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Where's all the weight?

59 posts & 26 voices | Started 1 year ago by Stevo210 | Latest reply from Stevo210

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Stevo210 - Member

After riding with a friend recently who rode a Santa Cruz Superlight I was really suprised how light it really was. Guess the clue is in the name. It was running at around 23lbs.

With this in mind I thought I'd weigh my bike a 2008 Cannondale Rush Carbon 4. well I got a shock it was 30 lbs

Obviously I weighed it when it was clean & without the bottle and guards.

All the parts are standard bar the Thomson seatpost and stem, which can only help. But where's all the weight coming from......wheelset, drivetrain, frame, fork? Is there anything that stands out as holding the weight?

Am I just comparing two massively different beasts.......is 30lbs reasonable for what I have?

Posted 1 year ago #
shortbread_fanylion - Member

Thomson seatposts and stems are not light. Solid and well made, but not light.

What wheels and tyres are toy running? Your saddle looks chunky as does the silly mudguard thing.

Both sets of scales might be dodgy though - his must be full on bling to be be 23lbs while your might be nearer 28 than 30.

Posted 1 year ago #
RealMan - Member

Wheels and drivetrain probably.

It all adds up though. If you were happy with it before, why change it?

Never ride a bike better then yours.

Posted 1 year ago #
njee20 - Member

No stand out parts, probably just carrying a bit of weight on everything.

Quick gains to be made from finishing kit: seatpost, stem, grips, saddle, and other bits like cassette. Wheels for a big saving.

Posted 1 year ago #
Stevo210 - Member

haha good advice Realman.

Its on the standard Mavic 317 rims with Intense 404 tyres. thought Thomson would have been light.

Posted 1 year ago #
RealMan - Member

Thomson isn't heavy, its just not super light carbon light. Its nice kit though.

If you've got a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, then go for some nice wheels. proII with stans crest and dt comps will build a wheelset under 1500g I think. dt revs for a bit extra, depends what you weigh and can get away with. Then stick some light tyres on, tubeless, and go ride.

Posted 1 year ago #
_tom_ - Member

Never ride a bike better then yours.

Very good advice! My HT hasn't felt the same since riding a full sus and ploughing through all the roots :\ I'd like to say it's more fun to have the challenge of the bumps, but tbh I find going faster more fun.

Posted 1 year ago #
njee20 - Member

Pro 2/Crest is more like 1700g, the Pro 3 SPs are lighter, still over 1500g though.

If you want light, then ZTR hubs on Crests with Revs would be a good bet, lighter tyres run tubeless.

Posted 1 year ago #
RealMan - Member

But equally the reverse is very good. Riding bikes worse then yours is great, you can then get back on your bike and appreciate it so much more

Pro 2/Crest is more like 1700g

My pro2/355/comp build came to 1542g I think. And the crests are lighter then the 355s aren't they?

Posted 1 year ago #
crazy-legs - Member

As njee20 says, there's no one stand out 'heavy'part (except maybe the hubs and tyres). Those cheap (yes, I know it's £2000, I meant relatively speaking) full sus bikes are always going to be compromised - nice bikes but a bit weighty compared to a similar priced hardtail or a top end (£4000) full sus. Last years top of the range Rush was nearly £5000 and weighed about 23lb so realistically you're not going to make much inroads into the weight loss given that you're starting from the base model.

Could always see what difference a nice light set of wheels makes?

Posted 1 year ago #
njee20 - Member

And the crests are lighter then the 355s aren't they?

Indeed they are, did you use alu nips?

From the Hope website:
NoTubes Crest - 765/888g

So 1653g, you want to hang onto yours if they're 100g lighter!

Posted 1 year ago #
Stevo210 - Member

Having thought about it a bit more, he did have carbon forks, bars and seat post.
so if I was to buy a light set of wheels, Pro2's have been suggested, what am I looking at in costs? I have considered the superlight frame but new thats £900, that just isnt an option at the moment.

Posted 1 year ago #
crikey - Member

Where's all the weight?

If you are an average STWer, it's probably in a massive Camelbak and around your chubby waist.

Happy, as ever, to Help!

Posted 1 year ago #
njee20 - Member

Pro 2 Hoops can be had for around £250, it's a good start, you can likely shave off a chunk of weight with tyres too, Racing Ralphs run tubeless or something.

Posted 1 year ago #
thisisnotaspoon - Member

Intense tyres, swap for somethign more Xc and you'll shed about 4lb!

Big rotors are supprisingly weighty, stick with 160/160 on lightweight bikes.

Posted 1 year ago #
gcaster - Member

Pro 2 and Crests are 1461g with DT Revs and 1595g with DT Comps according to the DT Spoke Calculator.

I'm trying to decide on spokes so have these figures in the calculator already btw, I'm not that bored!
Can't wait to get mine built up!

Posted 1 year ago #
Stevo210 - Member

haha, I didnt weight myself. Im just under 12 stone.

Posted 1 year ago #
crikey - Member

Top test: sneak 7lbs of rock into your mates Camelbak when he's not looking....

Posted 1 year ago #
Stevo210 - Member

I have just swapped the tyres this weekend for Panaracer 2.1 but they cant have done that much surely?

Posted 1 year ago #
Simon - Member

Did you weigh both bikes on the same scales?
Or did your mate just tell you his Superlight was 23lbs, people are often "optimistic" about the weight of their bikes.

Posted 1 year ago #
RealMan - Member

So 1653g, you want to hang onto yours if they're 100g lighter!

They're also pretty much invincible, so yes, I will be hanging on to them

people are often "optimistic" about the weight of their bikes

True that, I think mine is roughly 26lbs. But that's not a very round number, I prefer 25lbs when people ask...

Posted 1 year ago #
Stevo210 - Member

no fraid not. Alleged 23lbs then!

Posted 1 year ago #
GNARGNAR - Member

thisisnotaspoon - Member

Intense tyres, swap for somethign more Xc and you'll shed about 4lb!

Big rotors are supprisingly weighty, stick with 160/160 on lightweight bikes.

Beat me to it. Those tyres aint the lightest by a long stretch. You can save a fair bit of weight on rotors, say by going to ashima (horrible) but it looks like your already running a 180, 140??

Not sure what saddle you're running there either, some very light saddles out there, an easy way to save 100+ grams for most people.

Wheels, tyres, saddle, rotors and some carbon bars would shave some weight.

Posted 1 year ago #
Stevo210 - Member

njee20/Realman have I read that right mine are 100g heavier?

Posted 1 year ago #
shindiggy - Member

My steel HT is at 25 pounds with middle of the range finishing kit, biggest areas for me were carbon bars, seat post and wheelset (Pro2 on 719's with racing ralph and nobby nic tyres)

Posted 1 year ago #
RealMan - Member

njee20/Realman have I read that right mine are 100g heavier?

No, we were talking about stans rims with proII hubs. Yours are probably even heavier, although I don't know by how much.

Posted 1 year ago #
Stevo210 - Member

cheers for that, anyone know what a 317 rim with DT370 hub weighs?
ps my saddle is a standard fat fizik saddle, but it is a comfy one!

Posted 1 year ago #
Stevo210 - Member

Im quite pleased nobody has said you should just get the superlight framne and have done There's hope.

Posted 1 year ago #
grtdkad - Member

As above suggestions ^^^, though a cheap weight loss can be found through tyres alone.
I've recently shed a bit of weight with:
- Ashima 160mm rotors at c90g each
- Bonty XX-lite grips (cheap and light as....)
- Fizik Tundra carbon saddle

...KCNC Wing Stem will be next...it all adds up (weight & cost!)

Posted 1 year ago #
b r - Member

My steel HT is at 25 pounds with middle of the range finishing kit, biggest areas for me were carbon bars, seat post and wheelset (Pro2 on 719's with racing ralph and nobby nic tyres)

I'd like to see that on the scales too!

My Ti HT only gets to this weight with XTR and the like.

Posted 1 year ago #
Stevo210 - Member

Ive checked the photos I took with the scales and the whole bike without the wheels and tyres weighs 21 lbs, thats 9 lbs for wheels and tyres. Thats a huge amount

Posted 1 year ago #
Northwind - Member

Just take it to bits and weigh it all, you can't really shed weight unless you know what you're working with.

And remember, even leaving aside blatant lies to a lot of people 25.99999lbs is a 25lb bike

Posted 1 year ago #
Stevo210 - Member

you might be right there. I was brought up on honesty is the best policy

let the stripping begin.

ps. Im a big car fan and had a argument with a guy who bragged that his car was 300hp when it was 296. No it isnt its 296!!!! So I know what your saying

Posted 1 year ago #
tazzymtb - Member

don't get too obsessive. My secret shame is that I ended up with a spreadsheet listing actual component weights for all the bits on my bikes with costs of lighter upgrades listed as well so I could work out the best weightsaving/money balance.

It ended up with a sub 20lb xc hardtail, a 22.2lb 29er ss with a biongy frontage and a 5.25" full boingy thats 25lb on the nose with 2.25 nics on.

wheels and tyres will make the most noticeable difference and go stans tubeless as well.

Posted 1 year ago #
Stevo210 - Member

i like lists. excuse my ignorance whats biongy?

Posted 1 year ago #