# How heavy is your commuting bike?



## Thursday guy (25 Dec 2014)

The one I intend on buying is 13.6kg, so I wanted to know if it would be suitable for commuting about 10 miles a day with some hills as well. I suspect it is probably on the heavy side, but it does costs £150 (ex-display model from my local) which isn't a great deal compared to other bikes.

By the way, here is the bike I'm considering on buying: http://www.evanscycles.com/products/ridgeback/speed-2014-hybrid-bike-ec059645, all opinions are much welcomed


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## MartinQ (25 Dec 2014)

With my locks, laptop, bike repair stuff, commuting gear, lunch, .. and all the other tat essential work supplies I lug around, the weight of my bike is fairly unimportant. 
Looks a very good deal on the bike.


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## Thursday guy (25 Dec 2014)

Do you think Ridgeback are a reliable brand?


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## buggi (25 Dec 2014)

I've just weighed mine using the stand-on-scales-holding-bike method and its a little over 12kg. Mine is a cyclo-cross bike with schwalbe marathon tyres on it (700 x 28c). I can't get panniers on it tho, and that's something a lot of people like when choosing a commuting bike. I also have a road bike which I use for commuting but I prefer the cross bike coz its less race aggressive and more comfy. The bike I choose on the day depends on which office I'm going to, but I cycle at least 17 mile whichever bike I choose, so the one you want will be fine.


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## Thursday guy (25 Dec 2014)

buggi said:


> I've just weighed mine using the stand-on-scales-holding-bike method and its a little over 12kg. Mine is a cyclo-cross bike with schwalbe marathon tyres on it (700 x 28c). I can't get panniers on it tho, and that's something a lot of people like when choosing a commuting bike. I also have a road bike which I use for commuting but I prefer the cross bike coz its less race aggressive and more comfy. The bike I choose on the day depends on which office I'm going to, but I cycle at least 17 mile whichever bike I choose, so the one you want will be fine.



Just out of curiosity because I've heard this before, but what specifically makes a road bike less comfortable than a hybrid bike? (or in your case, a cyclo-cross)


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## MartinQ (25 Dec 2014)

Thursday guy said:


> Just out of curiosity because I've heard this before, but what specifically makes a road bike less comfortable than a hybrid bike? (or in your case, a cyclo-cross)



I commuted with a hybrid for a few years and then recently changed to a "robust" road bike as I found I was enjoying commuting with my road bike in the summer months. For me, the hybrid was a bit more of a relaxed / upright position and the road a bit more aggressive. Like @buggi, I've got 28 tyres on the road bike to smooth out the bumps, especially when its dark. For me, if the Ridgeback is in your size, I'd just by it at that price and see how you get on with it. You're not going to lose any money, even if you change your mind and sell it.


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## Pat "5mph" (25 Dec 2014)

Fear not, my favorite commuting bike comes in at 21kg, plus basket.
The one you are considering will do perfectly well.


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## Hacienda71 (25 Dec 2014)

My preferred commuter is plastic and doesn't weigh much. I carry as little as possible so don't need to haul stuff to and from the office. Suit in the office and shirts and undies etc taken in whenever I have to drive due to appointments. Even my heavy bike is less than 10kg The only time I really ride a heavier bike is on the trails, bridleways or pootling with kids on tow paths etc. Other than that I want to travel quickly and efficiently and for me that is a full on race bike. For others I understand circumstances are different and a bike with rack and wider tyres is essential.


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## summerdays (25 Dec 2014)

I think mine is 11 or 12 kg, but it's totally irrelevant when you see my bulging pannier as others have said, sometimes I can barely close it or on other days I can't actually lift it when tired!


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## vickster (25 Dec 2014)

Thursday guy said:


> Do you think Ridgeback are a reliable brand?


Yes

My cambridge starts at 10kg, then I've added rack, mudguards (as the one you are considering), then add very heavy laptop, charger, clothes, shoes, beastie d lock, cable etc etc etc I reckon it would come in at 17kg...add me on top (you're short and presumably less than 90kg) and I'm glad my commute is pretty flat!


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## I like Skol (25 Dec 2014)

Another one here who says weight is secondary. My overriding concern with the commuter is reliability and suitability. My hybrid is loaded up with at least one bulging pannier for most commutes and sometimes two if it is a supply run day (boxes of cereals, clothes for a few days, cartons of milk, packs of Pepsi, fruit bowl, etc....). It is also tough, tough enough to give an MTB a run for its money. At the end of the day, you get there as fast as you pedal and as fast as the conditions allow but it isn't a race.


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## buggi (25 Dec 2014)

Thursday guy said:


> Just out of curiosity because I've heard this before, but what specifically makes a road bike less comfortable than a hybrid bike? (or in your case, a cyclo-cross)


Primarily the dropped handlebars, but most people ride the hoods anyway (top of bars) . The design of road bikes is to get the rider as aerodynamic as possible (hunched up) and even road bikes come either more or less race aggressive... Some are designed for speed over distance and vice versa. Eg on a Specialized Tarmac road bike (designed for speed/racing over short distance) you are more hunched up than on a Specialized Roubaix road bike (designed for racing over long distance). The Tarmac has a stiffer frame, the Roubaix has vibration dampeners in the forks. Cross bikes are designed for racing on rugged terrain so more comfortable than a road bike, the frame is less race aggressive and you can put fatter tyres on, but still have dropped handlebars. Then you get your flat barred road bike, or hybrid, which put you in even a more sitting up position, so you have a better view of the road, but still has the frame and wheels of a road bike for speed. Then you started moving towards mountain bike design. So you might get a hybrid with big wheels and front suspension, good if your commute takes in rough lanes and tow paths but can be heavier and slower to ride.


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## wisdom (25 Dec 2014)

Thursday guy said:


> Do you think Ridgeback are a reliable brand?


Ridgebacks are excellent my commuter Is a ridgeback supernova and has been faultless over the last 5 years and its used daily whatever the weather.Quick too.


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## raleighnut (26 Dec 2014)

Thursday guy said:


> Do you think Ridgeback are a reliable brand?


Ridgeback are a very under-rated brand, mines an old steel frame (Tange CrMo) but the aluminium frame ones are as good but won't last as long as a steel one (lighter though). My 602 is now over 20 years old and I expect it to last at least another 20 years.


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## Thursday guy (26 Dec 2014)

wisdom said:


> Ridgebacks are excellent my commuter Is a ridgeback supernova and has been faultless over the last 5 years and its used daily whatever the weather.Quick too.
> View attachment 75257



Your bike looks almost exactly the same as the one I'm thinking of getting.


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## Thursday guy (26 Dec 2014)

raleighnut said:


> Ridgeback are a very under-rated brand, mines an old steel frame (Tange CrMo) but the aluminium frame ones are as good but won't last as long as a steel one (lighter though). My 602 is now over 20 years old and I expect it to last at least another 20 years.



I do find it a bit strange that the Ridgeback Speed I'm planning to get has an Aluminum frame (6061 Heat treated Aluminium to be specific), but still weighs 13.6kg. When you say they don't last as long as steel, but much shorter is their life span?


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## KneesUp (26 Dec 2014)

My (25 year old steel bike) is about 13kg, although with the lock on it's nearer 14kg. My laptop and power supply in their bag weigh about the same as the frame and forks.


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## raleighnut (26 Dec 2014)

Thursday guy said:


> I do find it a bit strange that the Ridgeback Speed I'm planning to get has an Aluminum frame (6061 Heat treated Aluminium to be specific), but still weighs 13.6kg. When you say they don't last as long as steel, but much shorter is their life span?


The lifespan varies from one frame to another as Aluminium is not as resistant to fatigue stresses as steel is but at least 15 years IMO (that's what most makers quote as the 'lifetime guarantee') but nowadays a decent steel frame made with Columbus, Tange or Reynolds tubing tends to be a bit expensive and cheap steel frames will weigh a heck of a lot more so unless you plan on spending £500 (or a lot more) Aluminium will be your best bet.


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## cyberknight (26 Dec 2014)

Using a carrera subway with panniers ATM for 10 miles each way,i dare not get it near the scales but it will be over 16kg fully loaded and once its up to speed it rolls well enough is only hills that slow it down.Over this distance I'm about 2 mins slower than my summer commuter which is an ally road bike with the same panniers.


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## Drago (26 Dec 2014)

I don't have a clue because I'm not that sad. Not.especially heavy.

Be aware that there is universal standard for quoting a bikes . Some manufacturers exclude , tubes and pedals from their arithmetic, so take with a pinch of salt any figures quoted in a catalogue. Go dock a leg over and have a feel to be sure.

And don't get too hung up on weight. A kilo on your waistline or the bikes frame will likely go un noticed. A kilo on the wheels will make a big old difference to the way it rides.


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## samsbike (26 Dec 2014)

My Ti bike with guards, M+, rack and Dynamo comes in around 13 kg. it's surprising how much it weighs I thought it would be lighter.


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## shouldbeinbed (26 Dec 2014)

Just get on and pedal. Weight is an issue if you're racing (or sad) much more so than a ride to work. I have everything from a skinny road bike to a huge chunk of a hub everything utility load lugger that I commute on, the time difference is measured in minutes not hours. Commute of choice right now is a 10yo ono trek 800 with slick tyres. Comfy and leggy enough to get me rolling along nicely on the flats but still climbing hills without becoming a huge sweaty mess. Comfort and visibility win out for me in a commuter, then load carying and bad weather adaptability, then looking unappealing to thieves, then 
....


Weight is a long way down my list of worries.


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## vickster (26 Dec 2014)

Thursday guy said:


> I do find it a bit strange that the Ridgeback Speed I'm planning to get has an Aluminum frame (6061 Heat treated Aluminium to be specific), but still weighs 13.6kg. When you say they don't last as long as steel, but much shorter is their life span?


Wheels heavy, tyres heavy, steel fork heavy, probably relatively heavy handlebars, seat post, basic groupset...you won't find many aluminium bikes under 11kg naked, and those will be a higher grade lighter alu and have a carbon fork


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## Rickshaw Phil (26 Dec 2014)

An 18kg bike _plus _luggage does the job on a 20 mile round trip for me. Don't worry too much about it - you're not racing.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (26 Dec 2014)

Friggin hell, I was worried my Brompton was heavy at about 13kg.

Re the weight, rolling hills and the flat not a problem and hardly noticeable. However, the weight of my B when fully loaded for bank work (change of clothes etc) really does make a difference on the hills on the way home. I really do have to use the really low gears of schlumpf mountain drive to get up them.

Same load on my back on my fixie and I'm a lot quicker going home, but if it's windy or I do 40 miles plus commutes for more than 3 days on the trot - I can end up walking up one mile of 13%.


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## fossyant (26 Dec 2014)

Naked, the bike is 8kg, but add on racks and loaded panniers then you can more than double it.


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## furball (26 Dec 2014)

I haven't a clue what my bike weighs. I just bought it and started commuting and touring on it.


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## alecstilleyedye (27 Dec 2014)

i use the winter bike in my sig line, with the stem the flipped so the bars are higher, and a bastardised rear mudguard from aldi. looks awful, but gives a better view in traffic and keeps the weight of the rucksack on my shoulders, rather than my back.

no issues with the set-up for the 20 miles each way commute, although if i was speccing a new commuter, i would probably go for something that can take panniers with disc brakes…


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## glenn forger (27 Dec 2014)

You don't need to look up what your bike weighs then add locks, water bottle cage etc etc etc. Just weigh yourself on bathroom scales then weigh your cat, then stuff your cat in your pannier and weigh the bike as you are carrying it. Deduct what you weigh, then weigh you and the cat. Take away what you started with and Hey Presto!


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## MartinQ (27 Dec 2014)

glenn forger said:


> then stuff your cat in your pannier


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## HLaB (27 Dec 2014)

IIRC the review of my commuter says it comes in at a shade over 10kg, never checked it though.


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## Crankarm (28 Dec 2014)

Yeah and just after Christmas you probably weigh a few kilos more because of all the mince pies, cheese and chocolate you have scoffed! A slightly heavier bike means it is better for training as you have to work harder to keep it moving at a fair old lick rather than a lighter race bike. Get the heavier bike.


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## BSRU (28 Dec 2014)

Mines about 20Kg and goes quite fast when the engines working.


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## subaqua (28 Dec 2014)

16.1 Kg according to the tech info. but then add panniers, locks, boots, hard hat, a laptop Noah used as an anchor , tubes and a minitool kit . and probably another 2 kg of filth at the moment !


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## MontyVeda (28 Dec 2014)

no idea about the actual weight... but what i do know is when i carry it down the stairs before setting off for work I go "ooooffff" (  ) as i lift it. When i carry it down the stairs when popping over to my parents or a friend's, i go "oooh" (  ) .. not carrying a laden pannier and a lock really does make a difference. I've never had much interest in what it weighs in numbers and kilothingies... that stuff's just for nobbers.


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## EthelF (29 Dec 2014)

16kg plus panniers. Reliability is more important to me than weight, hence the Alfine hub gears, SON hub dynamo etc. Plus after all that heavyweight training my 8kg road bike feels even faster!


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## Exile (29 Dec 2014)

According to the manufacturers specification, my current commuting bike weighs 11.5kg stock. Add pedals, rack, lights and the commuting cargo, and it's probably between 20 and 25 kg most days, although I've never been interested enough to weigh it. I could probably shave off a kilo or two, and I could go out and buy a super-light bike, but once I add my 120+ kg self to the equation the whole weight thing becomes a bit of an exercise in futility. I struggle a bit going up the hills, but have a lot of fun going down them. 

In the end though, commuting isn't about speed (although thanks to all the commuting I am now quicker than I was), it's about getting to and from work. You can do that with an 8 kg bike or a 28 kg bike, the only difference is when you have to set off, and when you get back.


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## confusedcyclist (30 Dec 2014)

Road bike is under 9 kg, and MTB is easily 16+ kg

Riding on the MTB has been a chore since I got a road bike. I hate icy days when I am forced onto the MTB!!!


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## mustang1 (30 Dec 2014)

Too blxxdy heavy. A 58cm CX bike with 35mm tires, rack, heavy lock, fenders, and need to drag it up and down the stairs thrubtight spaces. Its a pita. I need a racing bike.


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## rovers1875 (1 Jan 2015)

As others have said at that price you cannot really lose. My Road bike weighs in at 13.5kg and my hybrid comes in at 14.5kg. Both are great for commuting. As long as the bike is comfy the weight is pretty irrelevant (your commuting not racing). I have never had a Ridgeback myself, but one of the blokes at work ride one and he never has any problems with it.


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## biking_fox (6 Jan 2015)

I noticed the significantly heavier handling when I swapped my 26"x1.0" specialized All Condiditions for the MarathonPLus. However the lack of punctures has probably made for it! They are notably slower though, and probably almost 1kg heavier for the pair! But yes reliability is great for the commuting bike and certainly worth a slight trade off in weight.

Alu - vs Steel. It used to be a big difference, but modern manufacturing means that they can use less of the stronger but heavier steel so the total weight doesn't come out that different any more.


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