Pretty cool bike! But it does seem on heavy side, considering bamboo is not a heavy building material. As you've point out those steel connectors seem to be rather large and therefore heavy. But IMO there's nothing wrong with an overbuilt touring-bike. By way of reference, my overbuilt all-steel touring-bicycle with a sturdy wheelset comes in at about 30 pounds. Kitted out with racks, cages, fenders, and 2-inch touring tires it weighs in at 33 pounds.