> So what is it that makes some folk expect their or other persons bikes
> to be as light as possible.
Without getting too far into the other questions asked (I don't worry about weight on my bikes, I worry about the weight on my belly), I've absolutely found that ANY bike's weight is of premier interest to its viewers -- no matter how old or new the bike or viewer is. We want to know. And I've really thought about it because of Davis' museum efforts. We need to engage people on their terms, after all.
I have stood next to the wrought-iron Draisine owned by UC Davis as a grade schooler examined it, planning to write an essay for class. His first question: When was it built? Second: What does it weigh?
Now, he knows he's never gonna ride the thing -- he knows that. But on a gut level, he's gotta find out the weight and he knows his teacher will grade him down if he doesn't get that basic info.
I really don't think it's about making every bike lighter, but rather putting the "new to me" machine into context of other machines that are more familiar. Particularly where you're not in a position to get on and test-ride, weight's one of the few things you can do to slot the thing into your own scale....
It's only after a bike's your tool or recreation that folks seem to get concerned about lightening it or not, depending on how they plan to use it. (Don't you dare touch the wood mudguards on my wife's boat-anchor Schwinn Varsity. She'll murder ya. I ain't lyin'.)
My two cents. Dan Kehew, Davis California USA