regardless, what does your bike weigh? I've asked the weights of some carbon fiber bikes in the local shops and gotten 15 pounds. One guy there said his weighed 14 -- and he was very proud of his bike. What about yours?

Among road bikes, the more expensive the bike, the less it weighs. Manufacturers usually don't publish weights, but the rule will hold. I have an entry-level aluminum road bike that I bought for $600 and it weighs 22 pounds (with bottle holders, without a seat bag). A high-end carbon bike can weigh 15 lbs or sometimes even less. IIRC, professional bicycle racing events set the minimum permitted weight of the bike to 15 pounds.

In the market for parts, weights are almost always published. You can weigh your own parts and get an idea of what it would cost you to shave off a pound or two. For example, mine came with wheels that weighed 2200 g, excluding tires, tubes, etc. I can get a 1400 g pair of wheels for $600. My saddle weighs 413 g, but there's a number of different saddles available in 200-250 g range for around $100. My bike came with fairly heavy 700x25 tires weighing ~280 g each. Depending on how much I care about weight vs. longevity and puncture protection, I can go as low as 140 g for about $60 per tire.

With enough money I can probably get my bike at least down to 16, even keeping the entry-level aluminum frame and fork.

One road bike at about 17lbs. Another at a pound or so more. A FG/SS in steel at 24lbs, and a 1980s tourer, also in steel, at about 27lbs. Finally, a heavy-duty expedition tourer at 38 lbs.

'88 Diamondback Ascent fixed conversion: 31 lbs
'64 Armstrong 3-speed: 33 lbs
'91 Bianchi Eros: 26 lbs

All measured without tools, lights, or water bottles. Still need to weigh my '88 Bianchi Premio.

2008 wilier motorolio 18lb (maybe less I have not weighed it since changing rims and bars)

1985 Nishiki Tri A 24 lb

my mtb ?

As a hiker, the first thing I look at in a peice of gear is the weight. Absolutely essential to hiking.

It's (more) essential to hiking.

Generally, bicycles of the same type and price are going to be fairly close in weight. Small differences in weight aren't really what people should be concerned with.

Manufacturers don't list weights because they might change the components and really don't need to have customers complaining about their bike being 1/2 pounds heavier than the "advertised" weight. And, of course, different frame sizes have different weights.

If you are really concerned, shops can usually weigh the particular bike you are interested in.

To be blunt, weight simply doesn't matter as much for cycling as it does for hiking. The weight is not going on your back and revolving weight matters more than the weight of the bike and parts (all of it matters obviously but the stuff you spin around matters more). If the bike is well made, the weight will be reasonable. It is possible for bikes and bicycle parts to be so light that they are prone to breaking. Weight is simply oversold as a criterion for determining quality.

The bike carries you, not you carrying the bike, with few exceptions..

AKA, Weight Weenies .. have lots of people taking lots of money
from the OCD stricken, to shave off those pesky Milli-Grams..
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/listings.php
Pro's bikes can go for $6k+ to get the weight down ..

My bikes range in weight from 20.5 to 50 pounds... road and mountain bikes are the light end of that scale while the utility bikes are at the other end... my extra bike weighs 50 pounds before anything goes on it but as I can get fairly low and aero I can ride at a fairly decent pace. A lighter bike with a more upright riding position would not offer much of a benefit due to the added wind resiostance.

The biggest difference in performance comes from how aerodynamic a bike is and weight is secondary until you are climbing and even then, a few pounds does not make a noticeable difference unless you are racing for money.

Like a car, the unsprung weight has the most effect on performance as lighter wheels and tyres can really change a bicycle.

I have two that are pretty light and one that's heavier.

I live in pancake flat coastal GA so I really don't care.

If I go to the mountains to ride I take the light one that has more than one gear.

In any event I am heavier than any of my bikes.

As long as I can pick it up and put it in the back of the van, it's light enough. I'm no "weight weenie" checking every gram I put on my bike. Can't think of much that's sillier.

Weight, whether on the bike or on the rider, really does make a difference when climbing. Most people may not care about that, but preferring lighter equipment is not silliness for those who race.

Of course, the first and cheaper step should be to remove the excess weight from the rider...

Every bike has 3 weights:

What the manufacturer says that it weighs.
What the owner thinks that it weighs.
What my scale says that it weighs.

Care to guess which one is usually highest?

Ive got my Trek 7.2FX with cable lock, frame mounted air pump, gell seat cover and Specialized Armadillo tires (all the rest is factory) at 28.8lbs.

This is my first bike, my dad gave it to me a few months ago after i moved out so now im getting into biking for a commuter to work and a lot of exercise.

My mountain bike is 33 pounds and the road bike is 21. Those are the only bikes I'v weighed so far.

My two main riders: Cannondale CAAD 9-5 (63cm), 20lbs.
Schwinn World , 105 STI , (63cm) , 30lbs.

Pinarello is around 22lbs. Mongoose is around 24 lbs. Haven't weighed the others yet. Well I did ride the Free Spirit up to a fish shop and put it on their big dock scale, which I don't believe to be accurate, and got a result of 20 lbs.

Weight doesn't mean all that much to me, though."

OH, and back in the day most would list weights in catalogs. Musta gotten tired of 6'4" dudes calling customer service and complaining, though :)

Cannondale Supersix Evo, with bling, 13.96 pounds or 6.3kg

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/803021-Evo-Bling-Part-2-new-weight?highlight=

Weight, whether on the bike or on the rider, really does make a difference when climbing.

:rolleyes:

No one is talking about the difference between a 17 lb bike and a 30 lb one.

Extra weight matters most when climbing but the small differences in bikes of the same type and cost don't matter much at all. That is, a difference of a pound or so, is not important (unless you are racing). Even when climbing.

Anyway, it's a bit silly to argue about small differences in weight when most of the riders arguing about it rarely ride in the drops. That is, aerodynamics is generally much more important than a bit of extra weight.

Hikers don't have to worry about aerodynamics.

Hikers don't have to worry about aerodynamics.

Unless you're on a knife-edge ridge and the wind is whipping. Then you'll have to worry about aerodynamics one way or another. :eek:

When I was a much faster rider my friend said that if I traded in my beloved steel for a carbon fibre bike he'd have no hope of keeping up with me... and he was a cat 3 rider.

My reply was, "you can't keep up with me now".

He has gotten faster and now I can't keep up with him.

It is all about the engine... mine has gotten older and biggest issue is that the enmgine has a piston that misfires while he's is still a fairly new model with fewer creaks in the chassis.

Unless you're on a knife-edge ridge and the wind is whipping. Then you'll have to worry about aerodynamics one way or another. :eek:
;) (There are exceptions to almost anything.)

My bike(s) accounts for roughly 6-7% of my rolling weight.

Knowing that, I've never really felt a need to worry about it that much.

I havent weighed mine, but to me it isnt the weight of the bike, but how much it can haul. I'd say that with the Xtra, Peapod, lights, GPS, grocery bags, tools, and parts, I'm well over 60lbs. My wife's Xtra is a little bit lighter since she doesnt carry the Peapod, tools or parts, but she has a heavier frame (dont tell her I said that), so if anything the weight is more balanced across the length of the bike.

We did get groceries last week and managed to pack almost $200 worth on the two bikes. I felt the weight of that trip :eek:

http://inlinethumb35.webshots.com/48866/2516735590037547136S425x425Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2516735590037547136pmioOn)

I have one lightish bike. It is my all aluminum hybrid bike with an ultegra crankset and sram x5 components and some lowish spoke count Alex wheels. I have no idea what it weighs but its neat to pick up and go "oh neat, that is light!".

I ride my steel bikes far more before I broke my leg even though they weigh quite a bit more.

I didn't read all of the other posts but for the most part there is no standard for weighing bikes. Some will weigh the smallest bike a post that weight and there can be a significant difference between a 48 and a 62 (and when I say significant, I mean small - say 1/2 a pound or so). The lightest bike is not always the best bike for a particular ??? (jeez I can't think of the word) . Oh, application.

2012 Specialized Roubaix Comp Compact - stock- (700 x 25 Specialized All Condition Armadillo tires ) - 18.5 lbs

2011 Genisis Trafik 5.0 Hybrid - "Fredded" to the max - (700 x 28 Bontrager All Weather Race Hard Case) - 34.5 lbs

57 cm Volagi, maybe 17.5 lbs (w/o pedals and cages)
Large/small daVinci tandem, 35 lbs or so bare

Weight, whether on the bike or on the rider, really does make a difference when climbing. Most people may not care about that, but preferring lighter equipment is not silliness for those who race.

Of course, the first and cheaper step should be to remove the excess weight from the rider...And just how many professionals are hanging around reading message boards about cycling?

As a hiker, the first thing I look at in a peice of gear is the weight. Absolutely essential to hiking. If the seller doesn't list the weight, up front and center on its webpage, the gear will not sell. The seller will also be considered stupid.

But so far, none of the bike sellers list bike weights. Why? My thought is that everyone probably understands the general weight of bikes made of carbon fiber, aluminum, steel, and so forth, and the difference is considered neglibible since you don't feel every ounce (unlike in the hiking world). Right?

Regardless, what does your bike weigh? I've asked the weights of some carbon fiber bikes in the local shops and gotten 15 pounds. One guy there said his weighed 14 -- and he was very proud of his bike. What about yours?

Short answer, too damn much.

At the LBS that I used to go to they had a couple of scales for measuring the weight of the bikes that they sold.

But in my case I'm not so worried about weight. It doesn't really bother me that my bike weighs as much as an APC, or a half-track. Or that I'd need to take it to a truck stop to weigh it. ;)

It gets me from point a to point b and does so at a respectable speed, at least to me it's a respectable speed. And that's all I need to know.

Short answer, too damn much.

At the LBS that I used to go to they had a couple of scales for measuring the weight of the bikes that they sold.

But in my case I'm not so worried about weight. It doesn't really bother me that my bike weighs as much as an APC, or a half-track. Or that I'd need to take it to a truck stop to weigh it. ;)

It gets me from point a to point b and does so at a respectable speed, at least to me it's a respectable speed. And that's all I need to know.

You know, I still haven't spotted you on the trail..

And I think mine weighs 18-19lbs? Not exactly sure. I am a clyde so the weight of my bicycle isn't my concern.. :lol:

To be blunt, weight simply doesn't matter as much for cycling as it does for hiking. The weight is not going on your back and revolving weight matters more than the weight of the bike and parts (all of it matters obviously but the stuff you spin around matters more). If the bike is well made, the weight will be reasonable. It is possible for bikes and bicycle parts to be so light that they are prone to breaking. Weight is simply oversold as a criterion for determining quality.

I've gotta say that I am glad to hear someone say that. As I've thought of that myself before.

As with everything there is a point of diminishing returns. If one were to get a bike super, mega, ultra-light they run the risk of it breaking into a pile of useless parts the first time that they hit the smallest bump in the road.

My business partner has a great answer for this when people ask what a certain bicycle weighs... his reply is that they weigh exactly as much as they needs to for what it is designed to do.

My racing bikes are relatively light and weigh about half as much as my more more utilitarian bicycles but all they have to carry is my 155 pound frame and minimal gear.

http://inlinethumb35.webshots.com/48866/2516735590037547136S425x425Q85.jpg (http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2516735590037547136pmioOn)

It wouldn't surprise me if my bike weighed somewhere around there as well.

You know, I still haven't spotted you on the trail..

And I think mine weighs 18-19lbs? Not exactly sure. I am a clyde so the weight of my bicycle isn't my concern.. :lol:

I was out there this past Tuesday. And I think I'll be there again Saturday. Just look for the silver/aluminum colored Giant 2009 Seek 2 that's loaded down. If I'm on the trail this Saturday I'll be wearing Bicycle Outfitters "Hurricane" jersey.

Agreed, I think that weight only really matters to those who race, not to those who commute/utility ride.

stripped down/race ready/ 16.25

with: water-bottles, tool bag, computer, pump, light, almost 20

If one were to get a bike super, mega, ultra-light they run the risk of it breaking into a pile of useless parts the first time that they hit the smallest bump in the road.

Not true, really. The bikes the pros ride in the big races don't fall apart under rough handling - have you ever looked at the cobbles they race over in Paris-Roubaix? - but are so light that they have to add weights to the frames in order to meet the UCI minimum weight requirement. The disincentive to buying the lightest possible road bike is not fragility, but cost.

Weight matters a great deal if one wants to race successfully, and it matters more for road-racers than those on the track. It does not matter for those who are cycling recreationally, except that those who are skinny will tend to speed up the hills faster than those who are fat. Marginal differences in the weight of the bike itself are secondary.

The three bikes in my sig line are 21lbs, 22lbs, 25lbs. They are all smaller framed, stripped down of non-essentials, and lightened with better components.

The PRE is my fogline bike with the aluminum frame. The Trek is the one for 20-30mi personal TT's.

Lightest to Heaviest (without repair kit or full water bottles):

- carbon road bike ~17.25 lbs
- steel fixed gear conversion ~ 23 lbs
- 1970s steel sports tourer ~26.5 lbs
- steel touring bike ~29.5 lbs
- aluminum dual suspension mtb ~ 32 lbs


Then, fully loaded:
- steel touring bike ~69 lbs

They all ride fine.

It wouldn't surprise me if my bike weighed somewhere around there as well.

The bike shown is my steel touring bike partly loaded. The weight included bike, fenders, racks, panniers, air pump and tools. It didn’t include camping items, water, food cloths and all the rest. Out of the box it’s a heavy bike about 27 pounds with racks and day to day commuting stuff 35 pounds, as shown 45 pounds and heading off for a weekend trip about 75 pounds. The bigger problem is taking weight off the seat post.

On the at-work 50#-capacity digital fish scale, my Kona Coiler weighs 36lb, 10oz.

Rolls like 33.

Enough to make a weight weenie get the heaves...

Aaron :)

Sixty Fiver mentioned it and rolling resistance. In other words the weight of wheels and tyres (And Quality) can affect the ridability and speed.

My first road bike was a Giant OCR3. Bit basic and weighed in at 19.5 lbs. I coasted down a hill and got to a top speed of 30mph and had to steer round the curve halfway down. Problem was that my MTB with knobblies got to 37mph on this hill. Talked to the LBS and a set of handuilt wheels and 700x23 Michelin PR2 tyres later and I tackled the hill again. The curve was just a bit more lean and top speed was just under 40mph. On each occasion this was coasting from the top so can't put it down to extra momentum after the slope to the start.

Stock OM wheels and the tyres fitted to them are one of the Downgrades to keep prices down on most bikes. It has been said many times by others that the best upgrade you can do to a bike is get better wheels and I would add tyres to that aswell.

I now have a variety of wheels and putting the lightweight quality wheels on any of my bikes does give an improvement. As all my tyres are Michelin PR2/3 on all the wheels- tyres are just co-incidental.

My bikes and their weights:

Ti mtb weight - Don't know
Steel road racing bike weight - Don't know
Steel touring/commuting bike weight - Don't know

I figure if I could make my bikes lighter I would be able to go faster. Also, if a frog had longer legs he wouldn't bump his ass on the ground when hopping.

Most recumbents are heavier than comparable-quality safety bikes; my singles each weigh about thirty pounds. The tandem approaches fifty.

I weighed my lowly Schwinn aluminum-steel hybrid at the post office. After hours, on the scale in the lobby. Lifted the front up so it balanced on its rear wheel, and ...

29 pounds. groan