[Closed] Public Confession: I've sold my Five and am going to become a weight weenie!

racing is great fun!

what frame are you going to base around?

"what frame are you going to base around?"

I've heard you can do a really light built on an Orange 5 frame...

Managed to get my sub five down to 27lb at a bit of a cost

Thanks cp - I need a bit of encouragement! 😀

I'm only 5'3" and am very light so for riding xc am going for a hardtail. There isn't much choice at my size, so am looking at [url= http://kinesisbikes.co.uk/product.php?id=48 ]this[/url] little Kinesis, which looks like superb value for money. Would love a Scandal but I think the TT would be a bit too long...

wwaswas - yep, I did seriously think about it! But at my weight and for xc it wouldn't work - even though I had it at around 27lb... new bike should be more around 22lb...

Have you seen the Be-One Karma frames on chain reaction?

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=35236

range of sizes in the different models - well thought of frames. And come with headset. tempted myself!

Ooh thanks cp - looks like cracking value. Slightly longer tt than the Kinesis but the price is VERY tempting! Plus geometry wise it's hard to tell - on paper the scandal should be okay, but the inbred (same measurement) seems pretty long in real life.

Will definitely have a closer look at that Be-One though - I've never come across them before, but you say they're well regarded?

kinesis looks good, little kona's also fitted mrs rexated well, and a shorter on-one could be the carbon 456 with a diddy stem 8)

bring on the races!

rexated - cool, hadn't thought of konas. I do like the idea of the Kinesis in terms of fit, but I do like On One bikes - it'll be interesting to see the 'carbon whippet' bike when they come up with it! Out of interest how tall Mrs. reaxated and what models has she liked?

Having just had a look at the BeOne site, I reckon the TT would be too long on those, shame but nevermind the Kinesis is still good value I reckon...

Yeah, another vote for tiny Konas. I raced on a Muni Mula and Kilauea (spotted a new version over on the USA Kona site in carbon - prefer the oldschool steel version but I'll bet it's light).

Good luck with the racing . . . and the birth 😀 .

Thanks Mamadirt! I know I'm a bit of a nutter!

I'll check out the wee konas. Oh and I'm definitely still up for that local ride in the Summer - although I may well regret saying I'm gonna race when I can barely make it around Ashton Court alive! 😀

The Kinesis had a good write-up in WMB (?) by their girly, also make sure you buy a set of digital scales (about £10 in Asda).

Thanks b r 🙂

Yeah, it does get a good write up and one of my mate's who's a very good racer, reckons it'll be ace for me, so I probably will go for it - unless something really good turns up secondhand of course, but in my size I doubt that'll happen.

What's the max TT you're looking for?
I have a Merida CF HT race bike with full XTR kit, inc' brakes, BB, 170 cranks, wheels, Ti bolts, the whole 9yrds just waiting to go onto eBay.
About 22lbs. The same model that won the World Championships on in 2008 (I think).

Absolute max is probably 22" but I reckon 21.7 is about as long as I want to go really. Your bike sounds awesome, but I imagine it's out of my budget anyway to be honest...

🙄

😀

Pregnancy does funny things to the mind.
You'll be into downhill next week.
🙂

Did you sell it complete ?, I seem to remember you had some really tasty kit on it.

weight weenie....only when you get a mountain bike under 21 pounds....
i have a rush at 20 and a carbon hardtail at 18.
Bruce

put that cock away bruce

Lol at takisawa2 😆

You're right, but hopefully not about the downhill 😯

And yeah, I sold it complete - I think the guy got a very good deal. It was an easy sale though... Still, I prefer not to think about it! 😥

Nicely put racing ralph! 🙂

I'm extremely suspect of many of the figures that get banded about where weight's concerned.

My scales cost £100 and weighing the Merida bike that is all XTR & retailed at £4k - as opposed to the World Championship winning Team bikes which were decked out with SRAM - I think 22.4lbs would be accurate.

I did sell it on eBay a while back but the sale fell through. It managed £1.2K.

Ti29er - in that case, I could be tempted- especially bearing in mind I could change a few bits around. Please could you send me details and some pics? My mail is in my profile. Thanks!

[i]but hey, at least it'll get me fit after the birth![/i]

Ahh, the blissfull ignorance of pre-birth days...

lol - thinking the same si!!

Deluded is probably closer to it! 🙂

I'm extremely suspect of many of the figures that get banded about where weight's concerned.

Those are both plausible weights, although I'll agree both would have to be pretty special. Having thrown together a hardtail with a smattering of light bits at 20lbs, I'd be interested in the spec of that Bruce...

LOL @ MM - Woman in changing her mind SHOCKER 😆

Racing, eh - cool - it's always good to have a goal and I guess that post-birth that'll be particularly good though I'd be wary of putting too much pressure on yourself to hit a set goal as parenting has a habit of being very unpredicable and makes training to any set plan difficult... 🙂

Look forward to being overtaken by you at the Bristol 12 then 😉

Out of interest how tall Mrs. reaxated and what models has she liked?

Thanks Clubber! That pretty much sums it up! 8)

Good advice re not putting too much pressure on myself - although, I'm looking forward to racing I'm not a crazily driven person and know what's important in life, so no doubt straight after the birth I'll hate the idea of racing and think I was mad for considering it!... and then change my mind again! 😀

In all seriousness, I reckon it could be really helpful - and my Mum even thinks its a good idea! So I guess we'll see.

Oh and sure thing - I'll smile and say hello as I fly by

Racing's great, you'll be fine, plenty of top racers have had time out for sprogs and come back, no reason not to start afterwards!

Reaxted - sorry to hear about Mrs. Reaxted - that's a shame. Thanks for the advice on what she liked/didn't - I'm a couple of inches taller and find an inbred okay for bashing around the woods, but I think it'd be too long for much else... the more geometry charts I look at the more I reckon the women's specifc Kinesis is the way to go - shame no one nearby stocks them!

Thanks njee20! I appreciate the encouraging words! I agree! Though, I am very lucky to have an amazingly supportive hubby and great friends who are up for babysitting!

i seem to remember you used to have a 14inch sub 3 lbs titanium hardtail frame before it ended up in my kitchen....that would have made a really nice XC race bike...

😉

Matt

simonm - Member

[i]but hey, at least it'll get me fit after the birth![/i]

Ahh, the blissfull ignorance of pre-birth days...

Take no notice of 'em. That's just 'Dad's talk'. I bought my first mtb when I was 5 months pregnant with my youngest and never looked back 😉 . We'll defo try to arrange a ladies' meet this summer at Ashton.

Agree on the weights (I like how people will quote you weights, but then you find they've never actually weighed them accurately, and I don't mean the bathroom scales!) and scales.

Whilst I did suggest a set of 'drug' scales (which I have for smaller components), I also have one of the Park 'hanger' ones for bikes - but both are within a smidgen of each other.

Ah Matt, don't even go there! ;0)

As long as you're enjoying it though mate, that's the main thing (she says through gritted teeth!) Btw, did your other beauties turn up? Hope so!

Thanks Mamadirt! That's awesome that you bought your first mtb when 5 months pregnant - so so cool!

I am enjoying it very much thanks, built in to a lovely little 21 lbs single speed with my pace forks

[img] [/img]

and sadly no the others haven't turned up 🙁

BTW, work looking at cannondale femine frames, very light and nippy with a low BB so super stable and corner like they're glued to the trail.

Sorry to hear they haven't turned up yet. The widow looks awesome though! Let me know if you have any other wee hardtails you ever want to get rid of!

My wife has a small anthem X1. I think they also come in XS. My wife is about 5 foot 5 or 6.

If you can get a frame then build it up with light parts I think you will have a pretty light full suspension bike - better traction when climbing and more comfortable.

I've got a contact for some fairly lightweight rotors, there are lots of threads on here about foam grips, roval controlee wheels are a light weight under rated wheel option - oh, happy days working it all out on a spreadsheet 🙂

smurf

I have a Kinesis (XC120 rather than that frame) Can thoroughly reccomend them and yes the stretch for a similar sized frame was shorter than my on-one.

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/bike_pages/beinn20lrg.html

5'3"......bless

One of these should be perfect

Thanks Smurf, but I've just passed up on an incredibly lovely Superlight because my future coach reckons a hardtail is the only way to go for me... 🙁

Oh and as far as the spreadsheet is concerned, I'm such a geek - I'm loving it! 😀

Maxray - that's good to hear! The longer I look the more I think the Kinesis is the one.

Mcboo - ha, thanks! If I was a bloke I might be offended! 😉

Just out of interest why only the hardtail?

I'd say you know more about your riding style than any coach, and should choose a bike based on that. If you're a technical god who lives in the big ring and always climbs out of the saddle there's a lot to be said for it.

But if you like a bit more comfort, prefer staying in the saddle, like to spin and/or need a bit of skills compensation (that's why I ride FS!) then that's the better option!

Yeah njee - that's pretty much what I was thinking to begin with, but he put forward some good arguments about power to weight and learning some good skills on a ht. He did admit that once power is up and skills learnt moving me onto full suss might be a good move - just not to begin with.

I'm not totally convinced (I like full suss!), but there's not much point in me having a coach if I'm not going to listen to him! And he is very good at what he does so I'm very lucky that he's even agreed to take me on!

Plus in fairness, when I was fit I did spend a lot of time in bigger rings and out of the saddle. (I'm still sad about the Superlight though!)

According to Liz McColgan, if I remember correctly, she marvelled at how strong and powerful she was on returning to running after giving birth.
I think there's more testosterone in the body - for whatever reason - and this can make female athletes recover and post surprisingly quick times very soon after the birth of a child.

PS - MM, you have mail.