bragi

I spoke with an old friend today, a woman who really likes racing, and she told me her bike is kind of heavy compared to other racers, 17 lbs. She does commute on this bike as well, so she's not a strictly recreational rider, but still, this made me realize that she and I inhabit largely different bicycling planets. She can easily average 20-22 mph on her commute without breaking much of a sweat, but she does so riding a plastic (carbon) bike, and never even thinks about hauling anything. I, on the other hand, have a moving average a lot closer to 15 mph, maybe 16 on a good day. I went home and weighed my own ride, a steel touring bike with rack and fenders, and it came in at just over 30 lbs. If you include the panniers, groceries and beer and rode home with, it was a little over 52 lbs. The total weight, including rider, comes in at just over 208 lbs. I now feel a lot better about my 15 mph, but it makes me wonder how I stack up against other people who ride primarily for transportation:

1. How much does your bike & whatever you haul weigh?
2. How fast are you able to go when you're going about your car-free/car-lite business?
3. What kind of bike do you use when you're out and about? Do you use one bike for everything, as I do, or do you have a lot of different bikes for different purposes?

Jared.

1. About 21lbs.
2. I don't know what I average when running errands. It's stoplight to stoplight (10-12mph, maybe). When I'm on a recreational ride, I only go 15-18mph. I'm slow, in comparison to other riders.
3. Only one bike. Steel, single-speed, no racks, panniers, or fenders (aside from a removable plastic rear one).

zeppinger

35 pounds without groceries

SPECELIZEDRIDER

About 35 lbs with laptop and work stuff.I ride a Specialized Rock Hopper it is durable and is good for off road excursions.

Artkansas 

Streetified Hard Rock, 40 lbs all by itself.

It's all hills(25 hills between me and downtown Little Rock), so I go slow.

I have several bikes, but this one gets used 98% of the time.

wolfchild

I have two steel framed FG/SS bikes. Both of them have full fenders, and front rear racks. They weigh about 30 pounds each unloaded. Average speed is 10-18 MPH. My speed varies and is dependent on wind, and where I ride. I usually ride much faster on the roads and much slower on crowded busy MUPS. Also when I do my grocery shopping and the bike is heavily loaded then it's a much slower ride. I use the same bikes for commuting and longer distance recreational rides. I also have a 3rd bike. It's an aluminium framed MTB converted to singlespeed.

Roody

I usually ride a steel or aluminum MTB, so maybe 30 to 40 lbs. (13-18 kg). But that is as nothing compared to the mass of the rider. Really, it's like the horse is riding the jockey.

Average speed can mean a lot of things. My door to door average, including time spent at stop lights, etc., is 11 mph (17.7 kph). My bike computer average speed, which only counts when the wheel is spinning, is 12 to 14 mph in the city (19.3-20.5). Cruising speed on a long flat stretch can get up to a scorching 16 mph (25.7).

My speeds are super slow for bikeforums, but I'm actually a little faster than a lot of the typical people on bikes here in Lansing, Michigan.

wolfchild

That's perfectly fine. Nothing to be ashamed of. Transportational cycling is not a pissing contest to see who is fastest.

Sixty Fiver

My main commuter / utility bicycle, with the panniers, tool kit, and water bottle weighs 42 pounds.

My Extrabike weighs 85 pounds... without the electric kit it curbs out an an even 50 pounds.

Interesting enough... on the usual commute the average travelling speed is always pretty much the same as I cruise at 30 kmh and the computer has always given me an average of 20-21 kmh in stop and go traffic.

Lamplight

My commuter is an early 90s steel mountain bike with a fairly light aluminum rear rack, Berthoud stainless fenders, and usually an Arkel pannier with tools, my lock, spare tubes, my sketch pad, and a bunch of little random things like pens, pencils, etc. I have no idea exactly how much it weighs, but I'd guess it's in the high 30s with the pannier and my usual load. I also have no clue what my average speed is as I haven't owned a speedometer in years, but I can guarantee it's well below 15mph. My commute involves a quick 1/2 mile run to the bus stop, a bus ride downtown, then maybe another mile from the bus station to where I work. I could easily walk the distance, the bike is just so much quicker and that allows me to sleep later and get home sooner.

Smallwheels

My aluminum cruiser comfort frame bicycle has a suspension fork. The inner tubes are foam so I'll never get a flat. The weight of the bike as set up is 38 pounds. I carry tools and a back pack that weigh about five pounds. The cable lock is about three pounds. I always carry some work clothing too. I'm sure I only average at best ten miles per hour. I'm not fast when pedaling but I always arrive at my destination.

I sometimes miss having a recumbent that goes through the headwinds much easier than my upright bicycle.

gerv 

I don't have an accurate set of scales so no real idea. All my bikes are steel. The lightest are probably in the low 22-23lb area. But are pretty useless for transportation... no fenders, no racks, no bottle cages.

My commuters are probably lows 30s for weight. (Artkansas, I have a hard time believing a Specialized Hard Rock weighs 40 lbs unless you are carrying two U-locks.)

Bragi, one thing to remember about your friend's carbon bike. Every time she nicks the frame, she has to inspect it for damage, which can occur quite suddenly. Scapes may remove the clear coating and expose the fibers to oils and the regular atmosphere, which can also degrade the frame. Racks, frame add-ons can also unduly stress the material

Which frame material would you use, even if steel or aluminum is a bit heavier?

As for speed, I did myself a favor and lost my cyclo-computer. That way, I can invent any speed I want. Last week I averaged 22 mph on my way to work. I didn't even break a sweat

bragi

I also removed my computer from my bike a couple of months ago: I kept trying to go faster than I needed to, for no reason other than the fact that I'm a bit of a dork, and my knees were paying the price. (Also, if I'm feeling a bit anal, I can always use the GPS on my phone.. )

DX-MAN

Before I got the slightly lighter wheel/tire combo, my Kona weighed in on the at-work scale at 36lb, 10oz. I'm guessing 36-1/2.

My average speed for last week was 15 flat, based on known distances done in specific times, rather than a bike computer.

Roody

I love my bicycle computer. But I'm not a speed demon, I'm a distance freak. The computer makes me want to go further, not faster.

SparkyGA

1. About 35 pounds unloaded, with panniers, repair kit and tools
2. 20 km/h, however that is my speed when I am on tour and the full setup/gear adding another 20 lbs or so..
3. Surly Troll set up for touring/commuting

lasauge 

Like most in this thread, I have a heavy hauler (my own build on a Pake frame) that weighs roughly 35 pounds and 14-16mph average speed is doing pretty good on it. The weight certainly doesn't help my speed, but I the wider tires and the bus-like aerodynamic profile that the panniers create are also factors.

Most days though I ride to work and run errands on a road bike with north roads, fenders, and a light rack that weighs closer to 25lbs., basically a sporty version of a city bike, and I average in the 16-20mph range - not as fast as I go on any of my dedicated road bikes, but good enough for just getting around on the majority of days when I don't need to haul home a turkey or a 20lb. sack of rice.

Booger1

1:Weight doesn't matter.....whatever it is,it's coming with me.

2:I plan rides at 10 MPH.....If I get there early,good for me.

3:Touring bike,gets used for everything everyday.

wahoonc

Mine range from 22# for my single speed, which does have fenders and a small Tubus rack to around 50# for my big aluminum framed fully loaded city bike. I have a starting disadvantage in that I ride XL frame size. I weigh around 210#, grocery load is usually 40# range, so don't get in front of me on my way home downhill from the grocery store unless you have a death wish!

No speedometers/computers on any of my bikes, I do have an odometer on my vintage Raleigh. I sometimes remember to use Endomondo app on my cellphone to track my distance and speed, about 2/3's of the time I forget to turn it off while in the grocery store so it tracks my walking distance as cycling. My OTR average speed is in the 12-14mph range. I can hit 30mph downhill fully loaded

Aaron

charbucks

1. Surly LHT weighs about 35 lbs with racks and fenders, and I've taken up to 40 lbs of groceries. Me + bike + groceries = about 185 lbs. 40 lbs is an atypical load though, so a more reasonable average would probably be around 45 lbs of bike + stuff.
2. I average around 20-25 km/hr on the pathway, slower on streets with traffic lights.
3. Touring bike (aforementioned) for most things, Brompton for when a folder is more convenient and I'm not going up hills.

I do have a 17 lb racing machine (I think it's quite light), and I would estimate an increase of at least 5 km/hr over my Surly for the same effort level. However, I'm on the lighter end of the adult weight spectrum, so it's possible I notice the weight more than others.

apollored

I dont know what my bike weighs exactly but its a pretty heavy steel MTB and I can just about lift it with one hand.

I only have the one and I use it for virtually everything from shopping to commuting and generally just getting about.

I have managed 15 mph on a trail on it, leaving my companions on lighter bikes trailing and I go to 10 mph on the road today as well as 19 mph when racing a friend but usually 7 mph.

Jim Kukula

I am a long way from being free from my car, I fear! But I keep trying to convert trips from car to bike!

My bike with racks and fenders is about 40 pounds. Then my usual handlebar and saddle bags add about 20 pounds. The Kryptonite NY Standard U-Lock is the biggest items, but then tools, spare tire, rain jacket, etc etc.

I average a solid 10 mph.

gerv 

Last 3 posts here seemed honest... what's happening? Come on guys, everyone on BF rounds upwards....

RaleighSport

My main commuter is a 21lb vintage road bike... I think a close second is an older vintage road bike I SSed with a coaster brake.. it was 26lbs I think pre the rack/fenders/brooks saddle/fat tires etc on the road bike I know I average a little above 20, on the SS or any of my other non "racing" bikes, who cares? probably 5-15mph max.

chasm54

The bike I use most for just riding around is a ss/fg weighing around 24lbs. The touring bike with racks, heavy tyres etc is a big brute at about 40lbs. The carbon road bike is about 17lbs.

On my regular commute, taking the road bike typically saved me maybe five minutes in an hour over the tourer - traffic conditions meant that it really wasn't possible to exploit its superior performance to the full. And anyway, when cycling for transportation speed isn't an absolute priority.