how to make your bike lighter?
justin_c2000
Posts: 32
hi, I have a 2012 cannondale supersix with an ultegra group, other than the fsa slk crankset. it have mavic ksyrium eqiupe wheels and shimano 105 pedals. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to get it lighter. it currently weighs about 16lbs , thanks
0
Posts
Go on a diet of fish and chips and Guinness.
What to do is about the money you want spend?
I would go for wheels, tubes and tyres first.
SRAM red will take some weight off or the cannondale spider crankset!
Adding weight to you should make you descend faster.
112lbs
Damn, how tall....I'm 5 6"
1. Sell bike and buy lighter one
2. Have a good dump before you go out (much cheaper)
Sirius - Steel Reynolds 631
Cove Handjob - Steel Columbus Nivacrom
Trek Madone - Carbon
I made the mistake of doing that when not very slim
The take a dump crew, whilst correct, can bore off. If you want to throw money at it, by all means. I'd start with wheels, you can save weight and improve the feel of the ride at the same time.
Depending on what's on there now, you can also save quite a bit with the saddle and seatpost.
But if you need to, then...
Get lower on the bike, wear skin-suits not bib shorts / jersey.
Or...
lighter shoes
super light inner tubes (or go tubeless)
Carbon pedals
Strip off the padding on your saddle, or buy the ridiculously expensive full carbon models
Sell the supersix, and get the supersix evo
Upgrade to Dura Ace all round.
But all of these, apart from the inner tubes are getting costly.
All of them are pretty meaningless of course but if you want to throw money at them all to go lighter. . .
Some shoes are surprisingly heavy, AND you have to lift them up and down through 35 cm every pedal rev.
The difference in a heavy (400g) and a light (250g) shoe is significant, x2 = 300g.
Shoes! Pedas -l look keo carbon blade Ti are bit over 200g I think.
Lighter tubes Race 28 supersonics that will save 100g over standard tubes -
Buy an alloy bolt kit from toronto cycles and fit the parts to the rear mech that will save 15g and fit fybrelight carbon cages and pulleys more more weight saving. Again this will save another 15g. Don't use alloy cable anchor bolt though one day it will leave you without gears!
Deda supperleggra bars, stem and seatpost are probably lighter than what you have currrently - expensive.
Or fit a entire DA 9000 groupset -expensive. SRam Red is the lightest groupset.
Tyres plenty of tyres in the 200-210g range use these.
Wheels for a a light riders can be built down to 1400g or less.
Sella italia carbon seat or perhaps get berk to make you an intergreated seatpost saddle combo. He does those down to 100g or so - expensive.
Forks - weigh them there maybe lighther out there.
How far do you want to go? I would start with shoes, pedals, tyres and tubes followed by wheels if you want to go that far. Last things to throw money at are groupset, and controls/contact points.
As with any serious weight weenie build you will need to take your bike to bits and weigh every part and create a spreadsheet. Do not rely on manufacturers claimed weight! go by weight measured by others on weight weenies and the like. If you don't do this you will buy parts that are heavier than what you have and that would be a waste.
If you wanted to throw money at it then get a Dura Ace 9000 mechanical groupset. Lighter saddle, carbon seat post, swap out the handle bars and stem for carbon, dura ace pedals and wheels, some lighter shoes, there's even savings to be made in the weight of the bottle cages.
You'll have a really light bike and also a really light wallet
I'd also add -
Bar tape (lizardskinz in one of the thinner ones)
Expander in your stem (compare yours to Extralite's Ultrastar at 7g)
Veloplugs can easily shave 15g per wheel
Bottle cages (not all light ones are expensive)
Marginal gains all but you can quite cheaply shave 100g picking up 3-4 of them and they're a hell of a lot cheaper than wheels.