- That Redshift stem would be an easy place to cut weight. A 100mm Redshift weighs 274g and costs $150, while an Uno7 UL stem costs $26 and weighs 108g. It doesnt have that elastomer suspension/absorbtion tech though. Anyways, thats where you could drop almost 6oz.
- Tires are another place where noticeable weight can be cut. There is a wide range of weight for similar sized/style gravel tires, and the lighter dont necessarily offer less realized protection. Popular tires vary in weight, even in comparable size. Conti Terra Speed 40mm is 420g, WTB Resolute 42mm is 460g, Vittoria Terrero Dry 40mm is 490g, Panaracer GravelKink SK 43mm is 497g, and Donnelly MSO 40mm is 532g. These are 5 popular quality gravel tires that are all tubeless ready and vary in weight by 110g.
Going from MSOs to Resolutes will save a combined 5oz and give you tires that are about 3mm wider. And they cost half as much as the MSO tires.
- A full carbon fork would drop some weight since the stock fork has an aluminum steerer. Not cheap though.
As for where I would cut weight on my bike- I just built a new one a couple months ago, so I dont think I would really cut weight anywhere since what I chose was what I wanted within the cost I wanted. Most was reused from my old gravel bike.
- I could cut 100g if i bought a new crank(currently a Shimano CX50 with 46/34 rings), but I dont want to spend the money. Though if I got a smaller crank ratio like 46/30, that would weigh less and I could get a slightly smaller cassette which would drop a few grams too. But thats chasing grams for too much $ for me.
- My frame is where obvious weight could be cut, but I would need a different frame entirely and dont want that. The current one is 853 main tubes and shaped 4130 stays. It isnt the lightest, but its really well finished and half brazed which I like. So the biggest place to drop weight is a place I am not interested in dropping weight.
- My saddle is a Brooks C17 and that is anything but lightweight. No interest in changing there either since comfort is more important than weight for a saddle to me. If I ever find an alternative saddle that feels the same over 50mi of gravel and either weighs or costs less, I will for sure buy it.
My two examples on where to cut weight on your bike would save 11oz and also save you $185. It isnt often that you can save weight AND money! Slap on 3mm wider tires, run em at 5psi lower pressure, and there is the increased comfort to offset the lack of elastomer stem.
Last edited by mstateglfr; 10-22-19 at 08:31 AM.