emily_in_nc
06-24-2006, 04:32 PM
I'm not a new cyclist but am new to mountain biking. Being used to the weights of road bikes, obviously mountain bikes are in a completely different ballpark. I've ridden a few times with a friend who has an older full-suspension bike that is slightly lighter than my entry-level hardtail (a Novara Bonita), and she flies by me on the hills. Yes, part of that is simply aerobic fitness, to be sure, but she weighs more than me and has a slightly lighter bike, so that's part of it too.
So, I got curious and weighed my bike today. 32 lbs (33.5 with my seatbag)! Oh my. Now I know why I have trouble even getting it into the back of my Honda Element! My road bikes weigh in at 18-21 lbs, and I knew my MTB was heavy, but I had no idea how bad it was. I'd always heard how "light" hardtails were! Guess that's true only at a certain price point. :confused:
So, I started looking around online at various sites, and it seems to be almost impossible to find weights for mountain bikes on the manufacturer's sites. For instance, I looked at some of the women's Specialized Stumpjumpers, no weights given. Same for Santa Cruz Juliana, though it's called "Superlight". How does one find out the weights for mountain bikes? And, is a, say $1200 hardtail going to be lighter than a more expensive ($2000-3000) full suspension, just because it's a hardtail? Does a Stumpjumper weigh less than a Juliana, or a Titus Race X? Or do they weigh less even though they're full-susp, because they're pricier and have a better component line?
I guess what it really comes down to for me is that I know I am going to need to upgrade eventually, and my gut tells me I want a full-suspension for comfort, but is a quality hardtail going to be lighter than a quality fullie? If I did upgrade to a nicer hardtail, I would want to put a (heavy) Thudbuster seatpost on it for comfort, as the trails around here have roots and rocks, and I am no spring chicken (age 45). So I have to add the seatpost weight into the equation.
I weigh 103-105, so I can't lose much weight to help with this situation, either!
Any advice welcome. And if you know the weight of your bike, I'd be interested to hear what it is. I'm just trying to educate myself here! :confused:
Thanks much,
Emily
So, I got curious and weighed my bike today. 32 lbs (33.5 with my seatbag)! Oh my. Now I know why I have trouble even getting it into the back of my Honda Element! My road bikes weigh in at 18-21 lbs, and I knew my MTB was heavy, but I had no idea how bad it was. I'd always heard how "light" hardtails were! Guess that's true only at a certain price point. :confused:
So, I started looking around online at various sites, and it seems to be almost impossible to find weights for mountain bikes on the manufacturer's sites. For instance, I looked at some of the women's Specialized Stumpjumpers, no weights given. Same for Santa Cruz Juliana, though it's called "Superlight". How does one find out the weights for mountain bikes? And, is a, say $1200 hardtail going to be lighter than a more expensive ($2000-3000) full suspension, just because it's a hardtail? Does a Stumpjumper weigh less than a Juliana, or a Titus Race X? Or do they weigh less even though they're full-susp, because they're pricier and have a better component line?
I guess what it really comes down to for me is that I know I am going to need to upgrade eventually, and my gut tells me I want a full-suspension for comfort, but is a quality hardtail going to be lighter than a quality fullie? If I did upgrade to a nicer hardtail, I would want to put a (heavy) Thudbuster seatpost on it for comfort, as the trails around here have roots and rocks, and I am no spring chicken (age 45). So I have to add the seatpost weight into the equation.
I weigh 103-105, so I can't lose much weight to help with this situation, either!
Any advice welcome. And if you know the weight of your bike, I'd be interested to hear what it is. I'm just trying to educate myself here! :confused:
Thanks much,
Emily