Compare and Contrast (bicycle style (part 2))
When I was out gallivanting around the countryside on Saturday a “new” bicycle was spotted at the Llewellyn rummage sale, and purchased for the princely sum of $5. It was in pretty good shape, considering that it looked like it had been parked unused for what looks like a good part of a decade. But it was pretty heavy (40-odd pounds,) and it had 26" wheels instead of the 700c wheels that are becoming the house standard. I didn’t think there was much to do about the weight, but it looked like I could fit a 700x28c wheelset into the fork and rear triangle.
So when I pulled it apart for cleaning, I did just that. OUT went the ancient fat-tire-capable steel (Wald?) wheels, IN went the newer (by 1 year) Matrix wheelset that used to be under my Trek before I xtracycled & generator-hubbed it (thus replacing the Maillard 5-speed freewheel that the Murray came with with a 7-speed Suntour freewheel) and, as an unexpected surprise, the weight of the bicycle shot downwards.
Right now, the fully-randoed MLCM weighs about 35 pounds (with one full waterbottle, a small collection of fud in the front bag, the bags, fenders, and the lights.) The 700c'ed Murray? 29 or 30 pounds, depending on scale accuracy.
And the Murray has a kickstand.
It will weigh more when I get done with it. It’s going to have fenders, brakes, and a porteur rack (because the destiny of any bike in this house is cargo, and I’m not going to xtracycle this already very long bicycle.) But it will still be nice and light compared to almost everything else I own.