[Closed] Best way to lighten my FS?

What's your sadddle? Can often get a 'quick win' there. Grips and rotors can drop a chunk for very little money. Brakes; sell your wheels and replace with Stan's rims; go tubeless.

You could also try some other folks scales on here, I think mine are a bit more honest than some people's 🙂

You want to lose effectively the weight of a bag of sugar +, it isn't going to be cheap.

Cheap starters would be tyres, foam grips lighter stem and seat post (Thomson of bloomin heavy), then wheels but then you are looking at £300+ for those.

30.2lbs?

my xc race hardtail weighs more than that.

man up you girl.

hth, etc.

🙂

(719's weigh 450g, with all your suspension your wheels have quite an easy life, you could save a little weight here, but only about 50 or 60 grams per wheel...)

(slx cranks are lovely, but you could save 100g or so)

(do you have/need 3 chainrings?)

Lighter wheels - maybe Havens, with the 2011 Nobby Nics, and set them up tubeless? Probably 200-300g in that.

Might get a couple of hundred grams with an XTR crank. Going 1x10 might savve some more.

Those are all expensive options, though. Don't think you're going to get two pounds off that without spending serious wedge.

XTR cranks are a stupidly expensive way to save weight. 1x10 would drop a load, but rather comprimises the usability of the bike.

Hmmm... I built myself a spreadsheet for exactly this purpose.

You're not going to lose any weight in the wheels themselves, but you might save the weight of a couple of inner tubes by switching to Stans Strips (or even Duck Tape and a couple of loose valves) and fluid.

The next place to look is the seatpost and saddle. The post and saddle on my Wolf Ridge weighed something like 700g all in. I replaced it with an SDG I-Beam post and Bel Air saddle, saving myself over half a pound in the process.

Otherwise, it might be worth swapping to Eggbeater pedals to save a bit more.

[edit] you'll save 110g by switching from SLX to XTR at a cost of £400. A better bet would be to swap to FifteenG at circa £200, but it's still a big spend for 115g.

Otherwise, it might be worth swapping to Eggbeater pedals to save a bit more.

He asked for relatively tough, IMO eggbeaters are far from that even when they aren't falling to bits.

My Eggbeaters are doing fine, six years on.

What do you weigh... 😉

...you might save the weight of a couple of inner tubes by switching to Stans Strips (or even Duck Tape and a couple of loose valves) and fluid...

'tubeless' isn't the weight-saver we all think it is.

you take out an inner-tube, which weighs 200g, and replace it with 100g of sealant, and a rim strip (heavier than you think).

often, you end up using a slightly heavier tyre / rim too.

Thirteen stone in my socks!

Edit - you don't always have to use a UST specific tyre. I've run ghetto tubeless extensively over the past couple of years and have had good results with Kenda and Maxxis tyres. Admittedly, the losses in weight aren't massive but the fluid is puncture protection innit.

ride barefoot!

Its easy to get caught up in the weight thing, unless your under 10% body fat, your looking in the wrong place..

Swapping the 719's for Stans Crests will save around 210g & replacing the NN for the new Rons (in a 2.1) another 240g. A bit of give & take with tubes/rimstrips/latex etc it's best part of a pound in weight gone without breaking the bank. Changing hubs too will save a bit or even spokes but the cost/gain ratio starts to get expensive.

You could always opt for a set of new lightweight wheels & tyres like NJEE's purely for events & keep what you have on there for day to day use? They're silly light & didn't break the bank.

Does your bike feel slow compared with your hard tail? I reckon the cause is geometry rather than weight. Your 13 stones, plus 30lb bike + water and kit + clothes and shoes, means that 2lbs you're looking to loose isn't even 1% difference.

Once you've spent the money, you'll find the bike doesn't feel any different and you're not really any quicker.

You're not going to lose any weight in the wheels themselves,

Yes you are, but it won't be particularly cheap. If you sell those wheels and buy some Hope Hoops with 355s you'll probably have a net spend of £100 or so, and save 200g. Then you need about 20g of yellow tape and a 15g valve. The Schwalbes will work well, I run about 50g of sealant, so that's still a net saving of over 100g/wheel.

Once you've spent the money, you'll find the bike doesn't feel any different and you're not really any quicker.

Just don't really buy the 'weight off the bike is the same as weight off the rider' thing. If I swap to my race wheels the bike goes faster. If I put a waterbottle in my pocket it doesn't offset the difference.

Once you've spent the money, you'll find the bike doesn't feel any different

Hmm, I'd have to disagree there.

I would reconsider the air shock option.

Get something like a Fox Float RP2/RP23 to use for these events. That'll save you a heap of weight (probably 400-600g) and the bike with pedal better on the climbs.

An interesting point paulrockliffe.

Due to training for events I'm down to 12st (at 5'11) not really carrying that much fat now TBH.

I can ride the FS as fast as the HT, but the HT currently(long story) is a stock Genesis Altitude 10 being replaced or upgraded via component next March to a bling 120mm machine for racing (think Easton Haven with XTR, American Classics & Sids)but also general HT use.

Nobby might have the right idea. Perhaps a new wheelset riding tubeless 2.1s, upgrade to XT as the SLX wears out and "sale" carbon post/bars would be the cheapest way to get below 30 lbs...

@ NJEE - did you see the "other" Site? Matched your lap time I did - did you stop and have a four course lunch or summit? 😉

njee20, goes or feels, you know when your racing and a lap feels fast, but the watch says different..

neninja - my air shock broke and this ones tuned to hell and back to perfection - a long history here which I wont go into, but I'm far to proud / spent too much to buy/tune another air shock unless this one breaks.

neninja - Member
I would reconsider the air shock option.

Get something like a Fox Float RP2/RP23 to use for these events. That'll save you a heap of weight (probably 400-600g) and the bike with pedal better on the climbs.

Don't go there - you have no idea how long he's taken (and what he's spent) to get the back end of that bike how he wants it!

EDIT: Beaten to it....

The majority of the undesired weight is in the frame. My 575 was 29lb in 'sturdy' trim, my Mega is 32lb. I've gone from Revs to Lyriks, Crests to Flows, everything else is about the same. The frame is heavier.

Lol @ Nobby.....

@ NJEE - did you see the "other" Site? Matched your lap time I did - did you stop and have a four course lunch or summit?

I've chipped in over there, I rode into, and then got caught up in, a tree, and my bottle cage fell off, had to stop and tighten it! That my excuses anyway!

njee20, goes or feels, you know when your racing and a lap feels fast, but the watch says different..

Goes. TT times are always faster on race wheels (still only Race X Lites) than with PowerTap rear.

Its easy to get caught up in the weight thing, unless your under 10% body fat, your looking in the wrong place..

If you're under 10% body fat you should be spending your money on some speialist help.

I've just done the weight weenie spread sheet thing on my 29er. Here's some ideas:

Stans 3.30s + Crest tubeless rims + rim tape = 1575g (but pricey)
ESI silicon grips 70g less than my Oury lock-ons ~ £15
Spesh Toupe gel saddle 205g ~£25 2nd hand from the 'bay
Hope Mono Mini 180/160 250g lighter than my SLX 180/160 brakes ~£80 STW classifieds
Wellgo MG1 magnesium flats ~ 180g lighter than my DMR V8s £32 new
Took the bottle cage off!

Buy a new bike only way

The leanest athletes typically compete at levels of about 6–13% for men or 14–20% for women. maybe 10% is a bit low, lets call it 15%...

you can normally pick up an XTR rear mech on ebay for £20-30 is 70g lighter than XT.

Njee20 don't the tt'ers swear by disc wheels, there not exactly light..I still think weight saving on a mtb is over rated...mind you I'm not looking to make mine any heavier.. 😉

'tubeless' isn't the weight-saver we all think it is.

you take out an inner-tube, which weighs 200g, and replace it with 100g of sealant, and a rim strip (heavier than you think).

often, you end up using a slightly heavier tyre / rim too.

Not always.

You use a Crest (320g) or Arch (420g), instead of a 717 (395g) or 719 (460g).

Stans Yellow Tape weighs about the same as a rim tape.

Then stick 50g of sealant in, you can stick more in, but I've never had issues.

If you're going to use heavy rim strips, in standard rims, they'll come out heavier than standard light tubes obviously.

Wheels are the exception to my point really, you're gaining time every time you accelerate the wheels if they're lighter. That doesn't apply to the rest of the bike, apart from the cranks.

There's potentially some aero gains on the wheels if you're talking about Time Trials too, but I don't know what wheels you're comparing, so you'll have to fill in the blanks on that one.

Njee20 don't the tt'ers swear by disc wheels, there not exactly light..I still think weight saving on a mtb is over rated...mind you I'm not looking to make mine any heavier..

Yes, for aero benefit, which was why I qualified my statement with the fact my 'race' wheels are only Race X Lites, so there's no aero advantage whatsoever when I change the rear, it's just lighter. I used to use Aeolus 5.0s, which were very slightly heavier, significantly faster on the flat, but significantly slower up hill, as the rims were far heavier. That's not a feeling, they were. Probably 200g added to the rims. Again, put another tube in my pocket and it didn't offset the difference.

njee20 fair enough, on a lighter note.. 🙄 I raced last sunday and used a camelback for the first time, it held 1 litre, I normally use a 500ml bottle, it was my worst result of the year... 🙂

Hopefully the last time then. Camelbaks have no place in a race. 🙂

Never cease to be amazed that people think a 3l CB is required when you're returning to a point every 40 minutes or so!

LOL, ditto!

Wheels, as has been said, swap to some Stans rims (probably Crests) and run tubeless, should save you 200g or so as pointed out.

Stem/seatpost/bars, swap for lighter items. Easton carbon posts cheap from Merlin at the mo in 31.6, perhaps a KCNC stem, and some Easton EC70 bars, that lot should save another 200g all in.

What saddle? Plenty of decent and still comfy saddles out there sub 200g now, if not exactly cheap.

Brakes... M4's with 203/180 rotors on a bike you're going to race on? You'll easily save 60g or more just by sticking the 180 on the front and putting a 160 on the back, which will still bs plenty of braking power. You could of course invest in lighter rotors too then, perhaps saving you another 30g each end, so saving 120g all in still running the same calipers! Though I'd be selling the Mono M4's myself, and looking to invest in either some new XTR's or Formula R1's. The weight these will save will be quite a lot, and power will improve if anything.

Pedals... Switching to XTR will save you 60g or so, but switching to even cheap crank bros pedals will save you over 100g. I know crank bros aren't as tough, but buy em cheap enough (not spent more than £20 on a set including cleats for 3 years now!) and they're a throw away item...

Rear mech, going from XT to XTR will save you 50g, not massive but might be worth it if you find one 2nd hand? Personally, as njee has said though, I'd be looking at going 1x10 overall and ditch some weight that way.

Anyway, as far as it comes to the money side of things, of course it's not going to be cheap, but you at least have a lot of easily saleable kit on the bike currently, so it should all move quickly for good prices to get your money back.

SDG I-Beam carbon post and saddle = 400g (£100) - probably save 200g
EA90 stem = 120g (£55) - probably save 50g
Crank Brothers Candy 1 with (ebay) Ti axles = 222g (£70) - save 125g

Hope Hoops Evo 2 SP c/w Crest's run tubeless should net you 100g an end.
Ashima rotors will probably manage another 100g, and swap out the rear caliper for an X2.

But tbh look at stuff that rotates and stuff that isn't 'suspended' - so wheels and anything attached to them.

Weigh a rear Shimano QR and compare it to the Ti stuff you can pick up on ebay.

I-beam saddle and post saved me half a pound. It's pretty rigid though, hence only using it on my FS

EDIT: Beaten!!

Yeah but use a Shimano QR and compare it to the Ti stuff you pick up on ebay.
It's only worth saving weight if you're not downgrading in quality.

Why bother, you have two bikes, why do the same on both, doesn't that defeat the object of having two?
Or sell both & buy one that does all, may be a 120mm FS.

SDG I-Beam carbon post and saddle = 400g (£100) - probably save 200g

I-Beam setups are horrid to ride on though. Absolutely rigid, they don't give at all!

Besides, Easton EC90 post is about 180g, Selle SLR is about 135g and usefully more comfortable than an I-Beam...

I bought into the I-Beam hype a few years ago when they came out, and regretted it almost straight away. Theyre not even as strong as you'd think, I've seen plenty of snapped saddles!

Aye, your I-Beam set up will be a lot lighter when the saddle parts company with the post!

Interesting theory, but no, IMO!

Dickie has a point and its worth remembering what I said.

I have (and will have a lighter say 24lbs) HT used for racing, the FS is the everyday bike that may be used occasionally for events when I feel comfort is needed. Note I am not in a position of going to 4th to podium!

Spending £400 on it would seem to me that dickie's right - better to sell off the Tracer, and use the cash and the £400 to bag myself something like a Stumpy Elite, Trek EX9, Whyte T120 etc etc next year when the start of the new bike season has calmed down. That'll get me to 27/28lbs.

Thanks though - I might invest in carbon post/bars but will probably leave brakes skewers etc as its a bit too pedantic for what is ultimately my weekend bike.

P.S. I use a 3l camelbak for everything whoops....

You should have done as I said at the weekend, whats £1500 anyway ?

Bontrager xxx-lite grips = super cheap and very light

Crank Bros Egg Beaters and a Ti spindle upgrade for about £40 off these guys http://shop.titaniumspindles.com
My pedals are very light (and I am not!)

Fill your tyres with helium.

This weighs 33lb with the Crossmax on the back. I don't see why yours is as heavy as it is. However, you could change the cranks and then brakes and then start looking at thet stem and bars etc. You could also change to lighter wheels but that could be big bucks. However, I doubt any quick wins would be that noticebale

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Do you really need a 203 and 185 rotor? I swapped my rear 185 rotor to the front and put a 160mm on the rear, it made little noticeable difference to braking power and would save a little bit of weight

[i]Aye, your I-Beam set up will be a lot lighter when the saddle parts company with the post!

Interesting theory, but no, IMO! [/i]

4 years in, no problems - but then on a HT you spend more time out of the saddle, so probably less likely to damage it.

And the carbon post with the latest FX saddle is very comfy, even on a HT.

There's a huge number of cases of broken I-beam posts, there's a reason they're always heavily discounted...

Swap the frame for the new carbon Intense Carbine, that should save a pound or two 🙂

There's a huge number of cases of broken I-beam posts, there's a reason they're always heavily discounted...

Mine was fine for a year or so on my FS, ripped me a new a-hole when I changed to HT so I got rid.