[dejacky]

Terrain Useage: East, TX hard/dry single track (+ downhill jumps) with 50% of the bike useage on paved roads.

Here is the bike I started with:

Frame: 5" TRAVEL dw-link TRAIL FRAME, 1-1/8" ZEROSTACK HEADTUBE, REPLACEABLE DERAILLEUR HANGER
Fork: ROCK SHOX TORA 289 U-TURN, 130MM TRAVEL
Rear Shock: MANITOU RADIUM R, 7.5"X2"
Front Derailleur: SRAM X.7, 34.9MM CLAMP
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X.5
Shifters: SRAM X.5 TRIGGER
Brakes Levers: SHIMANO M485 HYDRAULIC
Brakes: SHIMANO M485 HYDRAULIC W/ 180MM FRONT & 160MM REAR ROTORS
Chain: KMC Z72
Crankset: FSA ALPHA DRIVE, 15-17"=170MM, 19-21"=175MM
Cassette: SRAM PG-850, 11/34T, 8 SPEED
Pedals: CRANK BROS SMARTY CLIPLESS

Bottom Bracket: FSA POWER DRIVE W/ ALLOY CUPS, 73X113MM
Headset: ORBIT Z, ZEROSTACK
Saddle: WTB SILVERADO COMP
Seat Post: EASTON EA30, 30.0MM
Handlebar: EASTON EA30, LOW RISE, 685MM, 31.8MM CLAMP
Grips: N/A
Stem: EASTON EA30, 31.8MM CLAMP
Tires: MAXXIS HIGHROLLER, 2.35" FRONT/2.1" REAR
Wheelset: SHIMANO M495 CENTERLOCK, 32H/SHIMANO M495 CENTERLOCK, 32H/ALEX TD-24, 32H/DT/SWISS CHAMPION 2.0
Weight: 31.6 lbs
Color: KHAKI SATIN

My Observation: the 2.1 maxxis highroller rear tire frequently lost traction on uphill climbs, was very annoying, so more traction is needed (same height style tire preferred because of limited rear-triangle clerance)

New Weight Goal: 25-27lbs with computer, comfortable seat, and wheel reflectors

Initial To Do List
1) Manitou Minute MRD Absolute 2008 model w/ 20mm axle
2) Front wheel replacement ???
3) Use Shimano Flight Deck 6500 computer + Tune Pulsar spoke Magnet
4) remove smallest crank cog gear
5) replace water holder bolts w/ plastic ones where to buy from???

My Goal is to use the best bang/buck upgrades and share all my results with everyone here with pictures too. What do you all recommend based on my ideas so far?

 

[autoduel]

I'll be building up my wife's MK III this week with budget light parts. I think it will come in at 26lbs.

 

[dejacky]

I'll be building up my wife's MK III this week with budget light parts. I think it will come in at 26lbs.

AutoDuel, please share with us your parts choices for a 26lb build :thumbsup: . The manitou minute mrd absolute fork (20mm thru axle) arrived today and now I'm trying to find a strong, but lighter front wheel, hub, and tire combo. Any suggestions for a ~215lb rider (should be 180 ). A Tubeless tire and rim seem like a better way to go for saving weight, any thoughts on that as well?

 

[tomsmoto]

you're going to basically have to put all your parts in the trash and replace them with new parts. the mkiii isnt the best weenie bike to build up.

 

[dejacky]

you're going to basically have to put all your parts in the trash and replace them with new parts. the mkiii isnt the best weenie bike to build up.

So far, I'm losing ~1.9lbs just from upgrading to this Manitou Minute MRD Absolute fork (sitting next to me ). I should be able to shave 0.6lbs from a lighter front wheel / hub / tire combination don't you think so? This would mean a total of 2.5lbs weight lost from the bike so far.

The more I read about tire/wheel/hub combinations the more I get confused. Does anyone have any good recommendations that are reliable and durable, yet still helping the bike lose some weight? The Phil Wood hub came to mind since it's only ~40g heavier than my current shimnao QR hub...I thought it wouldn't matter if the wheel and tire combo is still lighter?

 

[Flystagg]

for light 20mm your best bang for the buck is a hope pro 2. It is 180 grams and only 70 bucks, you would have to spend 3 times that to lose an extra 30 grams with a tune or dt swiss 240 oversize hub.

 

[autoduel]

26lb is an estimate. Most of the parts are to be taken off her 25lb proflex.
Fork is a 4lb older Minute Coil. 260gm women's TI saddle, heavy Ergon grips.RF Evolve 275gm seatpost. She does have Kooka Crank with an action tec TI BB, and I'm upgrading her Deore F&RD with a M950 rear and XT front. She does have a MAXM 120gm carbon bar and 125gm stem already. Brakes are BB7's with XTR integrated shifters.
I did build a set of 1533gm set of wheels (laserdic lite hubs) to help offset the weight of the frame.
She's running Larsen TT tire rear and Spec. Resolution front on superlight tubes.

 

[dejacky]

Is there any difference in performance, longevity, and reliability when comparing the Hope Pro 2 hub with the Phil Wood (20mm thru-axle front hubs)?

Edit: Since I'm on a budget, I've decided to do this in stages by slowly replacing the parts. So far, here is what I've come up with:

Replacement Part Weights
Fork: Manitou Minute MRD Absolute (130mm travel) ------- 1530g
F. Derailleur: Shimano XTR FD-M970 ------------------------------ 125g
R. Derailleur: SRAM X.0 Short ---------------------------------------- 192g
R. Cassette: Shimano XTR m970 ------------------------------------ 224g
Lighter wheel set (1 pound lighter) -------------------------------- ~1800g
200g savings from lighter front tire -----------------------------------~600g
Seat Post (Easton EC90) ------------------------------------------------ 190g
Handle Bar (MonkeyLite SL) -------------------------------------------- 135g
Stem (extralite UltraStem UL3 90mm) ------------------------------- 81g

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weight Savings
Front Derailler: 55g
Rear Derailler: 98g
Cassette: 71g
New Wheel Set: 454g
Fork: 830g
Tire: 200g
Stem: 91g
HandleBar: 200g
Seat Post: 100g
----------------------
Total loss: 2099g = 4.62 lbs (doesn't include removing h20 bottle bolts + small gear crank cog)
Resulting Bike Weight = 26.98 lbs

What do you all think, are there better bang/buck part choices for losing weight on this tank?

 

[Broccoli]

Stem: 91g

Don't. Not the best part for questionable weenie parts. Get X4.

 

[dejacky]

Don't. Not the best part for questionable weenie parts. Get X4.

Thanks Curmy,
that is exactly what I'm trying to avoid: i.e. finnicky & questionable weight weenie parts. I want the reliable proven stuff! :thumbsup:

 

[amillmtb]

What cassette size do you have...running a short cage der. may be sketchy with too big of cassette...

 

[Broccoli]

Thanks Curmy,
that is exactly what I'm trying to avoid: i.e. finnicky & questionable weight weenie parts. I want the reliable proven stuff! :thumbsup:

My rule of thumb is to avoid anything that is not 100% proven bulletproof for stem, seatpost, pedals/crankarms, and front axle. That usually means that any project gets Thomson seatpost (Masterpiece, if available), Thomson stem, Shimano cranks and pedals, and either a bolt-on skewer, or through axle.

After that I consider experimentation.

 

[dejacky]

What cassette size do you have...running a short cage der. may be sketchy with too big of cassette...

Cassette: SRAM PG-850, 11/34T, 8 SPEED

 

[autoduel]

Short cage won't work unless you are running 2x9.

I weighed my wife's build and it comes to 26.5 lbs.
Small frame with manitou radium. 6.4lb
Manitou minute 2.0 (90-120) with inner coil removed 3.8lb
Custom wheels (laserdisc lite/sun 0`xc) 3.38 lb
XT front derailleur
XTR M950 Rear derailleur
XTR M960 Cranks/BB
XTR M950 integrated brake/shifter
XT 11-30 cassette
BB7 Brakes
Ritchey WCS Ti pedals
Real World Cycling Externalizer w/ stock Orbit upper
Weyless 50mm road stem
Maxm flat carbon bar
Race Face Evolve seatpost
Serfas Carma Ti Saddle
Hope steel skewers & seat clamp
Maxxis Larsen TT 2.0 & Specialized Resolution Pro 2.0 tires
Specialized Turbo ultralight tubes
Ergon GP1-S grips

I could have saved another 2 oz if I went with the Kooka Cranks and TI BB, 6 oz if I used foam grips, Another 3 oz if I went with a 140mm fork instead of a 120, and 3oz more with a sub 200 gm saddle.
So sub 26 is easily doable.

 

[J. Random Psycho]

What Curmy says.

I suggest an XTR FC-M970 crankset... it's a masterpiece.

Eggbeaters 2 Ti (not 4 Ti).

Probably Formula R1 brakes... true, it's going to be raw, but Formula has recent record of being able to nail it at like the first attempt, with Oro and then the One.

Ti bolts wherever possible. Some aluminum bolts (if you can get these).

Duct tape or the like to seal bottle cage holes in the frame. Isn't pretty, but works for me.

Gripshifts. IoDupont PowerCordz cables. Foam grips (not Ritchey WCS, but more like Extralite UltraGrips - twice as light). But do take care of the handlebar - avoid those 3 g plastic end plugs! Go for aluminum plugs (like X-lite), or you may regret it when you crash.

Tune Speedneedle saddle (mates well with Thomson Masterpiece).

German:A rear shock?!

 

[dejacky]

Psycho, thanks for your recommendations! :thumbsup: A few questions if you don't mind:

How much lighter is the XTR FC-M970 than my current crankset & same question for the pedals.

I've been trying to follow updates on the formula R1's, but I don't see any proper reviews yet. I've tried gripshifts as well, but did not like them for my riding style, so I'm retaining button-style shifters for this build.

 

[Broccoli]

Psycho, thanks for your recommendations! :thumbsup: A few questions if you don't mind:

How much lighter is the XTR FC-M970 than my current crankset & same question for the pedals.

FSA - 721g, FSA powerdrive - 330g. Total ~1050g, XTR - 790g including BB. 260g gain. Cost is ~$340, so not quite $1 per gram which is my rule of thumb cutoff for sensible upgrades.

You can get SLX triple, replace granny with one from XT (aluminum), and with Al bolts is should be around 860g. Cost form chainreactioncycles is ~$105 + ~$15 for the aluminum granny.. Given the state of your project I would use $200 elsewhere to save the 70g difference.

For example on Hope hope hoops with DT 5.1d wheelset from chainreaction cycles - for around $300 you will save probably a pound. And you can keep your existing set for trashing with some burly tires.. Hubs are adoptable to 20mm axle, when you realise that Magura Thor is what you really want.

 

[J. Random Psycho]

Ahhhh, XTR crankset. Mine weighed 773 g at 170 mm. FC-M970 is my favorite among cranksets... I also have ~90 g lighter setup on my Cove Handjob: Middleburn RS-7 ISIS 175 mm, Uno ring, and FSA Platinum Pro Ti Megaquad (113 mm spindle, 185 g, 5000 km including lots of mud and still okay) , and I like XTR better.

My Eggbeaters 2 Ti weigh 223 g (pair). CB Smarty pedals claimed weight is 282g, not bad... but I remember reading somewhere that they are not serviceable. If that's true, just ride them to their doom. )

 

[Broccoli]

Ahhhh, XTR crankset. Mine weighed 773 g at 170 mm. FC-M970 is my favorite among cranksets...

SLX, both triple and double became my favorites this year on the price/performance scale. I still got a new XTR for a weenie project, but I do hate XTR's crank attachment. SLX style is so much easier. Double is the best value for an AM 22-36 crankset.

My Eggbeaters 2 Ti weigh 223 g (pair). CB Smarty pedals claimed weight is 282g, not bad... but I remember reading somewhere that they are not serviceable. If that's true, just ride them to their doom. )

Pedals are often a personal preference thing. Smarty is reported to be doomed from the start. Among Crank brothers I like Acid 2.

I want to try this Look Quartz things. 250g per pair for $82 and Look has good reputation. I have heard though they are picky about shoe soles.

 

[Vertr]

Do you have pictures of your bike? I'd like to see.