Chombi1 

It's been raining non stop here in the bay area lately, so, I decided to do a weigh in update on my Vitus Carbone weight weenie "living" project yesterday.
Dang!,..........I thought I got it down to the low 16 pound range, but I guess the Roval aero wheelset is not that light after all, at least, compared to my GEL280/Campy Record wheelset that was on the bike last year. I thought that the lighter Ti Flite saddle was going to compensate. But the bike is pretty much where I had it weight-wise when I had the GEL280 wheelset and Turbo SLG saddle on it last year,..... so no weenie progress....... at 16.73 pounds....from a previous weight of 16.75 pounds.
Well, I guess, at least, the bike looks better with the Rovals and Ti Flite....plus a bit more "Tout French" with the wheelset.....
Only thing I can think of adding to this project is a Stronglight Ti BB, if I can ever find one, but breaking into the 15 pound weenie zone is not looking promising.....well maybe if I use my lighter, spare Stronglight 106 crankset, find a Regina America Suoerleggera chain, a JPR headset and a CF bottle cage added into the recipe, it might still happen??
A C&V weenie project is just never done!

delbiker1 

That is a beautiful build! What brand are the tires?

RobbieTunes

Want a Hi-E hubset?

Rollfast

That's a swell bike, but the other reason my bikes have ladies' names is because you don't ask a woman about her weight.

Chombi1 

Thanks Rob,
Hi-E hubs will be fantastic on a C&V build, and definitely carries uber weenie cachet, but Hi-E hubs will not follow the current "Tout French" program on the bike.

Chombi1 

Tires are Schwalbe Milano tubulars (discontinued). Used to be my favorite tires, as they are very light, despite not having latex tubes.
My current favorite is the Vittoria Corsa G tubulars. More expensive but the ride on them are like 10 times better And much faster.

clubman 

You need to trim those cable ends. 0.3 grams off that front brake at least.

Chombi1 

Funny you mentioned that,.... I was actually thinking about it yesterday, when I was weighing the bike.....

crank_addict

A 'weigh' kool build!

Salamandrine 

Geez you're complaining about 16.73 lbs? Yeah, snip that crazy excess cable. Next you need to lose the cable ends. Cool people didn't use them. Ends were soldered. But since lead is heavy and won't stick to modern stainless, maybe a quick dip in superglue would work? Or JB weld?

Neat bike. I liked those a lot more than the dural version. It made me think BITD that maybe this carbon stuff had a future...

Hudson308 

Gorgeous bike! If you really, really want it to weigh less than 15 lbs., lose the front derailleur and associated components. With careful cog choices it can have almost all the gears you'll actually use. Or put a carbon fork on it. I'd just call it close enough the way it hangs!

ThermionicScott 

I see fluting on that seatpost... unless the seatpost also needs to be vintage-correct, you might save a few ounces with a Kalloy Uno seatpost, trimmed to length: https://www.amazon.com/Kalloy-Uno-Se.../dp/B00VSDKYZE

Chombi1 

Thanks for the suggestion, but, actually, I'm stuck with the Rubis branded, original to the bike, seatpost because of its diameter at 23mm and the proprietary milled flat at the back of the seatpost shaft, that interfaces with the seat lug, bearing tipped grub screw.
Maybe I could have the shaft milled down internally, but I don't think that there's that much material left to mill down, because of it's small OD.

ThermionicScott 

23mm, rats! I got the impression from Sheldon's page that it was a 25mm.

Steve Whitlatch 

Seek the omni racer bottom bracket. That will get you under. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F223212120459

CliffordK

These have been floundering on E-Bay for quite some time.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Campagnolo-...e/273663058018



I thought they were carbon rims, but I guess they're carbon spokes.

Chombi1 

Per the seller's description The rims are indeed carbon, but with aluminum sidewalls.
Seems like they were just produced for a show bike. But surprisingly, there is some brake pad wear evident on those rims, so they are/were "rideable".......but, do I have the 400+ bucks for those cool wheels at this time,...... unfortunately, or maybe, fortunately, no.....

tyler_fred

jyl

Chombi1 

I guess, per some suggestions, I could go "Stage 3" weenie and do customizing work like drillium and "shaving down" components But that might take the bike into the unridable "dark zone"?? And drillium is so subjective and highly dependent on the taste, skill and talent of the one, actually doing it. I doubt if my plasticky Dremel drill press us even close to being up to the task..... but who knows, maybe with some prodding and a small investment in equipment and time, I might eventually try it.
"Darkest" stuff I currently have on the bike are the CLB "Dural" (aluminuim) brake cable casings. At least the front brake still stops the bike ok, but the rear is so mushy because of casing compression, that it is only marginal at best.

Chombi1 

Do you mean freewheel?
Definitely,..... Malliard's full "Dural" freewheel. All cogs and freewheel body.
Thst's what I have on the bike and it was one of the most weenie components I installed so far. I think it was also standard on the PY10FC.

obrentharris 

Beautiful bike! I love the French components. The black and silver theme really works! Even if it doesn't lose another gram it's much lighter than any of my bikes will ever be.
Brent

clubman 

I used those casings on some CLB2 calipers and I wasn't impressed. Probably have a set in blue in the stash.

It appears you have the CLB pro calipers? Super light IIRC. Just a beautiful bike.

deux jambes

RiddleOfSteel

As a fan of this bike and of its weight and current ability to be ridden confidently, I'd keep the drill and Dremel holstered. That thing is gorgeous and stupendously light. If you had a bunch of broken or non functional components and a cracked frame, then drilling and "tuning" on that could produce a theoretical lightest bike without any of the risk or moral justification gymnastics. That is, if you want to avoid it. I built my 63.5cm Schwinn Prologue (full Prestige, 7900 Dura-Ace) down to 19 lb ready to ride, and wouldn't want to shave or tune any parts. Wheels and tires are mega light, as is the groupset. I'm 210-215, so no crazy stuff for me. If you lack confidence in braking on already mushy housings etc, and you're a bit shorter and lighter than I...I'd pass on the modification. 300+ grams to lose is a lot of weight. Stuff always starts to look weird and (often) visually compromised when chasing low weight, and that bike to me is at its pinnacle visually while being more than fine functionally, IMO. As always though, it's up to you as it always has been. Thank you for sharing how light something of that vintage can be built!