FS bike weight – today's standards

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    • #252693

      Checking to see where my bike fits into the general population of new bikes regarding weight. I have a 26″ FS 6061 frame with single air front suspension, aluminum stem and bars, and riser post. The bikes weight is 28.9 pounds with pedals. My bike is upgraded from a 2012 construction.

      Thanks in advance!

    • #252707

      The range is wide with over 10 lbs variance between light bikes set up light to heavier bikes set up for more aggro terrain and riding.

      I know there’s a certain trivial aspect that’s intriguing, but I’ve found, more than ever recently, that overall weight has dubious bearing on how good one can ride a given bike. The heaviest bike I’ve owned is also the bike I’ve ridden my biggest days on.

      Yes, I’ve circumventing an answer. : ) Happy trails!

      • #252721

        Good answer Pedlr, very true.

        OldAndRolling, personally, I don’t pay attention to bike weight anymore.  I just ride a bike, and judge my capability on that ride.  The reasons are pretty much what Pedlr said.  But, I’m not a pro racer, and I don’t focus on how long a ride takes.  I just love to ride and have fun.  What a bike can accomplish and how it handles with me on it is more important.  But to answer your question, I think a full suspension trail bike coming in at under 30 lbs is OK.  That’s just my opinion, and I’m sure others would disagree and say it needs to be lighter.  My current daily ride is somewhere between 31 and 32 lbs, I think, and feels lighter than any sub 30 lb bike I’ve ridden.  I spend no time trying to make it lighter.

        Someone asked me once to help them shave 200-300 more grams off their bike.  I said, “That’s easy.  Just pee.”  (average bladder holds around 340 grams)

    • #252729

      If you can get under 30lbs for a FS bike these days, you’re doing pretty good. For years weights were trending downward, but then we started adding things like dropper posts, tool storage, meatier tires, etc.

      It also depends on the type of FS bike you’re talking about. An enduro bike that weighs under 30lbs. is going to cost upward of $6,000 easily. An XC bike with 100mm of suspension with a similar weight can be had for nearly half that price.

      I don’t obsess over weight, but I do like to stay under 30lbs. if possible, and 28lbs. is even better. At that weight, the bike is much easier for me to control and move around.

    • #252734

      I ride a 33 pound aluminum Trek Full Stache. It has 29×2.8in tires and 5+ inches of full-suspension travel. I like aluminum, 29+ tires, and longish travel. Sure, the Full Stache is not light and is probably not going to win any races. However, it is the most capable, surefooted, and comfortable bike I have ever owned. Don’t worry about weight. Instead ask yourself if your bike has the features you want and if you enjoy riding it.

    • #252752

      My FS “enduro” bike is around 32lbs but I run relatively lightweight tires. I prefer solid, reliable parts over lightweight but since I build my bikes frame up I use weight as a last deciding metric. I would say a mid-range trail bike should be under 32 lbs (FS) and a hardtail should be a few pounds lighter then that. Obviously XC bikes should be lighter still. When I ride a really light bike a can feel the frame flexing when going slow, it’s not a feeling I enjoy.

    • #252913

      My Evil Insurgent with 150mm dropper, 2.4in tires, light weight aluminum rims, still running tubes, and with a small frame attached tool kit, weighs 32.8lbs. Not carrying the tools would save about 2lbs, so about 30.8lbs. Good Carbon rims would save about 1lb, going tubless would be about .5lb less, so I could get it down to 29.3lbs.

    • #252935

      I would echo much of the sentiment expressed by @FredCook .  I’ve been on heavier bikes that “felt” lighter than ones that weighed less.  I’m all for finding ways to improve how your rig rides for your riding style and comfort.  Sometime shaving some extra grams here and there will matter.  A lot of times you may not even notice.  Consider Jeff’s point about adding a dropper.  While it certainly adds weight to the bike I don’t feel it at all and I would never want to give up the benefits of having it as it improves my ride quality significantly.  Where I personally notice a difference is with wider wheels and tires as I feel like I have to work harder to attain the same speed (rotational weight) and I don’t feel the bike is as playful.  But there are others that don’t feel this way.  And FWIW, for those (non pros) that are weight obsessed I typically tell them it would be much less expensive to maybe indulge a bit less in the post-ride “recovery” brewfest afterwards.  It’s easier – and healthier – to lose some of the excess around the mid-section, which BTW, also adds a bit more wind resistance.  Lol.

    • #252945

      I would say most XC FS bikes that are competitive are going to be in the 25lb range or lower.   Trailbikes tend to average from 27lb-32lb depending on how much you spend.  Enduro rigs will be one or two lbs heavier than that.

      As for whether it matters a lot, it really depends on how you ride and what you relative comparisons are.   When I had a 30lb FS bike and a 23lb hardtail, the FS bike felt like my brakes were rubbing all the time or I was dragging a bowling ball around.   Not fun.     But when I was on a long vacation and rented a 30lb enduro rig, I got used to it after a couple days and didn’t notice the weight after that.     So I would say if you only have one rig, it probably will not matter too much unless you race.   But if you have a light rig and a heavy one, my guess is you will slowly stop riding the heavy one unless you are doing lift assisted riding.

    • #253449

      I can remember a day when bike weight was a big deal, but back then (90s) the focus seemed to be either cross country or downhill. Trail riding really wasn’t recognized needing a certain spec and we all rode cross country bikes. My old 1994 Amp Research duallie (large) weighed about 26 pounds and it could easily have been speced under 25. With today’s trail and All Mountain bikes, trail riders seem more interested in terrain performance and control than gram counting. After all, we are play riding, not racing someone to the top of a hill. Lol. I have no idea what my Specialized FSR weighs, but with 150mm travel, big tires and an XL alloy frame it is at least 30. In the end, who cares, its a blast to ride!

    • #253506

      Anyone know the weight of a 2017 FSR Camber or where I can find it?

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