Just weighed my 1979 Fuji Gran Tourer (aluminum wheels and fenders, plus rear rack) and found it comes in at a whopping 34 pounds! My comfortable cruising speed is about 9 mph, which seems pretty slow compared to what most folks on here have mentioned.
To be honest I've probably invested more money in this thing than it deserves - got it in 2020 during the pandemic bike shortage so I felt lucky to have a bike, it's still the nicest bike I've had, and I like how it looks. Getting a new VO crankset improved the gearing which helps significantly on the moderate inclines you get here in Baltimore, but biking can still be a slog sometimes..
That said, I can't help wondering whether I'd be having more fun with a lighter bike. I want it to be a workout, but I also would love to be able to ride a bit longer, farther, and faster without it being grueling.
In my basement, I have what I think is a Peugot UO10 I inherited from my grandfather, but it's disassembled and needs an overhaul. But from what I gather that bike isn't really much of an upgrade, if any, from the Fuji.
What do you all think? Do I just have unrealistic expectations as to how much better a lighter steel or aluminum bike would be?