[TerrorOnWheels]

I'm looking to save a little bit of weight, but not sacrfice strength on my so far stock Bullit R Freeride, you can see specs here http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/bicycles/bullit.php?kits=1&showkit=1&thekit=rdisc. My riding is about 70%freeride/downhill and 30%XC. I'm no weight weenie and like a bike that takes a little more to ride, but If I'm not in top form, sometimes I get worn out a little soon when ridding with my XC buds and I could definately benefit from a little lighter bike. I still wan't to obliterate them on the downhill without worrying about my bike imploding beneath me >:} I was thinking about carbon handlebars and seatpost, but don't know what else and I don't know how strong they really are. I have Mavic XC 717 rims, but don't what are the lighter wheelsets out there that don't sacrifice strength. Any other lightening suggestions are apprciated L8

 

[e<i>o]

You're biggest weight savers are gonna be your wheelset & your fork.

Consider a UST wheelset & a SC long travel fork if your not using one already.
If you're rich you can get a Ti spring for your shock.
Switch the LX stuff for XT.

Carbon bars and seatpost only aren't gonna do all that much for you weight wise.

Other than that get in shape.

 

[MTBsSd]

I've never really cared too much about weight but if you wanted to pick up a titanium spring you can get em' for $38 at www.adrenalinebikes.com

 

[binary visions]

You have to be prepared to spend some $$ if you want to save weight without sacrificing strength, but here's some suggestions:

Ti springs are almost the only place on your bike where you save a chunk of weight with zero disadvantages. Go for it.

Chris King ISO disc hubs save a half pound over most other hubsets on the market and somehow those guys manage to make them incredibly strong as well. Lord only knows how they do it, but they do.

Tubeless wheelset will knock off the weight of the tubes. Whether you go for Stan's or a tubeless wheel, you'll get some weight savings.

Thomson equipment is uber-strong but still very light.

You're runing x717 rims?? If you're not destroying those on the downhills, then you can probably get away with some pretty lightweight parts, so I guess the sky is the limit there. I would definitly NOT look at any lighter rims. Butted spokes are a good place to save some grams and still get a very strong wheel build - stronger than straight-gauge, in fact.

Just remember that aside from what I listed above, weight savings come in lots of little pieces. A carbon handlebar doesn't save you much. A Thomson seatpost doesn't save you much. An XO rear derailleur doesn't save you much. But those three things together might be a quarter to a half pound knocked off. Do it a little at a time and don't expect great weight savings straight away.

 

[TNC]

Here'a a 28.5 & a 32 lb. Bullit.

I'm looking to save a little bit of weight, but not sacrfice strength on my so far stock Bullit R Freeride, you can see specs here http://www.santacruzbicycles.com/bicycles/bullit.php?kits=1&showkit=1&thekit=rdisc. My riding is about 70%freeride/downhill and 30%XC. I'm no weight weenie and like a bike that takes a little more to ride, but If I'm not in top form, sometimes I get worn out a little soon when ridding with my XC buds and I could definately benefit from a little lighter bike. I still wan't to obliterate them on the downhill without worrying about my bike imploding beneath me >:} I was thinking about carbon handlebars and seatpost, but don't know what else and I don't know how strong they really are. I have Mavic XC 717 rims, but don't what are the lighter wheelsets out there that don't sacrifice strength. Any other lightening suggestions are apprciated L8

The 32 lb. version isn't too fragile either. The Z150FR SL fork drops a chunk for a 6" fork. The air shock drops the normal coil weigh penalty. The CrossMax XL Disc, though not hucking wheels, are not glass slippers for really tough riding and drop some decent weigh. The tires are running tubeless, but even that 2.5 Mich in the front is only 840g. This build has provided a very stout ride, but one that can climb and be used as a very good all-around bike. The 28.5 lb. version was mainly an experiment and pushes the limits of an aggressive trail bike for durability. I never broke anything, but a big screwup would've chanllenged the wheels, and long term durability would have been an issue.

 

[e<i>o]

The 32 lb. version isn't too fragile either. The Z150FR SL fork drops a chunk for a 6" fork. The air shock drops the normal coil weigh penalty. The CrossMax XL Disc, though not hucking wheels, are not glass slippers for really tough riding and drop some decent weigh. The tires are running tubeless, but even that 2.5 Mich in the front is only 840g. This build has provided a very stout ride, but one that can climb and be used as a very good all-around bike. The 28.5 lb. version was mainly an experiment and pushes the limits of an aggressive trail bike for durability. I never broke anything, but a big screwup would've chanllenged the wheels, and long term durability would have been an issue.

Damn!

There ya go.

 

[gonzostrike]

you need to decide what you want your Bullit to be. that's the first thing you must do.

the easiest way to make your Bullit friendly on XC and FR/DH rides alike is to build the bike with light but strong parts. your choices should be economically wise, too... the Ti spring for your 5th E delivers a TINY weight reduction at a HUGE price and the weight reduction is at a static point, which means you really won't feel it. ignore that one. it's tempting, but ultimately only for those with lots of disposable $$$.

recommended parts for a multi-use Bullit:

+ LX or XT Hollowtech (2003 or 2004) crank/BB... XT lighter by a good amount
+ Marz Z150 fork... can do XC or FR, the ETA feature makes climbing MUCH easier
+ lightish wheelset -- i.e. Mavic XM321 rims with 14/15 db spokes
+ 6" rotor in the rear
+ lighter brakes like Magura Louise FR or Hope Mono M4
+ light handlebar & stem... can't beat a Thomson stem with Answer ProTaper bar for strength & lightness
+ two tire sets, one for XC and one for FR/DH. save the heavy sidewalls and fat treads for FR/DH
+ new E13 chain tensioner for 3-ring setups... way lighter, just as effective on all but full-on super rough DH.

the cheapest (but hardest) method is just to ride more and train harder, but most of us ride as much as we can/like, and this might not be within your reach. but it's free, and has rewards that extend beyond the bling-bling.

 

[binary visions]

the Ti spring for your 5th E delivers a TINY weight reduction at a HUGE price

Actually, depending on the spring he's running, it can knock a whole half pound of weight off without any degredation in performance. In fact, Ti is actually more sensitive and has a longer life than steel springs (though whether that actually makes a difference in the ride quality is debateable).

Ti springs are very expensive, but on a high-abuse bike it is one of the only ways to take a big chunk of weight off with no degredation in strength. Light, strong, cheap, pick any two only applies up to a certain point - eventually, no matter how much money you spend, lighter = weaker.

I agree that there are many many more economical ways to shave weight, and rotating weight should be the first thing shaved if possible, but a Ti spring is a great way to make your bike instantly lighter without even having to consider an impact in performance.

 

[gonzostrike]

I agree that the Ti spring really doesn't DEGRADE performance, but from a "make my bike climb better," what's the real effect of swapping it in?

lightness of rotating mass is critical to FEELING lighter. static weight changes are relatively pointless... you might as well cut 1/2 pound from what you carry with you on your ride.

this is a fact I've learned the hard way, passing quickly through the weight weenie phase in my XC racing days... no real substitute for (1) better training & more riding; or (2) reducing rotating weight.

again, with $$$ to burn, the Ti spring is a chi-chi bling-bling option, but its return in EASIER CLIMBING is highly suspect.

 

[Renegade]

I've never really cared too much about weight but if you wanted to pick up a titanium spring you can get em' for $38 at www.adrenalinebikes.com

That price is for steel springs.
Ti springs are usually in the $200plus range.

 

[binary visions]

again, with $$$ to burn, the Ti spring is a chi-chi bling-bling option, but its return in EASIER CLIMBING is highly suspect.

Like I said, I agree that rotating weight is clearly the best place to reduce weight. It'll have the most direct effect on how light the bike feels. However, lighter weight is lighter weight - if your bike is lighter, it'll climb better.

And he's already running x717 rims anyway, so I'm not sure how much rotating weight he can realistically shave off his wheelset...

 

[Jm.]

you need to decide what you want your Bullit to be. that's the first thing you must do.

the easiest way to make your Bullit friendly on XC and FR/DH rides alike is to build the bike with light but strong parts. your choices should be economically wise, too... the Ti spring for your 5th E delivers a TINY weight reduction at a HUGE price and the weight reduction is at a static point, which means you really won't feel it. ignore that one. it's tempting, but ultimately only for those with lots of disposable $$$.

recommended parts for a multi-use Bullit:

+ LX or XT Hollowtech (2003 or 2004) crank/BB... XT lighter by a good amount
+ Marz Z150 fork... can do XC or FR, the ETA feature makes climbing MUCH easier
+ lightish wheelset -- i.e. Mavic XM321 rims with 14/15 db spokes
+ 6" rotor in the rear
+ lighter brakes like Magura Louise FR or Hope Mono M4
+ light handlebar & stem... can't beat a Thomson stem with Answer ProTaper bar for strength & lightness
+ two tire sets, one for XC and one for FR/DH. save the heavy sidewalls and fat treads for FR/DH
+ new E13 chain tensioner for 3-ring setups... way lighter, just as effective on all but full-on super rough DH.

the cheapest (but hardest) method is just to ride more and train harder, but most of us ride as much as we can/like, and this might not be within your reach. but it's free, and has rewards that extend beyond the bling-bling.

A few added suggestions.

-Z150SL (maybe wait for fox 36?, with the 4,5,6" talas adjust feature this will be hot!)

-XM819 wheelset, maybe 719s (what used to be the 519s) if you are lighter and wont be too abusive. The key is not how strong the rim is so much, but how correctly the wheel is built in terms of tension. Even a 519 when built correctly can take a lot of abuse if you used the correct spokes and tensioned correctly. (DT super comps, brass nipples, CK hubs).

Maybe a hope M4 up front, and a mini-mono 6" in the rear, that would save even more weight and would be plenty of power in the rear.

-Thomson stems are not very light. There is a NEW thomson stem comming out soon that saves about 30g, while that might be an option shortly, there's a lot of decent 100mm and 90mm stems that are a good deal lighter than the thomson. The thing is that when you get to shorter lengths, you don't need as "overbuilt" of a stem. Another idea might be to just get both a thomson (for DH and FR) and a light 140g ritchey for XC. I am being a little picky here, but when talking 100mm and less, you don't need as overbuilt of a stem, and the new thomson seems to fit the bill pretty nicely.

-Maxm MX6 bar. It's made for Dhing and freeriding, so if it breaks for some reason, at leaste you can warrenty it, unlike many other carbon bars. They are doing very well in terms of reliability though and strength.

-Sram microadjust front shifter will help you keep your chain on as well.

 

[RED5]

I've never really cared too much about weight but if you wanted to pick up a titanium spring you can get em' for $38 at www.adrenalinebikes.com

Hate to say it, but I just checked their site. All the springs are steel, there are no TI springs.

 

[TerrorOnWheels]

Thanks for the advise so far guys. Unfotunately, the getting in shape part is already taken care of for me as I've been riding for years now at least 5 days a week. I'm not trying to make my bike lighter because I can't make it up climbs because I ate too many doughnuts , but I'm just looking to extend my range a little on the XC days. So far, I've abused the x717 rims and they are holding up ok so far.
I like the Chris King hubs, but damn they're expensive. Maybe I'll look into getting a Ti spring for my boxxer, I need a stiffer spring anyways. The Ti spring for the rear shock is way too much money I think for the weight you save, I'll stick with the stock steel spring. I think I'm gonna go with a carbon riser bar and seatpost, I like the look of them . Not really gonna fool with the rotors because I get to some narly speeds on some narly downhills and good stopping/slowing power have saved my bacon before. Probably gonna spec out more XTR stuff, probably save some weight there but be strong. I think even a pound or so should really help me get that extra 30 miles a little easier and still have energy to go hucking and dropping for hours after that Thanks again guys.

 

[TerrorOnWheels]

I just looked over at my bike and there is X729's on there, not x717, I don't know why I thought I had x717's.

 

[rockcrusher]

watch your ass on that carbon post. One heavy g-out and it could snap leaving a sphincter clenching jagged sharp post very near your nether regions when you would least want it. The general rule of thumb with the carbon stuff is not to use it in situations where there can be extreme loading and impacts. The rough and tumble of freeriding or DH can scar the carbon creating a stress riser and on the next heavy impact it will give. Unlike alu which will bend first, the carbon will just shear and tear. This leaves very sharp shards in whatever touches the part. Too tight stems, brake levers, shifters, lock-ons, and seatpost clamps can all cause these risers as well.

Plus alu is usually cheaper, lighter and available in more sizes, especially the handlebar width area.

FWIW, i ride xc wheels on my bullit (WTB Laserbeams) and they are lasting fairly well, although I just dented one finally.

 

[greenmacheen]

#s

Most Bullit owners are in this boat. I'm always dreaming of dropping weight w/o strength. But, with this bike you can only take it so far. If you push it you'll wind up w/ a Bullit you don't trust. So, here is my formula.

1)Wheels & Tires (mine: Mavic 521s w/ 14ga on brass 3+. Tires: for xc something w/ low resistance, good traction, good sidewall--Maxxis Larsen TT is next for me. I run light tubes and double ply sidewalls. Seems to work well.)

Light fork. Fox ? Shiver SC ? Fox 36 ?

I personally will take DH and reliability over the weight.

I also believe in less braking. Let faster riders go first. Then you catch them

 

[Evel Knievel]

I personally will take DH and reliability over the weight.

I second that.

 

[BigHit-Maniac]

I second that.

I most definitely third that.

(48.5 Lb's of love baby)

-matt