Originally Posted by
grolby
Sure, if your racks and fenders are fashioned from depleted uranium. I wouldn't recommend a racing bike for Taryelle either, but this just isn't true!
My 100% serious suggestion is to get a basic hybrid, have fenders installed but don't get a rack and don't carry your gear in panniers. Just a few pounds on a rear rack will make your bike feel much heavier and make it much more awkward to navigate small spaces with. Removing the panniers to bring your bike up the stairs is a possible solution to this, but very inconvenient and annoying. Wear a backpack or messenger bag and keep the bike as bare as you can, and you'll the same amount of weight much easier to handle on your back than on your bike when you're trying to get it up the stairs. And you'll still probably come in at around 28-30 lbs for the bike. That's not exactly light, but it's manageable.
Absolutely. Racks and panniers have their place, but for a 2-3 mile commute, a backpack makes a lot more sense. I tired the panniers route for myself, but quickly found a decent set of bags and a rack are easily over 5 pounds EMPTY. I ended up going with backpacks, and it did me well for commutes ranging from 7 to 11 miles. For longer routes, I eventually got a lightweight saddle bag designed for bikepacking, but that's an entirely different thread.