How could I lighten up the Motobecane Fantom CX?
11-26-08, 09:32 PM
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How could I lighten up the Motobecane Fantom CX?
My girlfriend just got a Motobecane Fantom CX. She seems to be pretty happy with it. She'll be doing her first race in a couple weeks. The Sora shifters don't seem TOO bad. The only thing is, it's kind of heavy in it's stock configuration..
I feel a little weird having a lighter bike than my girlfriend, so what could I do to help lighten it up without spending too much money? I'm guessing the fork? How big of a difference would a tubular wheelset make weight wise?
I've always wanted tubulars for myself, and this would be a good reason for me to finally spend some money on a set. We could share them on race days..
But I'm not sure if there's that much of a weight difference from clinchers to tubulars?
Here's the bike she got..
I feel a little weird having a lighter bike than my girlfriend, so what could I do to help lighten it up without spending too much money? I'm guessing the fork? How big of a difference would a tubular wheelset make weight wise?
I've always wanted tubulars for myself, and this would be a good reason for me to finally spend some money on a set. We could share them on race days..
But I'm not sure if there's that much of a weight difference from clinchers to tubulars?Here's the bike she got..
11-26-08, 10:18 PM
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Fork and wheels- don't have to be tubulars necessarily to b lighter.
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11-26-08, 11:54 PM
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Clipless pedals, lose the outer chainring and front derailleur
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11-27-08, 04:38 AM
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Agreed. The bike is a really nice starter ride. Upgrading the fork and wheels is going to be expensive. You could have bought a better version to start and saved money doing it. IMO, just leave it as is and have your GF race it stock. Unless she's in the top 5% she isn't going to notice much difference in her times with a lighter bike. If she is in the top 5% why did she buy that bike?
11-28-08, 11:01 AM
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It really depends on your budget.
Some nice used CF tubular wheels will make the most difference. Look to Ebay i've seen sets go in the $400 range with tires, but mostlikely your looking at $500 for some wheels and anther $100 in tires.
A new fork coudl shave some weight, but make sure that the rake and crown length match up.
That seatpost is a brick so for less than $100 you could drop about 100g
Some nice used CF tubular wheels will make the most difference. Look to Ebay i've seen sets go in the $400 range with tires, but mostlikely your looking at $500 for some wheels and anther $100 in tires.
A new fork coudl shave some weight, but make sure that the rake and crown length match up.
That seatpost is a brick so for less than $100 you could drop about 100g
11-28-08, 12:44 PM
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Not recommended to get a carbon seat post if racing cross.
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