Gah – to think it would come to this…..

Scenario: I have a perfectly good Meta 5. It’s a couple of years old and is only used for days at trail centres (the Ti hardtail stands in for other off-road duties). I’m not into big air / hucking etc and get excited at the very thought of my wheels actually leaving the ground. Thing is, I’m really more interested in bigger “mountain” days out, especially with summer approaching. Mibbe I’m getting old, but lugging a 31lb bike on some hikey-bikey stuff isn’t too appealing.

So – I’m thinking that something 4-5lbs lighter would be a bit more up my street. 4″ front and back – mibbe up to 5″ at the front if that gave me more options? Looking around, there’s lots of choice but many of the 4″ bikes are squarely aimed at the race/XC end of the market (Hei Hei / Epic). I’d be after something a bit more relaxed.

On the face of it, I’m thinking SC Superlight, mibbe a Spesh FSR, but there must be loads more options. Frame only would make the budget easier as I could move bits of the Meta.

Or – I could just MTFU and get on with lugging the Meta around where needs be 😀 Am I just being seduced by the thought of a new bike?

So – what are the “mountain men” using?

Orange ST4?

do i need a new bike?

stoopidest question ever on ST!

i’d suggest a trek EX, only 4″ travel but feels a lot more, could be easily sub 30lb and pedals beautifully and cheaper than SC

chain reaction are doing some pretty good deals on the maverick durance at the moment

Cannondale Rush?

Nicolai Helius CC fits the bill 😉

What ChrisS said..

I’ve had a meta that came in at 31lb and now ride a 27lb Rush, 110mmm travel rear and 120 up front. With a shorter than stock stem and risers its more than capable of keeping up with longer travel bikes on the downhills. Uphills are easier even with the 50mm stem I use.

Spesh Stumpjumper, plenty of light frame choices and travel/intended use is right.

Obviously the components make a big difference in final weight but as a base it right for building a bike in the range you want.

I went through this process quite recently. I had a 5 Spot with Pikes and a Cove Stiffee. Because my riding was getting faster I felt the need for something with shorter travel but that was still trail tough.

So I got a Superlight, which has Rebas on the front, tubeless wheels etc.

The Cove has been sold and the 5 Spot has not been ridden since I pulled together the Superlight.

My answer is therefore, yes. You do need a new bike and I would advocate the Superlight. It has all the travel I have needed in the lakes or at Welsh trail centres. Is more efficient than a hard tail on the canal towpath going home from work, keeps up with the guys on Tuesday and Thursday night rides and is really the only bike I need.

It is fast, light, comfortable and so far reliable. It is also ideal for those longer days in the hills when you need to go up some big climbs but still have fun on the descents.

I’d be suprised if you saved four to five lbs swapping frame only, more like one to two tops. Everything is going to need to be lighter to make that sort of gain. Try before you buy tho, if your used to the Meta, some 25lbers are going to feel very skittish, SC Superlight and Rush probably excepted.

currently enjoying a cotic hemlock here… Easy frame only option… 4 inches and the option of 6 later if going tot alps or where ever… Mine is built up reasonably light.. to about 27(ish) lbs…

Trance ! 😀

Last time I looked, the HeiHei was only 2.5″ rear travel, unless there’s a newer version with more…

Oh, and of course you need a new bike, DUR!!!

I’d be suprised if you saved four to five lbs swapping frame only, more like one to two tops

What he said. Have to say having gone from Heckler to SL (old style) I really miss the stiffness, length and slackness of the Heckler. IIRC I saved 500gm – not worth it IMO.

Without knowing the spec of your bike (might help if you posted it for us) I reckon you could easily lose 2 or 3 lbs off its current weight, which is going to be easier and cheaper than getting a new bike. It will also have a fairly dramatic effect on how far/long you can comfortably ride it for too.

The Meta isn’t a light frame for its travel, but it’s not an overweight beast. It’s half a lb or so heavier than an Orange 5 for instance, but it should easily be able to be turned into a sub 28lb bike!

need/want.

don’t confuse them…

jam bo – Member
need/want.

don’t confuse them…

But that would be sensible, and we can’t have that!

Kona Four?

I’m going the other way…. Have stripped my Superlight because it’s not being used – using the h/tail for most rides, although to be fair I’m doing shorter rides (couple of hours) than when I bought the SL/Rebas. I’m about to build up a Rift Zone with Revs for those more adventurous rides I WILL be doing this summer…… That’s the plan anyway.

st4

I think your Commencal is just the job for the riding you are talking about. Anything that is lighter is most likely going to get a hammering on the way down.

I say MTFU. If you really want a new bike, have a look at the Mythic Pyre, or the Spesh Carbon Enduro SL.

Yeti 575

I’m just going through the same thought process with my Meta 5. It’s down to 30lb with Pikes but won’t get much lighter without serious expenditure on XTR and £500 wheels. For me it’s not so much the overall weight – after all I’m 14st so a lb or 2 extra is not really going to matter – but it’s not the most responsive frame or the best for slogging up non-technical climbs. It is great fun on the way down though.

Pace RC405 is top of my list at the moment…

after all I’m 14st so a lb or 2 extra is not really going to matter

It really doesn’t work like that. Yes I know as a percentage it’s not much, but 2 lbs off the bike makes a great big difference even if you weigh 14st like I do. Depends where you take it off too – wheels yes, but also saddle and seatpost, bars, fork…

love my Pace RC405 🙂 Racing Ralphs on it feels 25lbs! 27 is very possible mine is 29 with a lot of low end stuff.

Swapping the the fork for a new Fox QR15 Float is really the only thing that would save much.
Bars, post and saddle are already light. Wheels are 719 on pro 2 with Mountain king 2.4 front and 2.1 Advantage back. But yes you’re correct it isn’t that simple because the bike is dynamic weight and the wheels are rotating weight.

If you are 5’11” or above make me an offer on my Giant Trance X0 (2008). The bike weighs in at 25.9lb inc pedals now and rides beautifully

If you basically don’t ride your Meta 5, except the odd trail centre, because of its weight and prefer your hardtail over it, then if you had a lighter full sus would you ride it more and make your hardtail a little more redundant? The Meta frame is something like 7lbs + of frame, I think, but a superlight will still only end up saving you 1.5lbs if you transfer the kit over to the new frame. If you work out what performance you really want, ie. air or coil forks, carbon or aluminium bars/seatpost, platform or none platform pedals, and braking power (180mm or 160mm rotors). Then you can build a bike that doesn’t compromise the performance you want and is the lightest you can get for that performance. You should be able to build a superlight around 27lbs but you might need to split and sell the Meta 5 and buy alternative kit secondhand from here. Obviously you could get it lighter if you throw money at it.
But if you are still only really going to ride it at trail centres and otherwise use the hardtail then there isn’t really much point doing it.

What size is it 😉
And yes you absolutely need a new one specially is this one is my size 😉

First of all, thanks to everyone who chipped in with ideas.

Yes – I realised that I’d have to change more than the frame to get a decent weight saving, but I was reckoning on doing at least the forks too, maybe something like the new Reba Maxle Lite in place of the coil Pikes I have at the moment. So – it’s also starting to get a bit more expensive…

I was at Innerleithen yesterday afternoon (on the Meta) and had a great time and it really got me to thinking about it again. I still have some Marzocchi XC700s and some lighter wheels and tyres which I could use when I want a lighter rig. I reckon somewhere around 28.5 lbs. Changing out anything else significant would require replacing XT – and that’s now a very expensive route.

So – it looks like the Meta gets a reprieve. . . . . . at least until I see a nice 2nd hand Superlight that takes my fancy 🙂

Giant Trance comes to mind. Stupid light and tough as old boots.

Mr Onion, as you know I have recently acquired a rather nice Motolite, already owning an equally nice Superlight.

Having rode both recently, i can definitely say that I am keeping both, which surprised me as I thought it would end up a death match between the two. The Superlight feels like a hardtail with a bit of give in the right direction at the back on rougher stuff, rode it at Dalby and in the Quantocks and was terrific fun. More so than the Titus would have been in those places. Having said that there are times when I have been glad of the extra travel the Titus offers when using it.

Oh and I think the Superlight is better with 100mm at the front.