I've never known the weight of any of my bikes, and I've ridden lots of bikes throughout my life. I mean, I've known published weights for frames I've owned, but have never weighed my bike when built up.
Obviously everybody has different things they look for in a bicycle, and different uses in mind. For me the most important thing is how the bike handles for the riding I like to do- not pedal-wise handling, or planing so to speak, or acceleration- but gliding, carving, pulling it over obstacles, etc. For example, I care how nimble it is when unloaded, or if can I bunnyhop easily (chainstay length and BB height affect this greatly) and whether the bike is still relatively stable when loaded (it seems chainstay length and BB height affect this too, though TT length and so on also come into play more here). That alone is a delicate balance. For me, most Rivendells achieve that balance- in addition to their many other features- nicely, as compared to, say, a cross or mountain bike with what I consider very short chainstays and super-high BB, or a Thorn Nomad, with three-foot chainstays for expedition touring. I don't want a super thin-walled TT because I don't race, don't care about going fast compared to anyone else (on the road) and furthermore, I WILL dent the TT, if it is made of .7/.4/.7 tubing, in the course of locking the bike to a pole with other bikes, or something like that. I care about a reasonable degree of toughness and service. I try to use quality steel chainrings and long-wearing tires for that reason. I believe without a doubt that ultra-thin walled TT tubing and/or lightness is great for racing and road performance, keeping up with a pack, etc. but I don't care about those types of riding. Right now I'm riding studded nokian tires because it is winter in New England (though winters are tame these days- resembling more an extension of late autumn straight to early spring). I always notice quite a sluggish feeling *on the road* after putting the tires on in late December, but honestly I get used to it in about two rides to work and then forget about it. In March, going back to Marathon tires, the bike feels fast on the road even though I'm sure some people would say Marathons feel like they're filled with sand. Off road, on trails, I notice no difference whatsoever, because speed is on a whole different scale in that case, and any drag from tread or stout casing is overwhelmed by the unevenness of the root-laden, rocky, or muddy ground. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/vTdrYymlcPYJ. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
