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What does your rig weigh?

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Old 03-23-16 | 02:12 PM
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What does your rig weigh?

So last Thursday I was feeling especially sluggish on my commute home. I was on my "winter commuter" - a 1979 Trek "sport tourer". Since I was planning on weighing my road bike that evening, I already had the bike scale out. Now, as I said this is my winter commuter so it's wearing fenders, rear rack, Road Morph G pump, NR Lumina front light, Dinotte Quad Red and NR Solas rear lights, Spoke Lights (front and rear), and about half a bottle of water. In the trunk bag (Topeak MTX DXP - the one with the fold out panniers and rear water bottle pouch) it was carrying a typical commuting load (e.g., wallet, phone, base layer and gloves from the morning commute, shirt/socks/underwear from that day, wristwatch/wedding ring, empty plastic sandwich container, etc.), plus a couple of tubes, patch kit, CO2 canisters, etc.

Hoisted it onto the bike scale and was shocked to read it weighed over 39 pounds. The trunk bag alone was over 9 pounds. Now, I've never been a weight weenie, but this really surprised me. For curiosity I decided to weigh my other main commuter - a fixed gear IRO outfitted with a Arkel seatpost rack and lightweight trunk bag, no fenders, mini pump. With the bag empty (but the tools/tubes, etc in a separate water bottle cage) and without lights, the IRO weighed just over 26 pounds. No wonder it feels much more lively on my commutes.

So, it got me curious, what do other folks' commuter rigs weigh?

BTW - the time difference between the two bikes for the commute (assuming the same weather - rain and high winds slow me down regardless) is only a few minutes on a 15 mile/~1 hour commute; but I guess that's a discussion for a separate post.
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Old 03-23-16 | 02:41 PM
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My fixed gear with rack & fenders, lights, pump and tools is about like your's at about 27 pounds. The nice thing about a rig like that is you put whatever you need on it, and you just don't care about the weight.
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Old 03-23-16 | 02:43 PM
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Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)

inb4 "it doesn't matter"

Mine weigh in the mid- to upper-20s.
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Old 03-23-16 | 02:47 PM
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Wouldn't even know how to weigh it. If I had to guess it'd be around 30 lb with the rack and fenders. It ain't exactly light.
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Old 03-23-16 | 02:50 PM
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Originally Posted by mcours2006
Wouldn't even know how to weigh it. If I had to guess it'd be around 30 lb with the rack and fenders. It ain't exactly light.
1. Stand on a regular bathroom scale without bike
2. Note weight
3. Stand on a regular bathroom scale holding bike
4. Note weight
5. Subtract

I haven't weighed a bike in a long time because of wanting to avoid step 2.

Last edited by tjspiel; 03-23-16 at 02:58 PM.
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Old 03-23-16 | 02:51 PM
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I have a similar one not this exact one and it works great.
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Old 03-23-16 | 03:13 PM
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Bikes: Roubaix Expert Di2, Jamis Renegade, Surly Disc Trucker, Cervelo P2, CoMotion Tandem

Weight before adding bags etc.

47 lbs. 4130 Touring bike front and rear racks, disc brakes, heavy duty rims, fenders dyno-hub, handlebar bag on a thorn stem extension, brooks saddle, 2.1" tires. LOW gearing. Ride to work: 25-30 min.
20 lbs. carbon fiber gravel bike with 23c road tires, disc brakes, Arkel randonneur(sp?) rack on it. Compact double gearing 50/34-11/32. Ride to work: 20-25 min.

Bike 2 is more fun. Bike 1 is better in weather. Bike 1 is ridden more to work and home. Bike 2 is ridden more on group rides.
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Old 03-23-16 | 03:14 PM
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Hmm, I will have to find out what it weighs with everything on it. My VO--with everything that's bolted on and nothing that's not--weighs about 27lbs or so. So that includes lighting, racks, bottle cages, etc, but not bags, bottles, tool kit, etc. My guess is that it weighs between 35 and 40 lbs with everything on it.
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Old 03-23-16 | 03:25 PM
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Mine weighs about 19lbs (old steel race bike).

Weight only really matters accelerating from a stop or going up hills (which is a different type of acceleration).

If I'm doing a steady state time trial, I don't care too much about weight (aero is more important in that scenario).

Speed on commuting is good tires, good wheels and fairly aerodynamic (especially with a head wind!)
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Old 03-23-16 | 03:36 PM
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Bikes: K2 Mod 5.0 Roadie, Fuji Commuter

The K2 weighs just over 17lbs bare. Streamliner rack, panniers, water bottle, lights and a tool pod with flat-repair stuff it comes to 21-22lbs.

The Fuji is 34lbs ready to ride, BOB trailer and tote add another 16 pounds.....that's going to work. Add groceries for ride home. Weight doesn't make as big a difference as the lower range gears do.
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Old 03-23-16 | 04:10 PM
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My Bianchi Volpe is about 34 pounds. It has fenders, a rear rack, a dynamo hub, and dynamo lights.

My Raleigh International is probably around 27 pounds and climbing. It has no rack or fenders yet.

My Viscount fixed gear is around 23 pounds, as I attach very little to it, to keep it light.
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Old 03-23-16 | 04:20 PM
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Bikes: ...a few.

Originally Posted by tjspiel
1. Stand on a regular bathroom scale without bike
2. Note weight
3. Stand on a regular bathroom scale holding bike
4. Note weight
5. Subtract

I haven't weighed a bike in a long time because of wanting to avoid step 2.
LOL! Exactly!!
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Old 03-23-16 | 05:10 PM
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I figure the added height and weight of a bike does not make for a significant change to my BMI
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Old 03-23-16 | 05:14 PM
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Originally Posted by longbeachgary
Yup. That's how I weigh my bikes. It still takes a bit of "engineering". I run a ulock through the top bracket of the scale to hang it on my workstand and then hang the bike from the hook using a Velcro strap I got at REI.

I think my 2013 Jake weighs about 26 pounds with rack and fenders but no luggage. At the other end of the scale, my 2013 Jake the Snake singlespeed weighs exactly 18 pounds with no rack or fenders. Most of my other bikes are between these two. I think my Long Haul Trucker is the only one outside the range. It weighs 35 pounds before I start loading it.
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Old 03-23-16 | 05:33 PM
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35 pounds:

1982 Schwinn "Xtra-Lite" frame with matching painted steel fenders, and the typical "commuter" accouterments:

Steel chain guard from old Huffy
Kick stand
700c alloy wheels with old Sturmey Archer AW hub
"Schwinn Approved" rack
Steel basket
Lock, pump, sag bag
Lights
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Old 03-23-16 | 05:41 PM
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Bikes: 2015 Charge Plug, 2007 Dahon Boardwalk, 1997 Specialized Rockhopper, 1984 Nishiki International, 2006 Felt F65, 1989 Dahon Getaway V

My original commuter was a 1987 Schwinn Cruiser Supreme to which I added lights fenders and a heavy-ass steel rear rack. My headlight was a 20-watt halogen with a 4-amp/hour 12-volt alarm battery. Since I rode for fitness I figured a little weight wouldn't hurt, and actually help. One day I weighed it on a hook at the bike shop. With battery, heavy duty rear wheel and one water bottle it was 43 pounds. In 1997 when the inadequate side pull brakes failed and left me to Flintstone at the end of a 50-mph downhill I removed the rear rack and seat and tossed the bike in the dumpster. I bought a new bike, mounted the seat and rack and still have that bike and the rack.

ANd FWIW That Nishiki MTB-Based commuter is about 32 pounds. My old steel roadie is ~23 pounds, and the new commuter is somewhere in between. My average speed and ride times are fairly equal for all three bikes, but that's in traffic.
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Old 03-23-16 | 06:15 PM
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Originally Posted by tjspiel
1. Stand on a regular bathroom scale without bike
2. Note weight
3. Stand on a regular bathroom scale holding bike
4. Note weight
5. Subtract

I haven't weighed a bike in a long time because of wanting to avoid step 2.
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Old 03-23-16 | 08:06 PM
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I think my crosscheck gets as low as like 24lbs with no rack or anything. It's been a few years since I measured it with the bathroom scale and subtract method, I forget the result exactly. Loaded up it's probably more like 35 I guess.
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Old 03-23-16 | 10:42 PM
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16 lbs, 11 oz before head and tail lights which don't add much. Swapped the saddle out for a lighter Specialized Phenom. Should really update that weight.

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Old 03-24-16 | 09:06 AM
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Aboot 33lbs with Fender, Rack, hub dynamo, front and taillight, Rohloff, Carbon Gates drive, disc brakes, Weber coupler for a trailer, stainless steel frame, 700cx40 Schwalbe tires. Not exactly a light weight, but so far after 2000 miles no maintenance required.

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Old 03-24-16 | 09:28 AM
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Over 30 lbs, that's with the racks, fenders, bags and pedals, while also being unloaded. NFG. Of course, the wheels are a lot nicer than they were when I built it, so it might be a pound or so less. If I wanted lightweight, I would have gone a different direction. Or I'll ride one of my other bikes. Good ole Peugeot Carbolite 103 tubing.
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Old 03-24-16 | 11:46 AM
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Bikes: Cannondale Synapse, Trek 5000 TCT, Giant OCR

With or without a week's worth of road crud plastered on the frame?
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Old 03-24-16 | 12:29 PM
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Originally Posted by mgw4jc
With or without a week's worth of road crud plastered on the frame?
Do you mean to imply you clean your bike? :-D
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Old 03-24-16 | 12:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Darth Lefty
Do you mean to imply you clean your bike? :-D
No, the rain does and then it starts all over again.
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Old 03-24-16 | 12:47 PM
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My commuter usually tows a Burley Piccolo trailer. The trailer itself is just under 20-lbs., but it requires a heavy-duty Moose rack that adds another 3 pounds. My panniers are stuffed full with a lunch, coffee thermos, change of cloths/shoes, two bike locks (one for the trailer), a few tools and spare tubes, and my work computer--probably another 15 pounds at least. I estimate the bike itself weights around 26 pounds.

So, my whopping total is about 64 pounds! And that's when I'm not hauling my 55-pound daughter, who sometimes pedals.

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