In the old days it was considered one of the most important specs. Now it has vanished from the literature. I would like to know the differences in weights between models. Should I really plunk down the extra $400 for the next model up the line if it only shaves off a few ounces? Enquiring minds want to know.
When I last bought a bike (a couple of years ago) most specs did not give the weight. Some did. When I dug deeper and found weights from other sources, there was an obvious correlation. Manufacturers of lighter bikes gave weights, no one else did. For obvious reasons.
Any idea where I could get that info? I was able to find some sites that gave component weights but none that gave weights of manufactured bikes.
It’s incomplete, but it’s a start. Might we know what you’re looking at?
In fact, I started another thread about it. Considering Raleigh for no other reason than sentimentality. And yeah, incomplete. No Raleigh, Trek, Specialized, just a buncha names I never heard before.
Or I should say the only name I recognized was Specialized.
My advice would be to avoid getting sidetracked by weight. It’s true you can spend a few hundred dollars to shave off a few ounces, but most of us would be better off shaving ten pounds from the spare tire wrapped around the tummy. 
The only way to find out if a bike is good for you is to go out and ride one - and that means going down to your local bike dealer and talking to them about what you want.
If you really want to see what weight saving is all about, have a look at at this. You can spend $2,500 to save 4oz on a frame :eek:
I didn’t find any one source. It was a matter of spending hours poking around on sites, finding 3rd party reviews concerning bikes I was interested in. Plus also I found that some manufacturer’s sites did have the info, but deeply buried in .pdfs and so on, not in the first page you looked.
I should add that I second what **Tapioca ** said. Assuming the bike you like (for other reasons) is not a complete tank, I don’t think the marginal differences between one brand and another are that important.
I recently bought a fairly expensive (£1300) Specialized mountain bike, and none of the spec sheets gave the weight for the full bike. I assumed it is because a lot of the weight comes from parts that are easily replaced - tyres, saddle, wheels - but the stock parts are relatively heavy, and the manufacturer doesn’t want to make their bike seem heavy when weight-conscious riders will rapidly swap out those parts.
For the record, my bike isn’t on that list (2007 FSR XC Pro) but the next model down (FSR XC Comp) is - 31.04lb in a large. Mine’s a medium, so I’d guess maybe 29lb.
Well, back in the olden days, they would give a weight for comparison (usually spec’d for the 53cm frame) and you could add and subtract from there.
Will you be racing? Professionally?
If not, I’d chime in with the ‘go to the bike shop’ crowd. You can pick them up, you can ride them - it’s only way to tell how much the weight will affect you. IME, the fit and frame design are far more important than the weight.
I’ve got a chro-moly that’s lighter than a lot of aluminum bikes I’ve picked up, due to size. It rides lighter than that, due to the beautiful design.
I’ve got an aluminum MTB that’s almost 40 lbs with tires & etc. (OK, it’s only 20 lbs each, but still, you get my point.)
Yes, you can spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars for a few ounces. We call those people “weight weenies” in my neck of the woods, and laugh at them.
Yes, weight can make a difference, but unless you’re in top shape and racing, not really that much. YMMV, of course.
Well, I don’t come close. I am probably 50lbs overweight, but I have noticed that the lightness of a bike has a lot to do with enjoyability of the ride, even if I don’t have the BMI of a Tour de Francer.
One of the reasons I don’t like riding my MTB aroung the city is it feels like a lead weight, although I doubt if it weighs more that 35 pounds. When I jump on a cheap ten speed that may only have a 10 pound advantage on it, it is like night and day.
And I gotta add, while I am pretty out of shape right now, one of the reasons I am getting this bike is to get back into fighting trim. I am 47 and haven’t ridden since my 20’s, but as a teenager in the early 70’s I dusted everyone on the Chicago Lakefront. No-one could pass me in a sprint, no-one could keep up in the long haul. If cycling had been a real sport in the USA back then, well, I could have been a contendah… 
Love to ride, love nice bikes, this is my old age fitness program. Not afraid of spending a little extra for something nice.
And I would also refer anyone who wants to reply here to this thread over in IMHO. Let’s put an end to the madness and consolidate this into the other thread.
Thanks!
I think they’ve stopped because they sort of lost any shred of believability at some point.
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/ is a really good resource for user-submitted weights that is pretty comprehensive and I use from time to time if I need to find the “real” weight of a component.
I know that people say, “don’t worry too much about a few ounces,” but the weight does add up. Also, when you’re out of the saddle, you can definitely feel the difference between throwing around a heavy and light bike. Also, we don’t buy cars from a strictly utilitarian view-point, so why buy bikes in the same way? I mean, if you like nice things, ya’ like nice things.
Enjoy the new ride.
Well, there used to be a “gentleman’s agreement” that weights would be compared at 53 cm, but that seems to have gone to the wayside.
And it has been argued that weight is only part of the story, etc. Complicate that with the fact that back in the day, the BMA required all kinds of reflectors, chain guards, spoke guards, which every enthusiast would promptly remove.
So maybe things weren’t so clear in the old days either.
/good times
//italian/english/french parts
///get off my lawn, etc.
Can mods close this thread so comments can be diverted to my main thread about buying my new ride? Thanks.
Pretty much any road bike to going to feel like a feather compared to a MTB.
As far as weight goes, as one person once said, rather than worrying about 5 grams here or there, you will lose a lot more weight if you just go take a big dump before you ride. 
The difference in tire width and pressure also make a huge difference. When I still rode MTBs, I also discovered that MTB with a rear shock feels heavier than one without. Granted, the shock itself adds weight, but the primary perceived difference is due to the fact that without a rear shock, the energy you put into the pedals all goes into turning the rear wheel, not flexing the shock absorber, and that makes the whole thing feel lighter. So a road bike’s lack of shocks is also a factor here.
My 2007 Specialized Allez Elite weighs in at just under 21 lbs (49cm frame). The bike shop had a handy scale, so we hoisted the bike onto the hook to check it out.
My MTB (here) has a rear shock with a setting called “Propedal” which greatly reduces the flex and works very well. You still get shock absorption (and my commute goes over a lot of cobblestones, down the odd flight of steps etc, so this is handy) on big bumps, but you have a solid platform to pedal against.
I really notice the difference when I switch it to fully squishy mode - it’s more comfy, but pedalling hard does sap the strength a lot more.
My first real bike as an adult (ignoring the $300 hybrids) was a Hard tail Cannondale with a lock out on the front shock. I also got a set of Toms Slick tires for it. I rode it on the street and even on an MS 150 that way. Thought it rode pretty good. I thought it rode good, and a road bike would not feel much different.
Then I bought a road bike. I was wrong in my assumption. I was way wrong. It was like going from a dump truck to a Ferrari. Holy crap was it different. The bike was like riding on a flywheel, you turned the pedals and it just accelerated.
I still ride MTB (I have a FS to go with my hardtail) but I also ride my road bikes. Both are fun, but way different experiences.