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Hi everyone! Very happy with my first new mtb in 25 years! The Specialized chisel fs comp.
id like to ask for your suggestions to upggrade and shed a few lbs in weight from it though please…
if you had £500 what would be the best upgrade?
and if you could stretch to £1k what would it be?
Thanks!
Wheels then forks
Assuming you’re set up tubeless as that’s the cheapest win then it’s a case of either spending big on new wheels but at your budget that might only get you 500g, or go for smaller stuff like bar stem grips and seat and tyres which if you don’t get on with any of them could be a time to change. Also the cassette can be a big one but again it’s a big cost to change and might be better to look to do when the original wears out
Buy or use some cheap digital kitchen scales and weigh some of your bike parts. At least you will have some idea of what weight savings can be had when you are searching for alternative parts.
Wheels/tyres/tubeless, forks, bars/stem/saddle, so easily your 1k gone
Wheels then forks
Isn't the fork a SID? If so I'd leave that and do wheels and the basic Level T brakes.
If it's just a few lb you want to save, start by saving weight at the ends of the bike IMO (ie not the middle). Shedding 1lb is quite easily done.
My £350 Hunts (XC Wide) saved 290g off my Chisel - 2/3 of that being on the back wheel. That saving includes new 6 bolt rotors though (the stock discs are centre lock, so are heavier).
I'm not sure going tubeless saves much weight, but if it does then that's a bonus. Quite a cheap upgrade, worth it for the ride quality alone.
On my bike, there was just under 200g in replacing the cassette and derailleur. Being a base spec model it was an easy win, but the return on your ££ might be less for the comp drivetrain (I've not looked at the spec).
Stock handlebars are quite porky, so you could go with a reputable carbon set.
Your forks are already quite light - I'd leave those alone unless you want to go for 130mm travel in future.
Tyres often give the best grams saved for money spent, so start there. After that, wheels.
If a decent wheel weight saving isn’t doable for your budget, look at making the bike more comfortable, so you are less fatigued over a ride. Grips, Bars, seatpost (if fixed) shoes/pedals and saddle, then make sure the suspension is set up appropriately.
Isn't the fork a SID
So it is. Looked at the wrong spec. OP check the serial on trailhead, that'll give you the weight of the fork (just to check it's not a crazy heavy OEM special). If it's near 1.6 I'd leave that alone, it can always have a better damper fitted later.
The hubs and spokes are an obvious place for extra weight based on the spec. On my daughter's chisel ht the stock wheels were something like 2.2 kg. When I rebuilt the rims onto dt 350 hubs with butted spokes they are 1.56 kg. On that bike the stem was light, the bars medium, seatpost heavy. Those level brakes are boat anchors and I'll bet the banks are heavy.
The hubs and spokes are an obvious place for extra weight based on the spec. On my daughter's chisel ht the stock wheels were something like 2.2 kg. When I rebuilt the rims onto dt 350 hubs with butted spokes they are 1.56 kg. On that bike the stem was light, the bars medium, seatpost heavy. Those level brakes are boat anchors and I'll bet the banks are heavy.
Good to know the stock Spesh rims are actually quite light, but shocked how heavy the hubs and spokes are!
Level T brakes are far from boat anchors... They're actually pretty light! They're just not the most effective stoppers...
Looking at the Chisel Comp's spec, most of it is pretty light if not outstandingly so for what it is, but the one big sore thumb is the wheels and the SRAM PG1230 cassette...
Replace the wheels with something lighter (or as nixie suggests, rebuild on lighter hubs with double butted spokes) and with an xD drive freehub, then also get yourself a GX or even an X01 cassette too...
Stock tyres are actually pretty light, of course you can go lighter but typically tyres that are too light are compromising on grip and durability... Set them up tubeless on some lighter wheels with an xD drive cassette, and you can save 400-800g pretty quickly and it's all rotational weight too so double bonus!
That said... For how I ride, I'd be fitting 4 pot brakes and beefier tyre before doing anything else to that bike, then upgrading the fork damper... But I'm well the wrong side of 90kg and like to attack the descents.
but shocked how heavy the hubs and spokes are!
So was I, the I rear was heavier than both the 350s!
On my daughter's chisel ht the stock wheels were something like 2.2 kg.
They're good at keeping us on our toes - all sorts of different wheel specs and weights, depending on what bike they're bundled with.
Chisel FS base spec, Shimano Microspline: Front wheel: 860g. Rear wheel: 1110g. Total: 1970g according to my kitchen scales. That includes rim tape and tubeless valves.
Not disastrous... but not superleggera either.
Stock tyres are actually pretty light
I agree RE the tyres - they're quite light already.
it can always have a better damper fitted later.
then upgrading the fork damper...
The Raceday damper only has rebound adjustment, and saves 100g. Aimed at XC. Not necessarily an upgrade/better - it depends on what sort of riding the OP will be doing.
You could pick up a set of secondhand wheels that weigh about 1500g for about £250 easily enough and they'd let you fit an XD or Microspline cassette that would save another 300g or so.
Next stop then would be bar and stem - the aluminium ones that came stock on my Scott Spark were 600g and I swapped them for a one piece carbon set that weighs 250g. Cranks are also an easy saving.
But, if you wanted a properly light bike, something with a porky aluminium frame wasn't really the place to start.
Oh, and the front Ground Control isn't light. You can save 150g switching it for a T5 Fast Trak which works nicely as a front XC tyre. If you're doing XC racing you could go as far as swapping the rear tyre for a Renegade.
@ScottSh - We all got very excited for you, but never asked what type of riding you intend to do. That'll help steer the conversation somewhat. 😂
amazing, thank you to everyone who has taken the time to reply!
this 49 year old has left any thoughts of jumps or other gravity defying action back in the 90’s when he last ride seriously!
my riding style could best be described as “overweight middle age trail riding with a preference for the going down bit!” But with a bike that’s light enough to stay on most of the way up and can handle the odd rock/root/bad choice of line on the way down!
side note- I am staggered by how well this bike rides! My first fs bike and first 29” bike! Things have come a long way in the last quarter century!
“overweight middle age trail riding with a preference for the going down bit!”
Where do you think you are? 🤣
More pertinently, tubeless, then wheels.
900g rear wheel
800g front wheel
Same real world weight as hunt xc wides but probably better hubs.
That Certini page is quite interesting. Specifically the bit where the rims are advertised as being 'creak free'. I've never seen another brand feel the need to mention that. Interesting because Roval have had some problems with rim joints creaking on other models. I had to get a wheel replaced under warranty.
The Chisel FS is a fine machine. Always enjoy riding mine. I have the comp version and thus far have done the following changes:
Zipp HiTop Wheels - carbon and chunk lighter than the alloy wheels that came on the bike.
XT 2 pot brakes - i just prefer shimano to Sram brakes.
One Up V3 dropper - the standard dropper was just past minimum insertion, so replaced with a 180mm drop Oneup.
Sram T-Type XX Transmission - quite the bit of bling, but i like Transmission and got this setup on C2W at about half the RRP (before C2W savings).
I appreciate most of my changes blow the budget, but removing weight is only a good thing for the Chisel, as it makes it even faster!
+1 for getting a better wheelset and I bet you can drop half a kilo with your £500. That's rotational weight being cut and you will notice it on the trail. I wouldn't change the tyres because those Speccy T5s are already pretty light, and good.
Wheels (and if needed, tyres) are the first things I change on a new bike. But personally that's more because stock wheelsets tend to come with crappy hubs and I'd rather splash some immediate cash on wheels with DT Swiss 350 or above that I know are going to give me thousands of miles of fuss-free riding. I'll then flog the stock wheels as new / like new condition on eBay and claw some cash back.
It's easy to become obsessed with bike weight and throw a lot of money at components to drop a few grammes but in the process get very little extra performance gain.
wheels all the way
sport and leisure are still doing the ghost carbon's at bargain price.. 1500g carbon wheels, £400
for a DC bike they would be spot on
Yeah, the Ghost wheelset would be a great place to start.
https://sportandleisure.com/products/ghost-c26-29-carbon-mtb-wheels?variant=53258964894083
That, a lighter bar and stem, cassette and cranks and you'll be laughing.
I'd look at custom wheels - DT Swiss XM421s on DT 350 or Hope hubs would be awesome on that, and should last for many years.
Then maybe a carbon handlebar (I like the feel of them anyway, even if weight saving is marginal).
Unlikely to save "a few pounds", but I can't see where else you'll save weight without spending megabucks.
you could stretch to £1k what would it be?
I think this thread could be a perfect example of why it's often better to just buy a more expensive bike in the first place ..
Spec Epic would presumably have been the way to go?
you could stretch to £1k what would it be?
I think this thread could be a perfect example of why it's often better to just buy a more expensive bike in the first place ..
Spec Epic would presumably have been the way to go?
unless you wanted an aluminium frame. (which is what i wanted, otherwise an Epic wouldve been purchased)
What was the reasoning behind the aluminium frame stipulation?
Heavier, harder to repair, not as strong, not actually any cheaper with the deals on Epics - I can't fathom why you'd do it other than an irrational "carbon bad" stance.
Sometimes aluminum rides nicer. It's better for the environment to produce and more widely recycled. The Chisel is supposedly the lightest aluminum full sus frame on the market.
As someone who works in the carbon/composite industry, i decided aluminium was a better choice for me.
But lets not derail the OP's thread!