I’ve been wondering if i can reduce the weight of the ebike by changing some of the components.
Thus far – Weights are approximate give or take.
(Currently on bike)
XT rear mech =285g
SL 6100 11-51 =595g
CS 6100 shifter =130g
Duncan dropper =580g
.
Replacing the above with
XO rear mech 10spd =190g
XO shifter =115g
PG1050 10 spd 11-38 =365g – (I just dont see myself ever using a 51t)
Hope carbon post 400mm =220g

The difference on just these 4 components is a smidgen over 1kg
The brakes are shimano 501/520,Which are about 300g each, replacing them with Hope tech 3 E4, which are about 260g(excluding rotor) each. A slight saving, but a far superiour brake.
Unable to find exact weights on the wheels which are shimano HB-MT410 hubs, on Syncros MD30 / 32H / 30mm rims- probably opt for Hope pro4 on suitable rim, maybe even a straight hub swop on same rim. possibly not many other major savings to be made, but could possibly with the correct tyre too choice glean another 3/4 kilo maybe more

Worth continuing on this weight saving quest 😕

I think what your bike starting weight is, is relevant. And what you hope to achieve.

My focus jam2 is a relatively ‘light’ bike at 46lbs relative to 50lbs+ for some of the larger battery models. But for what benefit? Mines still too heavy to lift over a gate or hike a bike. And not convinced the weight difference makes much difference on the trail. And shaving a 1lb or 2 off makes little difference.

I think unless you are down at or below the 40lb mark. So high end Levo sl or rise, only then maybe the benefit noticeable. My view anyway.

As above kind of pointless and swapping a dropper for a rigid post.😮

Dropper – Yeah I know, but its quite a saving and in truth i wasnt thinking straight 😆 I just kind of looked at what the peripherals weighed so to speak.

Bike weighs 23.40kg (51.60lbs) which is quite a chunk of bike to move about, even just lifting the back end moving it out the house etc etc. TBH it might not be that much of a saving overall and being electric with all those parts, being heavy goes with the territory.

Just a muse really.

I did have the option of maybe going for something like the 320w battery size set up like a Lapierre e-Zesty 19.5kg or Specialized Levo SL 17kg or an Orbea Rise at 16 1/2kg, but I was concerned about the range so went for the bigger battery sized bike.

If you’re going from dropper to rigid, might as well go to 26” wheels!

**** losing the dropper! 😬

You’d be better off doing some resistance training. I’ve lifted a 50lb+ Turbo Levo over gates and stiles. It’s not exactly ideal and I wouldn’t pick routes littered with stiles as a result, but it’s not impossible if you’re reasonably strong and coordinated – or if you have sympathetic riding buddies.

I suspect you’d end up spending a huge amount of cash to lose a relatively small proportion of the overall weight of your bike. It might make some sense on a conventional bike, but seems vaguely pointless on a full fat e-bike.

It is a heavy bike due to the battery and motor so all the other stuff has to be stronger to cope which normally means heavier which means all the other stuff has to be stronger to cope which normally means heavier which means all the other stuff has to be stronger to cope which normally means heavier which means all the other stuff has to be stronger to cope which normally means heavier which means all the other stuff has to be stronger to cope which normally means heavier which means all the other stuff has to be stronger to cope which normally means heavier which means all the other stuff has to be stronger to cope which normally means heavier which means etc

You aren’t going to save much weight without compromising reliability and longevity unfortunately. Just turn up the assist and pretend you are fitter

Ride it with the battery half empty? 🙋‍♂️

Ride it with the battery half empty?

Solution 😀

Or I could fill the tyres with helium.

When moving the bike about have you tried removing the battery? Makes a huge difference.

Most of the weight reduction seems to be from the cassette and dropper post. If you can handle a smaller cassette, just replacing that would help slightly.

The functionality of a dropper post easily makes the weight worth it for most people. That would be the last thing I would think about changing to save weight.

Upgrading to more powerful brakes is generally a good thing. Worrying about the weight of brakes is not a good thing, especially on an e-bike.

Most of the weight reduction seems to be from the cassette and dropper post. If you can handle a smaller cassette, just replacing that would help slightly.

It really wouldn’t though, would it. It’s a bit like using reduced fat cream and pouring it over a massive slice of chocolate fudge cake and thinking you’re on a diet.

Upgrading to more powerful brakes is generally a good thing. Worrying about the weight of brakes is not a good thing, especially on an e-bike.

I also think OP would be sorely disappointed by the performance of a Hope E4. Especially on a 50lb e-bike.

It is a heavy bike due to the battery and motor, because it has a motor fat bastards can to ride to the top of the hill so all the other stuff has to be stronger to cope with said fat bastard riding down the hill.

The difference in weight between non and e-bike is less than 10kg which is far less the difference the difference between a whippet XC racer ( who is putting more power through the drivetrain than the e-bike motor) and a Clydesdale.

I wouldn’t go to a smaller cassette either, riding a lower cadence over time will have a negative effect on the motor.

Seriously, what’s the point? It weighs a frikkin ton anyway and you’re just changing components for the sake of it. To save weight in wheels there is literally no point just swapping hubs as its the rotational mass that counts and provides the benefits, but even a lot rim weight is negligible as you’ve got an additional (guess at) 250w to begin with, which is more than your average MTB’er on here anyway.

My Merida eOne-Sixty weights dead on 22kg, so is lighter than most full ebikes and having ridden a few different ones, I think the relative lightness does help. Sensible weight saving opportunities are limited, I wouldn’t compromise on wheels and dropper, but 10 speed gearing is perfectly suited.

You aren’t going to save much weight without compromising reliability and longevity unfortunately. Just turn up the assist and pretend you are fitter

This is very correct

My Levo Expert weighed 22kg as standard

Once i upgraded the following parts that i didnt like, wouldnt hold up to my style and type of riding the bike hit 24kg (this is my 2nd Levo and also had a Kenevo so know what works for me)

Crappy Roval wheels swapped for Hope Fortus 30
Brakes swapped for Hope V4 with Hope V4 vented rotors
Tyres swapped for Maxxis Assegai 2.5WT DoubleDown casing in Maxxxgrip
Forks swapped to FOX 36 Facotry forks
Rear shock swapped to FOX X2
Bars swapped to Raceface Sixc carbon bars
Stem swapped to Raceface Atlas stem
Pedals swapped for Hope pedals
Crank arms swapped for Hope crank arms
Dropper swapped for FOX factory dropper
DMR Dethgrips

The only original parts are the saddle, shifter and rear mech

The 2kg extra weight is hardly noticable when riding and the bike now smashes through everything i throw at it without breaking

I’ve been thinking of a nicer way to put it but I can’t. No no no no no. Even thinking about this is pointless, let alone doing it. Ebikes are bloody heavy, I know, I own an alloy Levo. Fiddling around trying to save tiny amounts of weight on components is madness.

If it’s hard to manhandle due to its weight then I’d try to get stronger (unless you have a health reason that precludes such training).

24kg !!!! **** !!!! I knew e-bikes were big but never looked at the tech of one – that just
scared me 😉

Thought my tinbred was portly at 9.2kg …..

I think you would have been better off getting one of the lighter bikes & a range extender TBH.

Ive looked at this as well, and came to the conclusion there is no point, with one exception.

It may be worth (if it is possible for your particular ebike) getting a smaller battery for those days where you know you’re only doing a short ride, and are therefore carrying around a kilo of extra battery , quite high up on the frame where it affects handling more.

If you do this, you then have a spare battery that can be carried in a rucksack for those really big days where one large battery isnt enough, a small and light battery (and bike) for those short days (or days when you’re with normal bikes and not even touching the sides of the bigger battery), and a large battery for those normal ebike days.

Eg I have a bosch bike with the 625wh battery, the battery weighs 3.7kg. I could buy the 500wh battery which weighs 2.8kg and use that for general knocking around and save nearly a kilo with no compromise (on the right rides), and be a benefit on really big rides.

Just turn up the assist and pretend you are fitter

Itonly gets me up to 15.5mph, after that you can really feel the drag that extra weight makes. One of the reasons for buying was hills sap the energy right out of me. makes ridng hills a breeze and damn well enjoyable again.

I also think OP would be sorely disappointed by the performance of a Hope E4. Especially on a 50lb e-bike.

You class near bottom of the range shimano deore brakes on par with E4’s 😕
But even if the power is similar, they look a lot better 😀
But in truth, a high end non ebike, all mountain, enduro is going to be up to 40lb,about 35lbs being the norm,and i see a lot of riders using E4’s there. Even stock bikes of that ilk often have SLX brakes.

But I agree with the general sentiment, Im not going to save enough weight to make any noticeable difference, and its just going to cost me money.

I think you would have been better off getting one of the lighter bikes & a range extender TBH.

Where were you couple of months back when i was considering the options 😆 😆

“Itonly gets me up to 15.5mph, after that you can really feel the drag that extra weight makes. ”

You can’t really, what you feel is the loss of assistance. I’ve commuted on a full-sus, a hardtail and an ebike, all with similar parts and tyres. The ebike is no slower once you’re over the 15.5 mph limiter. Obviously it’s slower uphill without power due to the extra weight but good luck getting past the 15.5 mph limiter on a gradient of any significance.

It’s a bit like theres something dragging, and a slight but noticeable pull when i pass the max speed. I fitted more road orientated tyres so its not the tyres knobbles, but it is a difference.
Must be the super heavy weight or something like that.
But as time goes on and my fitness and leg strength increases, I’m hoping this will become less noticeable.
I’ve spent too long off the bike and out of work. Strength is really bad and only a 1/2 dozen years back working as a butcher, carrying 100-120lbs split carcasses chill to block was normal, and I certainly feel I couldn’t do that currently.

It’s a bit like theres something dragging, and a slight but noticeable pull when i pass the max speed.

yeah , its the fact that the motor has switched off, and now your legs are having to suddenly find an additional 100* watts from somewhere to replace the 100* watts the motor was providing but now isnt to simply stay at the same speed let alone accelerate past it.

* who knows how many watts it really is, but the motor was providing some watts and now isnt

“It’s a bit like theres something dragging, and a slight but noticeable pull when i pass the max speed. I fitted more road orientated tyres so its not the tyres knobbles, but it is a difference.
Must be the super heavy weight or something like that.”

Ride it with the power off and you’ll learn that it’s just what MTBs are like on the road. I run cut spike style tyres front and intermediate rear, all year around! I just run them closer to 30psi when commuting and closer to 20psi for proper riding.

replace the ebike with a bike

I’d like to try a rise or Levo sl to compare with my focus.
On plus side I ‘only’ have 378wh in the focus so reduced battery size will be less of an issue. For others reduction more marked.

And for most of my riding that capacity is enough for me.

To see if 38-40lb does make a noticeable difference to handling and use. Whether it justifies the extra £ is another matter.

I have ebike and normal full suss and reckon rise or sl could be one bike to replace two.

replace the ebike with a bike

Now you’re just being silly. 😆

Ride it with the power off

Oh yeah, tried that one and that little experiment lasted for two seconds 😆

Lose some body weight, far easier and cheaper (actually saves you money) than changing components which will probably fail anyway due to not being beefed up enough for an e-bike. Saw a group of overweight e-bikers recently who could easily have lost the equivalent of their bikes in body weight. If you ride an e-bike it’s going to be very heavy compared to a “bike”, get over it or get a “bike”.

I fitted more road orientated tyres

Sounds like you really did buy the wrong bike.

Sounds like you really did buy the wrong bike.

Because I put on more road orientated tyres 😕

I should ask how many bikes you have ride

FTFY.

FTFY.

Thanks for that, though I re edited it as i didnt want to get involved with that chaps personal opinions.

Ride it with the battery half empty and Helium in the tyres

I love this place 🙂

or

🤣👍

If you go to a smaller cassette, you can lose some links from the chain as well

#everylittlehelps

If you go to a smaller cassette, you can lose some links from the chain as well

You can also fit a smaller chainring and only use the small half of the cassette and then remove some more links from the chain, plus a short cage derailleur. Virtuous spiral.

Other weight weenie tricks are to remove three bolts from each brake rotor and to fit 140 mm aluminium rotors. Trimming the bars down to 500 mm saves a chunk too. If you do that, you can also shorten your gear cables and brake hoses.

Buying a smaller frame and fitting a longer seatpost and stem will often save weight too.

Wheels can be relaced with 24 spokes to save a bit more weight.

“Itonly gets me up to 15.5mph, after that you can really feel the drag that extra weight makes. ”

If you are on the flat, then no, that statement defies the laws of physics.

Uphill it will, but riding 15.6mph up hill without motor assistance is going to be significantly harder than with motor assistance at 15.4mph