Hardtail MTB Weight Watchers

[Brucey]

I am lucky enough to own a hardtail which weighs about 22 lbs complete. It has a markedly superior price to weight ratio because I bought it well used and spent a few quid sorting it out. I built it as a 'lightweight beater' but it is almost too nice to treat that way. The frame is now regarded as 'a classic' and I couldn't replace it if I tried. There is another 1lb to come off easy with some nice pieces I have yet to fit; the bike is presently fitted with £20 pedals which are far from lightweight...

I carry about 1kg of stuff plus a bottle on short rides and double that on longer ones, in pockets or in a pack. Offroad, stuffing weight on the bike just ruins the handling of the bike; on a hardtail the 'suspension' is in your legs a lot of the time.

Lightweight kit ain't for everyone; new this lot would have set me back £2k plus (and then some) but used it was about 1/4 of that plus a few quid for odds and ends. But not everyone would want this bike, or be able to live with it.

cheers

[JohnChell]

I'm not sure what you are worrying about. I do not worry about the weight of the bike, just if it does the job or not, there do seem to be a lot of people buying light weight carbon bikes who really don't need them for the sort of riding they do, Ok if you are serious racer maybe, but otherwise whats the point? My £600 hardtail did 3 laps (45miles) of Canocks "Monkey Trail" this weekend without any problem and I had a tool kit, 2 tubes, first aid kit, water bottle, my tyres have slime tubes in them, and I'm about 16 stone at the moment. When I ride MTB marathons (on a Giant Anthem) I can carry 2 or three litres of water, wet weather kit and tools but the bike rides fine for 100km, and I carried similar weight for the Trans Wales last year, so don't worry about what it weighs, worry about what it does and just enjoy using the bike you have to its full potential. It was people who did not carry enough kit who struggled when the weather got bad at last years "rough ride" meaning that only a few of us completed the full route when others got too cold & wet, you might find that you need to take tools clothes food etc with you even for organised events.

[san0]

I'm not sure what you are worrying about. I do not worry about the weight of the bike, just if it does the job or not.

I totally agree. I accepted that my bike serves a purpose for enjoyment over rough stuff regardless of weight. I've learnt to carry less in the rucksack, and to fill out pockets in my shorts, tops instead. The triangle bag is crammed with the heavier essentials. I'm now riding longer in greater comfort due to lighter rucksack.

I guess you tend to learn how to handle your own bike after a few months and discover how much to push it to limits (if brave enough.)

[Brucey]

why lightweight? Well, if you haven't ridden one, you won't know.

Its like having the right tyre pressures, or oil on your chain after it has ben dry.

Everything is -mysteriously- just better.

Its like beer or food; its 'OK' at worst, but it can be very nice indeed. We all know which we prefer, given the choice....

cheers