# Help me save weight (on a budget) on my 2019 Specialized epic Ht comp for NICA racing



## quadzillaa (Sep 23, 2018)

A little bit of background: I'm 17 years old, and will race Norcal HS XC racing this upcoming spring. So this bike will only see tame races and in general most of my riding will be pretty untechnical. Tamorancho or Skeggs is probably the hardest riding the bike will ever see. My previous bike was a specialized fuse comp and the epic is a huge upgrade. Definitely sketchier on chunky downhills (I raced dville on the fuse), but obviously quick on the climbs and surprising faster on moderate to untechnical downhills. really shines on easy flowy trails like China Camp. I immediately converted the bike to tubeless. Weighed the tubes, they were 216 grams each for anyone interested.

I currently have a spreadsheet (which will be linked) which has most of the component names/weight either from my own estimates or my own weighing. Being a highschooler with little money, I want all my upgrades to be above or at *2grams saved per dollar. *Pretty high target but I think it's achievable. One other note: I will be getting a bike fit so I want to stay away from buying a lighter saddle right now just to be told to swap it. Same goes for the stem. I am open to ebay/ craiglist finds and am open to chinese parts excluding handlebars. In terms of tires, the tire has to reliably complete a NICA race so it could go pretty light but I don't really wanna risk it with something like a furious fred or thunder burt (maybe a sworks renegde rear tho).

Notes about part weights: Specialized did a great job keeping the small parts light. Rear thru axle 33 grams! not a ton of weight to be saved. Same with the top cap + bolt 9 grams!. Seatpost was surprisingly heavy still need to weigh the rest of the parts. I think rotors are a good candidate for bang for buck. I currently don't have total weight, but should soon (scale out of batteries).

Google Sheet of parts:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MAqGjjEEvcl62LxBizspw-EqcWuvX_cQfpgJZ_5bsIc/edit?usp=sharing

photos are of bike and first upgrade I made (grips) saved 70 grams for 13 dollars which is over 5 grams per dollar of saving. (excuse the dork disc I took it off)


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## Davide (Jan 29, 2004)

Avoiding the most expensive parts (cassette, cranks, brakes), you can save a small bundle with a trip to e-bay:


rotors (get Ashima 160 front 140 back) https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ashima-Ai2...h=item48b2288bbb:g:~1AAAOSwCf9bhPKf:rk:6:pf:0)
saddle (any China made, around 100 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Super-ligh...1f042b6b:m:mZc7SgjXtkhioRv8JFoNjJw:rk:39:pf:0)
chain (get XTR next time you need to change it)
The saddle would be most likely a race day item, because of stiffness, but I had one for a while and for $15 it is the largest cheap saving.


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## jimPacNW (Feb 26, 2013)

I bought a couple of sets of these grips on someone else's recommendation here, I gave a set to my friend, he said they're 16g, good grips too (see link below). I've got$18 ebay BXT carbon seatposts on both my 14 year olds bikes, they have been good posts, he's about 130 pounds now and uses a pretty tall post at 6'3". I suppose you could cut off any extra post you don't need and save a bit. 
grip ebay link, they come from China in 2-3 weeks:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1Pair-Bike...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649


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## quadzillaa (Sep 23, 2018)

Thanks for the recommendations, I'll definitely do the ashima's 160 F 160 R. BXT seatpost does get quite good dollars/gram in terms of weight savings but it only saves about 90 grams according to the claimed weight. I realize this gets me well over 2 grams saved per dollar but it also leaves a lot of weight that could be lost on the seatpost. I'm thinking about the Hylix offset seatpost which gets me 165 grams saved for 56 dollars which is ~ 3 grams per dollar but with much more weight savings. I heard mixed reviews about the post, anyone have experiences with the hylix setback post?

seatpost: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Hylix-Offs...21660431192?hash=item1c5386db58:rk:1:pf:0&var


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## jimPacNW (Feb 26, 2013)

I would avoid a single bolt post for actual racing; a couple of years ago I bought a 'bontrager' off ebay that looked exactly like that, same single bolt design. It moved very nose-up on the 3rd lap of a race, I had to stop and re-adjust it, so I switched to two-bolt posts, - I do have a Spec sworks single bolt post on my cx bike, I've never had a problem with that one, but otherwise I would not buy a single bolt post for racing. I gave that 'bontrager' to my friend, it was really light, I think he said it was around 160g, it snapped off for him during a race last spring, he's not super skinny, and it was a 27.2 post.


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## sissypants (Sep 7, 2016)

Huge props to you for coming up with such a financially responsible way for shaving weight on your bike! I too am on a budget and use the Hairsine ratio to determine what components I'll buy.

I use imported carbon components since it's the only way to keep things light and affordable. I ride very aggressively and have done a lot of experimentation. What I'm recommending here is stuff I trust and personally ride.

Cockpit upgrades will be the easiest way to shave a little weight:

*Seatpost (6.3 grams saved per dollar)*
Buy this $31 Chiner seatpost (weighs 151 grams, comes with Ti bolt), save 194 grams.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Bic...n-Seatpost-Seat-Post-27-2-31/32814024528.html

I have this seatpost. It is high quality and impressively light.

*Handlebar (9.9 grams saved per dollar)*
I've tried over 7 different Chiner handlebars, had 1 crack, but the rest held up. This one is the cheapest, and coincidentally, my favorite. I have 3 of them now. My 720mmx31.8mm bar weighs 140g. It costs $14--incredible!!

278g-140g = 138g saved for $14.  LMAO.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New...handlebar-MTB-lightest-parts/32676601250.html

*Saddle (6 grams saved per dollar)*
If you really want to go raw carbon, there are options:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/ROC...For-MTB-Road-Fold-Bike-Front/32791496529.html

Rockbros is a great brand with a lot of high quality stuff. I just ordered this saddle but have no experience with it yet. It's 95g for $28.

263g - 95g = 168g saved for $28.

If you're not into raw carbon, there's an outstanding $30 135g option which I have on all my bikes:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/MTB...dle-Bicycle-Saddle-Bike-Seat/32766321631.html

*Stem (upwards of 4 grams saved per dollar)*
You don't have information on your stem, but I'm guaranteeing you a Kalloy stem will save a stupid amount of weight.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/KALLOY-UNO-AL-7050-Ultra-Light-Weight-Stem-31-8-7-Degree-Black/122072788324

I'd focus on getting a Kalloy stem with angles and lengths to match your fit, not just gram count. It will be under 120g and $25 no matter how long you make it.

*Grips (69 grams saved per dollar)*
Your grip upgrade was a good call, but just so you know, there is another option. Here's how that would have worked out:

$1.32 (mine weigh 20g including caps). 111g-20g = 91g

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1Pair-Bike...ycle-Handlebar-Grips-For-Cycling/273382336325

These are not cheap junk, I use them on all my bikes. They are incredibly comfortable and never rotate. With the Ritchey WCS grips you may have issues with them squirming around, just use a little epoxy to secure them in place.

*Wheels*
But the upgrades that matter most will be more expensive. You have a 1900g wheelset, which is heavy. Rolling momentum is a huge factor, and you should be much more concerned about it than cockpit weight.

Keep an eye out for good deals or pick up something used. Here is an example wheelset (something I happen to ride) for $740 which will shave 600 grams of weight and represent a serious upgrade, with DT 350 hubs, carbon rims, and aero spokes:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/129...p-clincher-tubeless-straight/32828213559.html

*Crankset*
You may be on a tight budget for now, but keep an eye out for used Race Face Next cranksets or last year's SRAM XX1 Eagle cranksets, these could drop up to 270 grams, at a value of almost $1/gram saved. It's substantial.

*Drivetrain*
NX Eagle is very heavy, you don't need 12 speeds. Maybe you can part out your drivetrain and sell it on eBay and replace it with an 11-speed drivetrain. Some economical parts to look at are:

- PYC SL 11-speed chain (120g for $30)
- XG-1195 cassette (or the XT cassette), about 100g weight savings and sub $90
- Shimano XT shifter and derailleur from Aliexpress

I haven't done the math, but you would drop a lot of weight there and maybe get long-term performance gains.

*Rotors (1.7 grams saved per dollar)*
Switch rotors out for Ashima AI2. Ashima AI2 160mm rotors weigh 73g each plus ~13 grams for 6 rotor bolts, comes out to 86 grams with rotor bolts. Your centerlines weigh 112g with bolts, so for a pair of rotors thats 52g savings.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Worlds...e-Rotor-140-160-180mm-64-73-104g/252144001549

Good luck!


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## sissypants (Sep 7, 2016)

By the way, I should emphasize that buying used and sometimes buying from local riders is a great way to save money. I've picked up a XG-1195 cassette in great shape from an eBay auction for $130, Shimano XTR SPD pedals for $80 in great shape on craigslist, and like-new Race Face Next SL G4 crankarms for $280 off Pinkbike. Those are examples, and over time you save a lot of money.


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## quadzillaa (Sep 23, 2018)

Thanks so much guys. Definitely plan on order the ashima's so expect an update in the next couple weeks. Great suggestion from sissypants, I want to get the seatpost you suggested but I forgot to mention i need a setback post, do you know if they offer it in seatback? I understand many of the grip suggestions are great gram/$ an might as well order some because they are so cheap but unsure of durability and or comfort. In terms of drivetrain, i'm gonna stick with nx eagle, eventually swap the chainring and watch for any deals on cranksets. my bike fitter actually uses debadged kalloy uno stems so that will save me some weight. I like the prospect of getting the bars but i'm scared of breaking chinese carbon especially in a crash and while I mostly ride untechy stuff, It's gotta be able to survive trails like tamorancho and skeggs (trail - all mtn trails). I'm on a team so ill definitely see If any teammates have wheels. Earlier this month my teammate gave an Easton carbon front wheel away for free! and I see rock bottom offers in the team chat all the time (my friend picked up a 2019 sworks crux frame for 1200)


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

Look for some xpedo mforce 4 or 8's with the ti spindles. They're about 220g and they are often on ebay for cheap. Even the chromo spindles are lighter than XTR.

Example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Xpedo-Exus...h=item3fae02ab46:g:ZBoAAOSw1cdbvg7s:rk:4:pf:0


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## quadzillaa (Sep 23, 2018)

jestep do you know if you can xpedo pedals are spd compatible? I've been searching online and have been getting mixed answers. The reason I want to stay on spd cleats is becuase my other mtb is spd and I want to be able to test my friends bike during practice and they are all on spds haha.


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## jestep (Jul 23, 2004)

quadzillaa said:


> jestep do you know if you can xpedo pedals are spd compatible? I've been searching online and have been getting mixed answers. The reason I want to stay on spd cleats is becuase my other mtb is spd and I want to be able to test my friends bike during practice and they are all on spds haha.


They definitely are. I have some XT M8000's and A530's on several of my bikes and I don't have to do anything to use the xpedos. I'm also slightly over their recommended weight for the ti spindles but have had no problems for roughly 2 years on my SS which I'm routinely out of the saddle.


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## quadzillaa (Sep 23, 2018)

*Update*

Sorry for lack of updates have been waiting for the parts to trickle in.

Ashima rotors came in. 160 F and R. I believe I bought each for $21 of alieexpress.

Stock front 180 centerline (weight includes bolts):








Stock rear 160 centerline (weight includes bolts):








Ashima Airotor (x2):








Rotors seemed well made, ran perfectly true, no imperfections.

I didn't realize that the stock front rotor on the bike was an 180mm centerline, so I still need to buy shorter brake mount bolts. Shorter bolts and getting rid of the spacers should drop an additional 20 grams.

Anyways, original weight+bolts: 285g - (airotor) 198g = 87 grams saved for 42 dollars = 2.07 grams/dollar saved. (2.54 grams/dollar saved after I get the shorter bolts for mounting). So still above the magical 2 grams of saving/dollar. But I will sell the centerlines on ebay and I think I should get at least $20 for the pair so I think I can call it ~4 grams saved/dollar. Coming in next is the seatpost which will drop a ton of weight should be ~8 grams saved/ dollar.


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## robbnj (Jul 19, 2013)

This may not be useful to you at all, but I was able to shave off 6,795 grams in a short time for relatively little cost.
Not off my bike mind you, but off of my body. Dang what a difference it made.

Lose 2 pounds and you've knocked off 1,000 grams. That's $500 by your cost-benefit desires.

Food for thought (besides, someone already mentioned China carbon fiber - I just put on my new carbon bar tonight).


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## Wheelspeed (Jan 12, 2006)

sissypants said:


> Huge props to you for coming up with such a financially responsible way for shaving weight on your bike! I too am on a budget and use the Hairsine ratio to determine what components I'll buy.
> 
> I use imported carbon components since it's the only way to keep things light and affordable. I ride very aggressively and have done a lot of experimentation. What I'm recommending here is stuff I trust and personally ride.
> 
> ...


Looks like some good info there, although I feel this big ][ supporting China's sh!tty business practices. But that seat post is only $30 bucks and would save me about 85g over my Ritchey WCS alum. I might have to do it but boy I'll feel guilty about it.

EDIT- Oh, and can add support for the Kalloy Uno 7 Ultralight stem. It's great on my roadbike at 90mm 7-degree at 92g with ti bolts. I'm 200lbs and suppose a road bike with no suspension and 90psi tires on Pittsburgh pothole roads may have a harder life than a xc bike with 100mm suspension. I suppose Kalloy is Chinese also but at least they sell through distributors here, so I suppose they are registered and not violating any patent or proprietary rights.


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## quadzillaa (Sep 23, 2018)

So I finally got some shorter bolts:









They replaced the long bolts and spacers:









For a weight savings of 15 more grams. so now 87+15 = 102 grams saved. which is 2.48 grams saved/ dollar. Buuut, I am selling my centerline rotors and someone actually bought them for $40 before cancelling the order because they thought they were centerlock. Anyway, I think I can get at least $20 bucks for the pair of rotors which would put my grams saved per dollar in the 5 range. If you want the rotors they're on ebay. Only ridden for 100 (light) miles: https://www.ebay.com/itm/233002379114

Anyways, the seatpost came in. I ended up getting the highest rated one on aliexpress (thanks for all the great suggestions). I got the "BXT full carbon bicycle seatpost MTB". 4.8 stars out of 5 out of 400 reviews.

The stock seatpost (see google sheet below) weighed 345 grams.

Upgrade (sorry for the crappy photo):









not bad. And I got it in 400mm and should be able to cut a few cm off to make it closer to 180 g. The seatpost cost $20, which means a whopping 7.25 grams saved/dollar!! The construction of the shaft is descent. Though I'm a bit skeptical of the clamp. Haven't been able to ride it yet because of all the smoke in the bay area. Sat on it pretty hard to see if it would crack or slip and it was fine. So far, for 20 bux I can't complain. I did have one question about installation. I didn't use carbon grip is that ok? the seatpost doesn't slip.

I ended up weighing the entire bike with the oh so scientific bathroom scale method and it ended up coming out to 23.2 pounds or 10.54 kg. Not bad for an XL. I should have some full bike pictures coming soon.

For the future, I will get a bike fit and replace the stem with a kalloy uno (bike fitter uses kalloy uno's). I might hold off on upgrades for a little bit until my other mtb sells. But next up is most likely bar. Drooling over enve:
https://enve.com/products/sweep-bar/

Only 110 bux for enve which ain't bad. Need pedals too. Most likely Xpedo as recommended by jestep.


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## quadzillaa (Sep 23, 2018)

robnj:

I am trying to lose some weight though I am reasonably skinny. I am a highschooler who weighs 150 lbs at 6'0. 20 min pwr of 305 = 4.5 w/kg. According to my scale (with the electrodes) I am 18% body fat. i could safely lose about 6% which is 9 pounds. When the season kicks into swing I'll try as hard as I can to cut but frankly I think it would be a struggle to lose more than 3 pounds. I'm kinda at the point where I'm starting to approach no more weight lost before radically changing my eating habits an lifestyle. I am also a competitive road cyclist and usually put in 12+ hour weeks.


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## Ausable (Jan 7, 2006)

I always replace the trailing Post Mount bolt to alloy, both on front and rear brake. I am sure that two alloy bolts would be fine for a light xc rider but I play it safe


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## quadzillaa (Sep 23, 2018)

Sorry could you elaborate I'm not totally sure what you mean. I followed the avid mounting instructions exactly. I'm pretty sure the bolts are steel.


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## Lenny7 (Sep 1, 2008)

Ausable said:


> I always replace the trailing Post Mount bolt to alloy, both on front and rear brake. I am sure that two alloy bolts would be fine for a light xc rider but I play it safe


Aluminum?


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## gustavo.ghd (Jul 13, 2017)

sissypants said:


> Huge props to you for coming up with such a financially responsible way for shaving weight on your bike! I too am on a budget and use the Hairsine ratio to determine what components I'll buy.
> 
> I use imported carbon components since it's the only way to keep things light and affordable. I ride very aggressively and have done a lot of experimentation. What I'm recommending here is stuff I trust and personally ride.
> 
> ...


Great detailed post, appreciated.

I have at the moment two 160mm RT56 rotors paired with Shimano MT500 (Non series equivalent of Deore I guess). 
Will I lose too much braking power switching to Ashimas? (160mm front and rear)

Ashima's website states that their rotors reach higher temperatures that some low end systems can't handle well. Do you think my system will suffer from it?

By the way I'm not an agressive rider and my weight is less than 65kg (144 pounds).

Thanks


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## sissypants (Sep 7, 2016)

I have ridden my 140mm Ashima AI2s from the top of Mt. Mitchell to the bottom without a problem

I have also ridden them at races and on demanding XC trails.

They will give you a little vibrating feeling to let you know when they are working, and they aren't as powerful as Centerlines I have used, but they are plenty for me and I don't need more. I don't feel like I'm compromising performance. I will never use a different rotor again.

I use XTR M9000 or SRAM Force brakes.


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## quadzillaa (Sep 23, 2018)

From centerline to ashima there is a noticable difference. Definitely less power, but still usable. For my riding they suffice. Yesterday I rode scott peak (lake tahoe) which is ~2k foot long descent. The rotors did the job fine. fingers were really sore from braking. At the bottom the rear seemed to be fading a bit. I'm gonna keep them on because for the NICA races I do and most of my trail riding isn't super demanding. If you ride lots of seriously steep long descents like dville I would stay with the shimanos. I think ur fine especialy with shimano brakes. My biggest complaint about the epic ht spec is that while light, sram level brakes absolutley suck compared to xt's


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## sissypants (Sep 7, 2016)

quadzillaa said:


> sram level brakes absolutley suck compared to xt's


You're right. It's amazing SRAM still sells those things. I have two sets of Guide RSCs in my basement with frozen reservoirs, can't replace because some shady seller scratched the serial numbers and pulled the ad before I could take action.

XTs are the best bang-for-buck brake performance-wise, SLX aren't bad either if you're on a tight budget, but XTR Race are the best bang-for-buck for those with moderate-to-severe weight weenie spectrum disorder.


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## gustavo.ghd (Jul 13, 2017)

Just got the seatpost 13 days after it was shipped. Pretty fast for my location.
It looks solid!


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## quadzillaa (Sep 23, 2018)

Sorry for staying quiet for a while. A ton of new part are coming in including new pedals, new seatpost, new stem. Left the scale in tahoe so I won't post until next tuesday.


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## quadzillaa (Sep 23, 2018)

*Update: Saddle and Pedals*

First, Pedals. Stock pedals were Shimano 520s with a weight of a whopping 376 grams:









I bought these what appeared to be xpedo force 4 chromos but I actually think they are the chromo body, Ti axle version. Nearly stripped the axle when installing. I bought them for $22 + $6 shipping and they weighed 271 grams!:









105 grams saved for 28 bucks which means a harsine ratio of 3.75 grams saved per dollar. Well over 2 g/$ goal!

Next upgrade was a saddle. Not an upgrade for weight but for comfort. It's what I like and what My bike fitter always puts me on.

Stock Specialized Phenom Comp 143 (263 grams):









Specialized Power comp (bought from friend with access to big discounts for 70 bucks) (242 grams)









Didn't expect to save any weight but was pleasantly surprised to see 21 grams lost.

I have already installed more upgrades which I will write about later and more upgrades that have yet to come in. In this update, 126 grams were saved. Here's a sneak peek at the bike. She stands at 22.6 pounds = 10.27 kgs. (excuse the sh1tty photo in my basement)


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## Fuzzylog1c (Jan 20, 2019)

Here, knock yourself out:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1C1s898ixJWqd4BsF-ACSy5WUnBxVfpsXUF90YuFGheo/edit?usp=sharing

It's a work in progress and there are areas which are blank because I'm still working on it.


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## Wheelspeed (Jan 12, 2006)

Wow, 22.6 lbs is good. I'd call it done and ride it!

If you're still dying to shave weight, there may be some less obvious low-hanging fruit. Like your shoes. Or, assuming you carry hex tools and a chain-tool, Specialized makes one with hollow hex keys and a chain-tool that together is 100g.


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## quadzillaa (Sep 23, 2018)

Thanks for the recommendations! I actually have considered this. For the multitool, Highschool NICA races are so incredibly untechnical (pretty much a cross race without the barriers) that I won't bring any tools because it would be hard to get a mechanical and the races are short enough that if you get a mechanical ur pretty much out of contention. The specialized tool that comes with the bike in the bottle cage (best idea ever) weighs ~100 grams. I also own an ultralight road tool that is ~70 grams but again, I won't every carry tools in norcal races. However, I will do longer marathon and adventure type races where this advice could come in handy. (grasshopper low gap next weekend!) 

For the shoes (great idea), I currently ride the scott comp mtb which is 760g for the pair. If I were to upgrade I'd go with S - works recon (specialized shoes fit me really well because I have a narrow foot) which is 602 g per pair (158g savings) . I could get them for about $300 with team deal so that puts me at a harsine ration of about (.5 grams saved per dollar) - well below my 2 grams saved per dollar goal. 

I Have also upgraded my helmet (not because of weight tho) started with a specialized airnet mips (~320 grams) bought an new sworks evade 2 for $80 (must have been an error on specialized website because $80 is like 70% off) which is ~280 grams, again ~.5 harsine ratio. but didn't buy the helmet for weight savings, bought it for aero (I'm also a big roadie *gasp*). 

Should post update on more of the upgrades I did and future ones tonite.


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## quadzillaa (Sep 23, 2018)

*Update: Seatpost and Chainring*

So asa some of you may or may not have noticed I upgraded both the seatpost and the chainring.

I got the sworks seatpost used off a friend friend for $80. The alieexpress BXT worked flawlessly, but I couldn't stand the look of it (gooseneck setback shape). I think the Sworks seatpost looks sick and it saved me a bit of weight (sorry for crappy photo):









Saved 22 grams from aliexpress post. 168 total grams saved from stock which is harsine ration of just over 2 grams saved/ dollar. Again, not a weight upgrade, just vanity.

I also ugraded to an absolute black 36 tooth oval chainring. Not for weight savings but for a bigger gear. I think it ended up saving about 20 grams over stock steel chainring but I didn't put that in my spreadsheet. Also swapped the chain to GX eagle, didn't weigh but according to other people who have weighed NX vs GX eagle chains I should have saved about 20-30 grams. DIdn't get the chain for weight savings, got it because it was barely more than the nx eagle chain.

Total grams saved (so far excluding chainring+chain+saddle): 440 grams (~1.0 pounds)

Cost (so far excluding chainring+chain+saddle): $167

Harsine ratio: 2.63 grams saved per dollar!

Future upgrades:

So I finally got the bike fitted. Kalloy uno is on the way. In terms of future upgrades, definitely tires, considering rekon race. After that may hold off on the upgrades for some time. I am always open to more suggestions (preferably above 2 grams saved per dollar spent).


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