Bike Lifting Weight

[jjkkee]

I am shopping for a new lightweight hybrid bike. Mine is about 30 pounds and hard to lift up on my car bike rack. I would like to find something under 24 pounds but do not want a lightweight road bike. Any thoughts?

[SadieKate]

A weight lifting program?

[jjkkee]

That is what it sounds like isn't it LOL. A lighter weight bike to lift onto my car carrier. Sorry for being vague!

[tulip]

The most important criteria for buying a bike is how it fits you while you are riding it. A 30-lb bike, while definitely not the lightest of the bunch, is not an extremely heavy bike.

I think what SadieKate was suggesting is that if you work on your strength, you will find it easier to put your bike on the carrier.

If your current bike is a good bike for riding (as opposed to putting on the car), then you might want to consider some strength training at your gym or at home. Even better than putting your bike on your car whenever you want to ride is leaving your car at home and riding your bike directly from home, but that may not be possible in your area.

If you want to buy a new bike, go try a bunch out, remembering that riding comfort is most important.

[PamNY]

Needing to lift your bike can be good motivation for increasing upper body strength. I have to carry my hybrid up and down subway stairs, and that gets me motivated like nothing ever has.

I still occasionally wish for a lighter bike, though.

[OakLeaf]

Unless the OP is under a medical restriction not to lift 25#, which is what it sounds like from her specificity.

Ordinarily I would say yes, that the reason to buy a lighter bike is because you want to ride a lighter bike, but if someone doesn't have the strength to lift 30# straight up twice in the same day, they need to work on their strength. A hybrid by definition is a "jack-of-all-trades," and light weight really isn't a criterion.

jjkkee, can you be more specific about what you need and why? You may be best served by a lightweight CX bike with road wheels, but without knowing what exactly you're looking for, there's no way to answer your question.

[KnottedYet]

I do bicep curls and military presses with my Surly Cross Check. (It is parked in my living room)

but I'm like, a total nerd...

[SadieKate]

And core strength will help your cycling (and many other parts of your life).

[Trek420]

We don't need strong arms, we're cyclists, all we need are stronger legs. Arms are only good for the post ride recovery beverage of choice. ;) :cool:

Isn't lightweight hybrid kind of a contradiction in terms? I got a step ladder because friends run screaming when asked to help me (5' nuthin') lift my heavy POS (though very puhrty yellow) commuter to the roof rack.

Go for the fit first, then work those "guns" ;) :p :D Oh, and welcome to TE!

[SadieKate]

We don't need strong arms, we're cyclists, all we need are stronger legs. Arms are only good for the post ride recovery beverage of choice. ;) :cool:Really? Better tell Lance that. :)

[jjkkee]

Thanks everyone - I do lift weights and work out - I have a shoulder problem and am fairly short I am also getting OLDERRRRR...... almost 60 :eek:

Probably lightweight and hybrid is an oxymoron. I have also thought about a road bike with a little sturdier frame if that makes sense. I do know the importance of being fitted I was just doing a litte research on various manufacturers, when everyone thinks of weight they are usualy thinking about peformance. I live in a high traffic area and love to load up my bike and go.

[SadieKate]

We've found these to be very benefical to our equally aging shoulders. :D

If you are using a roof rack, you might consider a mount that allows you to remove the front wheel. Bike is lighter and you get slightly better gas mileage.

[Eden]

The most important criteria for buying a bike is how it fits you while you are riding it. A 30-lb bike, while definitely not the lightest of the bunch, is not an extremely heavy bike.

I think what SadieKate was suggesting is that if you work on your strength, you will find it easier to put your bike on the carrier.

I think a 30lb bike sounds heavy... But beyond that, I can totally understand where the OP is coming from. I'm only 5 feet tall. While I have no problems lugging around 40lb bags of kitty litter, lifting a 30lb (which is only a little under a 1/3 of my body weight...) bike over my head to get it onto the roof rack would be difficult for me.

The question I'd have for the OP is why a hybrid - is it for the upright posture (if yes then a cyclocross bike is out), is it for the sturdiness - and if so why does the bike need to be extra sturdy. Is it just that wide tires make her feel more comfortable and stable? Is all of her riding on pavement or does the bike need to be able to handle gravel/dirt? More info would definitely help in making suggestions.

[Catrin]

We've found these to be very benefical to our equally aging shoulders. :D


Hmmmm, this is interesting, at least for the home end :) The trunk on my Lancer is quite high in proportion to my height - which means that the bike gets hoisted up further than usual for a trunk rack. This isn't a problem with my Trek, and I am counting on Knots advice elsewhere that my LHT may well be lighter than my Trek :)

[SadieKate]

We keep those fancy devices in the car also. They aren't just for home use. :)

[dianne_1234]

I am shopping for a new lightweight hybrid bike. Mine is about 30 pounds and hard to lift up on my car bike rack. I would like to find something under 24 pounds but do not want a lightweight road bike. Any thoughts?

You're not alone! Betty also wanted a lighter bike so she could put it on her car rack. Betty's custom "hybrid" bike weighs just 23 pounds.

From http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/betty.htm :

"This is Betty. She's 78 years old and loves to ride. This October (2000) she and a friend are taking an Elderhostel tour of Wisconsin on their bikes. She can't lift her leg as high as she used to, and she had trouble stepping over the frame to get on and off her old bike. Even the frames on girl's bikes are too high for her. She didn't want to stop riding just because of that. She also wished her bike weighed less. Not for performance, but to make it easier for her to lift the bike onto her car's trunk rack when she takes it out on the weekends. To solve these two problems I built her a custom bike with much lower step through height and much lighter weight than her old bike. Betty's bike is almost two years old now. She estimates it's got about 2000 miles on it, since she hasn't been putting as many miles in recently as she used to."

There are photos at the link above.

Maybe try a bike shop that has a scale and just weigh bikes to compare?

[Catrin]

We keep those fancy devices in the car also. They aren't just for home use. :)

I just took another look at it, it FOLDS. Cool! I don't have near the problem getting my bike on the rack away from home, it has to do with the angle of sidewalks and so forth. It is interesting though... hmmmm

[Cataboo]

Maybe some of the trek fx's are lighter.

And as a 5'1 person with a "higher" car, even if it's only a subaru outback... I have no desire to lift a heavy bike on to it. I can put my titanium bike on the roof no problem, it's maybe 16 lbs and lifting it over my head and strapping it on isn't bad. I can take it down too. Both without a stool. But I am literally holding on to the chain stay and one of the bike tubes and holding it straight up over my head, arms fully extended.

Anything much heavier than that and I start worrying about the car in case I drop something. Lifting a 24 inch POS girls mountain bike on the roof to take it to my neice (damned thing musta weighed almost 30 lbs) was a pain in my neck and required a stool. As did a mountain bike (maybe 25 lbs?)

I use a hitch rack normally... and while I don't have a problem lifting 25 lb bikes on to it... It's a bit of a pain, because the arms of the hitch rack are above my shoulders and then because my bikes are small frame with water bottle holders, frame pumps, it's a bit difficult to maneuver into the arms because a bit of a tight fit.

I've got a fair amount of upper body strength and have no problem carrying heavy things... I just find it awkward lifting things over my shoulders or head over a certain weight, so I don't think the ops request for a lighter bike is unreasonable. And I find my surly annoyingly heavy at 25 lbs in comparison to all my other bikes.

[jjkkee]

I do not want the very narrow road tires because I am afraid of slipping on wet leaves and having to be so careful of curbs and RR tracks. I also don't want a road bike so light that it is hard to control. The bike does not need to be "extra sturdy" just stable for riding pavement and maybe on gravel. My rides to date are under 50 miles but I do plan on some longer rides this summer. Is there a road bike that is between 18-24 pounds?

Whoever pasted the picture of the step stool - thank you - so far it is best idea yet (and the least expensive). Thank you everybody for you patience.


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The question I'd have for the OP is why a hybrid - is it for the upright posture (if yes then a cyclocross bike is out), is it for the sturdiness - and if so why does the bike need to be extra sturdy. Is it just that wide tires make her feel more comfortable and stable? Is all of her riding on pavement or does the bike need to be able to handle gravel/dirt? More info would definitely help in making suggestions.

[SadieKate]

Whoever pasted the picture of the step stool - thank you - so far it is best idea yet (and the least expensive). . . . You're welcome but please get the lingo right. It is a High Tech Bike and Ski Removal Device. :p

Even my (nearly 61 yr old) 6'2" shoulder-challenged hubby likes one.

[Eden]

I do not want the very narrow road tires because I am afraid of slipping on wet leaves and having to be so careful of curbs and RR tracks. I also don't want a road bike so light that it is hard to control. The bike does not need to be "extra sturdy" just stable for riding pavement and maybe on gravel. My rides to date are under 50 miles but I do plan on some longer rides this summer. Is there a road bike that is between 18-24 pounds?

Whoever pasted the picture of the step stool - thank you - so far it is best idea yet (and the least expensive). Thank you everybody for you patience.

A Cyclocross or touring bicycle may be just what you are looking for. Both are a bit heavier than your average performance road bike (though I must say 18 lbs isn't all that heavy - generally only expensive race bikes get into the range of 14-15 lbs) and both can accept wider tires. On the other hand they have road type geometry which, if you can adapt to drop handle bars, will make them more comfortable for longer rides. Cyclocross tires (which often can be mounted on touring bikes - I had some on my old Trek 420 for winter use) come in a wide array of treads, including some that are quite knobby. Touring bikes also tend to have longer wheel bases and some geometry changes as well, which make them feel less twitchy, more stable, especially under load. Both bikes tend to be supplied with sturdier wheels because they need to handle more weight and in the case of cyclocross, the possibility of riding over obstacles.

[TrekTheKaty]

How old is your hybrid? My two-year old hybrid is lighter than my 10-year old hybrid. You can change tires on any bike, so shop for a frame you like, then have them change to the tires you are comfortable with ;)

[MommyBird]

Maybe you can think of it as an opportunity to diversify not replace.
Expand your riding options.

Or, you could get a receiver hitch rack put on your car so that you do not have to lift the heavy bike so high.

Cheaper than a new bike but more expensive than the "Hi-Tech Ski/Bike Removal System."