Did you pop it in the scale before mounting it? What's the real life weight?

I did not.
My approach to this was that it was a Fox32 (1.5kg thereabouts + couple of hundreds $ + installation + maintenance ) or this. :D

I have the impression that its the weight of a filled 550-750ml water bottle (so 550-750gm)

Here's quite some geometry data for the gravel converted hybrid.
https://flatbike.com/changebike-frame-geometry/

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...df8693ac6b.jpg


I also went ahead and plugged the data into bike-stats to play around and compare
https://bike-stats.de/en/geometrie_v...arrior_2024_17

Are there any German owners by any chance btw. Would love to see a changebike in first person!

There's a much lighter - and more expensive version of it, that also allows for better adjustment.
https://www.vecnum.com/de/produkte/freeqence

I finally pulled the trigger and ordered my frame, got already the new, ebike ready one.

Slightly overwhelmed with the dilemma of choice for picking parts now 😅

Yes! the Vecnum, there are a bit more review of it on Youtube.


Congrats on the new bike and have fun selecting the parts. :)

I bought one of those Meroca stems, 467 grams, I just weighed it.

Last year I put a Kinekt stem on my light touring bike. That cost a lot more than the Meroca but was quite happy with the Kinekt. I often use the drops on my drop bars so I wanted that type of suspension stem, not a single pivot one like a Redshift.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...30786f111a.jpg

Note that I use a second stem for my handle bar bag mount to lower the bag and bring it slightly closer to the steering axis (steerer tube). This means my handlebar bag was not suspended so that weight was not a factor for the suspension. I made sure that I had enough space between those two stems so that the suspension was not hampered.

Decided after the Kinekt that I would buy another suspension stem for another bike. As a new user on Ali Express, I got free shipping, the Meroca was less than $40 USD because of the free shipping, but that was last year when tariffs were not an issue. Have not installed that yet, so I could weigh it to answer your question.

Good video on suspension stems:

Photo above was on a bike tour last summer with my light touring bike, 700c wheels. Not a folder with small wheels. I also installed a Redshift suspension seatpost on that bike at the same time. Photo below: The Redshift had suggestions for setting by rider weight, I used their "performance" setting for my weight and it worked perfect for me.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fe929d7229.jpg

I built up the bike in 2017, but finally got around to adding the suspension.

First, kudos to PINHOLECAM for starting this thread in 2016. It's had a vibrant life for the past 9 years.

Second--full transparency--I run Flatbike, which has often been mentioned on this thread as a resource. My intent in writing at this time is to give a status update about the availability of various frames and bikes, at a manufacturing level, a distributor level, and at a country level.

FRAMES.

• This thread started with a uniquely designed road bike, drop bar build on the CHANGE 702 road frame that Changebike never offered as a bike build. That frame was discontinued several years ago. We had a Flatbike drop bar build on that frame, using a folding stem to fold the bike smaller than what PINHOLECAM has--and easily fold it flat against a wall. But the stem made it look less like a regular road bike. This road bike could be built instead with a standard stem, like PINHOLECAM's bike, and then would fold like it as well. With the 702 frame gone, this bike was discontinued.
• The replacement for the CHANGE 702 folding road frame was the CHANGE 833 folding MTB frame. We used this for a folding gravel bike, folding adventure bike (flat bar) and folding MTB that are still sold. Advances in this round were 1x11 gearing, 38mm tires for gravel, and in the case of the MTB, a dropper post and 0.6 gear ratio. Later, e-bike capability was introduced for all 3 models, using the Bimotal removable motor.
• As of last year, the CHANGE 833 frame was also discontinued. Its replacement is a sleek "gravel bike" frame (GV-10) that maxes out at a tire width of 35mm, and a new MTB frame (933) that adds a bend in the downtube and 0.5 kg.
• For any of these bikes, the folded box size when shipped is 35in x 17 in x 30 in (89 cm x 15 cm x 76 cm). We know of Flatbike original pasteboard shipping boxes that have made 5+ commercial flights without any reinforcement.

DISTRIBUTION.

• From 2016 until the US went crazy with tariffs, Flatbike assembled bikes in the US and sold them on four continents. We will still estimate shipping costs for international postal codes, so potential buyers can make decisions with current info.
• Flatbike will not be following suit with the new frames, so these will only be available directly from Changebike.
• Flatbike will be exiting the bike assembly business by the end of July. We currently have 8 bikes, 12 of the discontinued 833 frames, and 5 e-bike units left in stock. When those are sold out, we will be a fully component-based business.
• If you are interested in building up a Changebike-based bike as a DIY project, with a wider than 35mm tire at the lowest possible weight, you'll need a 833 frame. Now is the time to grab one of the last 12 from Flatbike. Changebike doesn't have any left.

GUIDANCE.

• We have successfully built and sold fully folding, 37 lb (16.8 kg) e-bikes on the CHANGE frame. (That involved designing and 3d printing our own part.) If you want guidance on how to build that bike yourselves, such as component selection and what to watch out for, contact us directly. I want to keep this forum as free as possible from commercial messaging--including my own.

Thanks,
Bob Forgrave
President, Flatbike

Yay, bummer - no mention of the added weight of the new frame by changebike - despite several times asking if anything has changed despite the bump :notamused::wtf:

Richmond to Bilpin

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...7134a1e2_z.jpg



Another real world user update since its another rare trip that I can do in a year.
This was part of a family trip in Australia, so only a couple of days were spent for cycling.
With the need to bring 3 bikes, I made custom cardboard boxes for the Titanium breakaway bikes that my children would use and used the same box size for the Change Bike as well



The box turned out to be smaller and I had to dismantle the fork to fit in.
The RD hanger is removed as a precaution on all my trips
Overall perhaps 40mins pack time including some foam cutting and wrapping.



The box is a side opening design for ease of arranging items in the box.
One of the advantages of cardboard is the lighter weight.
About 15kg total with bike, bottles, bike tools, mounts, helmet.



In comparison to the custom breakaway bikes, the breakaways are better for this sort of packing/travelling.
They stack flatter since there is no fold and are also lighter without any folding mechanism.
The Change Bike does pack and setup faster if not for the smaller box size I used.

I usually wear my helmet onto airplanes, then stow it in an overhead bin. I do not want any airline luggage handlers to have a chance to crack my helmet. I would put it in my carry on bag, but that bag usually is too full.

Interesting Box Dimensions
 

Impressive that you've been able to get the height down to 24". Our boxes for gravel bikes on all sizes of Changebike frames are 35" x 30" x 15", and we really need that last 6" of height.

I notice your box is wider, too. Are you removing the rear wheel as well and placing it beside the frame? That would trade height for width...

Bob

Yes, I remove the rear wheel.
My most recent trip, I also removed the RD hanger and the fork for a even smaller pack size.