Silverback Stratos AL 5

[Super Sywurm]

Hi. Please post if you ever check or service the hubs. There are also no info on them. Thanks

My Stratos is a couple of months old, no problems with hubs.

[Super Sywurm]

Currently available for R19k.

Any 'concerns' / comments etc?

Alternative suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks

A bit on the heavy side, but nothing a couple of upgrades can't fix in the future. Great bike.

[Spafsack]

Hi Super, been a while since we spoke. My wife is loving her AL5, the only issue is weight, kind of feel sorry for her as she came off a 12.8kg hardtail to the 14.7kg AL5. I saw a few adverts, guys selling carbon wheelsets for around 9k. How much weight do you think she will save? How heavy are the standard issue current wheelsets seeing as the carbon sets i saw weigh in at around 1.5kg.

 

Apart from the weight, she has no neck or back pain, simply loves the bike. It looks good to.

[thebob]

You will probably save ~600g of rotational mass. Nothing to be sneezed at, but a hell of a lot of money. Yes, it will make the bike feel snappier and a bit more responsive, but it won't turn it into a lightweight XC bike. Even the higher specced AL 3 and AL 1 models are over 14kg, so it seems the weight it is the frame.

[Super Sywurm]

Hi Super, been a while since we spoke. My wife is loving her AL5, the only issue is weight, kind of feel sorry for her as she came off a 12.8kg hardtail to the 14.7kg AL5. I saw a few adverts, guys selling carbon wheelsets for around 9k. How much weight do you think she will save? How heavy are the standard issue current wheelsets seeing as the carbon sets i saw weigh in at around 1.5kg.

 

Apart from the weight, she has no neck or back pain, simply loves the bike. It looks good to.

You will have to spend a lot of money to reduce the weight.  The bike is heavy yes, but I didn't really feel the weight while riding.  I managed to get a 30km/h  average over a 105km road race.  Managed to keep up with the average road cyclists.

 

• 104.60km
  Distance (?)
•  
• 3:27:42
   Moving Time
•  
• 617m
  Elevation (?)

• 316W
  Estimated Avg Power
•  
• 3,937kJ
  Energy Output

Show Less

  Avg Max Speed 30.2km/h 59.0km/h Calories 3,277 Temperature 23℃ Elapsed Time 3:28:32

Lezyne Mega XL GPS

Bike: Stratos AL 5

[Super Sywurm]

Oh, and I had lighter American Classic wheels on.

[Spafsack]

Thanx guys. Yip Bob, rotational mass of 600g is allot more than a static saving. I dont think its just the frames fault, its the judy shock, cranks and so on. I tried to google these dam wheels, cant find any info. Would be nice to know what they weigh standard.

 

It is a tough one, buying a bike for 22k, then still spending 10k on it to save say 600g or maybe a bit more, not worth it. Looking at alu wheels, how much do you think you saved there Super? I gather they cheaper than carbon, or not?

[Super Sywurm]

Thanx guys. Yip Bob, rotational mass of 600g is allot more than a static saving. I dont think its just the frames fault, its the judy shock, cranks and so on. I tried to google these dam wheels, cant find any info. Would be nice to know what they weigh standard.

 

It is a tough one, buying a bike for 22k, then still spending 10k on it to save say 600g or maybe a bit more, not worth it. Looking at alu wheels, how much do you think you saved there Super? I gather they cheaper than carbon, or not?

I didn't save much with the wheels. I also did a form upgrade that save a couple of grams. I got the RS Reba.

[Spafsack]

Hi Super, i actually think you did save allot. Called the local bike shop, they measured the standard wheel set, with hubs etc..you looking at 4kg, so its not the frame or components which are heavy, i think it is the wheels. PS, i also got the rs reba for my superspeed, love that fork.

[thebob]

4kg with tyres, tubes, cassette etc yes. Without all that I think they’d come out closer to ~2kg. Hence I recon wheels would save 600g odd. Have a look at the higher spec bikes on the Silverback site, all over 14kg. That is with better cranks, forks etc. I think you are looking at a money abyss if you try lighten that bike significantly

[Spafsack]

Bob you spot on, well said and noted.

[Butterbean]

I have Sywurms old Al5, and with the Reba, GX eagle shifting, SLX 1x crank, guide RE brakes, spez saddle, and Lyne bars with foam grips, standard wheels with Barzo/Saguaro tubeless tyres and a Sunrace 12spd cassette I'm still weighing in at 14.5kgs.

 

Now,i have a heavy Seatpost, and that weight is with M540 pedals and spez bandit strap with a tube and bomb and lever and Ryder plug tool, considering all of those are on there its not the worst but still heavy.

 

They've beefed up certain areas to overcome some weaknesses on their older frame designs, which, as a 115kg rider I'm quite pleased with, but it's no weight weenie and trying to make it so won't be economical...

[Super Sywurm]

I have Sywurms old Al5, and with the Reba, GX eagle shifting, SLX 1x crank, guide RE brakes, spez saddle, and Lyne bars with foam grips, standard wheels with Barzo/Saguaro tubeless tyres and a Sunrace 12spd cassette I'm still weighing in at 14.5kgs.

 

Now,i have a heavy Seatpost, and that weight is with M540 pedals and spez bandit strap with a tube and bomb and lever and Ryder plug tool, considering all of those are on there its not the worst but still heavy.

 

They've beefed up certain areas to overcome some weaknesses on their older frame designs, which, as a 115kg rider I'm quite pleased with, but it's no weight weenie and trying to make it so won't be economical...

I can't remember the bike being that heavy!?

[Kameel]

I'm coming from a lighter Merida Big Nine HT onto the Stratos AL1 (14kg). It might be 'heavier', but I'm already hitting PRs on the AL1 (even on the climbs) and I'm not nearly as fit as I used to be on the Big Nine. The bike's POP geometry is just spot on in my view, even if it is slightly heavier. But it's all relative I guess?

[Super Sywurm]

I'm coming from a lighter Merida Big Nine HT onto the Stratos AL1 (14kg). It might be 'heavier', but I'm already hitting PRs on the AL1 (even on the climbs) and I'm not nearly as fit as I used to be on the Big Nine. The bike's POP geometry is just spot on in my view, even if it is slightly heavier. But it's all relative I guess?

 

I noticed that the Stratos feels and probably is faster than my previous Giant XTC and my current Merida Big Nine.

[Butterbean]

I'm coming from a lighter Merida Big Nine HT onto the Stratos AL1 (14kg). It might be 'heavier', but I'm already hitting PRs on the AL1 (even on the climbs) and I'm not nearly as fit as I used to be on the Big Nine. The bike's POP geometry is just spot on in my view, even if it is slightly heavier. But it's all relative I guess?

Yeah man I can 100% agree with this. Despite what the scale says I feel way faster on this than my anthem, both up and especially down. Really great bike. The traction out of the saddle on climbs is insane and the confidence on the down and rough stuff is super great too...