[tavorh1]

Hey guys,
I currently have a 2011 trek fuel ex5. If you had this bike, what would be your first upgrades to make it a lighter more efficient bike. Starting with the most price/return ratio possible. Take it as a small project of yours.

Get creative

 

[Muahdib]

The first thing to always look at for reducing weight are wheels and tires. That's probably the best price to weight ratio component to look at. Depending on your size stan's crest rims with your hub of choice is a good starting point. Your choice of rubber can get pretty light as well depending on what your terrain is. Next couple of things are handle bars and saddle.

 

[tavorh1]

what tire would you recommend for south florida. i mostly ride aggressive cross country with hard pack and soft pack a fairly good amount. a bit of sand. mostly dry stuff. i was thinking kenda nevegals but i don't know if id be getting much weight reduction since i have the bontrager xdx on.

 

[madsedan]

I have slowly gotten my size Large Camber expert down to the high 26# range and I still have the stock seatpost, stem, and bars on it.

I just bought a pair of the new FEA design Specialized Fast Trak Control 2bliss model last night, they were 520g each on the scale +/- a coupe grams, about 100g each lighter than the Captain Controls I removed.

Like said earlier in the thread, wheels/tires are a big, you can knock a pound off the bike for a few hundred bucks pretty easily. I yanked my stock rims and put on some Mavic Crosstrails.
But for me, here in Texas, I only need a single chainring up front, I convert all my bikes to a 1x9 or 10 right when I get it, removing the front der, shifter, extra chain rings and going to a medium/short cage rear der and removing some links from the chain drops a pound or more pretty quickly and easily. I think on the Camber it dropped almost 2 pounds off the bike before I took it on the first ride.

The only things I want to do more to the Camber are stupid little things, new bar/stem/seatpost and the new Specialized XC lightweight grips. I'll likely go with carbon bar and seatpost and I'll probably pick up a pair of Alligator windcutters to replace the G3CS rotors and that should get the Camber in the low 25# range. This should be a good spot for your Fuel EX5 as well.

I don't know which fork your Fuel has but if its got a spring in it and weighs 4.5# or more you might consider upgrading to a used Reba thats dual air, I think the one that came on my Camber is about 3.3#.