Originally Posted by
Creatre
Where else can you try to gain weight savings? I agree with the others, and it may not be worth it.
Body (working on that...I'm weighing in at 5-7# lighter than last year and I was already pretty lean for that. I may be able to drop 3-4# in the next 4 weeks).
Kit (I'll pick the lightest stuff I have; will also ditch little things like sunglasses and gloves. Minor, but 30g here, 30g there....)
Bike (I've pretty much thought of every place I can trim weight. I could do something like ditch the SRM. It adds ~80g or so. I don't really need it for pacing. I know my body well enough at this point, but I'd like to have the data. That said, I'll probably use my Garmin 500 instead of the PC7/speed sensor.
)
You are right, though: I don't want to save a second and lose a minute due to a part malfunction.
Originally Posted by
shovelhd
Knowing Eric I'm sure he has already done everything possible and maybe a few things impossible to reduce the weight of this rig. He's scraping for grams.
My rig was fairly light for last year. Over the winter I bult a super light set of wheels and more recently have been figuring everything else out. Quick calculation shows more than 1.5 kilos of weight savings for bike+kit. Totally ridiculous in any other context (hell, maybe even this context), that that could be 30".
This whole plan could easily go up in flames -- unfavorable wind conditions on race day, not being able to squeeze out 102% power from my body that morning for any reason (esp considering I am trying to come back from injuries). Last year I did not really get any major draft advantage. I was disappointed and thought the pace might be higher there, for free. I don't think that could go worse this time; maybe it will be better. I would never ask someone to work for me in that first mile, though.
Originally Posted by
carpediemracing
To clarify the aluminum chainring bolts I've had eventually popped their top off (of the male piece), usually after several install/uninstall cycles. This ended the serviceable life of the bolt. I never had a problem with power transmission, i.e. I never sheared the bolts.
thanks for clarifying. power transmission is what i'm most interested in here. sounds like there is no issue.
Originally Posted by
carpediemracing
Cutting the last couple inches of the drops off took 30g off my aluminum bars. I didn't do it for weight but I weighed the ends out of curiosity, plus the scale was right there. Even with heat treated light aluminum bars the weight was similar (3ttt Gimondi). Since those bars are pretty light I imagine cutting a bit off carbon bars would save similar weight.
I could have gone with a light road bar but instead chose a bullhorn bar. I did shorten the ends (saved 5 or 10g, can't recall without checking), but the main reason was for reach. Bullhorn bar is slightly heavier but it allows me to use a light di2 brake/shift lever which is 1/2 the weight of an STI shifter. in fact, the shifter portion of it essentially adds no weight over a TT brake lever.
Originally Posted by
carpediemracing
Have you thought of off-the-bike stuff, like cleats (or specifically cleat hardware)?
lighter helmet vs more aero one.
lightest jersey/bibs.
no base layer.
light socks. (sock less = not worth it, i don't think. maybe i could wear something more like a sanitary sock (super thin)? don't really want to get blisters.)
no gloves/glasses
shoes -- have 2 pair but they're the same weight.
cleats -- i use looks. i think my cleats are already as light as they can be. the look bolts are aluminum, i think--it's pretty easy to round the head of them.
Originally Posted by
carpediemracing
This is the kind of stuff I'd love to be able to work on except for me the extra 40 lbs on the body makes gram searching pointless, plus I don't know how to weld and I don't understand the complexities of mechanical design. For example I like reading bits about when journalists see Contador's bike, how freely everything spins. I've seen this a couple times so I think his bikes are unusually finely honed, or else the mechanic is proud of his work and "lets" the journalists see the results. Obviously other teams want to optimize their bikes as well but for journalists to make a point of writing about it means it is unusual for the journalist to see it.
i've often heard people say "lose weight off your gut" when discussion of a light part comes up -- or my favorite: "train more." they're not mutually exclusive.
also, who is to say (for you) whether subtracting weight off your bike is not worth it even if you are 40# heavier than you want to be? i mean, i'm sure you can lose the weight with time and discipline, but there's no reason you couldn't do the bike stuff if it was your desire.
every single item i'm looking at is ridiculous when taken individually--but i've been amazed by how much the 10g here, 30g there has added up to. it would still be fair for someone to say 1.5kg savings is ridiculous--who cares about 30"?
gottta control the food i put in my mouth. toughest part of that for me will be that i'm traveling to race/vacation with family up to 4 days prior to the event, and i'll likely want to celebrate after racing, so i could undo a lot of hard work there. i've been very slowly/steadily cutting weight. it's come out to 1/2-1# per month.
also, i've got a 40' TT the day before this hill climb.
i'll be as trained as i can be for it, so the bike/kit weight savings is a bonus (but probably crucial if i am to have any chance.)