Originally Posted by
gsteinb
how they feel isn't really empirical. climb a long hill on a 14 pound bike; take time. repeat on 20 pound bike with 3 pounds of water and a 1 pound of tools. Your time will be faster on one. Clearly your data is lacking. This is simply science.
I'm a flatlander and big for a cyclist (6'3", 190 lbs) so I'm a bad climber no matter what bike I'm on. The weight really doesn't matter.
When I do go to climb big steep hills, bringing multiple bikes and leaving water/tools behind really isn't an option. In fact I opt for my mid-range weight bike with the triple for really nasty rides (Arcadia's Brute, Kickapoo Kicker, that kind of ride) because gearing is much more important than bike weight for me.