Whats a good weight for a bike?

type.rst
type.rst Posts: 50
edited October 2011 in MTB buying advice
Hello guys im currently looking around for a mtb for mostly trail riding. I have a budget of around £400 and want a new bike.

I only weigh 9 stones so i want the lightest bike my money can get. Im very interested in the GT avalanche 3 hydro and the carrera fury 2011. Both these bikes are a little over 14kg.

Is this light for a mtb of this price range?
What kg is light and when is a mtb considered heavy? (for bikes between £300-£400)

Thanks.

Comments

  • campbellrae1
    campbellrae1 Posts: 182
    At that sort of price point light tends to mean weak, think it was Kieth Bontrager that said it, light, cheap, strong, pick 2. Personally, I would never miss out the strong part!

    However with your weight you could get away with a fair bit less strength than others! Although you might struggle to get much lighter than 13kgs. Maybe the Scott Aspect range? Scott tend to be pretty weight concious!
    Custom spec Scott Scale
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  • AndyOgy
    AndyOgy Posts: 579
    I'd say that you have less to worry about than most. You pretty much weigh an entire bike less than I do.
  • type.rst
    type.rst Posts: 50
    " wrote:
    However with your weight you could get away with a fair bit less strength than others!

    What do you mean by that mate, will my weight work in my favour?

    Does 1kg make alot of difference in a MTB? because most bikes ive looked at are between 13.5 and 14.5kg. Is it even worth considering the weight as a factor if its as small difference as that?
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    I'd say that you have less to worry about than most. You pretty much weigh an entire bike less than I do.

    Seeing as a bike is generally only about 2 stone, I expect he weighs more than a bike less than most of us...

    It's not gonna make much difference, most bikes are sold with things like suspension forks, discs etc that add weight but make the ride nicer. If you really want light you could build a rigid singlespeed for that, if you choose parts carefully, but you compromise functionality. I'd not be too swayed by the off the shelf weight, there'll be plenty of places: tyres, saddle, cassette, stem, bars where you could save chunks of weight for not much money.

    Go to a good bike shop and talk to them. Try a few bikes, buy the one you like most.

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