Brainstorm: Help me save 1000g!
#1
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Brainstorm: Help me save 1000g!
Before people jump down my throat here - this isn't for performance. Not trying to go faster with this, and I know the best way to go faster is to shed that off my 185lbs body and hold a better aero tuck for longer. This is weight merely for vanity's sake, and mostly a brainstorming exercise, at that - not planning on going super expensive or super exotic.
That said: I put my Lynskey on the luggage scale a few days ago, and it recorded a weight of 21.09lbs, or 9.57g. I wasn't entirely surprised, as I've weighed the bike using a bathroom scale before, and come up with ~21 lbs as well. I've always wanted a bike that weighed in the teens, and looking for non-exotic ways to get there. I figured 1,000g (or 1KG) was a nice round figure, and would get me to a reading just under 19lbs.
Major components:
- Lynskey R270 Disc in M/L
- Enve Road Disc fork
- Ultegra Mechanical, 50/34 crank and 11-34 cassette
- Ultegra Hydraulic Disc, XT rotors (I guess Lynskey ran out of ICETech rotors when they built my bike?)
- Vision Team 30 wheels
- Conti GP5k 25mm (rear) and UltraSport II 28mm (front) tires, both folding
- FSA (Orbit/Gosssamer) stem and bars
- Thomson Masterpiece 250mm post
- Selle Italia Onda saddle
- Look X-Track SPD pedals
The lowest hanging fruit here is clearly my wheelset. The Vision Team 30 wheels are listed in the ~1900g range, and a quick look at Light Bicycle Wheel, Hunt, or any other carbon wheelset suggests I can save ~400-500g right there (LBW R35, Hope 350 hubs are quoted as coming in just under 1500g).
The 11-34 cassette is around 60-80g more than an Ultegra 11-30 or 11-32, and that's (relatively) cheap, especially as I never use the 34.
Not much to be saved from the stem/handlebar unless I go carbon, and even then it's a lot of money for only a bit of savings, right? Seatpost is in the same range as carbon posts, and I trust my Thomson. The Selle Italia Onda isn't light, but my butt likes it, so that's going to stick around. I actually swapped out my Prologo Kappa for it.
So yeah - about ~450-550g or so from wheels and cassette. Any other low hanging fruit for the other 500g, or would it really be 20g here, 30g there?
That said: I put my Lynskey on the luggage scale a few days ago, and it recorded a weight of 21.09lbs, or 9.57g. I wasn't entirely surprised, as I've weighed the bike using a bathroom scale before, and come up with ~21 lbs as well. I've always wanted a bike that weighed in the teens, and looking for non-exotic ways to get there. I figured 1,000g (or 1KG) was a nice round figure, and would get me to a reading just under 19lbs.
Major components:
- Lynskey R270 Disc in M/L
- Enve Road Disc fork
- Ultegra Mechanical, 50/34 crank and 11-34 cassette
- Ultegra Hydraulic Disc, XT rotors (I guess Lynskey ran out of ICETech rotors when they built my bike?)
- Vision Team 30 wheels
- Conti GP5k 25mm (rear) and UltraSport II 28mm (front) tires, both folding
- FSA (Orbit/Gosssamer) stem and bars
- Thomson Masterpiece 250mm post
- Selle Italia Onda saddle
- Look X-Track SPD pedals
The lowest hanging fruit here is clearly my wheelset. The Vision Team 30 wheels are listed in the ~1900g range, and a quick look at Light Bicycle Wheel, Hunt, or any other carbon wheelset suggests I can save ~400-500g right there (LBW R35, Hope 350 hubs are quoted as coming in just under 1500g).
The 11-34 cassette is around 60-80g more than an Ultegra 11-30 or 11-32, and that's (relatively) cheap, especially as I never use the 34.
Not much to be saved from the stem/handlebar unless I go carbon, and even then it's a lot of money for only a bit of savings, right? Seatpost is in the same range as carbon posts, and I trust my Thomson. The Selle Italia Onda isn't light, but my butt likes it, so that's going to stick around. I actually swapped out my Prologo Kappa for it.
So yeah - about ~450-550g or so from wheels and cassette. Any other low hanging fruit for the other 500g, or would it really be 20g here, 30g there?
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#2
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How about latex tubes? Probably the cheapest way to shave a few grams. Maybe a different set of tires too?
#3
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This is steel, but you probably could no problem get away doing this with Ti. Let us know how it goes
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Ti Skewers can be around 50 grams (saving you 80-100 grams) for less than $50.
Aerothan tubes are 85 gram total (saving you 110-130ish grams) for about $60. Or Latex would be 125 gram total for about $25.
Lightweight handlebar tape like Deda Traforato can take off 20-40 grams for 12 bucks.
So for about 100 bucks, you can very easily lose half a lb.
Aerothan tubes are 85 gram total (saving you 110-130ish grams) for about $60. Or Latex would be 125 gram total for about $25.
Lightweight handlebar tape like Deda Traforato can take off 20-40 grams for 12 bucks.
So for about 100 bucks, you can very easily lose half a lb.
#5
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That said: I put my Lynskey on the luggage scale a few days ago, and it recorded a weight of 21.09lbs, or 9.57g. I wasn't entirely surprised, as I've weighed the bike using a bathroom scale before, and come up with ~21 lbs as well. I've always wanted a bike that weighed in the teens, and looking for non-exotic ways to get there. I figured 1,000g (or 1KG) was a nice round figure, and would get me to a reading just under 19lbs.
Major components:
- Look X-Track SPD pedals
Any other low hanging fruit for the other 500g, or would it really be 20g here, 30g there?
Last edited by Sy Reene; 05-30-21 at 11:07 AM.
#6
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Unfortunately, that frame is pretty heavy at 1.7 kg. With a carbon frame and wheelset that bike would already be just over 18lbs.
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What about water bottles and their cages? My son still uses those camelback insulated bottles and they weigh over 100 grams each. I re-use a couple of old 24 fl oz. Gatorade or GU bottles that only weigh about 32 grams each.
Bottle cages themselves can be heavy if you weren't picky when you got them.
Otherwise just save a gram in a thousand different places.
Bottle cages themselves can be heavy if you weren't picky when you got them.
Otherwise just save a gram in a thousand different places.
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SRAM XG1190 cassette will save you 150-180 grams
Swap front tire for GP5000 saves 130 grams
Latex vs normal butyl will save 100-150 grams
Carbon frame, rim brakes with lighter wheels will save 1500 grams
Swap front tire for GP5000 saves 130 grams
Latex vs normal butyl will save 100-150 grams
Carbon frame, rim brakes with lighter wheels will save 1500 grams
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If you really want light weight then a carbon frame is the answer.
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Since you seem to weigh the bike quite often, it seems like you're pretty concerned about the weight of the bike. 21 pounds is heavy, and so is 19. Start with a light frame, and go from there. It's fairly easy to build a bike +/- 15 pounds, if you start light to begin with.
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If you really want to go weight weenie, you can save even more on the wheelset. Building an 1100-1200g wheelset is possible with LB is you pick a flyweight hookless low profile rim. That's 700-800g.
A berk saddle would save around 200g in probably one of the best places to save weight. But ofc your butt might not like it.
A schmolke TLO seatpost can save 90ish grams but would also cost a ton. The lightest and most expensive one-piece bar/stem would probably save you no more than 200g.
So altogether for the wheels, saddle, bar, stem and seatpost you're talking maybe 1300g max. And that's with thousands of dollars spent. You could probably buy a carbon bike that weighs less (rim brakes) with that money.
A berk saddle would save around 200g in probably one of the best places to save weight. But ofc your butt might not like it.
A schmolke TLO seatpost can save 90ish grams but would also cost a ton. The lightest and most expensive one-piece bar/stem would probably save you no more than 200g.
So altogether for the wheels, saddle, bar, stem and seatpost you're talking maybe 1300g max. And that's with thousands of dollars spent. You could probably buy a carbon bike that weighs less (rim brakes) with that money.
#13
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Ti Skewers can be around 50 grams (saving you 80-100 grams) for less than $50.
Aerothan tubes are 85 gram total (saving you 110-130ish grams) for about $60. Or Latex would be 125 gram total for about $25.
Lightweight handlebar tape like Deda Traforato can take off 20-40 grams for 12 bucks.
So for about 100 bucks, you can very easily lose half a lb.
Aerothan tubes are 85 gram total (saving you 110-130ish grams) for about $60. Or Latex would be 125 gram total for about $25.
Lightweight handlebar tape like Deda Traforato can take off 20-40 grams for 12 bucks.
So for about 100 bucks, you can very easily lose half a lb.
Aliexpress carbon seatpost (125g, $30, easily 100-200g saved over most seatposts)
A lighter seat can also shave an easy 100g
And depending on your stem, you might find 50g saved with a lighter one (from Aliexpress..)
My bolt on skewers were halo saved me 100g over my (high end) stock skewers
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Remember that you are not racing for a living. So saving 50g on safety critical parts like this makes no sense whatsoever.
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I was thinking more along the lines of something tested and proven to be effective, like the Kalloy Uno
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Before people jump down my throat here - this isn't for performance. Not trying to go faster with this, and I know the best way to go faster is to shed that off my 185lbs body and hold a better aero tuck for longer. This is weight merely for vanity's sake, and mostly a brainstorming exercise, at that - not planning on going super expensive or super exotic.
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I get where you are coming from but there are different ways to look at this. The magic number in your eyes is less than 20 lbs but lets for a moment start using the metric system. Make 10 kg or less your magic number. You have that beat at 9.5 kg! Now if you change out some of the stuff mentioned above, you can easily get to less than 9 kg. Carbon wheels will save you another 500 grams, now you are 8.5 kg.
Remember numbers are social constructs, changing your reference may help you see things differently because as you said it is the idea that bothers you, no the real weight.
With all that said if you really want to go lower one of the first things I did with my Trek that weighs in around your bike was change the tires to Rene Herse Tires and swapped out the cassette for Dura Ace. The next thing I did was change out the wheelset and saved another 5-600 grams. When I ride my bike, the thought of the total weight just vanishes.
Remember numbers are social constructs, changing your reference may help you see things differently because as you said it is the idea that bothers you, no the real weight.
With all that said if you really want to go lower one of the first things I did with my Trek that weighs in around your bike was change the tires to Rene Herse Tires and swapped out the cassette for Dura Ace. The next thing I did was change out the wheelset and saved another 5-600 grams. When I ride my bike, the thought of the total weight just vanishes.
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Send me the bike, you will be lighter than 1000g and won't need to spend a lot of money (just enough for Bike Flights but heck I will help out with that to be nice because I like helping people)
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If you also want it to feel light, go in this order: tyres/tubes, rims, seat, bars, seatpost.
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Echoing others above, replacing the titanium frame with a carbon fiber frame will get you most of the way there.
Failing that, remember this advice: the key to a good ride is to take a giant dump shortly beforehand.
Failing that, remember this advice: the key to a good ride is to take a giant dump shortly beforehand.
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Yep, I was thinking a full carbon saddle.
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#24
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Wrapped in a mystery
What's with the mixing units? You can save 100g by just arbitraily deciding to save 2lb instead of 1kg.
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It was more the "concept" of going ultra-light with the stem. It's always going to be a compromise between weight and durability and one I would not personally make with this particular bike component. But some people seem happy to do so and occasionally get bitten very badly. It was just something to mention when playing the weight weenie game - especially if there is no pro-contract on the line!