Newbie seeks advice.

james1977

Hi

Just thought I'd introduce myself before jumping in with the first question.

Just got back into mountain biking after a 6 year hiatus, really enjoying it can't believe I've been out of the saddle for so long or remember why I gave it up in the first place!

Anyway I've still got my old Cannondale m700 from 1996, which I was using when I got back in the saddle. It was still as great a bike as I remembered and it reminded me how much fun I had on it all those years ago!!
After a couple of months I decided I needed a new bike though, money burns a hole in my pocket you see and the Cannondale still had a fixed fork and technology had kinda passed it by. I managed to pick up a Specialized Rockhopper Disc 08 for a reasonable price. Whilst I really like the bike it doesn't give me the same grin factor as the Cannondale used to and I'm putting this down to the weight of the Rockhopper - not that its heavy by any stretch of the imagination but it just isn't as light as my trusty old Cannondale.

Right here goes, my first question - what can I change on the Rockhopper that will save me the most weight?

Thanks in advance, will appreciate any help and/or advice. Oh and sorry about the essay.

James.

geordiefreerider

You should of spent the money upgrading the cannondale and kept it old skool !!

Andy

Generally the heaviest things will be the fork and the wheels.

If you do feel the need to change parts just to save weight, the wheels will be the most beneficial.

After the forks and wheels, the heaviest items are likely to be the cranks and bb. Personally I'd say go for the wheels first if you must and then just change things as and when they break or wear out. Its far easier to justify buying lighter parts when it is as a replacement for a broken part than when they are brand new.

Anonymous

what tyres are you running? there is often millions of weight to be saved form there.

james1977

Thanks for the replies, will definitely look at wheels and maybe even the fork, thanks Andrew. Evans seems to be having a pretty big sale at the mo - after a quick glance at the website.

Tyres are 'Specialized Fast Track' which were fitted to the bike when I bought it. What do you recommend Sheepsteeth? Thanks in advance.

Definitley should have upgraded the Cannondale but i haven't consigned it to the back of the shed just yet, it still gets a good hammering now and again.

Anonymous

yeah, those tyres are the wire bead version so will be fairly heavy, a lighter set of folding tyres will possibly save you most of a pound in weight for under 50 quid, tis worth thinking baout i would think, plus, weight lost on wheels and tyres will make a noticeable difference to the ride as the bike will accelerate quicker and feel a bit livlier.

The Rookie

I just junked a cheap sri-lankan made mtb tyre for a decent Kenda (still wire bead) and saved nearly a pound in weight.

Extreme but swapping the steel wheels on my wifes apollo 'mountain bike' to even cheapy alloys saved 1Kg (yes over 2lb) each end, so 4.5lb in total!

Simon