Bike weights - surprising?

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Having recently bought a new road bike I was interested to see how it compared in terms of weight with my old MTB.

I've no particularly special scales, just a basic digital Salter bathroom set, but at least the relative weights should be fairly accurate.

The results surprised me, not the road bike because it's pretty much exactly the weight I thought it would be, but the relative lightness of what is a relatively cheap yet 'tooled-up' MTB in comparison.

Weights are those quoted on manufacturer/retail websites. Method: Me holding each bike then deducting my weight.

Genesis Volare 10 2015 - 10.4kg - Manufacturer quoted weight 9.75kg (no pedals)
58cm frame
Shimano PD-M520 pedals (420g)
Standard except for a plastic cage (50g?)

Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc 2012 - 14.8kg - Manufacturer quoted weight ~13kg (inc. pedals)
19" frame
Shimano XT-T780 pedals (394g)
Changes from shipping spec:
Alivio rear mech (replaced Acera +/- ?g)
2.2" Continental Mountain Kings (replaced Specialized tyres +/- ?g)
SRAM rear wheel & freehub (replaced Specialized bag of crap +/- ?g)
Alloy bottle cage (50g?)
Ancient Topeak minipump (?g)
Moon Comet rear light and mount (33g)
Lifeline flasher front light (29g)
Mount for Cateye front light (?g, light not fitted)
Topeak all-weather Tribag (65g)
- Crank Bros. B14 multitool (206g)
- patches, plastic tyre levers (30g?)

The (steel) Genesis is never going to be the lightest bike around but it is almost exactly the weight I imagined it would be, 10kg without pedals (Genesis' quoted weight will inevitably be for the smallest, or at least a medium, frame).

The Specialized, even with a load of old crap nailed to it, was only 4.4kg heavier than the roadie which was a bit of a shock and well within believable reach of the manufacturer's quoted weight before all the additions/changes. I really did assume that the quoted weights for bikes were very "aspirational", but unless my scales are under-reading quite a bit (a real possibility I suppose) then these two at least look to be bang-on.

OK, in percentage terms looking at the bike-only weights the Hardrock is a lot heavier, but considering my heft (I'm about 12st 4lbs, or 78kg) it's not a huge difference when the "wet weight" rolling package is considered. All in, with me, clothed, spare tube, phone, money etc. I'd imagine the difference would be less than 5% overall weight (~93kg vs ~97kg).

I could easily imagine a day riding the Genesis when I've got a full bidon, stomach and bladder and me and my "light" road bike is barely any more than me and my "heavy" MTB on a day I'd popped out without lights, tools, water etc.

The difference in speed then must almost all be down to friction (road and air) and not weight which surprised me.

Anyone else weighed their bike to see how it compares to manufacturer figures?

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P-Jay said:

Published MTB weights are bobbings, in years gone by they'd remove consumables like brake pads, tie-wraps that hold on the cables and such like to get the published weights down, or use an accumulative weight based on the (fictional) weight of their frame added to the (fictional) claimed weights of all the parts - but I think they've long given up - now they weight their bikes, look what their competitors claim and chuck something ball park in, if they bother at all.

That's what I assumed, so it was slightly surprising to find that the quoted weight for mine wasn't a mile out.

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IroningMan said:

This has always been one of the raisons d'être of Islabikes.

..and you can really feel it.