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Other than the wheels, what can I replace to lower my bike's weight?

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#23 ·
rafab said:
Thanks all! I guess I will start with the bars and save up for a good pair of carbon wheels. Unfortunately, I live in a place where access to carbon wheels is both difficult and extremely costly. I guess I will have to soak it up and save enough money.



I am already at 59kg (~130 lbs), and I actually need to go up a bit! It is already low enough for my height/body type 😁



Ouch! I hope you are ok!



I noticed that as well! I already replaced the stock wheels (+2 kg/ ~4.4lbs) and tires, and it was a very noticeable upgrade!
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you could also focus on the other side of the equation...POWER! If you are not already hitting the gym, getting stronger will make a HUGE difference in your riding. And you can gain a lot of leg strength without gaining much weight if you do it right. Lots of really light people are also pretty weak. In addition to making you a faster rider, being more muscular can help in crashes...little bit of natural "injury insurance" with stronger muscles and connective tissue.
 
#24 ·
Mike Aswell said:
Given that's more of a gravel bike...but I honestly do find somewhere right around 20 lbs to be a tipping point of "if it's any lighter, I'm not even sure I like it more."

I got obsessed with making my one hardtail sub 20# six years or so ago, and when I succeeded (which I did), I actually found that I didn't like it was much as when it was like a 21/22lb bike.

It just starts to get too light, if that makes sense. If you're just racing on paved roads, maybe a different story. But for MTB or gravel riding I prefer some minimum level of weight.
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my 2nd favorite bike ever was my @ 17lb rigid SS, that ballooned up to about 19Lbs with a SC32 on it and some extras for doing 50 miles rides. Was carbon everywhere except the XTR cranks. I had so much fun on that bike, and even took it off a few decent 2-3' drops (I was about 195lbs) a few times. Scared the crap out of me the first couple times, but once I learned to trust it, it was incredible. A few people rode it and they were all blown away at how insanely fast that bike would climb. One buddy took over 30sec off his PR on a 5 min climb, and his PR was set on an XC race bike. Sadly, I sold it to a friend and while I was out due to a bad crash, he sold it to someone else...
 
#25 ·
CrozCountry said:
Wheels and Cassette. Saddle weight saving is a compromise, you need to find a saddle that is both comfortable for you and light.
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cassette is an overlooked place to save weight, and it is rotating, so it makes even more sense. Lots of good, light, aftermarket cassettes that are as light as SHIM and SRAM, but cost less.
 
#26 ·
rafab said:
I am already at 59kg (~130 lbs), and I actually need to go up a bit! It is already low enough for my height/body type 😁
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I knew someone would suggest that the rider loses weight. I almost suggested it myself until I noticed you don't live in the land of the chronically obese (the US). Even as a fairly active person, I could, and have on occasion, dropped 5 to 10 pounds and was amazed how much easier and faster I could climb. At 130 lbs, you have no fat to spare. Kudos to you!
 
#29 ·
Gym membership and lifting? Make the world lighter by pushing back against it harder.

Wheels and tires make all the difference in the world.

Most of my bikes are over 35lbs - but I have an old Klein that is is only 23.8 lbs as a single speed- and was super fun to ride uphill - but will take my other bikes on the downhill anyday.

I added 7 lbs to it by putting on gears, and a fork that can run a 4.7 front tire. Now it is ~30.
 
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