blargh don't be a weight nazi- you'll be stronger if you work harder. fix gear your sisters beach cruiser and train.

Spend your money on YOU.

Eat better, train harder, and no matter what you ride, you'll be faster.

Simple.

BUY IT!

I just got my new Hour in slate, and I think it looks pretty good. One of the women here at the office even lightly carresed it and complemented me on the color of the bike "looks like a fast bike" she said.

A heavier bike will make you faster going downhill. But going uphill or level surface, you can go faster on a lighter bike, because less weight to push.

Then there are other factors. If you are tubby, lose some weight. I think it's interesting when I see old guys with pot bellys riding a $7000 carbon Colnago. Start with your body weight, and when you body fat percentage is in the low teens, then start thinking about getting a lighter bike! If you are fat, you could probably use a heavier bike to burn off extra calories.

The weight of your butt also figures into the equation as well.

BS.

I switched from a hi-ten steel bike to a basic DB cromo frame (all other parts the same or equivalent), and the differences are notable. I can climb easier, I accelerate a lot faster, and I get up to spin-out speed quicker on downhills. A pound or two is not much difference, but if you drop 3 or 4, it does.

Just avoid Hi-ten and you should be fine. :)

who in track & field still calls it the 440? lol

my bike weighs 16.5lbs, its a steel frame, but when i ride heavier steel frames i feel more stable..however i can get off the line somewhat faster on my gitane then on my friends le tour with the the same gearing...but thats really the only significant difference..for now.

The advantages of light bikes are overstated because of the market. But I think this thread is an overreaction to that. Lighter bikes do (all else being equal) feel nicer to ride, and it is noticeable. So don't worry about having a 15lb bike, but you don't want to ride a 30lb one either. Any quality bike will be light enough.

Light bike => more fun => ride more => ride faster.

i've experimented with lightness, swapping out parts making my tsunami go from ~14 lbs up, not to mention riding with and without my bag. it really doesn't make a damn bit of difference on the street, even with all of the hills that i see. once i have the funds together, i'm going to get a custom steel frame and fork, get 36 spoked phils on open pros, and then drop the bucks on a professional fit - in short, weight isn't going to be a priority.

I do fake sprint races by myself in my neighborhood, that way I'm always the fastest.

british and americans.

as the bike gets light, the amount of money it costs to make it lighter goes up exponentially. since fixed gears are already on the light end of that spectrum, i wouldn't advise dropping much cash. 100 grams off your seatpost is not likely to be worth the price penalty, but that of course depends on your situation.

the biggest difference in ride quality i've felt by replacing a single component was going from cheap heavy wire bead tires to light folding racing slicks.

maybe americans over 50.

5'4? That's a HUGE bike!

If you're not doing uphill timetrials, aerodynamics will own bike weight every single ****ing time.

before an 8% gradient (or so I've heard) aerodynamics beats weight.

A better idea is choose stiff/aero components and build a bike up around them.

condition is #1 for speed, position is #1 if you are doing a TT, bike is #19

If you want to go faster, buy a skinsuit, shoe covers, a teardrop helmet and aerobars. Don't worry about wheels because you have to sustain 25mph to actually gain any of the effects of aero wheels (not that I'm saying you can't do that. They are expensive and don't make much difference)

i removed my valve caps to reduce weight and i could totally feel a huge difference

Weight may not guarentee a higher top speed, but it does mean a more twitchy, easier to maneuver bike because there's less weight to throw around. It just boils down to preference.

Bike fit reigns supreme for priority though. Aerodynamics isn't going to matter much on the streets, because like someone said, you have to go over 25. Just don't wear your cape every time you go out for a bike ride... Stiffness is a double edged sword because the stiffer you build something up, the more comfort you sacrifice for the streets. Lightweight, stiff and proper fitting is about the most ideal bike I could fathom for myself though, albeit "cheap" does not go anywhere near that equation.