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.

[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.

[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.

[SIZE="1"]

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.

[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?