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Old 12-03-16 | 09:52 PM
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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.
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Old 12-03-16 | 10:02 PM
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Berkley fish scale -- likely found in the fishing section of your local retailer,

Probably several other brands other than BErkley --
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Old 12-03-16 | 10:04 PM
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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#.
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Old 12-03-16 | 10:04 PM
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Used a motorcycle handlebar tiedown loop to hang it from wherever - in this case my workstand
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Old 12-03-16 | 10:31 PM
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I'm using a luggage scale. 110lb capacity, $6, comes with a little nylon web strap. Works a charm.
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Old 12-03-16 | 10:35 PM
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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.
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Old 12-03-16 | 10:44 PM
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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.

Last edited by Dave Cutter; 12-03-16 at 10:48 PM.
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Old 12-03-16 | 10:51 PM
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Originally Posted by OldsCOOL
Time for me to stop guessing with bathroom scales.
It's not guessing; it's simple arithmetic: subtract the weight of you alone on the bathroom scale from the weight of you plus the bike, and you get the weight of the bike, to the accuracy of your bathroom scale.
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Old 12-03-16 | 11:06 PM
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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
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Old 12-03-16 | 11:14 PM
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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
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Old 12-04-16 | 12:42 AM
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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.
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Old 12-04-16 | 06:13 AM
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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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Old 12-04-16 | 06:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Lascauxcaveman
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.
And first remove all unnecessary items you don't need while riding, things like pedals, saddle, tires. Then you subtract 2 - 3 lbs.
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Old 12-04-16 | 06:40 AM
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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.
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Old 12-04-16 | 07:36 AM
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Originally Posted by SkyDog75
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
Hopefully I can grab a decent one for a low price. I just want consistency.

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.
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Old 12-04-16 | 07:51 AM
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Originally Posted by jimmuller
And first remove all unnecessary items you don't need while riding, things like pedals, saddle, tires. Then you subtract 2 - 3 lbs.
I learned that here.
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Old 12-04-16 | 08:11 AM
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+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
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Old 12-04-16 | 08:21 AM
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Originally Posted by DrIsotope
I'm using a luggage scale. 110lb capacity, $6, comes with a little nylon web strap. Works a charm.
Same thing here.
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Old 12-04-16 | 08:35 AM
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I have a post office and block from my work office. For the "official" frame/fork weight, I use the post office. For other weights I have some small kitchen scales and a shipping scale.
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Old 12-04-16 | 09:30 AM
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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.
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Old 12-04-16 | 11:52 AM
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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.

Last edited by old's'cool; 12-04-16 at 07:14 PM. Reason: typoo
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Old 12-04-16 | 01:36 PM
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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..
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Old 12-24-16 | 12:57 PM
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I purchased the Berkley digital fish scale as recommended. The weighing of bikes and wheelsets has begun.
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Old 12-24-16 | 12:59 PM
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Originally Posted by OldsCOOL
(...) The weighing of bikes and wheelsets has begun.
Oh dear.
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