Is lighter always better? It depends who you ask. When it comes to racing uphill against the clock, the answer is probably yes. Downhill against the clock? Not necessarily. The weight and weight distribution of a bike make a huge difference in how it carries its speed up and downhill and how that bike handles rider input. Too light on the wrong trail, and you could get pinged and pushed around like a pinball. Too heavy on the wrong trail, and you’re sweating and suffering the unnecessary penalty. Can a bike’s weight be just right? If so, what is your preferred bike weight?
Kinda surprising to see 75%+ say under 30lb. Seems like 30 is the starting weight for trail bikes these days, even for expensive ones…
I think its how the question is phrased. I mean ideally lighter is always better, we only go heavier because we want strong, reliable components and they are worth the weight tradeoff. But ideally, we’d have those frames and components we like for shredding and the weight of a road climbers bike.
I said 28-30 only because my Switchblade is allegedly 29lbs. I’d have still bought it had it been 31 lbs.
After riding for many, many years it is the same answer as it has always been, or at least since there have been so many bike options. It depends.. The number one factor is the terrain, i.e. where you are riding. I know boring, but it is a simple truth. If your bike can rip it and you are in relative control, bingo, there you go. Now, having said that I would say I want the lightest bike that can handle said terrain and maximize fun, and safety to a lesser degree. This is why we all need more than one bike after all 🙂
I’m not sure there’s an “ideal” weight, at least for me. I’ve ridden mountain bikes from 24lbs up to 33lbs and have not noticed any consistency in the notion that a lighter bike is better than a heavier bike.
My two current bikes, a hardtail (2022 Roscoe) and a full-sus (2015 5010 carbon), both weigh about 29lbs, but I prefer the hardtail because it feels lighter when I ride it. There are a lot of differences between these two bikes beyond the suspension, but it all adds up to the hardtail being more fun.