Mountain Biking - Could someone help me out lightening my bike up?

Basically what would be a huge help is if someone could help out listing components on a bike (ie: wheelset, then fork, then cranks, etc), from heaviest to lightest so I know what to swap out first.


Thanks.

Wheels (light hubs (shimano are heavish) + light rims + light tires) usually make the biggest difference. Then fork (those two could be swapped) Then cranks. You can also save a tonne of weight on your seatpost/ seat. I recently got a thomson seatpost with a WTB laser seat. That combination was lighter than my SDG seat...alone. Also cut your seatpost to the bare minimum you use.

If you are willing to risk using carbon fibre handlebars save tonnes of weight. Also switching the brakes. If you have hayes or avids you have some excess weight. Goto v's if discs aren't needed or try hope-mini's for brakes.

Overall that would save you a tonne of weight. Then try Ti parts and mixing in other CF parts to save more weight. For more hints from the weight concious try http://weightweenies.starbike.com/http://weightweenies.starbike.com/ to help you out.

good luck...light=DAMN EXPENSIVE.

Yea. I think I'll dedicate about 1000 dollars to my biking this summer... and I think a lot of that will be spent lightening it up.



I don't want to give up disc brakes.. I currently use Avids and they are really great, but if the Hope-Minis you mentioned are as good, its worth a look at.

CF bars and a post don't really save you tons of weight vs. a good quality aluminum post. In fact, some CF stuff is heavier than the quality aluminum counter part...

The only weight you truly notice is the wheelset, you will feel a difference with a lighter wheelset. All the other weight reduction stuff doesn't make a whole lot of difference truthfully.

Yea. I think I'll dedicate about 1000 dollars to my biking this summer... and I think a lot of that will be spent lightening it up.



I don't want to give up disc brakes.. I currently use Avids and they are really great, but if the Hope-Minis you mentioned are as good, its worth a look at.

Hope mini's are as good. But they are expensive...

1000$ to lighten the load...dang :)

Hope mini's are as good. But they are expensive...

1000$ to lighten the load...dang :)




16 year old. No taxes, no cost of living, nobody to support... life is good.




I never want to grow up. :(

What kind of bike do you have? You may just get more bang for the buck getting a newer frame or complete bike with better components/frame overall?

CF bars and a post don't really save you tons of weight vs. a good quality aluminum post. In fact, some CF stuff is heavier than the quality aluminum counter part...

The only weight you truly notice is the wheelset, you will feel a difference with a lighter wheelset. All the other weight reduction stuff doesn't make a whole lot of difference truthfully.



So would my best bet be a light wheelset and a good aluminum bar+seatpost? Do cranks add noticable weight?

What kind of bike do you have? You may just get more bang for the buck getting a newer frame or complete bike with better components/frame overall?




I was thinking that myself.


I have a year 2000 Rockhopper Pro. Heavy use, paint scratches, fork ready to give in, chainstays slapped to all high hell, mud stains, rocks embedded here and there.. I doubt I could get more than ~400 for it.


So that'd put me at 1300 dollars. I love the frame so I figured I'd be best off going with just upgrading the current one unless you all suggest strongly otherwise.

Pull off the derailleurs, two of the chainrings, and the majority of the cogs in back. That'll let you shorten your chain, as well.

jas

i have to say i think a do over might be in order....

if you were to sell your bike and could come up with 13-1500 you could have a very light, leftover hardtail (specialized, titus, khs are all very good value bikes)

a really light set of wheels...say king 517's would be $$$ xtr/517's would be a step in the right direction at a little less cost...new cranks and BB $$ new brakes...say avid...that are light $$

you could easily spend 300-600 on wheels, 200-500 on BB and cranks and another 200-500 on brakes and levers

a new bike might be cheaper

I was thinking that myself.


I have a year 2000 Rockhopper Pro. Heavy use, paint scratches, fork ready to give in, chainstays slapped to all high hell, mud stains, rocks embedded here and there.. I doubt I could get more than ~400 for it.


So that'd put me at 1300 dollars. I love the frame so I figured I'd be best off going with just upgrading the current one unless you all suggest strongly otherwise.

If you get a brand new 2004 Stumpjumper for $1100 retail, its a 24lbs bike with pedals (v-brakes), the Comp with v-brakes is $1630 retail with LX/XT/XTR and a sick light pair of Mavic 225's. The Rockhopper is a heavy frame, and if you really want to save weight, the fork alone will blow most of your budget and you still won't have a very light bike.

Frame weight on a Stumpjumper is 3.x lbs, and you are getting a Fox fork, lightweight wheelset (seperate looking at $500 for the fork and $200+ for the wheelset), LX/XT shifters, LX/XT/XTR derailleurs, etc. For $1,000 your Rockhopper can't be upgraded to that level and it will still be heavier...

I had the same dilemma about 6months ago and after much deliberation ordered the Stumpjumper Comp and it rides better than I could have imagined. I *thought* I liked my old bike but this just blows it away in every aspect.

I'll have to look into the Stumpy, I didn't relize it was so light.

How light are looking to get your rig? As some have mentioned a new one just might be in order. If you do decide just to lighten yours up I would do it in this order;

1 wheels
2 cranks, bb & pedals
3 fork
4 bar, stem, seat post, seat
5 groupo
6 brakes

Granted, for 1000$ you will not be able to do all of it and that is the main reason for just getting a new rig. 1000$ will get you a very sweet ht. Add to the 1000 the money you could get from selling your current rig and you will be able to get one compleat that is lighter then what your rig weighs now and possbily even lighter then what you could get yours down to.

:beer:

Wheels (light hubs (shimano are heavish) + light rims + light tires) usually make the biggest difference.

i dunt no but i find shimano hubs very reliable.
ive tried other ones and either didnt hold well, or i just plain out didnt like them
if u wanna switch im not discouraging u, but ive had
great luck wit shimano hubs.

Oh my god, type in English.

To clarify, when we all mention wheelsets, that included new tires. One of the cheapest and most significant upgrades is new rubber for your bike. (Trojan not included)!

After wheels, I'd say fork. A coil sprung fork will be close to the 4 lb mark, a lightweight air fork is much closer to 3.

Then seatposts/seat and stem/handlebar combo's. If these items are generic, you'll be surprised how heavy they can be.

Then cranks and bottom bracket. Cheap bottom brackets are easy to hide and weigh a BUNCH!

Lastly in respect to weight would be shifters and derailleurs because the weight difference is minimal, but from a performance point of view, I'd upgrade before new cranks/bb.

L8R

i dunt no but i find shimano hubs very reliable.
ive tried other ones and either didnt hold well, or i just plain out didnt like them
if u wanna switch im not discouraging u, but ive had
great luck wit shimano hubs.

They are heavy but yes reliable. PErsonally I run hadley now which have been a signifigant improvement. I was just mentioning they are heavy...whihc they are ;)

Basically what would be a huge help is if someone could help out listing components on a bike (ie: wheelset, then fork, then cranks, etc), from heaviest to lightest so I know what to swap out first.


Thanks.

good upscale wheelset will easily bring your bike weight about 2-2.5 pound down and I am talking rotational weight.
You will also notice huge improvement in cornering.
Crankset, handle bar and etc. will only give you a very meager results. You can buy Titec Hellbent XC for $30-40 (weight 200 g) or Easton EC70 MonkeyLite for $120 (weight 175 g), your choice

Basically what would be a huge help is if someone could help out listing components on a bike (ie: wheelset, then fork, then cranks, etc), from heaviest to lightest so I know what to swap out first.


Thanks.

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A lighter weight wheelset or tires is the MOST effective way to reduce weight on your bike. The rolling resistance reduction will double as a weight savings.... Seats, water bottle's, pumps, etc. that can be carried on YOU, will also ease the burden of pedalling a heavy bike. The weight is better to be on YOU, than on the bike.... Believe me or not.