I look at the gear weight thing differently.

- 5 pounds is not going to make me want to take a sportier bike. There is someone out there riding your sportier bike, who probably weighs 50 pounds more than you do, and certainly five. 5 pounds would not determine the bike for me.

- I would not want to ride the sportier bike if that means turning in a touring bike for a racing bike. Racing bikes are just lame, and particularly so for non-racing use. I would tailor my touring bike as closely as custom tubing allows, but again, not a five pound thing. Long tours call for GT cars, not Ferraris .

I think the big deal about lighter weigh is for people of smaller stature or capabilities, Kids, oldster type people, moderate injuries, etc...

The other thing is that ultralite gear is not less comfortable gear, in many cases it is more comfortable. The reason for this is that the people who pursue it know what they are doing, have pared their gear down to real needs, have deployed better materials. The 900 people per week who drink the Kool-aid and join hammock forums, are at least convinced the experience of sleeping in a hammock is going to be better for them, if nothing else they feel better about their choice.

Once you commit to ultralite gear for some part of your outside activities, you either have to buy whole new sets of gear just so you can store it and carry heavier gear on some trips, doesn't make much sense. Or you use essentially the same gear for all your uses. Once you toss a 16 ounce stove for a cool Minibulldesign stove at 1.5 ounces, machined aluminum, less than half the price, why would one go back? Often when bike touring I don't carry a stove at all because I can credit card tour at least the food. I cut that weight without suffering for it.