Originally Posted by
KingCat
I rode for 3 years on a Marin aluminum hardtail. It weighed 31.5 lbs. I then bought a Specialized FS Carbon Epic and it weighed in at 21.5 lbs. The day I bought it I rode my normal "mtb race" route which is a 9 mile loop with 980ft of elevation gain. I knocked off 8 minutes on my first lap.
This is what I assume would happen, but the question I find myself asking is that is it the weight or the rear sus that caused the decrease, or a combination of both? I'm sort of resigned to the fact that to cut that much time is basically an impossible dream since I simply cannot afford another bike anytime soon.