Save Weight on Brake Cables
09-02-21, 01:44 PM
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Save Weight on Brake Cables
Hi there,
Am looking for ways to push my 1982 8.0 kg bike to 7.8. Pretty much everything is done. The Superleggera seat would save me about 60 grams, the tyres will have to stay on the budget side.
Are there brake cable housings from aluminium or titanium? I couldnīt find much.
Thank you very much in advance!
Cheers
Nuovo
Am looking for ways to push my 1982 8.0 kg bike to 7.8. Pretty much everything is done. The Superleggera seat would save me about 60 grams, the tyres will have to stay on the budget side.
Are there brake cable housings from aluminium or titanium? I couldnīt find much.
Thank you very much in advance!
Cheers
Nuovo
Last edited by Nuovo Record; 09-03-21 at 12:55 PM.
09-02-21, 02:22 PM
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CLB had brake cable kits which used aluminum coil in the housings. Yes, very light!
I fitted such housings on Joe Englert's carbon Willier build, got the weight down to a very low 11 POUNDS figure or 5kg.
He's on road-worthy 24/25mm clinchers (albeit with no bar tape), full-carbon saddle (I've ridden the bike and it's fine).
He's well on his way to climbing 1 million feet in 2021 after riding the same bike 20210 miles in 2020.
Same housings as I fitted to this old 22lb French bike. Colors offered were clear (shown), smoke, red, blue and yellow.
EDIT: I should have mentioned tat the CLB housing is lined. It's a bit squishy and is more vulnerable to kinks or deformations but is very smooth. Squishiness tends to be more of a problem as the weight load increases, why fly-weight racers usually feel less "need" for disc brakes even in hard conditions.
I fitted such housings on Joe Englert's carbon Willier build, got the weight down to a very low 11 POUNDS figure or 5kg.
He's on road-worthy 24/25mm clinchers (albeit with no bar tape), full-carbon saddle (I've ridden the bike and it's fine).
He's well on his way to climbing 1 million feet in 2021 after riding the same bike 20210 miles in 2020.
Same housings as I fitted to this old 22lb French bike. Colors offered were clear (shown), smoke, red, blue and yellow.
EDIT: I should have mentioned tat the CLB housing is lined. It's a bit squishy and is more vulnerable to kinks or deformations but is very smooth. Squishiness tends to be more of a problem as the weight load increases, why fly-weight racers usually feel less "need" for disc brakes even in hard conditions.
Last edited by dddd; 09-02-21 at 02:31 PM.
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09-02-21, 07:02 PM
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The tyres have to be budget versions, yet you have the money to splurge on aluminum brake cable housing? 
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09-02-21, 08:20 PM
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Also, if that's a Concor Superleggera you're talking about, here's a cautionary tale....
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09-02-21, 08:38 PM
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09-03-21, 02:19 AM
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09-03-21, 06:35 AM
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How does the weight of the Superleggra compare to the Flite Ti?
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09-03-21, 07:04 AM
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/snark Want it to be lightweight? Turn it into a fixie -- no brakes at all, plus no derailleurs or freewheel -- super lightweight! Cut off the derailleur tab and any other braze-ons to shave off more ounces! Then get out the drill and go to town old-school on the chainrings and other bits! / snark 
Is your goal to get a photo of the bike on a scale for bragging rights or to try to make the ride more lively or "better?"
FWIW, retaining cheap tires while spending $$ on brake cable housing in an effort to save 100 grams or so is, IMHO, misguided. Rene Herse or Soma Supple Vitesse or the like tires will not only likely be a lot lighter than the cheap tires you don't want to consider replacing (almost certainly more than you'd save in weight by buying boutique brake housing -- and that's rotating weight), but they'll also likely make a large difference in the feel and performance of the bike, which cable housing won't (ok, light housing "might" make braking less effective, but that's presumably not a goal).
Is your goal to get a photo of the bike on a scale for bragging rights or to try to make the ride more lively or "better?"
FWIW, retaining cheap tires while spending $$ on brake cable housing in an effort to save 100 grams or so is, IMHO, misguided. Rene Herse or Soma Supple Vitesse or the like tires will not only likely be a lot lighter than the cheap tires you don't want to consider replacing (almost certainly more than you'd save in weight by buying boutique brake housing -- and that's rotating weight), but they'll also likely make a large difference in the feel and performance of the bike, which cable housing won't (ok, light housing "might" make braking less effective, but that's presumably not a goal).
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09-03-21, 07:07 AM
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OP original title was:
https://r2-bike.com/KCNC-Brake-Wire-...ating-MTB-Road-
Save Weight on Brake Cables
Here ya go, only $110, gotta be one of the worse $/ghttps://r2-bike.com/KCNC-Brake-Wire-...ating-MTB-Road-
Last edited by easyupbug; 09-03-21 at 09:06 AM.
09-03-21, 09:40 AM
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09-03-21, 09:44 AM
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Yeah, the Superleggera used those solid Aluminum rails, 8mm thick. The regular Concor Supercorsa should be fine. When it broke, I decided to replace that one with a more modern version of the Concor with a relief channel, which is both cheaper than a real Supercorsa and more comfortable.
09-03-21, 10:00 AM
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Saddle comfort is so important, and what saddle is comfortable for who such an individual thing that it's one place I don't worry about authenticity in my old bikes. I want to RIDE THEM!!! and if the saddle is a torture device (like the Kashimax that came on my 1982 Lotus Classique), I swap them for something that I can ride comfortably.
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09-03-21, 01:05 PM
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09-03-21, 01:07 PM
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09-03-21, 01:12 PM
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/snark Want it to be lightweight? Turn it into a fixie -- no brakes at all, plus no derailleurs or freewheel -- super lightweight! Cut off the derailleur tab and any other braze-ons to shave off more ounces! Then get out the drill and go to town old-school on the chainrings and other bits! / snark
Is your goal to get a photo of the bike on a scale for bragging rights or to try to make the ride more lively or "better?"
FWIW, retaining cheap tires while spending $$ on brake cable housing in an effort to save 100 grams or so is, IMHO, misguided. Rene Herse or Soma Supple Vitesse or the like tires will not only likely be a lot lighter than the cheap tires you don't want to consider replacing (almost certainly more than you'd save in weight by buying boutique brake housing -- and that's rotating weight), but they'll also likely make a large difference in the feel and performance of the bike, which cable housing won't (ok, light housing "might" make braking less effective, but that's presumably not a goal).
Is your goal to get a photo of the bike on a scale for bragging rights or to try to make the ride more lively or "better?"
FWIW, retaining cheap tires while spending $$ on brake cable housing in an effort to save 100 grams or so is, IMHO, misguided. Rene Herse or Soma Supple Vitesse or the like tires will not only likely be a lot lighter than the cheap tires you don't want to consider replacing (almost certainly more than you'd save in weight by buying boutique brake housing -- and that's rotating weight), but they'll also likely make a large difference in the feel and performance of the bike, which cable housing won't (ok, light housing "might" make braking less effective, but that's presumably not a goal).
The drilling is already done. 10 holes in the chain ring save 1 gram.
My goal is just to have fun playing.
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09-03-21, 01:15 PM
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The easy answer to that is to put light, supple tires on this bike and don't waste the old tires -- just buy project bikes that need them!
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09-03-21, 01:20 PM
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09-03-21, 01:42 PM
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OP original title was:
https://r2-bike.com/KCNC-Brake-Wire-...ating-MTB-Road-
Save Weight on Brake Cables
Here ya go, only $110, gotta be one of the worse $/ghttps://r2-bike.com/KCNC-Brake-Wire-...ating-MTB-Road-
09-03-21, 01:44 PM
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09-03-21, 02:44 PM
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^^^^^^This person is getting it right.
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