Spring balance for weighing bikes-suitable or not?

[night cycler]

I want to get something like a spring balance for weighing cycles. I know there are digital cycle scales available for this specific purpose such as the Park tools one. The issue with (some?) digital scales is that they tend to lock-on to the reading before the item being weighed has stopped moving, i.e. as you are putting the item on the scales, and thereby potentially giving a false reading.

The scales will be held up by hand and used away from home, i.e. no workshop hook or bike-stand available.

I’ve thought about a simple spring balance as accuracy around ½ kilo is ok for what I need, and it`s only for occasional use. Would a spring balance be ok?

Any suggestions/advice please?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

One of the cheap Chinese made luggage weighing scales would probably do the job perfectly well. eBay's your friend.

 

[numbnuts]

Funny this has come up I was thinking about this last night, I would like to weigh my trike.

 

[Milkfloat]

I use my bathroom scales - do you have any?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

OP wants to use away from home, which means bathroom scales probably not the best solution

 

[Profpointy]

with bathroom scales, or even kitchen scales if they go up to 6 or 7 kg, you just weigh each end (wheel) separately and add the two figures. I'd have thought that a bit easier than a hanging scale unless you've something to hang it from

 

[night cycler]

(I have been looking at the spring balance scales on *bay Bonefish. Just thought I would get some more info here).

I want a spare bike to use when the weather is not suitable to go out in on my posh bike.Something for snow/rain and that I don`t have to dry off and keep clean. Possibly a lightweight MTB, but need to know that I am buying something lighter than the old heavy MTB that I already have. Maybe something under 15kg?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01GZIMYPE?psc=1

...even has a loop for your top tube

 

[Dogtrousers]

I have a really good spring balance that I bought for weighing luggage. Say goodbye to slightly overweight luggage surcharge holiday woes.

The key point about this is that it is not digital, because every digital scale I've ever owned has been rubbish and has broken after very light use. And/or the batteries have gone flat at a crucial moment, said batteries being an utterly weird type that requires a special order from Maplin, and are definitely not obtainable just when you want to use the scale.

I have also used it for weighing bikes*

http://www.wovenlabelsuk.com/luggage-straps/wl-ls.html

* and instantly forgot the results. How heavy are my bikes? Well, the heavy one is really heavy. The other one is quite light. And the Brompton weighs about as much as a Brompton.

 

[youngoldbloke]

Worth a punt at £1.70 post free - looks exactly lthe same as the one Dogtrousers linked to. How accurate is it? I use a cheap digital luggage scale, but I don't trust it. Two weighings one after the other of the same bike will often give you different results!

 

[RegG]

I use luggage scales I bought from Boots. Do the job and you can weigh your cases to avoid overweight charges at the airport!!

 

[Bonefish Blues]

At that pricepoint I'd back digital over analogue all day long (and do when I fish ) - it's nigh on impossible to produce an accurate mechanical scale for that money.

 

[lutonloony]

with bathroom scales, or even kitchen scales if they go up to 6 or 7 kg, you just weigh each end (wheel) separately and add the two figures. I'd have thought that a bit easier than a hanging scale unless you've something to hang it from

why not just stand on the scales and lift bike up, and work out the difference? This of course is assuming you are at home, which I know the OP isn't

 

[Profpointy]

why not just stand on the scales and lift bike up, and work out the difference?

Less satisfactory if it's a kitchen scales !

 

[lutonloony]

Less satisfactory if it's a kitchen scales !

good point well made!