Pinkbike Poll: How Much Does Your Bike *Actually* Weigh?
We've run polls before asking how much a bike should weigh and how much weight matters to you, but never a poll on how much the bikes(s) you own actually weigh.
While the importance of bike weight is often overstated, it definitely has an effect and most of us would make our bikes lighter if we could. But saving weight is insanely expensive - aside from a few extra bells and whistles, one of the main selling points of a $10,000 bike over a $3,000 bike is a few hundred grams difference in weight.
I weigh every bike I test, and I find that most bikes weigh a surprisingly similar amount. If you weigh a load of bikes at a similar price point, with the same intended use and frame size and (crucially) with the same tires, a lot of the variation goes away.
But when Matt Beer reviewed the 2022 Santa Cruz Bronson, a 150/160mm-travel bike that weighed 14.1 kg / 31 lbs, he described it as "relatively light". That seemed to get some commenters up in arms, "Since when did 30+ lbs become light lol?"
That got me thinking, how much do typical bikes actually weigh in each category?
If you own a bike in a category and you know accurately how much it weighs, let us know in the polls below. To make it comparable, tell us the weight without pedals or other accessories. If you only know how much it weighs with pedals, a pair of trail pedals typically weigh about 1 lb / 450 g.
How much does your XC bike weigh without pedals?
We're talking XC-race bikes (sub-120 mm travel).
How much does your downcountry bike weigh without pedals?
Typically 115-130 mm travel.
How much does your trail bike weigh without pedals?
Typically 130-150 mm travel.
How much does your enduro bike weigh without pedals?
Typically 150-180 mm travel.
How much does your downhill bike weigh without pedals?
200 mm+ travel, dual crown fork.
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Edit: Makes me wonder, should battery and (in case of Fazua or similar) the motor be included?
I ride a fat bike and go ahead, ask me if I give a fr£€^%¥# f@&$ about weight.
A more interesting question would have been, "what is the center of mass of the complete bike with respect to the bottom bracket (positive ahead and above the bb)?" You'll still get loads of "I don't knows" but at least this is the stuff that matters. Oh and of course, measurements in imperial units. People who didn't do the measurements still need something to bitch about in the comment section.
BTW: I do "care" more about MY weight and fitness than about my bikes's weight.
I'm 47y-o, I'm still sexy, smelly, tasty, and don't need neither want an e-bike yet. Everything's OK.
I'd think the majority of mountain bikers don't actually own a scale to accurately weight their bike. So other then the bathroom lift and subtract method who the hell knows for sure...?
Uh, me.
23.8 pound 120/115 dc bike with pedals, cage, flat fixing supplies, and a multitool.
Raced in 40-100 milers a dozen times per year.
It’d be In the 22 pound range without the stuff that I need/want to ride with, but I rounded up to 24.
Get back to your roots, pinkbike (outside)
@ck1177: my pay-per-click impression of this and many other polls is that 53000+ souls have a Web connection and a device to access it. Advertisers may pay for double that, since we had to click on the article to get here. Don't care, don't know, don't own--beside the point
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accuracy_and_precision
But I it's overkill in robustness..
Better this way then walking home.
Anyone who still use the sentence 'Strong, light, cheap, pick two' is stupid. They should show me a light Enduro tire that can't get a flat. Impossibru..
Then show me rotors for 4 pods with max power at 223mm who are light. Sorry this flimsy 1,8mm thick disc is a piece of shit, nothing strong about it.
Reliable hydraulic hose who are exposed around the BB? Certainly not a Kevlar one. Goodridge or bust. Going for full coil suspension because it tracks just better is the next thing. There will be no light bike after all of this is done...
Or you just go and ride your bike.
Be interesting to test that against a real bike scale and see though?
Heavy parts don't make a bike slow, bad parts do. Unless they're bad brakes, they don't slow you down.
Like if someone asks me my height, I know the answer because I have checked, but at the same time I don't really care what my height is. I'm not loosing sleep thinking I'm too short or too tall. I just accept what it is.
I’ve personally never seen any data showing that suspension movement reduces power output. In fact if you search the internets tests show it has no effect on power output. I’m not a engineer, but I don’t see how the weight movements that cause suspension compression would be transformed to forward acceleration on a rigid bike.
The bikes do have different tires, which is a big chunk of the weight difference, 950gram single ply vs 1200gram dual-ply, both the same width.
Generally, the only difference most people can really tell between a $6k bike and a $10k version of the same bike is weight. I’m psyched that there’s $3.5k aluminum bikes that are only fractionally different than the $10k high zoot carbon bike version that weighs 1.5kg less. You want to go faster uphill, put on lighter/ faster tires, you just risk flats going down. Nothing makes me laugh more than someone bragging about how responsive their carbon wheels are when they put in Cush cores and run DH tires: talk about the placebo effect of snake oil. (Yes, carbon wheels can be more durable, I’ll give people that)
My XC bike is 5lbs lighter than my trail/ enduro bike. I’ve tried some tests on a good 2.5 mile rolling trail section with two climbs and two descents and about 500 vertical total climbing. The XC bike is around 45-60 seconds faster in my tests at XC race pace. I attribute most of that time to the tires as they have faster tread and are at least 2lbs lighter overall. 2lbs of rotational weight when accelerating out of corners while climbing is a huge difference. I’d love to do the tests with the same XC tires on my enduro bike but I honestly am too lazy to deal with swapping the rubber and the XC bike is pre-boost hubs so I can’t just swap wheels.
And with tires I would say the most important factor would be tread and compound. A big chunky tread with soft rubber will roll way slower than and lighter tread and firmer compound.
And there are plenty high end of bikes at the $6k point that have either Fox factory or performance elite suspension. Ibis and Alchemy to name two. While my first upgrade for either of those brands at that price point would be brakes, most people couldn’t tell the difference between a G2 R and Code RSCs.
It’s very true that the more steady you are pedaling the less effect the suspension will have. That’s why there is much less bobbing when pedaling in the seat vs standing. But the bottom line is if the suspension is moving energy is being lost somewhere. How much energy, and how much each individual rider will notice will vary, but the energy is being used.
Some people don’t have a still upper body, and their herky jerky action definitely doesn’t translate into power going through the drivetrain, but will make shock actuate.
That motion would never go into forward momentum via a drivetrain, hardtail or not.
Also, is this 2002, where we’re trying to decide which is faster around a course?
It’s almost always the one with shock in the rear.
What’s your argument?
Even “lower” end suspension is so good these days. Take a $3500 Ripmo AF for example: the stock DVO suspension is really pretty good (albeit a little heavy), pretty reliable and easy to work on, and is used by EWS level pros. Couple that with a Deore groupo that actually performs really well, you have a great bike that costs $2500 less than a marginally better bike that only weighs 1kg less. I may know a shop rat or two that have that bike as their daily driver fun bike, while they have ultra light XC bikes for racing.
What brand of bikes are you saying came with Shimano SPD's? What bike shop, when and where did you work and how long ago was it....??? What country?
I’m actually not sure why Giant doesn’t post weights. On a carbon Reign-32 pounds with a DD rear tire (with a cushcore in it) mostly XT build. Seems par for the course.
Rocky Mountain Instinct C70 BC Edition, 160mm Fox 36 front, 155mm Fox Float X2 rear (not coil, but amazing, no stranger to EWS), no cushcore, 2.5" EXO+ Assegai front @25psi, 2.3" DD DHR-II rear @28psi. Handles absolutely everything I ask it to.
With an enduro roll and pump, 33.1lbs.
For example: the Fox 36 is a trail fork, not an enduro fork. But sure, you can "ride enduro" on it.
XC: Fox 32 SC and SID SL
DC: Fox 34 SC and SID
Trail: Fox 34 and Pike
AM: Fox 36 and Lyrik
Enduro: Fox 38 and ZEB
DH: Fox 40 and BoXXer
The 36 was an enduro fork but now is an AM or trail/enduro fork. You don’t need something that beefy for trail, and most people would prefer something beefier for enduro. Personally if I could only use one fork on any bike it would probably be a Lyrik (which is in the same category as the 36).
Also if you ride enduro, that’s enduro racing.
Enduro bikes are just very capable bikes and can be used for almost anything from XC to DH.
Even in 2017-2019 something with a 65-66* head angle would have been an aggressive bike. Now my enduro bike (Canfield Lithium) has a "conservative" head angle of 64.5" while other bikes in the genre are running 63-64* head angles.
The Pike is noticeably stiffer than the 34, which I'd classify as a light trail fork. The Pike is essentially a lower travel Lyrik.
please do not ask me if the 2lbs is worth $5k. lol
Transition Spur, Ibis Ripley, (new) Rocky Mountain Element, lots more to come.
And you know what? It sucked having a wet noodle for a fork. I'll push a 5lb fork uphill all day long if it means I don't have to worry about my teeth on the downhill.
I've never actually weighed it though, because in the long run it just doesn't matter what it weighs. What matters is that it very seldom has any mechanical issues or flats. Being able to ride for 12 hours or more without having to worry about anything going wrong. How much does my bike weigh? Enough to do the job!
I know it shouldn't really matter to me but I was a very competitive racer till I was almost 40 and somehow it's a hard thing to let go of.
Even better, buy a gearbox bike and be done with it. That's what I'm waiting for. So SICK of working on and having to replace archaic drivetrains.
My 26“ XC bike weighs 8.5kg - same as my current road bike does. But it is made for heavy terrain.
The wheels of my 27.5“ inch enduro bike have about the same wheel size compared to my 700c/32m gravel bike (the wheel size of the gravel is a little. it smaller).
A sub 13kg enduro bike was quite easy to build with sub 29“ wheels. Heavy 20“ bricks entered the mtb industry and destroy the old school mountain biking and nature. They only belong into bike parks.
Actually gravel bikes bring back the joy and fun of lightweight mountainbiking and bikepacking. They also bring back 142/100mm axles, lightweight tires and smaller wheels (since the tire size is so much smaller).
Mountainbiking today feels much like downhill biking a few years ago.
Given the fact that those beasts are heavy as hell and made to shred and „braab“ - most bikes you see during an uphill are eMtbs. Climbing with 16+kg and 2,6inch tires is possible, but it is no fun at all.
29“ killed the mtb …
Flatcountry. For all the folks in booooring places like the Midwest who love slack seat angles and don’t understand the purpose of having a 65 head tube angle, sturdy tires, tire inserts, 210 droppers, 4 pot brakes on 200 rotors and pretty much every other rad (but weight adding) feature that makes mountain biking IN THE MOUNTAINS more awesome.
You saw it here first-flatcountry.
The question is, do you consider it as enduro bike? (160/150mm travel) Some might say it is enduro, some might say it is a trail bike. (myself would put it into trail category)
hi man..it is a trail bike with slightly longer travel. That geometry is not what we consider enduro.. at least not in 2021-22.
also, 900gr tires are not tires enough for racing or for wild gnarly terrain. My front xc tire(with protection, of course) had 720 grams. My rear one had over 840 gr, also with protection.
An 2.5" exo+ is above 1100 grams. You cannot go lower than exo+ on a real enduro bike. In fact, I might add that you even should not go lower than DDs.. which is at least 100 extra grams.
Enduro bikes are less about the travel and more about designation and racing capability. Your light Remedy would probably go flat after traversing a rockgarden "in anger". A modern enduro bike is a DH bike with a SC(not to mention that many of them are DC compatible) ...at least, that's my definition about them.
Yes, I agree, Remedy is a trail bike, yet back in the days when MY17 came out a few people were using it for enduro racing... then some might say yeah "my rig is an enduro bike".
Also agree, below exo+ or supergravity it is just asking for flats on rocky, or even on rooty sections, no tire under this protection level is suitable for enduro riding.
my brand new giga is 16.3 kgs, with pedals and sealant(no tire insert); light carbon cockpit for its designation, wheels around 1800gr, normal weight for 180mm dropper and drivetrain.. and it still is 16.3 kgs. Those DDs for sure count but, they don't add up to 2 kgs.
I have a friend that has a carbon cube stereo 150, with a 160mm fox 36, newmen wide alu wheels, carbon cranks and cockpit, proper-ish tires.. 14 kgs on the scale. My former Sanction, obviously alu, had 16.2 kgs.. and that was "in its time", a pseudo DH bike. How a brand new carbon bike can weight more than a similarily build alu one, begs belief.
2020 C1 29er w/ TR36 wheels, 36.9 lbs
2021 AXS 29er w/ WAO wheels, 36.6 lbs
2021 AXS 27.5 w/ DT carbons, 34.00 lbs
By far and above all other bikes I've ridden, my current 27.5 AXS Sight trucks SO MUCH HARDER than any other bike I've ridden.
Onto a Range next
-pedals...
-DH casing front and back
-inserts front and back
-oneUp EDC tool
-complete wrap
-pump, tire plugs and snacks in frame
(Moving to a 17kg Spire soon.. I sometimes wonder what I'm doing with my life)
*Unless you ride without pedals, they are unequivocally part of the weight of the bike.
**This is a lame joke. My understanding is that the extra electrons or whatever don’t weigh that much.
Except I have a Farley, and that fat bastard is 34 pounds but so much fun (overgrown BMX on snow) I don’t care.
2012 Canfield Jedi = 42lbs
Both made with 7005 series Aluminum
1999 Schwinn Homegrown 4Banger = 32lbs
2016 Canfield Balance = 32lbs
But not really.
Cause I have an eBike! Brraaapppp!
and be a dick about it
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