Thinking about buying sub 7 kg weight weenie MTB

rasped

Hi,
I recently asked (and got some good answers) on a Cannondale Flash frameset.

As I try to decide how to spend the money that I do not have; I would like to ask about the idea of buying a complete sub 7 kg weight weenie MTB project.

I have recently completed my own MTB project which is an Giant Anthem ALU with quite nice stuff on it. It is a great training bike.

However, now I am thinking in terms of getting a really light MTB. That said, I mean that I am not interested as such in opinions about weight vs. durability etc. What I am pondering is what kind of bike I could get if the requirement is sub 7 kg, and what price people selling would expect. It would not matter if it it had small scratches etc.

rasped

njee20

That's an obscene weight for an MTB, you really are getting into the absolute lightest there, either with massive performance compromises, or ridiculously expensive parts. IMO you won't get that many people selling bikes that light and they'll go for good money.

If I were you i'd stop obsessing about the weight of a bike you don't even own yet. Buy a Scale/Flash/whatever then if you want to spend thousands making it unridable do!

rasped

Thanks. I acknowledge your point of view. But I pointed out in this thread that I am interested in such a project despite the compromises.

I am just asking if someone know if these projects come up for sale and such.

cooldad

Go to poshbikes site and stick in all the expensive stuff.

Chunkers1980

It can't be a project if you just want to buy someone else's.

Dirtydog11

Have you seen this thread?

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12675526

If not have a look through it as it will give you an idea as to what would be required to meet your 7kg target.

I can't see anything like that ^ coming up for sale very often.

It's a labour of love and I can't imagine anyone who has spent that much time and trouble getting it to that standard would be keen on letting it go.

If I owned something like that I wouldn't sell it, would you?

Monkeypump

I'd have to second njee - I doubt many bikes like that would come up on the 2nd hand market. Check the weight weenies forum though, you might find something.

If you want to start a new build, Poshbikes are definitely the guys to contact. But be prepared for a >£10k hole in your wallet...

njee20

I did tack that comment on the end, if you read my post I also said that a weight like that will only be achieved by either massive compromises (if you dont want to ride it then road bikes are lighter), or with mental parts, which means it'll cost you too.

If someone's spent years building a silly light bike they're unlikely to want to flog it at all, if they do then as parts is more likely - more lucrative. Also, perhaps unfairly, but IME a lot of silly light 'project' bikes are owned by larger folk. I wouldn't buy a 15lb MTB off a 90kg chap, forfeiting any warranty on components not known for strength!

Look at Weight Weenies classifieds, or Light Bikes for Inspiration.

njee20

I'd also avoid Posh Bikes, they do the bling, but it's very expensive, and their website is ridiculously outdated.

Buy from Europe/the US. Look at Fairwheel Bikes and Starbike particularly, they do some tarty stuff.

rasped

Thanks for the quick replies.

I'll look at the Weight Weenies forum and the poshbike.

rasped

njee20 wrote:

I'd also avoid Posh Bikes, they do the bling, but it's very expensive, and their website is ridiculously outdated.

Buy from Europe/the US. Look at Fairwheel Bikes and Starbike particularly, they do some tarty stuff.

Will do. Thanks.

antfly

Why are you wanting such an unrealistically light bike, are you going to ride it?

rasped

antfly wrote:

Why are you wanting such an unrealistically light bike, are you going to ride it?

I wanted it to be my competition bike. So yes...

From the replies I get, I sounds like 7 kg is very low, and perhaps too low.

Let me try a slightly different phrasing then:

I do not care for building the bike myself, so it can be used. What is important is weight AND price. So if anyone can point me to a 1, 2, or 3 year model that was generally available and which is approachable for someone with a "normal" size wallet:-). So perhaps 1000 £... Yes, I know it may be impossible, but that is why I politely ask if you happen to have a hint or something to work from...

njee20

That is impossible basically. There are the odd threads about light bikes on a budget on WW, which are probably worth a read.

If you're wanting to race XC in the UK then there are places where weight is the not the be all and end all. Old SIDs are light (even more so if you take the damping out), but new ones track better and perform better.

Maxxlite 285/Furious Fred tyres are light, but there are literally a handful of courses where they're any use, and even then something more knobbly is often faster.

You could get a reasonable 20lb bike for under £2000 I reckon if you pick your parts carefully.

cooldad

£1000 - only possible if you steal bits.

Valy

Just my £0.02.

Sub 7kg... damn. Dat gun be expnsve!11

The Rookie

Go to http://www.light-bikes.com and you can see what is used to build ultralight bikes. Also you can see the cost, for example the lightest stem I've come across (an AX Zeus) is 62g and about 550Euros (about the cost that both my bikes cost in total), my on-one cost me £9.99 for 135g which is lighter than a lot of stems and cheaper - win, win.

If someone has a superlight bike they are usually worth more in bits anyway not as a complete bike anyway.

I use the site mostly to help me decide what to buy when I need to replace a part, not that weight is the be-all and end-all, but if you can get an otherwise functionally identical part (as close as any two can be) that is lighter - why not.

Simon

rasped

The Beginner wrote:

Go to http://www.light-bikes.com and you can see what is used to build ultralight bikes. Also you can see the cost, for example the lightest stem I've come across (an AX Zeus) is 62g and about 550Euros (about the cost that both my bikes cost in total), my on-one cost me £9.99 for 135g which is lighter than a lot of stems and cheaper - win, win.

If someone has a superlight bike they are usually worth more in bits anyway not as a complete bike anyway.

I use the site mostly to help me decide what to buy when I need to replace a part, not that weight is the be-all and end-all, but if you can get an otherwise functionally identical part (as close as any two can be) that is lighter - why not.

Simon

That is super. Thanks a lot.

BigJimmyB

Superstar stems are reasonably light and reasonably priced:

http://superstar.tibolts.co.uk/product_ ... cts_id=416

The Rookie

No worries....

Another example are Grips.

Lots of people use Titec Pork rinds as they are light (circa 20g/pair with the bar end caps) and not that expensive (typically £8 delieverd) KCNC grips are identical bar the name engraving and bling colours (and about a tenner), however Avenir (AGG407) also sell some that are exactly the same (no name) and I got a pair for £6 delivered from Rutlands.

Simon

Salsa

I have a weenie bike in the 7kg's (high 7's anyway) & it isn't made up of insanely expensive, or weedy parts.
It's probably cost me 2.5-3k to build & I didn't pay retail for hardly any of it. Mine is fully rigid with lots of carbon fibre & a bit of bolt tuning etc. Frankly if you want suspension on the front as well, for it to be rideable, & to be under 7kg you will need to get all specialist high end weight weenie parts & think about every single little detail on every part of the bike. It will be insanely expensive as said above.



It's a bit lighter than this now but I don't have a new weight yet. I changed to a double with a left X0 grip shift as well as changing a couple of other parts.

njee20

So what is it!?

mac_man

My local shop was selling a Scott Ltd hardtail with plenty of XTR all over it. Not sure if it was carbon but felt really light.

Supposedly a £6K bike that they were selling for a client at £2K. Looked mint as well. Still had the bobbly rubber bits on the original tyres.

In all honesty I can't see you getting a really light bike for £1K... well not one that's in good nick anyway. Unless the seller is really desparate. Just IMO.

Salsa

It's a Scandium Salsa Bandito frame, DT240 wheelset, full Ritchey WCS carbon, XTR carbon rear mech/shifters, Dura ace front, TA rings, Avid Ultimates, Xpedo ti/mag pedals, etc.
Here's an old pic>

Chunkers1980

Boo. Ridgid. And a little old school, this is where it's form over susbstance that's the compremise.

njee20

Supposedly a £6K bike that they were selling for a client at £2K. Looked mint as well. Still had the bobbly rubber bits on the original tyres.

The £8000 Scale 899 has a claimed weight of 7.5kg, without pedals. Add some £300 pedals and you'll get just under 7.7kg. Now shave a kilo off that, and do the whole thing for £1000. Easy!

Front end looks wrong on that Salsa, think it's the headset spacers. Could drop a chunk from those wheels too, Race X Lites may have had 240 hub internals, but they were pretty weighty!

Salsa

Yeah well, there's plenty of trails I ride that don't need suspension. MTB is not just about steamrollering over everything with suspension soaking it all up, or fast rocky downhills that this bike obviously can't cope with. The bike has limits, pluses & minuses, just like any other but it's a lot of fun on flat & uphill trails as well as being very fast. It's not like it's my only bike, I have a full suspension bike as well for example.

Salsa

Yeah njee20 I realise it looks a little off at the front but those forks although 80mm corrected still sit a little low, I have to put the 40mm spacer on to get the correct feel on the bike & that's really the important thing.
The Racelites are 1500g so a little weighty but I love my 240s & can't afford to buy a 1200g set. They are also a low spoke count (26/28 iirc) so rebuilding into a light set of rims is a chore as well.

dodgy

mac man wrote:

My local shop was selling a Scott Ltd hardtail with plenty of XTR all over it. Not sure if it was carbon but felt really light.

Supposedly a £6K bike that they were selling for a client at £2K. Looked mint as well. Still had the bobbly rubber bits on the original tyres.

In all honesty I can't see you getting a really light bike for £1K... well not one that's in good nick anyway. Unless the seller is really desparate. Just IMO.

I guess that bike is now sold? Sounds like a bargain.

njee20

Ive got some brand new XXX Lites to sell :-)

Yes the fork looks short, guess that Makes the spacers more obvious. Forks look good though, like those Ritcheys.

mac_man

dodgy wrote:

mac man wrote:

My local shop was selling a Scott Ltd hardtail with plenty of XTR all over it. Not sure if it was carbon but felt really light.

Supposedly a £6K bike that they were selling for a client at £2K. Looked mint as well. Still had the bobbly rubber bits on the original tyres.

In all honesty I can't see you getting a really light bike for £1K... well not one that's in good nick anyway. Unless the seller is really desparate. Just IMO.

I guess that bike is now sold? Sounds like a bargain.

I'll check with them... or give them a call on 01282 863 089 (Wicked Cycles, Colne)