Affordable XC Lightness?!

benneally

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDVpRSNtcPQ

So impressed with the carbon! So glad i just got a carbon spark, oh yes. Now i know im safe if i come across either a metal vice or hammer in the dark depths of my local trails.

And reallman, how the hell have you personally snapped a 'few' carbon bars?? From your picture you look about my weight, 10.5stone maybe, and you said you have raced XC like myself. So unless your cant steer you bike through trees, you must be doing something seriously wrong to snap a single carbon bar?

adb1006

^^^ He didn't say he'd snapped them, he said he'd seen them snapped.

There is generally a rule that goes you can have light, cheap and strong - but you can't have all three together.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with the strength of the SMICA stuff as far as i'm aware and that's seriously light and cheap. :?

I agree with Realman to a certain extent though, in that some people will spend a fortune on dropping the same amount of weight a good sh1t before the ride would! A lot of people out there also think that a light bike is the be-all and end-all, whereas a fit, strong rider is much more important IMHO.
That's obviously for a different thread though and not the direction Ben was intending for this one (i assume).

Anyway - SMICA stuff - that's my contribution! 8)

Mr Blister

I have actually come to realise that its not all about how light your ride is. I have just stripped my sub 20lb xc race rig and rebuilt it around a steel frame because i prefer the feel that you get with steel. I would though ride Ti if the cost wasn't an issue!

But i would deffinately say that you have to strike a balance between weight performance/enjoyment/value. I was flicking through a bike mag the other day and was looking at some roadie stuff and saw a company called lightweight doing a carbon rear mech for £700!?!

BlackSpur

RealMan wrote:

Exactly, which is why I didnt mention them. I was stating that XM819 rims are stronger and heavier, but cost more. XC717s are cheaper and lighter, but weaker. They are both reasonably priced rims though. Of course if you go into pro race stuff, like deep carbon ribs etc, theyre lighter, but more expensive. I was simple proving that you were wrong when you said you cant get light stuff cheap. You can, within reason.

The XM 819s are more expensive because they are tubeless rims, not because they are stronger. XM 719s are the comparable rim to the 717 i.e. not tubeless. Guess what? they are the same price...

paul.skibum

I think it was Keith Bontrager who said, cheap strong light - pick two.

The best weight saving you can have is in the wheels as that is unsprung rotating mass over sprung dead weight. Therefore a light set of wheels and tyres will be a better weight saving than any amount (sort of) of carbon frippery up top or indeed a decent sized crap.

Personally I am not that bothered by weight of components except I like sensible wheels and tyres although I currently run Crossrides with a kevlar NBX rear and Spesh Resolution front - not massively light but not heavy either.

Chaz.Harding

If you hunt around, and get lightweight parts, more often than not, unless they have ''XC RACE'' plastered all over them, they will be plenty strong enough for the average rider.

If you are a 20 stone beast, then burlier, and heavier is the way to go. But there is a massive difference in weight and power between an 11st rider, and a 20st rider....

As many have said before, it's not what you ride, but how. If you tend to smash in and out of potholes, then light isn't a wise idea. A 9st rider could break stuff another 18stone rider wouldn't, if the heavier rider, rides 'light' and floats across obstacles.

Anyway, THINK before you type!

dmr-kev

realman, i think you should not comment on things you obviously know nothing about.

I ride a rigid lightweight xc bike with lots of carbon and i have never broken anything.

btw, i'm 5'9 and weigh 15 1/2 stone (currently 9% bodyfat) and 17 1/2" biceps, can you explain how i haven't snapped my easton monkeylite sl bars or my carbon pace forks seeing as i am sooooo overweight and look stupid on a xc bike?

supersonic

Interesting thread.

Weight off the bike seems to be more noticable, as we move it around more. When hopping a log and tucking the wheel in, your overall COG may not move much, but the bike will.

I am 13st, have many well made carbon xc parts inc a frame, ride hard, and all is fine. I wouldn't class myself as looking stupid, and certainly not worried about breaking anything. Well made and good design is the key to strength, as I have seen all materials fail inc titanium.

As above, SMICA leads the way for budget lightweight parts. Wellgo MG1 are great flats for the money. Plus take your pick from the above listed build ;-)

Dazzza

RealMan wrote:

I never actually said anything wrong with carbon bars and XC717s. Only said that they were weaker then others.

So weak and cheap they broke a hope hub.

I think you need to stop digging yourself a hole.

Noclue

Ha ha this thread has made me chuckle, 11 stone, ha ha, htere's pro roadies who way more than that who ride much lighter kit over the cobbles of northern France, any way back to the origanal thread here are a few of my picks-

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain- ... riser.html

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain- ... -stem.html

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/marzocchi ... -2009.html

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain- ... o-k18.html

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain- ... inset.html

LAW4778

Carbon cant be that bad, for the bigger boned rider Merida are bringing out the 0Nine frame and they guarantee it for 5 years with the rider maximum weight of 120kg which is about 18.5 st

Anonymous

the new caron thingy by cannondale has a long warranty and no rider weight limit, now that is good. however the bike is about 7 grand or summat.

The Spiderman

Of all the changes I have mad on a bike the single biggest weight saving came from a switch of tyres.
Swapping out some oem wire beaded Nevegals to some Nobby Nics saved over 500g for £50.
And I certainly noticed the difference.

zerolight

Nobody see the irony in a guy who calls himself Real Man and yet claims to weigh less than 11 stone and carry no muscle bulk. Sounds more like Bruno than a real man to me.