Scales
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 13,358
Likes: 665
From: northern michigan
Bikes: '77 Colnago Super, '76 Fuji The Finest, '88 Cannondale Criterium, '86 Trek 760, '87 Miyata 712
Scales
I need a decent digital scale to accurately weigh my bikes. Which one and where did you get it? I hear Harbor Freight has them for a decent deal. Also, did you fashion your own sling for weighing?
Sorry for asking such a basic question. Time for me to stop guessing with bathroom scales.
Sorry for asking such a basic question. Time for me to stop guessing with bathroom scales.
#3
Sunshine
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 18,699
Likes: 10,236
From: Des Moines, IA
Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo
I bought a digital and analog from BassProShops. $6 for the analog and $14 for the digital.
They have more expensive ones too.
75# limit for each.
And the analog reads thensame as the digital. Where the analog shows a shade past 25#, the digital reads 25.3#.
They have more expensive ones too.
75# limit for each.
And the analog reads thensame as the digital. Where the analog shows a shade past 25#, the digital reads 25.3#.
#6
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,519
Likes: 39
From: Tacoma, WA
Bikes: 1962 Schwinn Paramount P12, 1971 Schwinn Paramount P13-9
I have a scale from Park Tool. Besides weighing my bikes, I use it to weigh my bags before going to the airport. Avoid a couple of overweight baggage fees and it is paid for.
#7
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 6,119
Likes: 13
From: D'uh... I am a Cutter
Bikes: '17 Access Old Turnpike Gravel bike, '14 Trek 1.1, '13 Cannondale CAAD 10, '98 CAD 2, R300
Digital fish scale, luggage scale. Can be picked up at Walmart if you need one NOW. Amazon if you just want really cheap.
I paid (I think) 4-5 bucks for mine. I made a harness (using maybe 3 feet of Paracord) for it that allows me to hang it from a bolt on the garage door opener.
I paid (I think) 4-5 bucks for mine. I made a harness (using maybe 3 feet of Paracord) for it that allows me to hang it from a bolt on the garage door opener.
Last edited by Dave Cutter; 12-03-16 at 10:48 PM.
#8
Old fart



Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 26,318
Likes: 5,231
From: Appleton WI
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.
#9
Senior Member
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 3,780
Likes: 17
From: Upstate NY
Bikes: Bianchi San Mateo and a few others
I picked up a digital hanging scale from Amazon for $7.86. The particular one I bought has been discontinued, but there are a ton of others just like it.
Here's one that looks similar:
https://smile.amazon.com/Electronic-.../dp/B00B301MPI
Here's one that looks similar:
https://smile.amazon.com/Electronic-.../dp/B00B301MPI
#10
Senior Member


Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 5,345
Likes: 5,141
From: Central Virginia
Bikes: Numerous
I got this one for $7.00 shipped and it's been great. Not available now but I'm sure there are others just like it from the same factory with a different name.
I use an old dog collar as a strap for weighing bikes.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I use an old dog collar as a strap for weighing bikes.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
__________________
N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, ‘81 Masi Gran Criterium, ‘81 Merckx Pro, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, Rivendell Rambouillet, Heron Randonneur, ‘92 Ciöcc Columbus EL
N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, ‘81 Masi Gran Criterium, ‘81 Merckx Pro, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, Rivendell Rambouillet, Heron Randonneur, ‘92 Ciöcc Columbus EL
#11
Senior Member


Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 7,951
Likes: 688
From: Port Angeles, WA
Bikes: A green one, "Ragleigh," or something.
I bought an $8 "luggage" scale on eBay, too. Supposedly accurate to .1 oz. Is it? Dunno. Probably. It seems to catch fine distinctions when I'm weighing some light stuff and then add a little more light stuff.
The important thing to remember is when you're weighing your fully built bike, always subtract 2 - 3 lbs when you post the weight here in the forums, so we'll all be impressed with your mad weight-weenie bike building skilzz.
The important thing to remember is when you're weighing your fully built bike, always subtract 2 - 3 lbs when you post the weight here in the forums, so we'll all be impressed with your mad weight-weenie bike building skilzz.
__________________
● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
#12
Senior Member


Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 12,563
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From: Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada - burrrrr!
Bikes: 1958 Rabeneick 120D, 1968 Legnano Gran Premio, 196? Torpado Professional, 2000 Marinoni Piuma
Got mine at a department store - Canadian Tire to be precise. It is nothing but a fish scale and pretty darn accurate...
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"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
#13
What??? Only 2 wheels?


Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 13,496
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From: Boston-ish, MA
Bikes: 72 Peugeot UO-8, 82 Peugeot TH8, 87 Bianchi Brava, 76? Masi Grand Criterium, 74 Motobecane Champion Team, 86 & 77 Gazelle champion mondial, 81? Grandis, 82? Tommasini, 83 Peugeot PF10
And first remove all unnecessary items you don't need while riding, things like pedals, saddle, tires. Then you subtract 2 - 3 lbs.
__________________
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
Real cyclists use toe clips.
With great bikes comes great responsibility.
jimmuller
#14
Still learning

Joined: May 2012
Posts: 11,529
Likes: 87
From: North of Canada, Adirondacks
Bikes: Still a garage full
I have one of those smiley face luggage scales from Amazon or ebay, less than $10, works fine. Looks like the newest designs are under $5.00. The hard part of using it is finding it when I need it.
#15
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 13,358
Likes: 665
From: northern michigan
Bikes: '77 Colnago Super, '76 Fuji The Finest, '88 Cannondale Criterium, '86 Trek 760, '87 Miyata 712
I picked up a digital hanging scale from Amazon for $7.86. The particular one I bought has been discontinued, but there are a ton of others just like it.
Here's one that looks similar:
https://smile.amazon.com/Electronic-.../dp/B00B301MPI
Here's one that looks similar:
https://smile.amazon.com/Electronic-.../dp/B00B301MPI
What I dont like is the weight variation when I weigh myself with different bikes and that "base setting" (which is me) can be a half pound difference.
Last edited by OldsCOOL; 12-04-16 at 07:55 AM.
#16
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 13,358
Likes: 665
From: northern michigan
Bikes: '77 Colnago Super, '76 Fuji The Finest, '88 Cannondale Criterium, '86 Trek 760, '87 Miyata 712
#17
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 6,280
Likes: 611
From: Los Angeles
Bikes: 78 Masi Criterium, 68 PX10, 2016 Mercian King of Mercia, Rivendell Clem Smith Jr
+1 on the fishing scale. I have one of these. Happy so far with it. As you discovered, the bathroom scale method does not work very well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
#18
Same thing here.
__________________
'75 Fuji S-10S bought new, 52k+ miles and still going!
'84 Univega Gran Tourismo
'84 Univega Viva Sport
'86 Miyata 710
'90 Schwinn Woodlands
Unknown brand MTB of questionable lineage aka 'Mutt Trail Bike'
Plus or minus a few others from time-to-time
'75 Fuji S-10S bought new, 52k+ miles and still going!
'84 Univega Gran Tourismo
'84 Univega Viva Sport
'86 Miyata 710
'90 Schwinn Woodlands
Unknown brand MTB of questionable lineage aka 'Mutt Trail Bike'
Plus or minus a few others from time-to-time
#20
Senior Member



Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 18,757
Likes: 11,483
I have one of those Chinese-made hanging digital scales. It was less than $10 on eBay. Does the job. I checked it with something of known weight when I first got it, and it was spot on. I should probably do that again.
#21
curmudgineer
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 4,417
Likes: 113
From: Chicago SW burbs
Bikes: 2 many 2 fit here
Let's not confuse precision with accuracy.
Unless your scale has an NIST (or similar authority) traceable calibration, and the calibration is current, who knows how accurate it is?
If I were going to behave as a weight-weenie, which I don't anticipate, I would probably use the poor man's method of using any old scale that had decent precision and repeatability, and invest in an appropriate series of NIST traceable calibration weights, in denominations similar to the items that I expect to weigh. I would then check the calibration of my scale with the appropriate calibration weight every time I weighed something.
Until proven otherwise, I would not trust any Harbor Freight tool, for instance, to deliver the accuracy insinuated by the precision of its reading.
Unless your scale has an NIST (or similar authority) traceable calibration, and the calibration is current, who knows how accurate it is?
If I were going to behave as a weight-weenie, which I don't anticipate, I would probably use the poor man's method of using any old scale that had decent precision and repeatability, and invest in an appropriate series of NIST traceable calibration weights, in denominations similar to the items that I expect to weigh. I would then check the calibration of my scale with the appropriate calibration weight every time I weighed something.
Until proven otherwise, I would not trust any Harbor Freight tool, for instance, to deliver the accuracy insinuated by the precision of its reading.
Last edited by old's'cool; 12-04-16 at 07:14 PM. Reason: typoo
#22
Banned
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 43,586
Likes: 1,380
From: NW,Oregon Coast
Bikes: 8
LBS has a Bathroom scale , they put a slab of styrofoam on it to get the bike boxes, weighed, higher,
since the scale is quite low Profile.
For UPS the shipping form says round to the nearest pound..
since the scale is quite low Profile.
For UPS the shipping form says round to the nearest pound..
#23
Thread Starter
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 13,358
Likes: 665
From: northern michigan
Bikes: '77 Colnago Super, '76 Fuji The Finest, '88 Cannondale Criterium, '86 Trek 760, '87 Miyata 712
I purchased the Berkley digital fish scale as recommended. The weighing of bikes and wheelsets has begun.
#24
Cyclotouriste


Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 11,784
Likes: 6,994
From: South Holland, NL
Bikes: Yes, please.
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