[[email protected]]

I have a santa cruz blur lt. im looking to save some weight. where should i start?
all the components came off a 2005 Specialized enduro expert. except the XT front derailler. https://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?arc=2005&spid=21341&menuItemId=0&gold_ses=
heres the link to the components list before i switched over. i think i need a lighter wheelset.

LX cranks
XTR rear
XT front
RP23 rear shock
Fox Float 36 R TALAS fork

thanks!

 

[bad mechanic]

Buy yourself a kitchen scale with at least gram resolution, and then create a spreadsheet listing all the components. Take each part off and weigh it, entering the weight in the spreadsheet. Once you've done that, you'll be able to research and identify the most effective places to save weight.

Look at your wheels first, since that's where weight is felt most.

 

[John Kuhl]

Wheels and tires are the best place
to start.

Best, John

 

[xrayeddy]

I'm in the same boat, a 30lb ( bag with tools, tube, pump, computer) XC bike. My last bike was a Felt Virtue 2 with low end wheels and it felt like a pretty good trail bike. That was until I bought my current bike ( Blur ) with Mavic wheels. I logged on over 500 miles on the Felt over the summer, on the same trails, so I knew the bike and trails pretty well. My first ride on the trails with the Blur, I noticed immediately that it accelarated much easier and climbing was easier as well.

Start with the wheels/tires and go from there. Even though my SC Blur weighs 30 lbs, it feels 10 lbs lighter than the Felt it replaced.

 

[[email protected]]

thanks for the replies... what set of Mavic wheels do you have?

 

[CactusJackSlade]

Wheels, then tubless... go Stan's wheels with their "Stan's Brand" hub and get a 1400g wheel for $440 that makes going tubeless a breeze

 

[John Kuhl]

I have two bikes with Mavic SLR wheels, and I
haven't had any problems.

Best, John

 

[xrayeddy]

Iv'e got Mavic Crossrides. Nothing fancy, but a world of difference.

 

[super jim]

I have just about completed my weigh reduction plan (for my bike - no me).

I have really enjoyed the project and have learned a great deal from this forum and from performing the modifications. Plus I have some new tools now.

I am almost ashamed to say, I have spent about the same amount on upgrades as I did on the bike to start with:eekster: But it's still been the least expensive project I've done in a while. Usually it's a turbo car, turbo PWC, motorcycle, boat, etc. MTB mods are cheap in comparison to a certain extent.

Anyway, here's a list of what I changed, the weight difference and cost/gram. This may help others to decide where to spend their money and where not to spend it. Reducing rotational mass, especially the longer radius such as tires/tubes is worth more than static weight. And I guess you can put some value on the bling factory on some items. You can look at the big hitters with the most weight reduction and the lowest cost/gram items.

Now it's time to ride:

Note: This was from an Excel spreadsheet and I could not get the spacing the same. 1st number is the original weight, 2nd is weight of new or modified part, 3rd is weight difference, then cost, followed by cost/gram. My scale rounds to the nearest 10 grams but I guess it averages out overall.

Cannondale 2009 29er - 4 purchase price $799.00

Parts original modified Diff. Price/cost $/gram
handlebars-monkey light 320 g 180 g -140 g $80 $0.57
stem - Easton 200 150 -50 $38 $0.76
seat (larger) 310 480 170 $40
seatpost -Easton 360 170 -190 $94 $0.49
bottle cage 49 49 $7
water bottle 70 70 $8
Seat pouch & tool kit 260 g 260 g $20
Replace ss screws/bolts w/ rivets -35 $0
Remove spoke protector -10 $0
Remove reflectors 80 removed -80 $0
frt rotor 160mm to 185mm 106 149 43 $20/Free
frnt rotor adaptor n/a 30 30 $12/Free
Juicy 3's to Juicy 5's 435gr x 2 395 gr x 2 -80 $75.00/Free
Ashima rear rotor 100 g 80 gr -20 $25.00 $1.25
Ashima front rotor 149 98 -51 $21.00 $0.41
Ti rotor bolts 30 g 20g -10 $21.00 $2.10 aluminum & Ti bolts 110 g 60 g -50 $50.00 $1.00
aluminum & Ti bolts 2 TBD TBD TBD $22.00 TBD
Carbon head set spacers 20 10 g -10 $ 12.00 $1.20
26" Lunar Light inner tubes 360 200 gr -160 $19.00 $0.12
Skewers - Halo botl-on's 175 g 75g -100 $15.00 $0.15
Cassette - XT M770 360 g 300 g -60 $68.00 $1.13
Crankset & BB - SLX 1200 g 900 g -300 $155.00 $0.52
Pedals - Mallet 2 460 g 474 g 14g $100.00
Total weight reductions -1346
Total weight addtions 636
Total change in weight -710 $774

 

[DHFreak]

The BEST place to shave weight is your own A$$, but if you have already done that than I would say any rotational weight would be next i.e. wheels, tires, cranks etc.

Mike

 

[Crack Monkey]

I built a small spreadsheet of weight and cost for my bike.

The most cost effective place to save weight on my bike was the saddle (going from a cromo rail Rocket V to a ti rail Rocket V).

Wheels were interesting. Going from a heavy set (Deore hub, straight gauge spokes, Sun SOS rims) to a mid-weight set (XT hub, Stans 355 rims, double-butted spokes) wasn't very cost effective, despite the substantial weight reduction. BUT - increasing the wheel budget to get something light-weight (Hope Pro2, Stans Olympic) made the wheel almost as cost-effective as the saddle. But, that was a substantial cash outlay.

Going to a light carbon bar (from mid-weight alum) was not cost effective and didn't save much weight.

In the end, my wife bought me some CrossTrails for my birthday, so it's a moot point. I'll be adding the saddle sometime this season.

And, remember, rotating, unsprung mass is the worst kind of mass. So, wheels are always a good upgrade, if your budget allows.

 

[rrl]

for starts.... how much does that frame weights??

 

[Diamondhead]

Switching to a 1X9 will save a whole pound of weight if done right. :thumbsup:

Cheers!

 

[super jim]

Asking me? I have not stripped it down to weigh the frame and I can't find it listed anywhere. I think total weigh stock was around 30 lb. Not sure. I will weigh the entire bike now and see what it is. In sum I have reduced about 3 lbs and added back about 1.5 lbs in stuff. A single pound is noticable.

 

[NoBalance]

get a carbon water bottle holder!

 

[twenty6black]

my order of operations would be:

1) Tires, get Conti MK SS 2.4 (550g) or 2.2 (450g)
2) Tubless or lighter tubes - Maxxis welter wieght. (125g)
3) wheels, Easton Havoc AM $399 jenson (1880g)
4) saddle/post/bars as you see fit.
5) change those forks out for a 32mm version - save a pound!

Do a change and then ride....you may stop after tires and tubeless!

How much money you got...hehehe

 

[Nozes]

Put some Larsen TT 1.9...NOT!!!!
That's a All Mountain bike you've got there.Some (most) of the suggestions above would save weight,but cost you confort and control,at the least.
Not knowing the weight on your parts,my suggestion is tires on the 600gr range (not under 2.2),tubeless,cassete, crankset,seatpost,stem and saddle.