Did you not get the memo? That is not made of steel.

Ever weight bare frames? For me 1lb is not that much difference. Look at tires and parts spec for weight savings. At 235 lbs, I call my 4 Surlys appropriate in sturdiness for my size. Especially all loaded up for bikepacking.

A pound difference in frame weight is a lot for a frame. Sure, in the larger scheme of things it is just a pound, but it is a lot for a rigid frame. And I'd be willing to bet most CF frames/forks are 2 pounds lighter.

I mean, if your seat post was a pound heavier, you'd say that was a pretty freaking heavy seat post.

Again, I don't think it is a big deal, just saying Surly frames are heavy. And they are.

If the bike is 30, the load is 25 or so, depending on food and water for that day, and I'm 235, 1 lb is not going to make a difference, for me. I never weighed a bare frame before, Do they make CF frames that fit 29 x 3.0 tires meant for bikepacking? Curious on say something a little more refined steel say niner or such weight? Or maybe the stache frame in Aluminum.

DANG, you are right, aluminum! SHEESH, its so heavy I actually thought it was made of iron!

Here are some pics from when I was giving the bike it's initial clean.

If your point is that a pound of bike weight does not matter all that much, you won't get any disagreement from me on that, and I weigh a lot less than you and don't carry 25 lbs on the bike.

It's possible to make a much lighter steel frame than a Surly.

...But you don't see many like that any more. Some bikes that are more like that, like Soma, get a rep/rap for being a bit wimpy.

One part of the MTB origin story is that Tom Ritchey jumped on the bandwagon early because he realized he could buy straight gauge tubing in bulk, miter it with a hole saw and zap it together, for a fraction of what it cost to get branded tubing and lugs.

Salsa El Mariachi - 29'er, solid steel. Weight? Doesn't bother me in the least - it rides so well that it doesn't matter!

Apropos of nothing, updated Krampus builds and colors today. Two builds, orange one $2200 with NX, Level brakes, and a suspension fork and dropper post, sky blue one $1550 with SX and all rigid. The new rigid build is a slight step down from last year's at the same price - so it goes.

I love that matched stem on your El Mar

Wow, even fillet on the BB, that's some good looking USA craftsmanship

Made by the man himself. Ritchey doesn't mess around. Stoked to own it, only one better is the 83 competition.

No stamping on the rear drop outs and the frame was bare steel, no stickers.
The top tube and down tube are sort of oval and the stays are curved.

This 91 Haro Extreme is by far my heaviest steel bike; but it rides fairly nicely, and has good handling.

Late 1979 I built my first MTB out of a Schwinn Varsity using 26"x1.75" wheels and tires. It weighed 31lbs in race trim sitting on the start line. Because of this heritage I consider the Varsity a capable MTB if you build it that way. The above Varsity is my gravel road/trail bike with 700C x 40mm tires. This bicycle is best characterized by the phrase, "Heavy Metal". So I ask to be qualified a Heavy Arsed Steel MTB. In those early years of MTBing I raced against Mr. Ritchey in several of the Northern California races of the era on that bicycle and did very well. I love the pictures of the steel Ritchey. Speaking of the Ritchey bottom bracket I broke a seatpost at the Rockhopper MTB race in Santa Rosa and walked back to the start line with a guy who had torn the whole BB bearing assembly out of his Ritchey frame with a pedal strike. Ruined the frame.