The weight of the materials of which the frame is made obviously influences the overall weight of any frame and therefore of the bicycle
- There are advantages and disadvantages in the weight of the bicycle: we have historical examples of heavier bikes that have been more successful (and given better results with those who used them) than the lighter ones and vice versa.

That said, let's do just one more observation, the most trivial: certainly going up a hill and having a heavy frame does not help.
But is this the only yardstick you use to evaluate your bike?
If your answer is "yes", we immediately clarify one thing: if you want a frame as light as possible, you have to buy one in carbon, the material lighter at the time used for bicycles.

But how heavy is a carbon frame?

Well it depends on the type of carbon used and also on the type of processing. You can have low-range carbon frames (more often very dangerous: see figures)

 

and also relatively heavy as well as very expensive and well made carbon frames that are much lighter (the a lot and the little here are on a relative scale).
Let's say that it is possible to estimate the average weight of the carbon frames that is around 1 kilogram.

The real fact is that the shape and, above all, the geometry of these types of frames can not be changed. The design of the frame is that and you can color it differently depending on the tastes of the athlete but in fact: it is the same colored frame in a different way!

In addition to color, all you can choose in this case is the size. What measures? The measures look like those of cheap t-shirts: S, m, l, XL. Measures that in principle are good for everyone, but since the Lord in his incomprehensible talent has made us all different: there are looms that in practice do not go well with anyone!
In short, the customization is not made for these bicycles.

And how heavy is a steel frame?

The answer is: a top frame made to perfection with the right materials weighs around 1.4 - 1, 5 kg so with about 400/500 grams of difference compared to the best carbon frame.

Well this is in general but I have demonstrated with my super light bicycle that a steel bicycle under 6.8kg is feasable.

And that's it for the numerical part.

In this case, however, the bicycle can be made according to the customer's every little desire and can truly be made "ad hoc" based on the client's anthropometric measurements (is: truly "made to measure")!

The considerations that should be made are, in fact, also of a different nature and in particular we should ask: -    How important are those 400/500 grams?
-    How important are those customizations?Tied to a steel rope
-    How important is having a tailor-made frame?
-    How important is it to personalize it according to your every little preference and athletic characteristic?

We must be frank: there is no single and simple answer to such questions.

As in all things there are people who go from the tailor to make "their own dress" and those who prefer to buy the label ... more and more often produced in China.

In this regard, everyone must make their own assessments and try to find the answers inside themselves.

A technical note

In recent times I have wanted to prove the concept that with steel it is possible to obtain performances (in terms of weight and resistance) comparable to those of carbon. This is why I had started to make, almost as a joke, a frame that was really as light as possible. In the end I created my new racing bicycle, the one I personally use for rides with old friends and with the new ones who come to visit me in Gesualdo. Do you want to see a complete steel bicycle that weighs 6.4 kg? Then look at the file relating to my super light steel bicycle

On the topic of weight you can also see:

Maximum weight of an athlete on a steel bicycle?