Originally Posted by
randyjawa
The funny thing is that this old Torpado, and
other entry level rides, offer a more than pleasing ride quality. Well, pleasing to me, anyway...
This is the thing that cured me (mostly) from being a weight weenie. For a while I was quietly obsessed with bike weights. I managed to build a couple (not vintage) that cracked 18 pounds. I had a carbon fiber bike came in at 18 pounds even with a triple crankset and 32-spoke wheels with steel freehubs. Then I built a LeMond Buenos Aires (pictured earlier in this thread) as a sort of semi-beater. It weighed 22 pounds, but it was so much more enjoyable to ride than the CF bike that I ended up selling the CF bike and exploring the world of old steel bikes.
Even within the realm of old steel bikes, accepting that with the components I want the weights are all going to come in between 22 and 26 pounds, I have found as you say that the lighter bikes with the blingy tube sets aren't necessarily the ones that ride best.
Still, it can be fun to take a frame you like and see just how light you can get the bike. I hear that tubbies and drillium are the key, though I haven't personally resorted to that yet.