I know I have a reputation for reasonably light modern steel bikes. But my Bessie is North of 30 before the rack and fenders are installed, water bottles etc...My Ritchey Ascent is 29.9.

Cadillac comfort, broader gearing, airline suitcase travel, & off-grid sustainability were the priorities for those builds. On my Bessie, I purposefully spec'd heavier grade 853 equivalent tubing usually reserved for tandems.

Dynamo's & internal gear hubs on high spoke count aluminum rims, shock absorbing stems, racks, fenders...it all adds up. Sure, I could save 5 pounds by switching wheels & swapping in some parts on hand. But, why? It's not like any of that weight is holding me back at all and that extra weight is because of features that make the bike that much more capable. I don't want a mud streak up my backside like some people, apparently.

If I thought weight really was a big deal that affected my gravel experience, I *could* swap tires, a derailleur and a cassette onto Weinerbike (SL), pick up ~2 pounds and still have a sub 19lb steel gravel build. But why would I want to oil-can a tube the first time I crash?

I'm not saying bike weight doesn't matter. I am saying that weight is the by-product of all the design tradeoffs. And that's ok.

You're doin' better than me with your 30lb loaded weight. Good. I have no doubt that loaded, I'm probably pushing 40, maybe more.