# what's considered light



## tommy norman (May 20, 2009)

the few bikes i've been looking at weight in at 30 lbs. that seems heavy to me is that light for a entry level bike


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## Spawne32 (May 22, 2009)

i consider light to be 20-30, anything under 20 i consider ultra light


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## russelr (Oct 29, 2008)

Spawne32 said:


> i consider light to be 20-30, anything under 20 i consider ultra light


20-30 is a huge range when it comes to bikes. 30lbs is not a rediculous weight. you should be able to handle it fine.


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## sstorkel (Nov 24, 2008)

Keep in mind that weight isn't the only thing that matters. Some bikes just seem to "ride light", regardless of their real-world weight. 30lbs is a pretty average weight for a trailbike, I'd say. My Stumpjumper FSR Pro weighs 26-27lbs and feels light. I did a demo on a Specialized Pitch Pro that was around 30lbs and it felt great. On the other hand, the last bike I owned weighed 33lbs... and felt like it was 40!


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## Ray Lee (Aug 17, 2007)

great point, rode a stock Prophet same size as mine but he had light wheels/tires where tubeless I would have sworn the bike was 25 pounds not 30.

light=Eliflap
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=389853

I weigh 220 so super light obviously isnt my thing but a very cool thread to read.... if he FS bike as 16 pounds I would like to check out his hardtail!

Ray



sstorkel said:


> Keep in mind that weight isn't the only thing that matters. Some bikes just seem to "ride light", regardless of their real-world weight. 30lbs is a pretty average weight for a trailbike, I'd say. My Stumpjumper FSR Pro weighs 26-27lbs and feels light. I did a demo on a Specialized Pitch Pro that was around 30lbs and it felt great. On the other hand, the last bike I owned weighed 33lbs... and felt like it was 40!


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## tmcq (Mar 2, 2009)

Keep in mind also that a lot of the "entry level" full suspension bikes have really heavy wheels and tires. My new bike is a bit over 30 lbs, but the tires weigh something like 780 grams each. When I replace them with some "reasonable" weight tires I will be shedding almost a pound right there. Other items like the handlebars, saddle, and seatpost all can be improved substantially, without necessarily spending a ton on upgrades.


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## spec4life (May 14, 2008)

21.56 lbs....


(correct answer below)


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## axolotl (Apr 24, 2008)

*What kind of bike?*



tommy norman said:


> the few bikes i've been looking at weight in at 30 lbs. that seems heavy to me is that light for a entry level bike


It really depends on the kind of bike. 
XC bikes should be < 25lbs and needs to be sub 20 for a hard tail or 22ish for 5" to be super light.
AM is in the 25-35lb range. 5" puts you 25-30 6" 30-35 and 25lb is uber light, 30 is normal
Agressive trail bikes are built in the 30-40+ range- 30 could be considered scary light.
Freeride/DH bikes are now also in the 35-40+ range

My ride is 36lbs and I consider it kinda light for an aggressive trail bike.
Look more closely at bike geometry when considering weight. a 30 lb xc bike is heavy and has a geometry I would not recommend to a beginner.
A 30lb AM bike is not heavy and it is a good geometry for most beginners.


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## tommy norman (May 20, 2009)

i weigh 235lbs but i have a bad shoulder i wouldnt be doing any real aggressive trails by any means


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## CougarTrek (Jan 27, 2007)

~30 lbs is a pretty standard weight for an entry level hardtail. Entry level full suspensions will be a bit heavier.

Once you get into advanced, upper level bikes weight is a function of purpose, etc. It's not uncommon to see a 35+lb downhill rig or a sub 20lb hardtail race bike. Consider your purpose first, weight is a less important issue than people make it out to be, especially if you aren't racing and want a bike that will stand up to some abuse. You won't see an all mountain rider going for strength and reliability counting grams too often


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## Spawne32 (May 22, 2009)

russelr said:


> 20-30 is a huge range when it comes to bikes. 30lbs is not a rediculous weight. you should be able to handle it fine.


thats just my personal scale, anything up to 30 i can twirl pretty easily, so thats what i use a reference for light/heavy


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## tommy norman (May 20, 2009)

i have one other question can anyone tell what stand over height means. is that the height from the seat to the ground or the top tube to the ground


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## tomsmoto (Oct 6, 2007)

standover is the distance from the top tube to the ground.. its *nearly* useless.. worry about top tube length instead!


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## tommy norman (May 20, 2009)

if i have a 30'' inseam(i'm short legged) whats the biggest frame i can get without strattling the top tube


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## CougarTrek (Jan 27, 2007)

tommy norman said:


> if i have a 30'' inseam(i'm short legged) whats the biggest frame i can get without strattling the top tube


Depends entirely on the bike design.


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## tommy norman (May 20, 2009)

thanks


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