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Where to shed some weight


Rudolf Lamprecht

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Carbon wheels are not always lighter. Do your self a favour and check weights of different aluminium vs carbon rims.

 

The NX groupset is the heaviest out of the sram range

https://bikerumor.com/2018/06/23/complete-sram-eagle-comparison-whats-the-difference-between-nx-gx-x01-xx1/

 

attachicon.gifSramWeight.jpg

 

A hugely massive price difference for the weight saved.

 

Then also tyres. Some weigh less than others

 

My apologies for any mistakes

attachicon.gifTyresWeights.jpg

This

 

Doing a tri this weekend and thought borrowing a mates carbon wheels will be a good idea. Scale says different.

 

My alu wheels are 150g lighter that the carbon wheels

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According to the interwebs the Merida 96-4000 comes in at 12.2kg. That is not a bad weight for a dual sus, your friends may all ride hard tails or they have more expensive bikes  :whistling:

 

But to give you some weight reducers just for the sake of giving advise: 

 

  • If you have tjoebs then go tubeless
  • Look at the tire weight - bigger isn't always better
  • Upgrade the rims
  • Upgrade the fork
  • Upgrade the crank

So in my view, do the tubeless if you don't have that done as of yet and then the next step would be to go with a new set of wheels

 

The bike as it currently stands (with Stans topped up etc.) comes in at 13.3Kg. The wheels were my first choice as well, suppose I'll have to shop around a bit. Any recommendations?

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Hi all, I had the opportunity to feel the weight of some of my fellow riders' bikes over the weekend, and I must say that I am feeling left behind (pun intended).

I've got a Merida 96-4000 with all the standard fittings. NX Groupset, Shimano pedals, nothing special. Where can I shed the most weight off my bike ito upgrades, without breaking the bank?

 

 

when you compared these bikes did you remember to remove water bottles and kitchen sink holders (also known as saddle bags)?

 

Looking at the spec the really weighty components are the wheels and 12speed cassette.

The rear is neither here not there although lighter bars, stem and seat post will help but now you may as sell the bike and buy a lighter bike....

 

Those wheels are lead though. Shimano Deore hubs are heavier than a heavy thing. definitely get my vote to get the kick first 

 

Lighter wheels and a XO1 cassette

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Rotating weight will make the biggest difference to the weight you feel on a bike.

wheels and tires should be the first option if you have the cash to upgrade.

 

cassettes have a limited lifespan and need to be changed eventually. rather wait till your current NX needs to be replaced and then make the upgrade. 

Would recommend an upgrade to a carbon bar or cranks. 

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We seriously need to start keeping a list somewhere.

HubLore #29: If you ask where you can drop weight from your bike, be prepared to be told to lose it from your body instead.

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As mentioned, the most cost effective is on yourself :thumbup:  :thumbup: . In fact it might save you some moola as you will be eating less.

 

On a serious note, my 2 cents worth. A good thing to consider is the cost to weight saving ratio. 

 

For example, an upgraded wheel set could cost you 10 k but might only save you 200 grams

Lighter Tyres could save you the same but cost significantly less.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Better (and lighter) wheels will be your best investment.

 

Your current rims are (comparatively speaking) narrow, and your hubs are heavy. Your wheel without tyres, discs or cassette weigh about 2.2kg.

 

By investing in a better wheel set, you can drop weight, enjoy better traction, less rolling resistance, need less maintenance, and improve the way your bike looks, for R7-12k, depending on options (alloy rims). With carbon hoops and light hubs you can easily achieve 1350g for under R20k

 

Some things that should be on your list:

  • 25-27mm inner width tubeless-ready rims
  • Sealed bearing hubs
  • Upgrading to xD driver and GX cassette will save weight too
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This is a deep dark, expensive hole - I wanted to make a light hardtail and had planned to get a new car the same year

 

I have a very light hardtail and 2 years later still no new car

 

cheapish start, second hand sworks phenom, eezi grips = 250grams (probably)

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