I invested $80 per tire to reduce my tire weight from about 1000g to a mere 400g. The tires I'm running are Schwalbe Marathon Supremes, so they have anti-flat resilience, but when you pay the extra 50 bucks a tire, you get lighter materials. The Schwalbe Marathons have a durability rating of 5/5, and the Supremes have 4/5. I also shaved more weight by running a 35 in the back and a 32 in the front based on where the most weight was mounted. From what I understand, centrifugal force on each wheel almost doubles the effective weight of your tires and rims, which is noticeable when rolling from stoplights or at top speed. My bike feels quicker from this weight savings.

I modified a pair of Ortliebs, which I may need to bring on this tour since my current setup is limited in how much food I can carry at once. I took out the plastic sheet in the back and the cloth organizer and did away with the extra shoulder strap, cutting the weight by about 1/4.

My rack is the lightest in my LBS, since it's carrying less than 15-20lbs it will, and has, held up fine.

My saddle is a WTB Pure-V, lighter than a Brooks saddle but heavier than a racing saddle. It's more than comfortable enough with a good pair of bike pants.

Most of my clothing is Merino Wool, which naturally fights odor and dries fast, meaning I can bring a single outfit for the entire tour and wash it every few days (or nightly for socks). My rain gear is UL backpacking gear, and I have a full set of merino wool long underwear for sleeping. Instead of a sleeping bag, I'm layering the merino wool with nylon tights as a windbreak, a light softshell jacket, and a thermolite sleeping bag liner on top of a Thermarest Neo-Air (inside a hammock that weighs 1lb 9oz). This is good to the lower 40's, and I have a space blanket for an emergency if it gets lower (but it's august.) If I go to South America, I'll buy a 20 degree down bag for high altitudes and cold nights.


The Point:
When I see my bike, I see rims that weigh twice as much as some others, a frame made of thick metal tubing, solid metal seatposts and handlebars, and a frame that is perhaps 2 inches larger than it needs to be. I see $1200 racing bikes that shave 8lbs off of my bike's weight. It's enticing. Am I so greedy to want to invest in saving that weight by riding a faster, lighter bike?

Should I just replace the frame on my bike with a titanium one instead, and pick up some carbon seatposts/handlebars?