My Whippet project has been going for a year now, it went from just building the lightest MTB possible, which didn’t work as I took it to Llandegla to go at the blue route and it nearly shook my hands off.

Now I’m trying to build as light a possible, functional hardtail that I can take to Degla.

At the moment I’m looking at tyres as I am currently running heavy Contis. The wheels are ZTRs so tubeless are an option, but not a necessity.

Anyone any idea what will be a good upgrade? Thunder Burt? Wild Race R?

Oh, 26″ by the way. I’m also all ears if anyone’s got any other weight saving ideas.

I’m also all ears if anyone’s got any other weight saving ideas

You would need to list the spec for anyone to offer ideas as need to know what you have now.

Speedos and embrocation…

Weight is a number, nice interview jarred graves which he concludes weight doesn’t count if you don’t get round. Unless you want the badge for lightest bike or to win the light bike thread go with something that works.

You can always lie on the actual weight if it makes you feel good.

kerley +1

But as you asked I’d replace the wheels with AX-Lightness tubs, the forks with a F100 Factory RL, the groupset with XTR/XX1 mix, Next SL cranks, MCFK finishing kit. Then you’ll need to replace the frame, Open are nice.

Llandegla to go at the blue route

your serious huh?

take a road bike without mud guards

Most (all) weight resides on the rider. Cheap no cost upgrade to rider weight = faster

you can drop grams off the bike but 2kg of the rider is easy

couple of them are available on eBay at the moment

Ax Tubs

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221932138689?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Open Frame

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Open-O-1-0-MTB-frame-/272031552734?hash=item3f565814de:g:cc0AAOSwo0JWM1L2

Thunderburt are quite pricey.. Might be worth looking at rons and or ralphs for similar lightness and potentially more grip too.

Schwalbe are bringing out new light weight tubes too but they’ve not hit retailers yet.

It’s just a project that I’m enjoying doing.

Frames a Whippet, F100 Forks, ZTR Wheels, Haven Bars, SLX 1×9 set up with XT mech and shifter, Thomson X4 Stem, Charge Knife Saddle, Nano Pedals.

I weight 11st 3lb so not much I can shave off there, It’s not a competition or a badge, I just enjoy tinkering.

Burts/Rons/Ralphs are basically the same price… 😕

What are your wheels? ZTR describes all NoTubes rims. Which ones are they? What hubs? What’s your budget?

Stans ZTR Crest, Hope Hubs.

This isn’t my life, I’m not spending a fortune on wheels and frames, just a fun project I’m doing. Most of the bikes been built from ebay bargains.

Seat and pedals could be lighter but realise they are personal choices not as much based on weight.
Don’t know about gears and the real weight saving is in the fork but if you have to have suspension then seems okay.

If you don’t want to spend a fortune then it looks good as it is as getting it noticeably lighter is probably going to cost a lot.

The biggest thing you will notice will be the tyres which you are already looking at especially if by heavy Contis you mean 800g tractor tyres?

Yep, they weigh more than the moon. Rubber Queen 2.4s.

Save you 300g with something like an ardent race at 650g per tyre. Should be perfectly fine for Llandegla blue

A project to build a light MTB and putting 830 gram tyres on, what a disgrace 🙂

Ha ha! I had the road tyres on for doing Manchester to Blackpool, put Geax Pluma on and they were like paper, the Contis were spare and wouldn’t puncture when I’m trying to get to work.

I’m a little confused. You built a light weight bike but found the ride too rough and now you want to swap to lighter tyres? Your current tyres (2.4 Rubber Queens) are high volume, relatively strong and add quite a bit of cushion. Swapping to a lighter tyre will probably make the ride feel even rougher, because there’s less air between you and the ground.

Since your goal is a “functional hardtail”, I’d keep what you’ve got and look at making adjustments elsewhere. Run lower pressures in your tyres to soften the ride and check your body position. If you’re finding a blue run too rough with huge tyres then you’re probably putting too much weight on your hands.

I didn’t have these tyres on when I did the blue run, I had the Geax Pluma, rigid forks and foam grips.

I was looking at burts to replace a ralph on my rear.. Couldn’t find them much less than £35… Found a ralph evo for £25

Out of interest, what does it weigh now?

Bang on 23lb.

Trouble is, each thing you uprgrade won’t give you massive losses, so it’ll have to be lots of little losses. Apart from tyres, there’s a good 1-1.5lbs to be shaved there. After that I suppose cranks, bars and seat post to carbon, that’s probably a pound, for about £500 (less on eBay/from China) carbon rims might drop a bit of but won’t help with the rough ride. Are your brakes particularly lumpen? What size rotors?

Reckon you could get it sub 20lbs but it might cost you a fair bit, though not mortgage money

Cheers mate, got a Carbon post I’ve shortened too. Brakes are XT. Rotors are Alligator Aries 180mm/160mm 92g/78g

What I have found as I upgrade parts is it’s not costing me too much as I’m selling the replaced part at a similar price I’m paying for the new one.

Kalloy Uno stem used to be the weight weenies fave. Available on ebay for next to nowt. Acetone will remove the shitty graphics.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KALLOY-UNO-100-x-31-8mm-17-Degree-AL-7050-Road-MTB-Ultra-Light-Stem-Black-/131556999177?hash=item1ea1688009:g:LycAAOSwPhdU4xFF

Dunno what a Thomson stem weighs, probably lots though.

My mate got one of these for his hill climb bike. Cheap and light. Make your own padding/cover and it’ll be lighter than a charge saddle.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3K-Full-Carbon-Fiber-Mountain-Bike-Bicycle-Cycling-Cushion-Hollow-Saddle-Seat-/311354158836?hash=item487e276ef4:g:ResAAOSwPcVVyB-U

Lightweight semi slick on the rear will probably “feel” faster which is what you want.

Grips are personal pref, but anything other than lock ons would save weight. Odi Longnecks with the flanges cut off is what I’d use!

Flat carbon bars.

What seatpost do you have?

Based on the quality of £13 Chinese carbon products seen elsewhere on this forum, not sure I’d risk a saddle….

Features:
100% Brand new and high quality
Anti-slipping lining with adjustable drawstring
This is a high quality saddle for mountain bike, this is designed buttock protection, wear proof
A very nice saddle, good quality, light weight, good ventilation, mountain bike road bike, folding universal
And these perfect craftsmanship seat cushions not just bring you with the comfort but also bring you
with well protection for your bicycle seats

Not sure if my reaction is 😆 or 😯

Singlespeed

I’m having one of those stems, that saddle looks uncomfy though!

I’ve actually got lock ons, just seen ESI (my favourite grips) sell silicone ones at 43g for £13

I’ve got an Exotic Carbon Post.

It’s crossed my mind to go SS, but I’ve moved house to a really hilly area and don’t fancy taking on those hills on a SS after a full shift on my feet.

Features:
100% Brand new and high quality
Anti-slipping lining with adjustable drawstring
This is a high quality saddle for mountain bike, this is designed buttock protection, wear proof
A very nice saddle, good quality, light weight, good ventilation, mountain bike road bike, folding universal
And these perfect craftsmanship seat cushions not just bring you with the comfort but also bring you
with well protection for your bicycle seats

Sold! 😆

The saddle maybe needs a rethink then, you might need to spend big money to get something comfy and light, unless you get lucky on ebay.

I’d get a setback carbon post and a long stem, which’ll probably put you in a more aero/efficient position for pedalling hard and fast.

Also, consider some lightweight pedals (eggbeaters?) and some light clippy in shoes.

I hear you on SS thing, but you will get used to it – eventually…

My whippet is SS with carbon lefty and nearly everything carbon without being silly. Egg beaters would save a fair bit over flats

Yeah I think pedals are definately an area I can shave some off.

Flats to egg beaters has to be worth seeing 🙂
Has to be worth considering how it will ride after these mods

Don’t bother spending on upgrading that. It is a perfect second bike to a proper flat out xc machine. Good time to be buying at the moment. Just look for what ever Scott scale fits your budget. They are rideable and rapid. Of course I then spent a small fortune on unnecessary carbon wheels and xtr upgrades

For 26″ wheels you could probably pick up some podiums with revolution spokes fairly cheap.

For degla blue?

Seriously, I wouldn’t focus your time and cash on upgrades and lightness. Book some coaching, go on a bike holiday, once you’re at a new level buy a new bike.

Talking about upgrading seatposts to carbon for example just doesn’t make logical sense in the real world.

edit: and I like degla!

For 26″ wheels you could probably pick up some podiums with revolution spokes fairly cheap.

I was talking to someone recently about that, I think it’s a couple of years too late for the 26″ XC race stuff, he found a real dearth of nice wheels and things, which he’d expected to find loads of.

It’s not for just Degla blue, it’s for all the local trails near me too, commuting.

To be fair to OP – he hasn’t said why he wants a light bike. Maybe it’s not about speed…maybe he’s been struggling to get it on his car roof….

Looks like tyres are your biggest and easiest weight saving here. I’m a big fan of Schwalbe Racing Ralph and Nobby Nics, only 550g or so for a 2.4″ tyre (x26″). Not sure if 2.4″ will fit in your frame but if it does it’ll give a reasonable amount of cushioning too. Also a big fan of running tubeless.