I've been trying to lighten the bike up a little bit of late before the summer season as I'm considering entering some races.
So far the spec is:
Trek 6500 Frame
Hope XC hubs with Mavic 317 rims
XT Disc brakes with Clarks lightweight rotors
SLX Crankset
Deore cassette
XT Rear Mech
XT Shifters
Bontrager Stem and bars
Charge spoon saddle
Bontrager RL seatpost
Rock Shox Recon Solo air forks
Tyres - Nobby nic evo
Shimano 520 SPD pedals
Where would be best for me to save weight next? The bike is weighing in at 12 Kg exactly at the moment, I was hoping to get it nearer to the race weight that a lot of people seem to be mentioning which is 10 - 11 kg.
Cheers,
Martin
Forget the bike, just go for a shit, before each race 😀
Budget? Virtually everything there can have a little upgrade to save weight.
Personally I'd be looking at buying an off the peg lightweight build rather than upgrade as it will cost about the same! Like an on-one whippet.
If I was upgrading it would probably be fork, cassette, spds first...
I'd just race what you have to see if you like racing, then if you do have a look around what the other folk are riding and decide then on upgrades or a new bike maybe.
Don't worry too much about your bike just get out and race 😀
Unfortunately you're not going to save 1-2 kilos by changing one or two components.Nothing is vastly overweight (forks are a bit portly) but you need to save a little weight off everything!!Just 100grams off all you've listed is 1.3kg!It all adds up but it ain't cheap.If you're just starting racing concentrate on making yourself better-eat better,train harder,try harder.When you are all you can be then look to your bike.
cassette is very heavy for what it is and an XT will save a decent chunk.Then look at the fork, and the wheels. When you say bontrager bar and stem, which, there is a range of weights.
But to save weight is going to cost.
Mavic claim 445 grams for each rim, No Tubes Crest's claim 340grams. So a relatively big saving, but not cheap.
I believe a Recon is c1800grams, a [url= http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop/Frame++Forks/Forks++Shocks/Rockshox+Suspension+Forks/Rockshox+Sid+Team+2010+Forks_1496.htm ]sid team[/url] according to MErlin is 1485grams. So again a decent saving but not cheap.
beyond that you are into the realm of looking at saving an ounce per component.
if you have yet to do it i reckon the biggest bang for buck you can get with that is to do a tubless set up on it.
Tubeless doesn't save a lot on an XC setup with fast tyres.
Cassette's the only cheap weight saving really.
As above, race some, then see what you think needs to change.
IMO you'll improve your race results more spending on a couple sets of decent tyres so you can be on the right tyres for the conditions. E.g. If conditions need muds, you'll be a lot faster on some muds than a 2kg lighter bike. If it's smooth and dry, some fast tyres can feel like an extra gear for free, etc.
Tubeless doesn't save a lot on an XC setup with fast tyres.
but with everyday grippy tyres you can save a whole kilo changing to tubeless
hope xc and bulb on mavic 321 and michelin 2.2 all mountain tyres (the lighter ones not the DH ones)
hope hoops/flows rubber queen 2.2's run tubeless = 1kilo saved and more grip.