kross57

I know some bikes get a bad rap because they are heavier than others. But lets say my vintage bike weighs 25 pounds. When I park my butt in the saddle, it suddenly weighs 170. So, going down the road, what matters more? The 1 ounce I saved using drilled brake levers? Or the 12-ounce beer I skipped at lunch? In the final equation, how important is the bike weight, really? For high-end competitors who have leaned themselves out to the max, maybe. But for most of us?

rccardr 

...not such a big deal. Most decent vintage builds weigh around 21-22 pounds, or maybe 5 pounds more than a $2000-ish new carbon bike. I don't think most riders in most circumstances would notice a 5 pound difference.

On the other hand, last year I lost 30 pounds. Gained some back, but even so I'm much faster than I was when heavier. Easier to climb, too!

PilotFishBob 

How a bike feels is more important to me, I've ridden some light bikes that feel a bit dead or just don't suit otherwise. My Super Course is heavier than most of my other bikes but it has a great fit and a lively feel and the extra lbs don't make a substantial difference on the uphills. Adjusting the weight of the butt in the saddle (downwards) is my primary concern - story of my life...

FBOATSB

My only requirement is that I can still pick it up and put it in the Park stand. Other than that, I can go as far and as fast as my body will allow regardless of a few pounds one way or another.

Bianchigirll 

Wildwood 

I would offer that lighter wheels are more important for my enjoyment than overall weight (up to a point). That's why a dozen wheelsets are tubular.

since6

How does the bike fit, what is the quality of the ride and wheel weight/tire size has mattered more to me than weight of the bike. Lightening of parts seems more akin to Colin Chapman's quest for the perfect Formula 1 car, designed to be so light that as it crossed the finish line to win the race it would then break/fall apart. A friend's dad won a ration coupon to purchase a bike at the start of WWII. This bike he used as his car, taking trips on this 40lb.+ bike with heavy camping gear, had amazing times/adventures.

John E

For me, anything above about 14kg or 30lb is unacceptable, but below that point I don't make a big deal about overall bicycle weight. As mentioned above, tire and rim weight are important to the acceleration and overall feel and ride quality, which is why I avoid steel rims, which also exhibit unsafely degraded braking performance when wet.

bikemig 

I've never paid any attention to weight. I figure if the bike is built right, it's the weight it needs to be. I do pay attention to getting a high quality frame and parts which keeps the weight in check. The lightest bike is not always the most comfortable for riding all day in any case.

Bianchigirll 

OH BTW are we talking 'off the shelf' weights or ready to ride with one or two bottles, pump (CO2), seat pack, Garmin or smart phone, bell and flask?

nomadmax 

THAT ^ right there.

Wheel weight is more important than overall weight. Adding to that, the lighter the tires, tubes and rims are the quicker they will accelerate. The further from the center the weight is, the greater the impact on acceleration and climbing. A full 26 oz water bottle is 1.625 pounds + the weight of the bottle; ride a climb with it and then without it; not much of a difference. Now switch wheels that are 1.625 pounds lighter where the bulk of the reduction is at the point furthest from the axles and ride the climb again; big difference. So much so that in some cases you may be able to climb in a slightly higher gear.

jamesdak 

Well from my ride logs I will say weight doesn't really matter that much. One of my heavier bikes with heavier wheels is still one of my best climbers. I attribute that to how stiff the frame is.

All that said though, I do prefer a bike to feel light under me. I've had some bikes that just didn't feel good, those get passed on. I do like light wheels for how they make the bike feel and a lot of times I'll throw a modern set on my vintage bike just for the enjoyment it gives me.

I do track all the weights of my bikes as part of the fun of collecting. It's just another point of comparison for me. I weigh them all the same, with the pedals and bottle cages on.

Right now the bikes range from 18 lbs 5 ozs to 23 lbs 3 ozs. Not counting the old Peugeot U-08 and AMF 3 speed. Those are "real steal" bikes, lol!

easyupbug 

I am no weight weenie but over the years I have a few data points which have been tested many many times and leave no doubt in my mind. I have 3 bikes that stand out from the herd weight wise, both frame and build. The Vitus 979 and a built for me Tange Prestige Super Lite are only a couple pounds lighter than my other bikes and are faster on my typical routes. I do think I notice what feels like faster acceleration but don't notice when climbing. I have rotated wheelsets around and not found rotational weight to matter for my riding. Also have three Tommasinis, a Tecno, Diamonte, and an older Prestige. The Prestige frame/build is 2+ pounds heavier than the Diamonte and a little more than than that compared to the Tecno. I love all three but the Tecno and Diamonte do have reduced times and feel like they accelerate faster. I keep bikes for the kids families and when they visit I will grab the 979, Super Lite or Tecno to do my best to keep up.

scozim 

Years ago there was a former racer telling me during a group ride there was a new bike he wanted to get because it was 3 lbs lighter than his current bike but it was $3500. My initial reaction was "why not just lose the 3 lbs". I don't notice the difference on most of my bikes that are within 3-5 lbs of each other. The definite heavier ones I do but that's because when I grab them I'm out for a more leisurely ride and not pushing myself as hard.

Rccardr climbed really well last summer on his Cannondale.

CliffordK

You should compare your vintage rides to a Huffy or a Murray, or a Schwinn Varsity.

Bianchigirll 

3speedslow

Wildwood 

Bought a 70s Bottecchia, SP tubing. flat tires meant no test ride.
Next day rode with new tubes - meh, not impressed with bike's responsiveness.
Rode it with tubular wheels some days later and it handled and accelerated much better.
Approx 600g difference between the two 700c wheelsets.
A conversion on the Follis from 27" wheels to tubulars was even more dramatic in handling.


The true answer for effect of bike weight / wheel weight differences really depends on HOW you ride your bikes.
If you a 15mph rider, mostly on flat/straight roads and trails = virtually no difference.
If you ride for speed/race, have big hills or mountains, curvy potholed/earthquaked roads - then nimble handling takes on new meaning and importance.
I especially appreciate a lightweight front wheel&tire.

I also 100% agree that lesser body weight achieved through healthy diet and exercise is the best investment in improving every bike's performance.

Aubergine 

smontanaro 

I just shipped a Ladies Schwinn Racer from Chicago to Austin, TX. I had no trouble hoisting the bike up to my luggage scale to get an idea of the weight (38lbs) so I could estimate shipping charges. After boxing though, I needed to run an inner tube through the little knock-out handles in the box so I had something sturdy enough to hang it from for the final weigh-in (47lbs). I couldn't manage that what with the moving scale hook and bulkiness of the box, so had to get Ellen to help. She feeds the obsession in multiple ways.

Today, I took my Schwinn Speedster out to get in a workout and experience the windy conditions. That same luggage scale tells me it weighs just a skosh under 35lbs. Didn't notice that as a problem.

crank_addict

How important is the bike weight?

All depends on what you expect out of it - just transportation, cargo usage, racing for prize money, etc..

Next- Human weight combined with bike.

The bike static, expenses zero energy. Meaning useless, regardless of weight.

Contrary to the human, who expenses energy even in a sleep state. It may be miniscule and poor -using any form of output power measurement such as watts or horsepower per weight. It can be better if physically fit, able to move its mass, improves if various attributes are used, converts fat to muscle or even lose mass.

Remember that useless zero output bike in static mode mentioned above? All has to be figured and added to the humans energy efficiency.

So the body has to expense energy to move the bikes mass too, but by lowering any related bike and cargo mass automatically improves output power.

But.... but... mass in gravity is your friend :")

jjhabbs 

Honestly. It doesnt matter.

Nobody asks what the zero to sixty time is in a 1957 chevy! Who cares! Its a 57 chevy.

JJ

Pompiere

In today's wind, those extra pounds would be an asset!

smontanaro 

I'm guessing it matters to some people.

randyjawa 

Generally speaking, when seeking a decent vintage road bicycle, one can expect to find offerings between 22 pounds and 25 pounds. For my money, anything with-in those weight limits, or even less, is a good place to start, in my book. Have a look at these bicycle weights and the weights I took myself on my own bikes.

So, make no mistake, weight does play a factor in ride quality but the function it plays is, kinda, minimal. Wheel weight is a BIG player in ride quality. Geometry is a BIG player in ride quality. Your skill and fitness levels play a BIG part in ride quality. So does saddle fit. And bicycle fit. And so many other things that I sometimes wonder why we all get so hung up on weight.