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Making my bike lighter? Advice?

salty2000salty2000 Posts: 3
edited July 2011 in Road beginners
I love my Giant TCR frame and I have decided to keep it and lighten the bike BUT.....using parts that will make for a better, smoother and more reliable ride. I have set aside a sum to buy lighter wheels and a few other bits where afforadable.
I have found carbon pulleys and a ceramic BB deal at a site I have heard of before when RCUK did a review. Does anyone know of www.ckceramicsuk.co.uk? The lightweight ceramic pulleys are only £ 17.50 if bought with a bottom bracket. As the two only weigh a 'claimed' 103gr for less than £ 80 I wanted to know if anyone could shed light on the products????
My present BB and pulleys weigh 143gr.
Wheel wise I was looking at Mavic SL's as they look like a tough pair of wheels and will save me over 500gr on the pair I have now. Good choice?
Cheers
Rob
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Posts

  • lifeformlifeform Posts: 126
    Well you're going to notice 500g of reciprocating mass reduction way more than 40g worth of bb/pulley.

    When I asked the same question a couple of weeks back the advice was start with the tyres, then wheels, much after that basically replace it (Trek 1.1) in favour of a higher end machine.
  • amaferangaamaferanga Posts: 6,789
    £80 to save 40g sounds like madness to me. And have you read any reviews of this stuff that says its good AND reliable?

    Also unless I'm being dim there's no information whatsoever about the company on that website. I wouldn't order anything from them on that basis.
    More problems but still living....
  • ollyridesfirstollyridesfirst Posts: 486
    spend £2.99 on immodium and have a poo before you go for a ride!

    That'd shed a good 60-200g
  • derekbiggerstaffderekbiggerstaff Posts: 17
    It seems as if a lot of people are willing to spend a lot saving a few grams when they could shed several lbs of body fat and actually make a difference. So my advice is first make sure you're not one of those people.
  • alfabluealfablue Posts: 8,497
    Save weight on the wheels and some good quality tyres and tubes (maybe another 200gr there) but don't waste money on this BB, its an unknown quantity and you may end up paying dearly and often for an item far inferior to the usual suspects. I don't think I would be bothering with lightweight pulleys either TBH.
  • Monty DogMonty Dog Posts: 20,614
    Ride more, eat less = lose weight + increased fitness > ride faster.

    Spend as much as you like on weight-weenie parts, but it won't make as much difference, regardless of what the mareting blurb tells you.
    Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..
  • lifeformlifeform Posts: 126
    OllyRidesFirst wrote:
    spend £2.99 on immodium and have a poo before you go for a ride!

    That'd shed a good 60-200g

    Immodium works the other way round. :wink:
  • leyburnrunnerleyburnrunner Posts: 25
    box of branflakes £1.99. there yer go.
  • Rule74PleaseRule74Please Posts: 307
    Don't eat!!!!!!

    Save money lose weight fast

    Look into the Pantani Popcorn diet for how to do it
    Don't know the Rules?

    http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/
  • richVSrichrichVSrich Posts: 527
    shave all your hair!
    Boardman Hybrid Commuter Workhorse
  • Zoomer37Zoomer37 Posts: 725
    Monty Dog wrote:
    Ride more, eat less = lose weight + increased fitness > ride faster.

    Amen

    Plus saving hundreds of £'s on not buying lighter bike parts.

    Saying that my new frame comes in at 990grams and its completely awesome :P
  • alfabluealfablue Posts: 8,497
    edited June 2011
    Or, sell it and buy a new bike; my £999 Planet-X SL came as 7.6kg as standard :wink:
  • Essex ManEssex Man Posts: 283
    I think you would find more joy/understanding on Weight Weenies regarding obsessive bike weight reduction.
  • keef66keef66 Posts: 13,123
    For the love of god, don't send him over to WeightWeenies. He sounds on the verge of making some irrational purchases and is exhibiting some classic OCD behaviour already.
    He'll have to buy several different kinds of digital scales for a start. Then his bike will spend more time in pieces being weighed than it does being ridden.

    Crying shame.
  • marcusjbmarcusjb Posts: 2,412
    keef66 wrote:
    For the love of god, don't send him over to WeightWeenies. He sounds on the verge of making some irrational purchases and is exhibiting some classic OCD behaviour already.
    He'll have to buy several different kinds of digital scales for a start. Then his bike will spend more time in pieces being weighed than it does being ridden.

    Crying shame.

    You can't actually ride your bike if you go the WeightWeenies route - it'll become too fragile and any dirt that gets onto the bike will have a detrimental effect on performance.

    I must be carrying at least 5g of dirt on my fixie currently - no wonder I've been struggling recently.

    But 100% agree with the suggestions on start with tyres/tubes - cheapest upgrade possible and you'll actually feel the difference straight away. £80 should get you some decent light tyres and tubes.

    Rather than obsessivly buying bits to make the bike lighter, you're also best served to spend money on a bike fitting first - that'll make you more efficient and comfortable on the bike for instant performance increase!
    Stuff about riding a bike a long way
  • ollyridesfirstollyridesfirst Posts: 486
    lifeform wrote:
    OllyRidesFirst wrote:
    spend £2.99 on immodium and have a poo before you go for a ride!

    That'd shed a good 60-200g

    Immodium works the other way round. :wink:

    so it does.... :oops:

    It's the same area though :D
  • Essex ManEssex Man Posts: 283
    keef66 wrote:
    For the love of god, don't send him over to WeightWeenies. He sounds on the verge of making some irrational purchases and is exhibiting some classic OCD behaviour already.
    He'll have to buy several different kinds of digital scales for a start. Then his bike will spend more time in pieces being weighed than it does being ridden.

    Crying shame.

    Just thought he might be happier there where people accept this irrational behaviour rather than berating it, but maybe I lost hope on him too fast...
  • jgsijgsi Posts: 5,038
    alfablue wrote:
    Or, sell it and buy a new bike; my £999 Planet-X SL came as 7.6kg as standard :wink:

    scrape the surface and most on here replying naysay, probably own something sub 7kg... ho hum... I race summat touching 10kg and yes, I can feel the bloody difference... (having a bit of tiff with my carbon bike at mo)
  • keef66keef66 Posts: 13,123
    My bike's a reasonable 20 pounder and I don't worry about the weight of the bike as much as I worry about the weight of the rider.

    I wouldn't be contemplating spending £80 to save 40 grams when I still have another 3 kg I could lose!
  • alwaystoohotalwaystoohot Posts: 252
    I remember Nigel Mansell complaining Ayrton Senna's car was faster as he stuffed another pie into his mouth. One memorable pre-season, they had to alter the seat/pod to allow enable him to get in the car...... :P
    'I started with nothing and still have most of it left.'
  • MonkeypumpMonkeypump Posts: 1,528
    Considering it's the OP's first post, which contains a link with vaguely positive recommendations, and there is absolutely zero response from him/her... could this just be SPAM?
  • thecrofterthecrofter Posts: 734
    I might be stealing someones signature here but -

    "Don't ride upgrades - ride up grades" Eddy Merckx.

    Seems to make some sense
    You've no won the Big Cup since 1902!
  • MountainMonsterMountainMonster Posts: 7,423
    If he has the cash to spend on upgrades, why not. It won't have any detrimental impact, other than cash related, but if he likes it, and feels happy saving the weight compared to cost, go for it. At least you end up with a trick bike afterwards when you've chosen the parts yourself.

    Well worth it if you ask me, but just my point of view.
    My London Road
  • lifeformlifeform Posts: 126
    Let's put 40g into context for a moment though - a Mars Bar is 58g
  • crumbschiefcrumbschief Posts: 3,399
    Oh they used to be so much bigger though and tasted better,sorry i've gone off Topic here.
  • Stiff_OrangeStiff_Orange Posts: 218
    crumbschief wrote:
    Oh they used to be so much bigger though and tasted better,sorry i've gone off Topic here.

    Do they still make Topic bars?
  • alwaystoohotalwaystoohot Posts: 252
    Curley Wurly's were tops when I was a lad!
    'I started with nothing and still have most of it left.'
  • amaferangaamaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Monkeypump wrote:
    Considering it's the OP's first post, which contains a link with vaguely positive recommendations, and there is absolutely zero response from him/her... could this just be SPAM?

    I think you're right.
    More problems but still living....
  • salty2000salty2000 Posts: 3
    Lads, lads....relax. There is an awful lot of sarcasm and 'quiet anger' out there. Calm down. I hear all the advice but at the end of the day many of us like 'nice looking' things that perfrom well. It might be a car or a certain guitar. A HD tv etc. We can buy stuff for less but we treat ourselves now and again. What we wear is a statement in itself.
    The tyre advice...right on the button. Thanks
    The wc advice is sadly low humour but there you go.
    Weight loss is taken on board too as I am around 12% and could get to single figs if I try harder. I don't race but like to be efficient on the bike.

    Thanks for the pointers
  • Buckled_RimsBuckled_Rims Posts: 1,648
    keef66 wrote:
    My bike's a reasonable 20 pounder and I don't worry about the weight of the bike as much as I worry about the weight of the rider.

    I wouldn't be contemplating spending £80 to save 40 grams when I still have another 3 kg I could lose!

    +1

    I've gone from a 80kg tubby to a fairly slim 68kg and I've noticed one hell of a difference without changing anything on my bikes.

    This time next year I should be under 65kg (still fat on waist and titty area to get rid off) and I still wont have changed anything on my standard bikes!

    What I laugh at is the riders who buy the very lightest bikes and then put 2 full (and heavy) bottles of water/energy drinks for a 40 mile ride! Unless it's hot and sunny I don't even carry water for the 40 miles training loops I do.
    CAAD9
    Kona Jake the Snake
    Merlin Malt 4
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