Does bike weight really matter?

Of the many nice bikes I've owned over the years two of my favourites have had 2kg+ steel frames, two had 1.7kg- steel frames
Light bikes are nice, but not at the expense of their dynamics.

My Xizang is pretty darn light considering it has bombers and I've not actually tried to make it lightweight. On rocky terrain it does seem to get bounced around in a way a heavier bike doesn't seem to, but uphill, on smoother grass, hardpack tracks it is fantastic and is a pleasure to ride. Buuuuuuuut you would get used to it, and having a few heavier bikes to ride it's always noticeable how light the light bike is. After a stint of riding my 19lb road bike, I started to feel the need to make it lighter, wheels tyres tubes etc these thoughts were soon put to bed after riding the mtb a couple of times.

So the truth be told, a light bike is noticeably faster, it's not actually that much faster, it is a lot less hardwork (inside, lack of sweat etc) building a light bike than losing the weight or training to actually be faster.

But if you're putting in the miles (200km/week) for the last 4 months;
Ridden Mt Ventoux as part of your training...
Then the chances are you'll benefit from a lighter bike

Blinkin' roadies! :roll: ..........................

Only two weeks a year
And I might be taking the Merlin on hols next year

Agree with above, a ~ 25lb butted steel ATB or 22.5lb Ti ATB is all you need and they can be jumped and hammered non stop and you will still get home in one piece. I'm sticking with the heavy tried and tested threaded steerers too and cantis.

Me 25lb Tange prestige kili is more compliant and pacier than me oppo's (we're both the same height and weight) 21lb 853 kili, i'm not intelligent enough to attempt to articulate why but i know what i feel. I'm not on me own thinking/feeling this, me oppo's proposed a straight swop more than twice.

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Stiffness in the right places is what is important. A bit of extra weight is easily offset by good design.

I have never found a bike skittish because it is too light.

Certainly because it is too flexible, but that is nout to do with weight.

i used to own 2 rc200 pace bikes a f3 and f7 one of them fittted with all the top notch gear, , and a orange vitamin t2 again high spec which was was under 19lb in weight , i stupidly sold all my bikes as i thought i was done with moutain biking due to getting to old for them , i have recently got back into mountain biking and now run a orange gringo bought for a pricely sum of £35 of ebay how i miss the vitamin t2 it was just was another world how it used to ride, climb , and make you fell when riding it , in fact if it ever came up for sale i would be tempted to buy it back ,

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My contribution to the old chestnut