spelger

hogwash. everything has a weight. it is a simple matter of accessing a data base where these things are kept and adding it all up based on everything that makes up a bike. this is not rocket science. what is comes down to is "they" just don't want to do it (who ever they is).

EDIT: i really should add that there may be very good reasons for not wanting to do it. but certainly it is possible.

-scott

Sy Reene

Maybe they could seek eg. Competitive Cyclists help.. they seem to have a process down. Picking just a random stem (enve sas) from their components pages:

Maelochs

Bunch of stuff I can think of (which is probably not a good thing.)

For one thing---since the bike might come is six or eight frame sizes and four or more parts specs the website would have to list all 30 possibilities …. And as others had noted, if the spec changes mid-run, the whole weigh-in needs to be redone, and the entire corporate website needs to be massively modified.

On top of that, what’s on the website constitutes “advertising,” and there are Truth in Advertising laws. If the site says a bike weigh XX pounds … you Know there would be people bringing lawsuits if Their iteration weigh four ounces over … by their scales.

And pay big bucks to the legal department to make sure that the disclaimer covered every little thing some “Watch me weasel my way into a free bike” richard-head living in his parents’ basement with too much time because he kept quitting his part-time jobs, could imagine.

Think about it …. One line of text which didn’t get changed out of however many thousands of lines …. And suddenly Trek is in court? Why would any sound business operator leave him/herself open like that?

On top of that … what’s the upside?

Why should the whole industry invent some standard (like that could ever even happen (look at bottom brackets) what would the manufacturer gain?

First, some manufacturer would come up with its own standard and tell everyone that its bikes were lighter than everyone else’s … and because no one would read the fine print, they would get a competitive advantage, at least for a while.

And what’s the upside? Zero. Some customers would make decisions based on a the difference of a few grams—never have ridden either of two or more bikes in consideration—and the company which was most honest with its weights would lose sales for a number which in all likelihood doesn’t really relate to anything

My sub-16-lb (with pedals) Workswell hit the road at 22 lbs because I carry food, tools, tubes, spares, sometimes two water bottle, sometimes weather gear, computer, two head- and tail lights …. But it is still a bike I can lift with one finger.

Someone would see “22 pounds” and think, “What a porker …. I wouldn’t ever ride a bike that weighs that much,” while never having weighed his or her own bikes in actual, about to go on a very long ride, trim.

How much does that bike weigh? With or without which kind of pedals? Botle cages, and how many? Lights? Computer:? Computer mount and waterproof case? Saddle bag? What tools/tubes/parts? A Powerbar, two gels, both? A banana?

How many people got out their digital fish scales and weighed their bikes a minute before a long ride?

Frankly, I’d bet a lot of people would get turned off by cycling if they found out here “6.8 kg Wunderbike” actually hit the road a 11 kg. We all make So much fuss over a few grams, and go nuts over a few hundred grams …. I know I have, and I know I have been in discussions where others have …. And we haven’t even bothered to Weigh Our Own Bikes.

I actually enjoy seeing people’s interest wane when they ask how much my bike weighs and I say “22 pounds.” Because I know their bikes probably weigh 20 … and the difference is that I over-prepare and overpack, not that the bike is overweight. But people really don’t get it. I could say “Sub-16 pounds,” but it isn’t as much fuun as being able to close their minds for them …. More robots in the populace …..

On top of All that …. I can generally find a reasonably approximate weight for a bike by ….. Doing Research.

I go to bike reviews, and Some sites/online magazines actually accurately report the weights (showroom weights, as a rule) of the bikes they test. Also, I have found weights listed in “comments” sections of websites reviewing bikes.

The data isn’t Readily available, but it is Generally available.

When the entire bike industry decides on a single bottom-bracket standard, I will then believe they could come up with some honest weight-determination formula (no pedals, cages, accessories, medium frame, one weight per build option …. Really not hard … to Conceive.)

But then … so far no one has come up with a way that listing honest weights would help The Manufacturer. And the folks who sell bikes aren’t going to do it for the benefit of the consumer.

alcjphil

It may be possible using published weights of components, but who is going to end up paying for this nitpicking, especially if published weights of individual components are not accurate? I simply find it silly to obsess about a few hundred grams

Maelochs

There is a person in this thread who bought an MTB and likes it ... but wouldn't have bought it if he knew the weight.

So ... he wouldn't have had all the joy that bike has brought him, because of a number .... which number has actually never affected his Actual Riding Experience.

And for all he knows, the Actual weight of that bike is Lower than all the other bikes he was considering.

And on top of That, it is possible that if there was one bike which was 200 grams lighter, it wouldn't have suited him as well or provided as much joy.

I wanted an XC-style mountain bike .... max 100 mm front suspension travel, light and lithe. I ended up getting an amazing deal on an F/S Cannondale with 140-mm fork. It weighs about 30 pounds ... three or four more than I had hoped for. But that bike has proven to be more than worth every penny because the extra travel allows me to ride stuff my aging body and decaying brain simply couldn't ride without all that technical assistance. I ended up buying a better bike than I had hoped for .... and the extra weight has never held me back At All.

Is it possible that we have all been fooled into thinking that a few hundred grams is more important than say, ride quality, or enjoyment?

Using the Dr. @Lazyass postulate ... i can drop a few pounds in the restroom before a ride, which more than makes up for the added bike weight .... but I cannot empty myself in a way that increases suspension travel, frame compliance, or in any other way improves the ride.

Maybe, just maybe, the extra half-pound or pound Really Doesn't Matter .... unless you are racing seriously, in which case that half-pound comes off .... the rider.

livedarklions

I think they should list what each size weighs on each of the planets of the Solar System, maybe on Pluto as well.

indyfabz

Years ago the owner of a LBS noted that the weight difference between DuraAce and Ultegra at the time was about a half bottle's worth of water,

msu2001la

Cannondale, Felt, Canyon and Focus all list weights for complete bikes on their website.

Giant has this on their website: "The most accurate way to determine any bike’s weight is to have your local dealer weigh it for you. Many brands strive to list the lowest possible weight, but in reality weight can vary based on size, finish, hardware and accessories. All our bikes are designed for best-in-class weight and ride quality."ware and accessories. All our bikes are designed for best-in-class weight and ride quality.

noimagination

For me, weight is one of the least important criteria for choosing one bike over another. Heck, looks and color would be more important to me than weight.

I ride for enjoyment, though, so if you're racing up mountains then weight could be a very important factor in choosing a bike.

livedarklions

I'm so governed by the "I'd rather have a pound of stuff on my bike and not need it than get stuck of the middle of nowhere because I don't have it" that the naked weight of my bikes is a theoretical figure I've never bothered to obtain. The times I really care about weight are the rare occasions I have to carry a bike up some stairs.

msu2001la

Off topic, but this sounds about right. An empty water bottle weighs around 75-80 grams. 20oz of water is 567 grams.

Depends on which version of Dura Ace and Ultegra you're comparing, but it looks like a 306 gram weight difference for the rim brake electronic shifting versions.
There is only 90 grams difference between the rim brake mechanical versions. (Assuming Cycling Weekly did their weighing correctly)Total system weights:

• Ultegra R8000 (mechanical) 2266g / Dura-Ace R9100 (mechanical) 2176g
• Ultegra R8050 (Di2) 2353g / Dura Ace R9150 (Di2) 2047g
• Ultegra R8070 (hydraulic Di2) 2627.6g / Dura-ace R9150 (hydraulic Di2) 2377g

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/p...erences-349898

That said, if you want to carry around a half bottle of water for me on the next group ride, let me know.

woodcraft

Autos come with many options, but a 15 second search gives weights for 25 common models.

cb400bill

Everybody lies.

livedarklions

Pretty sure that auto makers don't have to worry about weight wienies getting ready to pounce on anything they'd consider a substantially false claim concerning a few ounces.

livedarklions

cb400bill

I was quoting Dr. Gregory House, but I'm okay with a Beatles reference, too.

Maelochs

You are my kind of crazy.

badger1

Interestingly, Giant has that message on their English websites, while many of the Euro sites do list weights, e.g. Germany, France, Poland.

msu2001la

Cars are a totally different ball of wax. Auto manufacturers are required to list weights and car weight is rarely a selling point, or a factor for buyers. When there are significant variations among a model (like different engine or trim levels) they list weights for each version. Toyota has three versions of the Camry listed on their website TRD, L and XSE V6, and publishes a different weight for each one individually) Beyond that, most options don't change the weight significantly enough to matter.

There is no small, medium, large Toyota Camry versions, for instance, so the process of publishing a standard weight for a Camry is more simplified than it would be for a bike manufacturer, which often has 5-6 different frame sizes, combined with 3-4 different spec levels for a single model.

msu2001la

Someone probably bought a bike, weighed it and found it to be 100g too heavy because the LBS used a different inner tube or something, and then sued Giant.

livedarklions

Total aside, but Hugh Laurie is on the HBO series Avenue 5, and about the only thing I like a lot about it is his shifting between his British and American accents.

CliffordK

I've seen bar tape mentioned a couple of times, but how heavy is the stuff... really? One wrap or two wraps with electrical tape?


Most modern road bikes will range from about 14 lbs to 25 lbs, with a few outliers. But, that is a pretty big range.

I have to think the weight in the MTB world is even more critical. What do they weigh? About 20lbs up to 40lbs? That couold be huge if one is actually hitting the mountains.

pdlamb

If you really want or need to know, get your own luggage scale and take it with you when you wander down to the LBS for a test ride.

woodcraft

True, but I now know that a Toyota corolla weighs 351 lbs more than a Honda civic- about a 12% difference.
I doubt that many here would argue that a $250 cost difference between two similar bikes is insignificant and there are too many variables to publish a selling price.

Gconan

It was 4.5#s difference. Hard tail to hard tail. Xc vs trail. But you are right, the trail bike has brought more joy in the long run perhaps.