I can't believe anyone would even consider this (drilling) as an option in this day and age! I'm actually still uncertain as to whether this is a joke or not. But if you are serious, and you'd have to be pretty dim to be serious about this, I would wear full body armor. Unless of course you want to die trailside from septic shock after your stem or handlebar snaps and stabs you in the intestines. I thought this idea died in the late eighties after people started drilling cranks and subsequently severing large arteries when they snapped-and it will. Ok, maybe you just don't know, but a 21lb mountain bike is plenty light enough for any pro racer, so if it's not light enough for you, do something about it and train more. And you proponents of his idea better stop telling him to do it because thats just not right.