Mountain Biking - Can you get too light of a bike

if you ride xc? I have a midrange hardtail right now, but a friend of mine is offering to sell another very lightweight and nice hardtail. How resilient are top of the line featherweight bikes? It's awesome, but I'd almost be afraid to do anything even like messing around in the street practicing bunnyhops on curbs, just out of fear for the nice bike. I know this sounds quite idiotic, but I guess just need some reassurance...

As clarification I just ride xc, no downhill or crazy urban riding for me.

Frame: Scott Scale Limited Large '05 1064 g
Fork: RockShox SID World Cup tuned 984 g
Headset: M2Racer w/ Schmolke cap 36 g
Stem: Extralite Ultrastem UL2 100mm 92 g
Stem Spacers: Carbon 4 g
Handlebar: Schmolke TLO 68 g
Grips: Procraft Superlite 8 g
Brake Lever: Extralite Ultralevers 64 g
Brakes: Steinbach with B-T-P Pads 154 g
Crankset: Storck Powerarms 316 g
Chainrings: MGM carbon 44x94, 29x94, 20x58 47 g
Chainring bolts: Extralite aluminium 12 g
Bottom Bracket: New Ultimate Scandium incl. bolts 122 g
Pedals: Crank Bros. Triple Ti 187 g
Shift Lever: Sachs Quarz tuned 115 g
F-Der: BTP Campagnolo 68 g
R-Der: BTP Carbon 103 g
Chain: Wippermann Titanium 222 g
Cassette: Steinbach 11-26 118 g
Wheelset: Soul Kozak, DT 1.5/1.8 spokes/nipples, Notubes ZTR rims, Ritchey rim tape 1173 g
Tubes: Continental Supersonic Race 26" 90 g
Tires: Maxxis Maxxlite 310 597 g
QR: Tune Skyline time trial skewers 17 g
Seatpost: Schmolke TLO 31.6 x 300mm w/ shim 105 g
Seatpost clamp: Scott aluminium 14 g
Saddle: Tune Concorde 45 g
Cables and Housing: Magura/Power-Cordz/Tune 57 g
Total: 5878 g

Thats an awesome bike. See I'd be scared to ride it because it looks so beautiful and almost breakable. Which I know it isn't, I just need to get over that feeling. Thats originally what I was trying to say I guess.

That's 13 pounds. Very light. Put a useful cassette on there and some real tires and you'd have a 14 lb bike you can actually ride in the woods.

You can get to the point where the parts can't eve take a decent fall like the Scott.

Light bikes suck

Thats an awesome bike. See I'd be scared to ride it because it looks so beautiful and almost breakable. Which I know it isn't, I just need to get over that feeling. Thats originally what I was trying to say I guess.

Actually that bike sucks. I'd break it in about 10 minutes. I say 10 minutes b/c that's how long it takes me to ride the pavement to the trail head, hahaha.:lol::cry:


Light bikes suck

Amen

Light bikes RULE.

Light bikes RULE.

:deadhorse: smacking nuts

Dead nuts, by the looks of things.

if you ride xc? I have a midrange hardtail right now, but a friend of mine is offering to sell another very lightweight and nice hardtail. How resilient are top of the line featherweight bikes? It's awesome, but I'd almost be afraid to do anything even like messing around in the street practicing bunnyhops on curbs, just out of fear for the nice bike. I know this sounds quite idiotic, but I guess just need some reassurance...


If you weigh <170 lbs and your wheels never leave the ground (no drops or jumps) you should be OK. Anything more than that and I'd budget for replacement parts and a good health insurance plan.

I think you can get too light. At least for everyday trail riding.

Light - Inexpensive - Sturdy

Choose any 2!

... Brad

Light - Inexpensive - Sturdy

Choose any 2!

... Brad

ok.. light and inexpensive.. please show us a bike that is light(under 23lbs for a hardtail), and inexpensive(under $1000).

Having no bike would equate to "too light".

ok.. light and inexpensive.. please show us a bike that is light(under 23lbs for a hardtail), and inexpensive(under $1000).

The frame broke when I sat on it. :)

... Brad

ok.. light and inexpensive.. please show us a bike that is light(under 23lbs for a hardtail), and inexpensive(under $1000).

$120 Ebay Magnesium Alloy Frame
$40 Truvativ fire cranks
$50 FSA Plat Pro BB
$10 SPD pedals
$500 Rock Shox Reba Team with poploc
$10 Race face air lite bars
$10 ODI grips
$10 profiledesign bar ends
$5 Supergo stem 110mm
$30 Cane Creek head set
$2 carbon spacer
$15 Avid FP-5 brake levers
$25 Single Digit7 Front V brakes
$25 Single Digit7 Rear V brakes
$30 Used Mavic UST Crossrock
$4 tubes
$40 WTB tires
$25 Richey Comp Seat post
$5 seat clamp (non quick release)
$25 Sette Ti railed Saddle
$60 SRAM X9 shifters
$60 SRAM X9 Med Rear D
$20 XT Front D
$25 SRAM PC980 Chain
$25 SRAM PC980 32-11 cassette
------
$1156 =22.1lb hard tail with 600gram tires, I normally run Mythos that are 100gr less each so thats about another 1/2 I can take off after I wear through these new knobby WTBs:D

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e359/jsigone/MTB/Daley013.jpg

Does the cat approve?

yah him and the other one like to balance on the top tube:lol:

$1156 =22.1lb hard tail

$1156 > (under $1000)

Fail.

considering that the fork alone was $500 bucks, its not a bad build HAHA.

Eat more top raman so you can afford the other 156 bucks:roflmao2:

Obviously reliability is always a concern, and not only with light bikes. Buy a Full Suspension bike at WalMart and thrash it on the trail and you'll find that heavy doesn't always equal reliable. :)

Barring reliability/durability issues I think "too light" comes when you fall off the bike and your bike floats away like a balloon.

It depends on your version of XC.

Can you go too light? yes of course, even for the most tame circumstances. The idea is to go as light as possible while retaining reliability. Problem is, that's not cheap...

Depends on if your a big burly man or a little pencil neck geek.. LOL

I"m 195 and wouldn't want to ride anything lighter than say 24 lbs. My KHS is 28 and it feels heavy to pick up but I have no worries about any part on it exploding under me.

138...:rolleyes:

Im surprised, Id think even light bikes would be durable. Given the advancements in technology and new materials, I actually surprised mtn bikes are lighter for the gen pop. I am also surprised by all of you who say light = breakage. Geuss materials are there yet.

Im surprised, Id think even light bikes would be durable. Given the advancements in technology and new materials, I actually surprised mtn bikes are lighter for the gen pop. I am also surprised by all of you who say light = breakage. Geuss materials are there yet.

Nothing is bullet proof. But my comment wasn't about breaking strength. I just find it takes more effort to control a 21lb hardtail as compared to a 25 pound hardtail. JMO

Im surprised, Id think even light bikes would be durable.

depends on the parts and frame used. And most important, if the rider knows how to ride it.