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After riding with a friend recently who rode a Santa Cruz Superlight I was really suprised how light it really was. Guess the clue is in the name. It was running at around 23lbs.
With this in mind I thought I'd weigh my bike a 2008 Cannondale Rush Carbon 4. well I got a shock it was 30 lbs 🙁
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Obviously I weighed it when it was clean & without the bottle and guards.
All the parts are standard bar the Thomson seatpost and stem, which can only help. But where's all the weight coming from......wheelset, drivetrain, frame, fork? Is there anything that stands out as holding the weight?
Am I just comparing two massively different beasts.......is 30lbs reasonable for what I have?
Thomson seatposts and stems are not light. Solid and well made, but not light.
What wheels and tyres are toy running? Your saddle looks chunky as does the silly mudguard thing.
Both sets of scales might be dodgy though - his must be full on bling to be be 23lbs while your might be nearer 28 than 30.
Wheels and drivetrain probably.
It all adds up though. If you were happy with it before, why change it?
Never ride a bike better then yours.
No stand out parts, probably just carrying a bit of weight on everything.
Quick gains to be made from finishing kit: seatpost, stem, grips, saddle, and other bits like cassette. Wheels for a big saving.
haha good advice Realman.
Its on the standard Mavic 317 rims with Intense 404 tyres. 🙁 thought Thomson would have been light.
Thomson isn't heavy, its just not super light carbon light. Its nice kit though.
If you've got a wad of cash burning a hole in your pocket, then go for some nice wheels. proII with stans crest and dt comps will build a wheelset under 1500g I think. dt revs for a bit extra, depends what you weigh and can get away with. Then stick some light tyres on, tubeless, and go ride.
Never ride a bike better then yours.
Very good advice! My HT hasn't felt the same since riding a full sus and ploughing through all the roots :\ I'd like to say it's more fun to have the challenge of the bumps, but tbh I find going faster more fun.
Pro 2/Crest is more like 1700g, the Pro 3 SPs are lighter, still over 1500g though.
If you want light, then ZTR hubs on Crests with Revs would be a good bet, lighter tyres run tubeless.
But equally the reverse is very good. Riding bikes worse then yours is great, you can then get back on your bike and appreciate it so much more 😀
Pro 2/Crest is more like 1700g
My pro2/355/comp build came to 1542g I think. And the crests are lighter then the 355s aren't they?
As njee20 says, there's no one stand out 'heavy'part (except maybe the hubs and tyres). Those cheap (yes, I know it's £2000, I meant relatively speaking) full sus bikes are always going to be compromised - nice bikes but a bit weighty compared to a similar priced hardtail or a top end (£4000) full sus. Last years top of the range Rush was nearly £5000 and weighed about 23lb so realistically you're not going to make much inroads into the weight loss given that you're starting from the base model.
Could always see what difference a nice light set of wheels makes?
And the crests are lighter then the 355s aren't they?
Indeed they are, did you use alu nips?
From the Hope website:
NoTubes Crest - 765/888g
So 1653g, you want to hang onto yours if they're 100g lighter!
Having thought about it a bit more, he did have carbon forks, bars and seat post.
so if I was to buy a light set of wheels, Pro2's have been suggested, what am I looking at in costs? I have considered the superlight frame but new thats £900, that just isnt an option at the moment.
[i]Where's all the weight?[/i]
If you are an average STWer, it's probably in a massive Camelbak and around your chubby waist.
Happy, as ever, to Help! 😀
Pro 2 Hoops can be had for around £250, it's a good start, you can likely shave off a chunk of weight with tyres too, Racing Ralphs run tubeless or something.
Intense tyres, swap for somethign more Xc and you'll shed about 4lb!
Big rotors are supprisingly weighty, stick with 160/160 on lightweight bikes.
Pro 2 and Crests are 1461g with DT Revs and 1595g with DT Comps according to the DT Spoke Calculator.
I'm trying to decide on spokes so have these figures in the calculator already btw, I'm not that bored!
Can't wait to get mine built up!
haha, I didnt weight myself. Im just under 12 stone.
Top test: sneak 7lbs of rock into your mates Camelbak when he's not looking....
I have just swapped the tyres this weekend for Panaracer 2.1 but they cant have done that much surely?
Did you weigh both bikes on the same scales?
Or did your mate just tell you his Superlight was 23lbs, people are often "optimistic" about the weight of their bikes.
So 1653g, you want to hang onto yours if they're 100g lighter!
They're also pretty much invincible, so yes, I will be hanging on to them 😀
people are often "optimistic" about the weight of their bikes
True that, I think mine is roughly 26lbs. But that's not a very round number, I prefer 25lbs when people ask... 😉
no fraid not. Alleged 23lbs then!
thisisnotaspoon - MemberIntense tyres, swap for somethign more Xc and you'll shed about 4lb!
Big rotors are supprisingly weighty, stick with 160/160 on lightweight bikes.
Beat me to it. Those tyres aint the lightest by a long stretch. You can save a fair bit of weight on rotors, say by going to ashima (horrible) but it looks like your already running a 180, 140??
Not sure what saddle you're running there either, some very light saddles out there, an easy way to save 100+ grams for most people.
Wheels, tyres, saddle, rotors and some carbon bars would shave some weight.
njee20/Realman have I read that right mine are 100g heavier?
My steel HT is at 25 pounds with middle of the range finishing kit, biggest areas for me were carbon bars, seat post and wheelset (Pro2 on 719's with racing ralph and nobby nic tyres)
njee20/Realman have I read that right mine are 100g heavier?
No, we were talking about stans rims with proII hubs. Yours are probably even heavier, although I don't know by how much.
cheers for that, anyone know what a 317 rim with DT370 hub weighs?
ps my saddle is a standard fat fizik saddle, but it is a comfy one!
Im quite pleased nobody has said you should just get the superlight framne and have done 🙂 There's hope.
As above suggestions ^^^, though a cheap weight loss can be found through tyres alone.
I've recently shed a bit of weight with:
- Ashima 160mm rotors at c90g each
- Bonty XX-lite grips (cheap and light as....)
- Fizik Tundra carbon saddle
...KCNC Wing Stem will be next...it all adds up (weight & cost!)
[i]My steel HT is at 25 pounds with middle of the range finishing kit, biggest areas for me were carbon bars, seat post and wheelset (Pro2 on 719's with racing ralph and nobby nic tyres) [/i]
I'd like to see that on the scales too!
My Ti HT only gets to this weight with XTR and the like.
Ive checked the photos I took with the scales and the whole bike without the wheels and tyres weighs 21 lbs, thats 9 lbs for wheels and tyres. Thats a huge amount 🙁
Just take it to bits and weigh it all, you can't really shed weight unless you know what you're working with.
And remember, even leaving aside blatant lies to a lot of people 25.99999lbs is a 25lb bike 😉
you might be right there. I was brought up on honesty is the best policy 🙂
let the stripping begin.
ps. Im a big car fan and had a argument with a guy who bragged that his car was 300hp when it was 296. No it isnt its 296!!!! So I know what your saying 🙂
don't get too obsessive. My secret shame is that I ended up with a spreadsheet listing actual component weights for all the bits on my bikes with costs of lighter upgrades listed as well so I could work out the best weightsaving/money balance.
It ended up with a sub 20lb xc hardtail, a 22.2lb 29er ss with a biongy frontage and a 5.25" full boingy thats 25lb on the nose with 2.25 nics on.
wheels and tyres will make the most noticeable difference and go stans tubeless as well.
i like lists. excuse my ignorance whats biongy?
I think he meant 'boingy' as in, with a suspension fork.
Never done the whole 'taking a bike apart and weighing everything' thing, although it would certainly show areas where a bit of investment would be worth it.
Grips will almost certainly be the easiest saving, foam grips like Bonty XXX Lites are about £8 and save 100g over lock-ons, very comfy too.
23 lbs sounds pretty light for a Superlight, what size was it?
My girlie version (small) came out at 25 lbs which incidentally is the same weight as my current steel hardtail that had the majority of the components switched over from. Apart from replacing 100mm forks with 120mm's.
I think he meant 'boingy' as in, with a suspension fork.
ooops, beer and typing FAIL 😳
its a decent frame with low to midrange components
where is the weight?
everywhere
from evans
Gears: Shimano LX Front Derailleur with Shimano XT Shadow SGS Rear Derailleur
Shifters: Shimano LX Rapidfire Plus
Chainset: Shimano XT with 22/32/44 Tooth Chainring
Brakes: Avid Juicy 5 White with 160mm Rotors
Wheels: Mavic XM 317 Disc 32 Hole Rims with DT Swiss 370 Hubs
Tyres: Hutchinson Piranha 26 x 20
Handlebar: FSA XC252 AOS 25mm Rise
Stem: FSA OS150 31.8mm
Saddle: Fizik Nisene Sport
none of that is light
cassette is probably a boat anchor as well
cinnamon_girl - Member
23 lbs sounds pretty light for a Superlight, what size was it?
Yep - I'm pretty sceptical too. My XTR'd, carbon-kitted Blur XCc comes in at that weight
Every set of Hope Hoops (Pro II + DT Comp) on ZTR rims I've had have always been pretty much bang on the Hope estimated weight, very good solid wheels! It's the only wheels we buy now, 2 sets in the house and buying a third next week (and a set of Hoops with 5.1D, but they don't count). I've tried a few dodgy 24 spoke wheels, never again.
Assuming a Deore HG50 cassette is on there, that's about 430g for a start (going by the one I took off a Pitch Pro, brand new, this weekend). Lighter tubes can knock off half a pound too, depending on where you're riding.
Might be worth taking your wheels off and weighing them, to see where the weight is hiding a bit better. Bet it's all in the wheels, tyres, tubes, rotors, cassette as mentioned.
I'd be cautious of getting too caught up on weight though, unless you really feel it's holding you back. It's always quoted as it's the most obvious quantitative way of comparing two bikes. Every bike I've battled to sub 24lbs I've absolutely hated.
Yes we had a Superlight in a couple of years ago with their XTish build kit, Rebas etc and it was 27lbs IIRC, they're far from Superlight!
Every bike I've battled to sub 24lbs I've absolutely hated.
24!? Good lord, that's a boat anchor 🙂
Ok, so i told a lie, my Steel HT (456) weighs 25.5lbs 😳
This is measured using an expensive set of fishing scales as well as adding up the sum of parts from the weight weenies web site.
A guess a lot of weight is saved from my carbon forks too, my complete drivetrain is LX and deore so savings too be made there too.
Funny I just posted saying my Superlight felt heavy - what was your mates Superlight built up with?
i had a 98 heckler that weighed 24 - so 23 for a superlite isnt mad ... i was full XTR 2x9 and old shape sids,uberlite tires and carbon where carbon was due - served me well as a purely racing bike !
so his must be blinged out to the max
tazzy - i know your pain RE spreadsheets ! - i specced a bike as i wanted - spreadsheeted out the weights and costs then went looking for lighter substitutes that i could still trust ! ended up specing a rigid 29er with rohloff that will weigh about 22.5lbs having started with one that on paper weighed 24lbs. I know when i build it that sub 25 will be more realistic than sub 23 though as is always the way !
RE your bike - rush and superlite are different bikes really .... but no reason your rush couldnt be solid built and weigh 26-28lb - just depends how much money you want to spunk - the wheels are heavy - thomson stuff is heavier than other stuff.
And we are including pedals in all these weights aren't we?
Plus handy to know the frame size.
tbh Once you've got an average FS frame (or steel HT for that matter) and its weighing over 5 lbs (and most nearer 7 lbs) - you need seriously light running gear (and flimsy tyres/tubes) to get down to 25 lbs.
23 lbs for a superlight is pretty good going. My superlight, admittedly is an XL, but is built with hope hoops on 717s, XTR chainset, mechs, shifter and cassette, carbon bars, ti saddle, foam grips, ti bolts all over the place, mono minis, floating rotors, the lightest Rebas, light tyres, ti pedals. It weighs 25 1/2 lbs on my bathroom scales. They are not a very light frame.
24!? Good lord, that's a boat anchor
I think I'm just not spending enough money. The carbon Zaskar frame I had was pretty hefty and flexy, and the 24 spoke wheels wobbled around every corner.
I'm 6'6" as well so everything is huge which doesn't help 🙂 I weighed a stock £4k Scott Spark 10 in XL and that came in at 24lbs last year, I think people often see claims of 20-22lb bikes and assume it's an easy task getting there, rather than needing lots of sacrifices.
Right, sorry for the delay I have been weighing a few things without getting too silly. Well to be fair Ive just stripped the wheels and seatpost and seat.
Front Rim & Hub - 886g
203 Rotor & Bolts - 208g
Front Skewer - 56g
Tyre & Tube - 850g
Front Wheel Assembly - [b]886g[/b]
Total with Skewer & Tube/Tyre - [b]2000g[/b]
__________________________________________
Rear Rim & Hub - 1098g
180 Rotor & Bolts - 166g
Rear Skewer - 62g
Cassette - 362g
Tyre & Tube - 816g
Rear Wheel Assembly - [b]1098g[/b]
Total with Skewer & Tube/Tyre - [b]2504g[/b]
___________________________________________
Thomson seat post - 296g
Saddle - 316g
___________________________________________
well thats a set of interesting figures.
mmmmmmm my total wheel assembly - 1984g, Pro2's & Crest - 1491g a saving of 493g/1.09lbs. Thats quite a big saving I guess!!
Finally going to take the plunge on some wheels in the next week.
Ressurecting this thread to see what wheels you'd recommend for general XC riding, to be as light as possible.
Ive found the Stans Flow are 880 F and 1006 R. & as above the Crest build would be 493gsm lighter.
My wheel weights are above (mavic 317 with DT Swiss hubs) I's like to go for the Hope Pro2 hubs but dont have a preference on the rims, just want to save some weight.
Stans Flow are light for what they are- extremely strong, no-nonsense (downhill world cup winning under Sabrina Jonnier) rims. The sort of thing you get if you want to ride round UK red routes but also occasionally ride down an alp. Overkill for most people's XC...
23 lbs eh... 😉
🙂 it'll take more that a set of wheels I reckon to get there.... I have however a stihl saw in the garage, that'll shed a few pounds.
Stan flows wont save me much weight really. 100gsm ish, thats a big outlay for little gain.
my wheels feel pretty light - pro2s and stans 355 rims, what are the new equivalent? Crests?
Found the 355's at 813 Front / 925 Rear, slightly lighter that the Flow's.
Pro 2 front for the axle options, and Pro 3 rear as they weigh less?
[i]Stan flows wont save me much weight really. 100gsm ish, thats a big outlay for little gain. [/i]
As long as its less than a £ per gram, you're fine 😉
justridingalong will do you a set of handbuilt ztrhubs/arch rims for £273 - 1618g, the front hub converts from qr/15mm/20mm. That'll save you a fair whack. A bit of care in choosing new tires, and you'll have lost a couple of pounds .
I've been running Arches on Pro2's for 3 years, no problems, only dinged the rear a couple of times. They're still a good compromise rim, but a bit out of favour since the factory built Hope Hoops can't be bought with them, so handbuilts normally cost a bit more.
cheers for that vinny.
Will all these rims take tubes? May be digging myself a big hole if they done.