Yes - of course when carrying a bike, weight is important, but I feel you'd need to take several pounds off to make it much easier, and as we know, that is very expensive if the thing was reasonably engineered in the first place. If I have to carry my Merc, I like to carry it in its ready to ride mode, because if I grasp the main frame above the pedals, it balances beautifully. Folded it is somewhat less convenient to lug around.