Re: [CR]Bike Weight

(Example: Bike Shops)

Date: Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:06:03 -0400
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
From: "John Betmanis" <johnb@oxford.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Bike Weight
In-Reply-To: <8801bb250807021209s2d819148i7db9dba691cfd710@mail.gmail.com>
References: <BAY103-W2682FE72CBFFC175569328909E0@phx.gbl>


At 01:09 PM 02/07/2008 -0600, Mitch Harris wrote:
>There were two cyclists there on
>mid-level recent race bikes who were explaining how to choose a
>bicycle to two motocyclists who were apparently curious.
>
>The racer cyclist pointed to our bikes as we rode up, mine that day an
>early 70s English race bike, hers an early 80s Batavus Professional,
>and was saying loudly to the Harley riders:
>
>"Now look at these two bikes, they might be as old as ten years ago
>and they weigh between 35 and 40 pounds which was lightweight back
>then."

Of course, the Harley riders were probably amazed that a bicycle could be made as light as 35 or 40 pounds, since their beasts weigh about half a ton and need a crane to get them upright again, should they topple over. (When I was doing motocross back in the late 1960s, 200 pounds was a good weight for a 250, 20 pounds less for a 250 trials bike. The concept of weight is a whole different thing to the Harley crowd; probably something like, the greater the weight, the smoother the ride.

Oh, and as fot the two cyclists on "mid-level recent race bikes", they were probably not even a twinkle in their parents' eyes when we were riding 20 pound steel bikes.

John Betmanis
Woodstock, Ontario
Canada