I have to agree with pretty much everything Brian says. I would like to make the point ,though, that a steel lugged bike need not be too heavy. After considerable expense with light weight (and off topic) components I have got the weight on my Columbine down to 19lbs. I am not a racer, and it is mostly play for me...I am almost phobic about being non-competitive about things. When I go to my local Litespeed dealer, the bikes on his floor are tagged as weighing 18.5 lbs. Folks this is only 8 oz. difference. If that yuppie lawyer on the Litespeed has a candy bar in his pocket the weight difference is gone! Snowed in in Lansing, Mi Tom Sanders