Comments on: Manufacturer’s claimed weight versus reality

By: Herman

Herman — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 10:32:48 +0000

Hi All,
Just wanted drop a note too. I ride the Photon too. Totally like it. Their custom fit suits me like a glove. I ride a 57 frame, and it weighs approx 875 with a thicker BB for added stiffness. That helps in the sprints, but also in going uphill. Added with the custom fit the rides downhill are super. Concerning the weight, I never expected to get the sub 750, since that was for the smallest frame. So, the way I see it, this frame is very lightweight AND custom fit! You don’t get that with Scott or Cervelo!

By: Nico

Nico — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:44:32 +0000

Yeah, I know quite a few people who have ended up being disappointed with their Guru Photon frame weights. I do think that 839 grams is still very light for a custom frame, but that’s pretty far off of the advertised 750 grams, especially for a 54cm. You won’t have a problem making a UCI illegal bike with that frame, however.

By: DD

DD — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:32:32 +0000

I know this is a old topic compared to my post date, but I just thought I could chime in on the Photon weight.

I just got a closeout Photon frame in stock 54cm size with intergrated seat mast. Weight on my scales were 839 grams without headset (includes hanger, cut seat mast, english BB, and braze-on). Im a bit dissapointed from a weight weenies standpoint, since obviously this frame was advertised as 750 grams in stock form.

Im not hugely bummed, since I got this a a great deal of a price (cheaper than a Scott Addict frameset), but its still a mark against Guru for not even coming close to claimed weight.

If I didnt have a matching Guru Pista to go with this, I would be trying to return it to the vendor; or at least trying to exchange it for a lighter one.

By: Photon Rider

Photon Rider — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 02:23:02 +0000

Well I can’t speak for everyone else but I have a 54cm TT Photon and it weighed in at 761. not too far off the mark.

By: Dana Albert

Dana Albert — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:08:54 +0000

I remember a tale (can’t say if it was true or not) that Greg LeMond used to take like ten cranksets of the same brand and weigh each of them, and have the lightest one put on his bike. The weight varied, it was said, based on how worn the machinery was that produced the cranksets (or any other part, for that matter). The more worn the manufacturing machinery was, the more metal was left on your part.

Before this year’s Everest Challenge (two-day stage race with 29,000 feet of accumulated vertical gain), I replaced my rear tire, which was pretty worn (though not completely worn out), just to hedge against puncturing in the race. On a lark I weighed the old and new tires (both Conti 4Ks). The new one was a full ounce heavier! On that basis I left the old front tire on there.

By: jonas l

jonas l — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:28:38 +0000

Sad story. He should have returned the frame as Guru said one thing and didn’t keep their promise. Even if you buy a cheap frame almost 200g heavier is too much difference.

By: Robin

Robin — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:47:52 +0000

A wise customer would have waited to see what production frames were actually weighing, instead of relying on Interbike weights and manufacturer data at Interbike.

By: djconnel

djconnel — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:15:26 +0000

That Ritchey stem won’t be 115 grams, either, especially in 31.8 mm….. with aftermarket Ti bolts it might (just might) get close @ 8cm.

That said, I agree with you, even assuming a miscommunication on what is “promised” for a particular custom bike, that the Interbike display is quite misleading. There is no “standard” for bike frame mass: if you’re going to lead on value in lightness than you need to be clear on how you quantify that value. Otherwise, do like Cervelo and Cannondale and Trek and Calfee and Crumpton do and don’t claim anything.

By: Nico

Nico — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:29:06 +0000

Just got this from the first Guru customer:
“The frame was built for a 68kg rider. I wish I knew the 58.5 tt would carry such a weight penalty — a 57 would be fine with a long stem. But even still it is a purchase I regret, given all the lighter frames available for less money. I hope none expects a sub 750g frame from Guru, or that they’d ever confess to over-hyping their bikes.”

By: Real World Guru Photon Weights « Asterisk*Cycles

Real World Guru Photon Weights « Asterisk*Cycles — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:20:31 +0000

[...] tags: Bicycles, bikes, carbon fiber, cycling, frames, guru, photon, Road, weight weenies by range Well, it looks like Guru can’t deliver their promised weight of 747g for their ISP frame. In fact, without the ISP, the frame was supposed to be under 700 gr. In fact, a non-ISP Photon [...]