The 2 pounds between 20 and 22 are some of the most glaring & expensive in steel cycling.
Mark Allen once said it was a lot easier and cheaper to lose 2 lbs than shave it off the bike.
I'm like Jake; having "made it" sporadically under 20, and only with one steel Ironman.
With me, it's always the package: wheels/group/saddle, etc. I've added back weight with steel forks after trying CF replacements.
I'm faster in short TT's with my 16-lb Kestrel, but anything over 25 miles, hectic-paced, I'm the same on any of my bikes.
Miss enough shifts, it stops mattering.
As far as bikes go, though, I lighten up via 1) Wheelset 2) Crankset 3) Calipers/RD, and 4) Saddle.
On 3 of my bikes, the difference between 20 and over is the pedals, but I like old Looks.
Last edited by RobbieTunes; 12-10-10 at 03:14 PM.