# New Build - Trek Superfly 8



## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

First post on the weight weenies, so be patient with me! 

So after having had my first "better" bike for nearly half a year now and having acquired all the necessary gear I can finally focus on the bike more. Being a full time student with a minimum wage part time job my budget is very limited and hence I'll go with cheaper upgrades in the beginning and in the summer when working full time I can look into bigger upgrades, such as wheels and even possibly a carbon frame. So:



Current weight: 14.18 kg (31.26 pounds) with heavy winter tires, bar mitts, tools and inner tube.
Some specs:
Fork: Fox float 32 evolution (CTD I think)
Wheels: Bontrager Mustang Elite TLR
Bars&stem: Ritchey WTC aluminium both (130 g, 276 g)
Drivetrain: SLX shifters, SLX front, XT rear, 2x10 speed
Brakes: SLX
Saddle: Selle Italia C2
Seat post: Bontrager rhythm elite

So my plan is to shed some weight without sacrificing performance or durability. Right now the bike is so heavy due to all the winter gear, the tires are at 1170 g (plus lots of sealant due to issues with the tires), so when switching to regular tires losing over 600 grams per tire is going to happen easily. Also the mitts are probably a few hundred grams extra, so I should end somewhere around 11,5 kg range later on. Hoping to go below 11 kg eventually.

Going to do in the near future:
-Switch to 1x10 setup. (Waiting for delivery)
-Get a cheap Carbon saddle from Ebay.
-Get a Topeak ninja bottle holder with included multitool so I can ditch the toolbottle and find a better place for innertube. Also allows the use of two water bottles instead of just one.
-Possibly look into getting a Carbon seatpost and bars.
-Lighter, better pump (lighter than the current 115 grams).

If you have any suggestions on parts to replace, budget upgrades and stuff, feel free to comment! Feedback is highly appreciated.

*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
hylix stem (-11 grams): 13.22 kg
Lighter pump & tube (-107 grams): 13.11 kg
Clipless pedals (+83 grams): 13.19 kg
Carbon saddle (-150 grams): 13.04 kg
Lighter bottle cage (-10 grams): 13.03 kg
Silicone grisps (-78 grams): 12.94 kg
New front wheel (-185 grams): 12.75 kg
New rear wheel (-235 grams): 12.51 kg
Ditched the spare tube (-140 grams): 12.35 kg
New saddle and chainstay protector removed (-20 grams): 12.33 kg
From ISP to RaRa (-731 grams): 11.59 kg
Tube and tire lever back on (+149 grams): 11.74 kg
Topeak Ninja taken off (-161 grams): 11.58 kg
From ISP to Ground Control (-734 grams): 10.82 kg
From Ground Control to RoRo (-78 grams): 10.75 kg
Saddle bag (+11 grams): 10.76 kg
*Current: 10.76 kg, lost 3 380 grams*

-allu


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

Nice, looking forward to more details as you go!


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

Oh, forgot to mention that the initial choices of 1x10 and carbon saddle are great ones, both in terms of weight loss, and value for money. It's always a bit risky ordering a saddle online (both the fit, and the long-term reliability), but the price is such that it is usually worth taking a chance.


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## RS VR6 (Mar 29, 2007)

You can also go with some lighter rotors. The Ashima Ai2 go for roughly 15-18 per rotor on the 'Bay.

Aluminum bolts are another thing you can do to reduce some weight. Even though they are not that effective in reducing weight...they are easy to do, not super expensive, and can add some spice to your bike. :cornut:


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Wanted to see if I could shed some weight off the stuff that I carry with me. After a bit of tinkering a velcro strap turned into an awesome strap kind of thing and I was able to fit all the necessary stuff I need to carry with me in it, plus a few zipties. The tool bottle thingy turned out to weigh 100 grams, far more than I expected  Made an excel chart of the weighs and with no money spent the weight of the bike had gone down by 95 grams. That can be made to 145 grams if I take off the other bottle cage since I don't really need it in winter. It's a win-win in the end I'd say 


(It looks crude, I know, but it's not gonna stay like this for long).

If my calculations are correct a lighter pump, tube and a Topeak mtb bottle cage thingy would help me to lose over 200 grams from my original setup and the roadie version would make that 320 grams! I'm just torn between whether to take the mtb version with a chaintool or get the roadie version and get a small seperate chain device later on. Any suggestions?

P.S A weight weenie bug has definitely bitten me, I would have never imagined I'd start counting grams like this. It's actually pretty fun! 

*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
*Current: 14.1 kg*

-allu


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Oval chainring from china is taking forever to arrive, but a package from Germany showed up. Weight wise switching to Topeak ninja wasn't a huge saving at 30 grams, but it's just so much more convenient to have the minitool and tire levers attached to your bottle cage rather than going through the hassle of attaching them securely with traps and such. Maybe if I get the awesome strap I can switch to something lighter, but time will tell. Also dropped 65 grams with a lighter pump, but it's crap and I'll be getting a better even lighter pump next month.





EDIT: Oval chainring arrived the day after and it helped me drop a nice 415 grams, now the scale dips at 13.32 kg.

*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
*Current: 13.32 kg, lost 860 grams*

-allu


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

All of sudden new parts keep coming in faster than I expect them to, so pardon me for double posting within a few days. So a Felt carbon flat bar that I bought second hand arrived today. The seller confirmed the weight to 176 grams, so I lost exactly 100 grams over the original Ritchey Comp bar and gained extra 40 mm in width as well.



*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
*Current: 13.23 kg, lost 960 grams
*
-allu


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

Moving to 1X10 is a great idea, and sheds some nice weight - also good that it isn't very costly. Smart idea on the used bar as well - usually good pricing.

Did you always have the Ritchey foam grips? Those and silicone (ESI) are always relatively inexpensive choices, although I tend to rip/tear/scuff them.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

phlegm said:


> Moving to 1X10 is a great idea, and sheds some nice weight - also good that it isn't very costly. Smart idea on the used bar as well - usually good pricing.
> 
> Did you always have the Ritchey foam grips? Those and silicone (ESI) are always relatively inexpensive choices, although I tend to rip/tear/scuff them.


Yeah saw someone selling them for a price not far from cheap Chinese knock-off bars and just couldn't miss that deal.

I have had them for half a year now and they don't show much wear so far. They're the lock on versions though so I'm going to give the regular grips a try and see if they work for me, they'd also be around 70-80 grams lighter. Since you have gotten experience with both grips you listed which one did you find more comfortable? I'm especially curious if there was a difference in vibration damping since that's what I have been struggling with lately. Hopefully the carbon bar and comfier grips will help! 

-allu


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

I'm running ESI Racer's Edge, but the Chunky versions are more comfortable IMO - as you'd expect. That said, I still don't think they kill a ton of chatter. However moving to a larger chunck of carbon (longer bars) might help a bit from your previous setup.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

I freaking hate the chunkys, just too big IMO. I can't wait to get rid of them on my pivot. But to each his own.

The Ai2 rotors are a good suggestion, they work well in the winter. Not sure if I'd go with them full time, but if you don't have big downhills I'm sure they'd be fine. I use both the Ai2 and the original AirRotors on a few wheelsets.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Jayem said:


> I freaking hate the chunkys, just too big IMO. I can't wait to get rid of them on my pivot. But to each his own.
> 
> The Ai2 rotors are a good suggestion, they work well in the winter. Not sure if I'd go with them full time, but if you don't have big downhills I'm sure they'd be fine. I use both the Ai2 and the original AirRotors on a few wheelsets.


Thanks for the info! I'll be looking into getting lighter rotors after upgrading the wheels, since most centerlock discs seem to be pretty hefty.. The lighter ones are particularly pricey too :eekster:

Finally got myself a proper scale so here's some scale shots. Focused on tools and spares this time:



DIY even more Awesome Race Strap (tube 225g, pump 82g, strap 12g) = 320 g. Lots of weight to lose here since the tube could be 115g and pump 58g which would net me a nice -134g weight loss.



Topeak ninja roadie toolkit bottlecage (cage 90g, tool 74g, levers 11g) = 175 g. Lots of weight to lose here too especially after I realized the tool has so many unnecessary bits on it. I checked and realized I'd survive with only 4 and 5 mm allen keys since apart from pedals and chainring bolts (and possibly a few bolts somewhere I didn't look at) my bike uses those two heads only. So this could be possible for tools:



+26 gram for a Carbon cage that I ordered. I guess I'm going to ditch the Topeak ninja after all. It's handy and convenient, but feels unnecessarily heavy. Though only if I can figure out another way to attach the tools to my bike, any suggestions? Two allen keys shouldn't be that hard to attach 

-allu


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

Re the centrelock wheels, if you opt for an IS6 (6-bolt) design like some of the ones mentioned, you'd need an adapter. This adds enough weight that you lose any benefit from that lighter rotor. Seems best to stick to a centrelock-type rotor, avoiding the adapter.

Was wondering if you'd want a chain tool in the mix. Or at least carry a couple of quick links that can bail you out in some cases. (?)


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

phlegm said:


> Was wondering if you'd want a chain tool in the mix. Or at least carry a couple of quick links that can bail you out in some cases. (?)


A chaintool and a spare quick link have been ordered and are on the way. One day I'll upgrade to a Specialized top cap chaintool, but a cheap chinese knock off tool will do for now.

-allu


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

A new stem arrived.



Chinese hylix 80 mm with 17 degree angle. Now my bars are even more slammed although not quite as far forward. A few more rides will show how I like it, on the first ride it didn't feel too bad 



The original Ritchey stem. A whopping 11 grams heavier 

*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
New stem (-11 grams): 13.22 kg
*Current: 13.22 kg, lost 971 grams*

-allu


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Got a lighter tube and pump. Original setup:



Changed setup:



Also changed the location of the tube from underneath the saddle to between the top and down tube for better protection. That superlight tube is definitely thin, more like a balloon than an inner tube :skep: Hopefully I won't need to use it anytime soon.

*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
New stem (-11 grams): 13.22 kg
Lighter pump & tube (-107 grams): 13.11 kg
*Current: 13.11 kg, lost 1078 grams*

-allu


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## KPduty (Nov 22, 2004)

That wheelset is heavy as an anchor. Replacing it will save significant weight, rotational weight at that. I have a Superfly 6 with the same wheelset and after I removed the 200 gram shimano rotors, and tires, and skewers, mine came in at a porky 2,098 grams. you could get something at least 400 grams lighter than that for a reasonable price.....500 less if you spend some cash. I'm running Mavic Crossmax SLRs at 1600 grams and when I installed them the bike felt like a friggen' rocket, in addition to making it a full pound lighter. You are doing a great job on this build.....that is a great bike. Keep up the great work and keep us posted!


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## Pegleg81 (Aug 6, 2014)

Extralite hypergrips for $25 and 12 grams for a pair and plus so you're saving something like 40g compared to esi. But compared to esi stuff the hypergrips are noticeably softer which may not be your cup of tea. I think that they are a bit less durable than the esi:

https://fairwheelbikes.com/extralite-hypergrips/

I'm actually back to using esi.

Also, handle bars take a lot of force so it's something to think about as ultra light bars will flex more.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

KPduty said:


> That wheelset is heavy as an anchor. Replacing it will save significant weight, rotational weight at that. I have a Superfly 6 with the same wheelset and after I removed the 200 gram shimano rotors, and tires, and skewers, mine came in at a porky 2,098 grams. you could get something at least 400 grams lighter than that for a reasonable price.....500 less if you spend some cash. I'm running Mavic Crossmax SLRs at 1600 grams and when I installed them the bike felt like a friggen' rocket, in addition to making it a full pound lighter. You are doing a great job on this build.....that is a great bike. Keep up the great work and keep us posted!


Interesting, good to know! I always thought the wheelset was around 1800 grams, but geez I was wrong lol. In that case I'll definitely be looking into getting a lighter wheelset in a few months after saving up some money. Thanks for letting me know! :thumbsup:



Pegleg81 said:


> Extralite hypergrips for $25 and 12 grams for a pair and plus so you're saving something like 40g compared to esi. But compared to esi stuff the hypergrips are noticeably softer which may not be your cup of tea. I think that they are a bit less durable than the esi:
> 
> https://fairwheelbikes.com/extralite-hypergrips/
> 
> ...


I have already ordered cheap Ebay silicone grips. They "should" be around 50 grams, but we will see. At the moment I can't afford to spend 25$ on grips, but maybe I'll look into those later on. Though I'm slowly running out of affordable weight savings to do, so I guess I'll be looking at the pricier options soon.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Switched back to clipless pedals and gained 83 grams.





Though the pedals are miles better in every way and I think the efficiency gain from clipless is enough to offset that extra milliwatt spend on moving that extra weight 

Also finally china post brought me more carbon stuff:





Not quite there at claimed weight of 110 grams, but good enough. The quality of it is meh, it looks and feels good but the rails were slightly off the line and were slightly squeezed together when attached to the seatpost clamp. We shall see how well it holds up, it was cheap at least! Also getting close to going below 13 kg 

*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
New stem (-11 grams): 13.22 kg
Lighter pump & tube (-107 grams): 13.11 kg
Changed pedals (+83 grams): 13.19 kg
Carbon saddle (-150 grams): 13.04 kg
*Current: 13.04 kg, lost 1140 grams*

-allu


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

Good luck with the saddle. It's always hard to buy something like that online, as the final fit can be a crapshoot, but it obviously you're in the ballpark in terms of shape & cutouts, so hopefully it works for you. If new to full carbon, you'll want to give it a few rides before giving a verdict on it. Hopefully there's a bit of (good) flex in it as well.

Plz report back after a few rides.

BTW, close call with the water (saliva) droplet on the carbon saddle photo. That would have surely upset the scale by several grams.


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## BEEB (Jul 16, 2010)

As the owner of a 11.5kgs Superfly 19.5 2014, I can tell you that is gonna be expensive to drop more weight. I can shed some more weight by running some different grips, currently on Ergon GS1 grips size L and these are heavy at 160gr 
Also I'm still running 3X10 so if I`m switching to 1x10 I can drop like 2-300grs more (maybe more).
I will post a photo tomorrow.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

phlegm said:


> Good luck with the saddle. It's always hard to buy something like that online, as the final fit can be a crapshoot, but it obviously you're in the ballpark in terms of shape & cutouts, so hopefully it works for you. If new to full carbon, you'll want to give it a few rides before giving a verdict on it. Hopefully there's a bit of (good) flex in it as well.
> 
> Plz report back after a few rides.
> 
> BTW, close call with the water (saliva) droplet on the carbon saddle photo. That would have surely upset the scale by several grams.


Well after two hours on it I can say it's pretty decent. Definitely harsher than the earlier saddle, but it does flex a little bit and the fit is pretty good. Felt really wide and hard at first, but I got used to it quickly. Definitely worth the 15€.



BEEB said:


> As the owner of a 11.5kgs Superfly 19.5 2014, I can tell you that is gonna be expensive to drop more weight. I can shed some more weight by running some different grips, currently on Ergon GS1 grips size L and these are heavy at 160gr
> Also I'm still running 3X10 so if I`m switching to 1x10 I can drop like 2-300grs more (maybe more).
> I will post a photo tomorrow.


Seriously speaking, it's not that hard to lose significant weight on Superfly 8 even on budget. From personal experience I can tell the 1 x drivetrain is the best upgrade you can do if it just works for your type of riding. You'd probably lose closer to 500 grams from 3x setup without sacrificing much in terms of usability. If you still haven't gone tubeless, do it! That 100 grams or so per tire means much more than half a kilogram off the frame.

Another great upgrade is a carbon bar and possibly a lighter stem (the original stem was something like 150-160 grams, so pretty bulky). Not too pricey if you buy them second hand for example. Again you could lose 100-200 grams depending on how light you go. In your case you could lose 100 grams or more with lighter grips. A few hundred grams off the cockpit and the bike wheelies much more easily! A Chinese carbon saddle is also dirt cheap and easily drops the weight by 100-200 grams depending on the original saddle. After these upgrades you might have lost a kilo already and if you bought the more expensive parts second hand and sold the original parts for some money later on, we might be talking about less than 50€ spent in total. So not that expensive after all 

Sometimes you don't even need to spend money at all. Just take out all the tools and spares you carry with you and pick only the absolutely necessary, but don't go overboard with it. Something like a Topeak ninja or Specialized SWAT bottlecages with integrated storage for a multitool (and tire levers) is often the most convenient and light solution for your tools. Sure you can always go lighter than that, heck you could just tape an allen key or two to your frame, but is it convenient to use? Thought so.

Also new parts arrived. Lost a whopping 10 grams of the bottle cage  These are actually pretty good for 1,5€, mine did hold a large water bottle in place even when the bike went upside down! Though the fake carbon paintjob is absolutely terrible, why didn't I just take them black :madman:



*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
New stem (-11 grams): 13.22 kg
Lighter pump & tube (-107 grams): 13.11 kg
Changed pedals (+83 grams): 13.19 kg
Carbon saddle (-150 grams): 13.04 kg
Lighter bottle cage (-10 grams): 13.03 kg
*Current: 13.03 kg, lost 1150 grams*

-allu


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## BEEB (Jul 16, 2010)

I'm like 240-250lbs so excessively light is not an option. Also my build is from zero, nothing to do with the factory build.
RockShox Reba RL 2016 (without remote lockout)
3T stem 85mm
3T Team stealth carbon handlebar flat 720mm
3T Stylus zero seatpost (carbon)
Selle Italia Flite friction flow saddle
DT Swiss XM1501 wheels (1650gr). I could have went with the XR1501 but that means going to 21mm internal width vs 22.5 on XM.
M520 pedals (heavy but cheap)
3x10 Shimano XT
XT brakes with XTR rotors.
2 x TACX bottle cages.

After my current chain rings and chain are used, I will got to some 1x10 with a Sunrace cassette as they are cheap.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

BEEB said:


> I'm like 240-250lbs so excessively light is not an option. Also my build is from zero, nothing to do with the factory build.
> RockShox Reba RL 2016 (without remote lockout)
> 3T stem 85mm
> 3T Team stealth carbon handlebar flat 720mm
> ...


Oh I see, I thought you were starting from a factory stock lol  Nice built you got there, but I can't help but wonder why is it still 11.5 kg? Especially since you got a lighter wheelset. If I have done the math my bike should be around 11.5-12 kg after changing to regular tires. Did you ever weigh the frame? Just curious since it's hard to find reliable info on the frame weight as one source says it's around 1.6 kg and other claims 1.8 kg, so no idea about that.

-allu


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## BEEB (Jul 16, 2010)

I never weight my stuff as I'm very far from being a WW so no clue about the weight 
I'm a little surprised as well to see it around 11.5kgs, maybe is my shitty scale. Paid like USD5 for it so I do not expect swiss accuracy 

I was hopping to drop under 11kgs but heh, not yet 
Anyway I will get my bike for some brake bleeding to some bikestore and maybe they do have a reliable scale, I will drop you a line in that moment.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

BEEB said:


> I was hopping to drop under 11kgs but heh, not yet
> Anyway I will get my bike for some brake bleeding to some bikestore and maybe they do have a reliable scale, I will drop you a line in that moment.


You'll get there with a 1 by conversion or at least really close! :thumbsup:



phlegm said:


> Plz report back after a few rides.


After a few more rides here's my opinion on the saddle: Feels really harsh at the beginning of every ride, but after sitting down on it you kind of find the optimal spot to sit on. Definitely requires wearing bib shorts though, there's no way you're driving this without a pad. It is pretty wide imo, not too wide for me but noticeably wider than most saddles. I was surprised by how much fine tuning swapping saddles requires and I feel I still haven't gotten it exactly right. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone who likes to sit and spin but it works for me since I spend majority of my time standing up and smashing like I was riding a single speed. But for 15€ it's not a big loss if it doesn't work for one, definitely worth a shot!

Also, got myself ESI very Chinese grips! 





Finally went below 13 kg too, a milestone achieved I guess?



I think I have run out of cheap upgrades to do on the bike now... Besides the tires and something like brake rotors and seatpost which are not very cost effective. Next up might be the wheels if I can find a good pair second hand or good deals appear on stores.

*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
New stem (-11 grams): 13.22 kg
Lighter pump & tube (-107 grams): 13.11 kg
Changed pedals (+83 grams): 13.19 kg
Carbon saddle (-150 grams): 13.04 kg
Lighter bottle cage (-10 grams): 13.03 kg
New grisps (-78 grams): 12.94 kg
*Current: 12.94 kg, lost 1230 grams*

-allu


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

KPduty said:


> That wheelset is heavy as an anchor. Replacing it will save significant weight, rotational weight at that. I have a Superfly 6 with the same wheelset and after I removed the 200 gram shimano rotors, and tires, and skewers, mine came in at a porky 2,098 grams.


While working on the brakes put the wheels on a scale and man those wheels are heavy :eekster:

Front wheel roughly (2605 g - tire 1170 g - rotor 175 g - sealant ~ 100 g) = 1160 grams for the wheel including rim strip and valve.


Rear wheel in similar fashion (3059 g - tire 1170 g - rotor 150 g - cassette 340 g - sealant ~ 100 g) = 1299 grams for the wheel incl. rim strip and valve. 


Did I forget to take something into account or can these wheel seriously be this heavy? Like nearly 2.5 kg for a wheelset? Some of it might be sealant, but even if there was 150 grams of sealant in each tire the weight would still be 2.4 kg :skep: If this is true then losing significant weight off the wheels won't be even that expensive, heck DT swiss x 1900 Spline wheelset would come in at 1875 grams which is heavy but still half a kilogram lighter than this. Is this one of those cases where a manufacturer specs the bike with nice components and fork and to keep the price down ships it with a really heavy and cheap wheelset?

-allu


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## BEEB (Jul 16, 2010)

I think 2.5kgs is way too much, probably is around 2.1kgs. But yes, you are right, brands like Fox, Shimano etc sell bikes, nobody pays attentions to the wheelset as long as are nicely colourored 
What would be you budget for wheels?

LE. I see here that the weight is quoted @ 2.2kgs
New Bontrager Mustang Elite TLR 15mm / QR 29'' Centrelock Disc MTB Wheelset (40431) - Flatout Cycles
Even the Mavic Crossride or Race Face Turbine at 1850gr can be considered a decent upgrade.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Thanks for the link, been looking for the original wheelset online but never found it!

My budget is really low atm, being a student I can't afford too much. But I have been looking at wheels in the sub 200€ range. Granted only front/rear wheels separately at that price. Some Easton front wheels (Heist 24 and EA70 XCT) in the 100-150€ range seem like a great bang for the buck as they come in around 800 grams including tubeless rim strip and valve. With a lightweight rotor that could be over 300 gram saved off the front wheel.

Furthermore, there's also Veltec AM-one tr rims: https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/veltec-29-am-one-tr-frontwheel-535711/wg_id-8822. Only 770 grams but the price goes up by quite a bit as they don't come with tubeless valves and rim strip. I also found a nice pair of second hand Reynold's 29er Alloy wheels for 190€ including everything to run them tubeless which is a good price for a 1750 gram (FW 800 g, RW 950 g) wheelset. But after getting new rotors and such it'd stretching my budget too much, so I'd need to save up some more for those. Though by selling my current wheelset I could get some money back, I wonder if anyone would pay ~100€ for the current wheelset including brake rotors. Eh, gotta think about this more.

-allu


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## KPduty (Nov 22, 2004)

The wheelset is heavy, but while you're shopping for a new set....consider those centerlock rotors. Some feel that having to get an adapter defeats the purpose, but I saved 212 grams of rotational weight for about $90. My Superfly 6 stock Shimano rotors came in at 202 grams each. I found unbranded lightweight rotors on ebay at 68 grams each, and alligator adapters at 28 grams each. Also, before I was able to afford my wheelset I went ghetto tubeless got rid of the 200 grams each tubes. I did have to use rim tape, a tubeless valve, and sealant but these interventions made the bike feel much lighter.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Yeah I've considered that. For 26€ I could get rotors that weigh 76 grams each + the adaptors at ~30 grams each for total of 20€ wouldn't be that expensive. The rotors I currently have are claimed to weigh 175 g and 150 g, so I'd lose over 100 grams with those parts alone. I wonder if it's possible to run a 140 mm rotor on the back on the Superfly frame? I just can't figure out how that'd be possible since with a 160 mm rotor the caliper is mounted directly on to the brake mount with no adaptor in between. Does it require a different caliper, like are some brakes designed to run with a 140 mm rotor on the back or is it just the frame not designed for it?

-allu


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## KPduty (Nov 22, 2004)

Im not sure about running a 140 in the back. I think the set up is for 160's. My Superfly came stock with a 160mm rear, and 180mm front. I didn't realize this until I went to replace them and noticed the adapter between the caliper and fork. I removed this (saving a few more grams) and mounted the caliper directly on the fork and it worked perfectly. I don't recall what the advertised weight of my stock Shimano rotors were but the actual weights were 202 and 204 grams on my scale. I suspect your rotors are heavier than advertised as well


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Got a second hand Reynold's 29er al -wheelset. They come in at 1720 grams for a wheelset so not too bad for less than 200€. A mistake that I made is I never asked the seller whether the rim strip was tubeless ready or not, turned out it wasn't... Was kind of difficult trying to set them up tubeless when air just went straight through the rim strip, oops :eekster: Oh well, I was too exhausted to figure out some ghetto tubeless rim strip hack so just set them up with tubes after fighting with the tire for hours. I won't be running the winter tires for too long anyway, so I can survive with tubes for now.

Original front wheel:



Front disc:



New front wheel:



Ashima Ai-rotor:



We shall see if rear wheel co-operates better... More of that tomorrow.

*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
hylix stem (-11 grams): 13.22 kg
Lighter pump & tube (-107 grams): 13.11 kg
Clipless pedals (+83 grams): 13.19 kg
Carbon saddle (-150 grams): 13.04 kg
Lighter bottle cage (-10 grams): 13.03 kg
Silicone grisps (-78 grams): 12.94 kg
New front wheel (-185 grams): 12.75 kg
*Current: 12.75 kg, lost 1415 grams*

-allu


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

The rear wheel ended up being far easier to change and got it all set up with tubes again. The weight turned out to be:



Original Bontrager rear wheel was hefty 1223 grams and the 160 mm SLX rotor was 138 grams.



So the original wheelset weighs 2221 grams and the Reynold's one is 1720 grams. 501 grams lighter for a very reasonable price. Take into account the rotors and the difference goes up to 608 grams. This difference would have been more like 800+ grams if I had ran the tires tubeless like I did on the Bontrager wheels. Alongside with the weight there's an enormous difference in friction, or lack of thereof. The old wheels even with completely functional bearings (no play or roughness in them) wouldn't spin very long whereas these spin to a point that I get tired of watching. I'd estimate at least 3-4 times longer, so there's some watts saved for sure  Especially the freehub seems to be much better and smoother on these, albeit louder.

I also decided to ditch the spare tube I have carried around. These tyres are really heavy duty and got high puncture resistance rating although accidents happen. The main reason is because the tires are so ridiculously tight to put on the tires that there's no way I'm gonna be doing some trail-side tire fixes. Besides, I never ride that far from home in winter that I couldn't hike back if needed. Wouldn't accept this for Summer tires though, just to avoid those +10 km hikes back home after a puncture. I guess these tires are just made with tighter tolerances, never had this kind of problems with other tires even from Schwalbe. With that ditched the whole weight of the bike drops down to 12.35 kg, 1815 grams lost 



PS. Many people laugh at weight weenies for losing weight of the bike when that weight could come off their waist for free. Well, Last week I went on a scale myself for the first time since last Spring and turned out I'm 9 kg or 20 pounds lighter than I used to be, long bike rides have done their job 

*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
hylix stem (-11 grams): 13.22 kg
Lighter pump & tube (-107 grams): 13.11 kg
Clipless pedals (+83 grams): 13.19 kg
Carbon saddle (-150 grams): 13.04 kg
Lighter bottle cage (-10 grams): 13.03 kg
Silicone grisps (-78 grams): 12.94 kg
New front wheel (-185 grams): 12.75 kg
New rear wheel (-235 grams): 12.51 kg
Ditched the spare tube (-140 grams): 12.35 kg
*Current: 12.35 kg, lost 1815 grams*

-allu


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

Nice progress, allu. So you found a suitable wheelset? Sounds like you got a great deal.

Do you have experience converting to tubeless? My recommendation would be to get rid of the old rim strip and apply Gorilla tape--I've had no issues with it.

I notice you started out with flats. Do you prefer them? If so, I've some affordable, lightweight recommendations for you. Otherwise, can't blame you for exchanging those horrible stock ones for clipless. They seem like they would have poor grip and a tiny footprint.

Nice PS comments. Easily the best upgrade anyone can make to their bike is to shed pounds from their waists. I am 25 pounds lighter (gained a few back this winter) now than I was in February 2016 and hope to shave 10-15 more by season's end.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Yeah they seem well worth the price so far, now just gotta ride them lots to see how well they hold up  

Never done it with Gorilla tape and didn't do it this time either because I ran out of sealant and didn't have any proper tape at hand. Next month I'll probably get Stan's yellow tape alongside with some Stan's sealant to run the summer tires tubeless. Might need to get a tubeless tire inflator for these rims though since they seemed to be more of a hassle to set up tubeless than the earlier Bontragers.

The only reason I started with flats was because I didn't own or have the money for a proper pair of Winter cycling shoes. I've always enjoyed riding clipless more anyway. Not that I can't or there's something wrong with flats, but clipless just works better for XC riding. But your observations are right, they were very cheap and maybe therefore terrible pedals overall.

I agree and good for you :thumbsup: I never was overweight, but definitely on the heavier side for endurance sports like MTB or running. I don't notice the weight loss as much when cycling as when running though, it's simply so much easier to keep on going with less weight dragging you down. Easily the best upgrade I've made so far! 

-allu


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

allu said:


> I never was overweight, but definitely on the heavier side for endurance sports like MTB or running. I don't notice the weight loss as much when cycling as when running though, it's simply so much easier to keep on going with less weight dragging you down. Easily the best upgrade I've made so far!


I rode a rollercoaster for several years--down to 89-91 kilos during summer, back up to 102 kilos during winter. I finally got sick of having to work so hard to cut weight, so I resolved to staying lighter year-round. As a result, I only regained about 2 kilos this winter.

My ultimate goal is to get down to about 83-85 kilos. I will never be a pro racer, but I definitely feel better, ride faster, and enjoy the rides more when I am lighter. Same for jogging or Nordic skiing.

On level ground, the extra weight is less of an issue, but once the gradient kicks in, a few pounds makes a world of difference.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

hdparrish said:


> I rode a rollercoaster for several years--down to 89-91 kilos during summer, back up to 102 kilos during winter. I finally got sick of having to work so hard to cut weight, so I resolved to staying lighter year-round. As a result, I only regained about 2 kilos this winter.
> 
> My ultimate goal is to get down to about 83-85 kilos. I will never be a pro racer, but I definitely feel better, ride faster, and enjoy the rides more when I am lighter. Same for jogging or Nordic skiing.
> 
> On level ground, the extra weight is less of an issue, but once the gradient kicks in, a few pounds makes a world of difference.


Good choice :thumbsup: Losing weight is hard but so totally worth it, it's all about the attitude imo. Requires one to be less lazy and actually focus on their everyday diet and exercise. It's a struggle at first but in the end it feels awesome.

On bike you don't really notice the weight as much as on foot simply because you are rolling rather than taking steps. Though as soon as any sort of direction changes start happening you definitely notice the reduced weight. I agree it's more obvious on uphills for sure, but even on flat ground you still have small elevation changes and obstacles to overcome. The less weight on your waist the higher you can bunny hop too 

-allu


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

Diet is my biggest issue. I am always hungry, and always a little sad at the end of a meal. The desire for beer, pop, or salty snacks never ends.

Being sedentary during winter is next. Staying active year round really helps prevent bloat.

And I agree about noticing the weight--a 7-minute mile at 195 pounds is a lot of work. But at 180, it feels almost effortless.

Anyway, back to your bike--how is it riding? Any differences you've observed in handling/performance since it has lightened up?


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

All those tasty snacks and beverages are such a temptation, I know exactly how you feel  But yes, it's getting a bit off-topic.

I've gotten two good 20 km rides in on the new wheels so can't say much about them other than they roll so much easier and the bike accelerates faster for sure. They are also a lot stiffer and overall the best upgrade that I have made so far. 

As for have I noticed a difference, well definitely. The wheels are the most obvious one, but the carbon bar and silicone grips also made a big difference in ride comfort. The bike also wheelies much easier now that over 500 grams has gone off the bars. 

Overall the bike is definitely nicer to ride and it's just nice to upgrade your equipment as you progress yourself. That said the difference is not big enough to make you any faster than you already are. A fast ride will be fast on any bike, just like a slow one will be slow.

-allu


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

Weight will drop substantially when you've mounted your summer tires and converted to tubeless. Depending on what rubber you go with, my guess is you'll shave about a half-pound on tires and another half-pound with tubeless.

Read some about those Ice Spiker Pros you are riding and many have complained about mounting/setting up tubeless, so the issue might not be restricted to those rim strips.


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## phlegm (Jul 13, 2006)

hdparrish said:


> Weight will drop substantially when you've mounted your summer tires and converted to tubeless. Depending on what rubber you go with, my guess is you'll shave about a half-pound on tires and another half-pound with tubeless.
> 
> ...


I hear you on the summer tires vs winter/mud tires - in some cases you can lose even a pound of rubber.

The weight loss on tubeless isn't as much as we'd hope though. The minimum I can get away with is half a scoop (of Stan's), which is ~30g:
http://forums.mtbr.com/weight-weenies/new-build-2013-s-works-stumpjumper-ht-935429.html#post11525480

That's probably unrealistic in most scenarios, and for larger volume tires people are typically using 2 scoops, so 120g of fluid per tire. Also sucks that you have to add more over time, leaving that snotty stuff caked onto the inside of the tire. The weight just continues to add up unfortunately.


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

Yup, that's why I say converting to tubeless comes out to about half a pound. Eliminating the tubes drops roughly a pound, but everything after that adds weight--sealant, tape/strips, and valves.

I definitely would recommend a scoop and a half. The greatest benefit of tubeless, imo, isn't weight savings or air pressure, it's peace of mind against punctures, snakebites, etc., and merely half a scoop would defeat the purpose.

How often you'll have to add more sealant depends on how airtight the seal, whether you regularly deflate/re-inflate your tires, and the relative humidity where you ride. You can always clean out the "boogers," of course, and dried latex adds very little weight.

Think of it as a "latex migration"--riding removes rubber from the outside of the tires, while sealant deposits some on the inside.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

In my case I'll lose over 100 grams per tire when I go back to tubeless. The current tubes are 225 grams each and I'm sure 100-120 ml/g is enough sealant for me. For sheer weight saving I probably wouldn't go through all the hassle, but the other benefits make it totally worth it.


hdparrish said:


> Weight will drop substantially when you've mounted your summer tires and converted to tubeless. Depending on what rubber you go with, my guess is you'll shave about a half-pound on tires and another half-pound with tubeless.
> 
> Read some about those Ice Spiker Pros you are riding and many have complained about mounting/setting up tubeless, so the issue might not be restricted to those rim strips.


Yes it will, these tires are like bricks at 1170 grams each. I'll be running Specialized Ground Control 2.3 (730 gram) on the front and Schwalbe Racing Ralph 2.25 (650 gram) on the rear. That's for the wet season in Spring, once the trails dry out I'll probably switch the Racing Ralph up front and run something faster rolling on the rear. So the weight loss will be roughly 200 g + 440 g + 520 g = 1160 grams, that's quite significant 

-allu


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

Funny--one of my bikes will also have a RaRa in back this spring.

Have you tried RoRos (Rocket Rons)? They are comparably light and fast rolling to RaRas, but superior in cornering and climbing traction.

They don't last long, they are expensive, and Schwalbe regrettably doesn't offer them in 2.35". But I think they are the best all-around tires for XC/trail.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Thanks for the tip! I have actually considered getting a RoRo or Continental Race king to run on the rear. Though I've got a Conti's Speed King semi-slick tire that I'm gonna try out once the conditions get more appropriate for such a tire. I don't expect much from it but who knows if a semi-slick could work for me if I don't try it myself?

Also, turned out I was dumb and never properly checked the cassette when I put it on on the new rear wheel. I guess the grease made it kind of stuck to the splines so it felt and looked to be just fine on a quick glance. First ride went fine without bigger issues but on the second ride the gears were getting less and less crisp and turned out the cassette had just enough play on it to cause it to wobble. Got a pair of spacers from a local shop but turned out they weren't the correct ones. After bit of googling I know what I'm looking for so gotta head back to the store tomorrow and hopefully I can get the cassette issue fixed soon. Welp, sometimes you gotta learn the hard way :eekster:

-allu


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

Have you tried Vittoria (formerly Geax) rubber? My local dealer swears by Mezcal G+ TNT for when things are buff and dry.

They have a near-continuous center tread that makes them very fast rolling on hardpan, but also substantial transition and cornering knobs that he really likes. Haven't tried them personally, but they do come sized up to 2.35" and are super light, relatively speaking.

I like Race Kings for dry, summer riding. Like RaRas, they don't last very long, but I suppose you're paying for the privilege of not having to roll so much weight uphill.

Can't believe you're rolling Speed Kings. You must be on some very smooth trails. Are there a lot of long, extended climbs where you ride?

I would guess ours are moderate. On an average 17-mile ride, I'll have about 3,000 vertical feet, 1,700 of which comes in the first 6.5 miles. That's why I'm a bit of a weight weenie when it comes to rotational mass.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Never tried Vittoria tires due to fairly poor availability in Europe. The major online stores don't seem to sell them for some reason.

Actually I've been looking for tires with continuous center knobs. Something like Maxxis Crossmark or maybe even Kenda Small Block 8. Thanks for the info on RaceKings too, you seem to have tried out a bunch of tires 

Never actually ran the speedkings, I have it simply because someone was giving it out for 5€. Bought it simply for testing purposes, won't be running it full time. Wouldn't be surprised if I had it on for a day and then never again lol. The trails around here can be relatively smooth depending on which ones you ride of course. Though some of the trails do have lots of roots and some rocky parts for sure. On my typical rides I usually have a bit of both as the more challenging trails are often far apart.

Let me guess, you're located somewhere in the Rockies? I'm jealous of the trails you got there, where I live the elevation numbers you have are just completely unheard of. Oh well, gotta enjoy what you got. The reason why I'm looking for fast rolling tires is mainly because without those big hills it's often your legs that dictate how much speed you can have. So having an efficient and fast bike, although not so durable, makes sense. Just gotta find a good balance between "fast" and "durable", can't have both 

-allu


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

Yes, I'm in Idaho. There's as much climbing here as you could want; if one hill or mountain wasn't enough, there are always more. LoL

Surprised to learn that Finland isn't as mountainous as its Scandinavian neighbors. (Typical American, I know.) I always pictured it as being very rugged, probably because, as a kid, I used to read a lot of WW II history, and I remember learning about Finnish ski troops fighting Soviets at Suomussalmi. I had this image of the Red Army stuck in the bottom of a valley while Finns on skis swooshed in and picked them apart. LoL

But I read now that your country is 80 percent forest? That's awesome. Wish we had more trees around here, but we are classified as "high desert," so the aspens, maples, and firs that I love so much are only higher up or in certain drainages.


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

hdparrish said:


> Yes, I'm in Idaho. There's as much climbing here as you could want; if one hill or mountain wasn't enough, there are always more. LoL
> 
> Surprised to learn that Finland isn't as mountainous as its Scandinavian neighbors. (Typical American, I know.) I always pictured it as being very rugged, probably because, as a kid, I used to read a lot of WW II history, and I remember learning about Finnish ski troops fighting Soviets at Suomussalmi. I had this image of the Red Army stuck in the bottom of a valley while Finns on skis swooshed in and picked them apart. LoL
> 
> But I read now that your country is 80 percent forest? That's awesome. Wish we had more trees around here, but we are classified as "high desert," so the aspens, maples, and firs that I love so much are only higher up or in certain drainages.


LOL it's fine, I had to google Idaho's location too. But yes, Norway is all about mountains and Sweden has her whole western border covered by mountains, while it's more flat down south and east. Finland is mostly flat for sure, more hilly up north but only few over 3000 feet mountains somewhere in the middle of nowhere. That's kind of the problem with mountains in Finland, we have them but they're located in place where no one lives, so not much use of those lol.

Oh man, wasn't expecting to talk about WWII history on a mtb forum! But meh, it wasn't really that dramatic. More like Red Army being on the only road that comes from the eastern border, leading tank hits a mine and last one gets destroyed by Finnish partisans. With five feet of snow surrounding the road they won't be going anywhere anytime soon lol.

Yeah forest and lakes are all we have and I think the accurate number is 73%. Pretty much everywhere you go you'll see forests except for maybe the very northernmost locations. I think the zone is classified as "Taiga". I have been to BC twice now and I actually enjoyed the areas with no vegetation. The whole view is so alien to me, the forest just disappear and there's only dry desert left, which is pretty cool imo. Maybe because it's new to me, would be cool to live there one day, maybe after finishing my education 

-allu


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Just a quick update, not much has happened on the bike recently apart from a new saddle. Another Chinese knock off carbon saddle, feels comfy so far but yet to test it properly. Also, 10 grams lighter than the earlier carbon saddle.



Replaced the neoprene chainstay protector and old tape that was underneath it with new tape, lost another whopping 10 grams 

*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
hylix stem (-11 grams): 13.22 kg
Lighter pump & tube (-107 grams): 13.11 kg
Clipless pedals (+83 grams): 13.19 kg
Carbon saddle (-150 grams): 13.04 kg
Lighter bottle cage (-10 grams): 13.03 kg
Silicone grisps (-78 grams): 12.94 kg
New front wheel (-185 grams): 12.75 kg
New rear wheel (-235 grams): 12.51 kg
Ditched the spare tube (-140 grams): 12.35 kg
New saddle and chainstay protector removed (-20 grams): 12.33 kg
*Current: 12.33 kg, lost 1835 grams
*
-allu


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Changed the rear wheel from ISP to Racing Ralph snakeskin pacestar. Setting them up tubeless was super easy and no problem getting the tire seated with a floor pump. Even once it was nice to work with bike tires lol.



The Ice Spiker Pro was very hefty at 1 245 grams, plus a heavy tube weighing 225 grams. The RaRa I put on is 648 grams, plus 70-80 ml of sealant. So we ended up losing 731 grams of rotational mass, more to come once I get the front wheel changed. Still got to wait for the rest of the snow to melt before doing it though.

Also, after one ride one the new saddle I can already tell it's miles better fit for me. So much more comfortable as it's narrower, the earlier saddle was slightly too wide for me. Also it flexes far more than the earlier one to a point that I was scared of it breaking down in use. I tried to stay seated over every bump I encountered to stress it as much as possible, but it didn't give up, yet at least. Paired with new better quality and especially tighter fitting bib-shorts that I got, mountain biking has never been this comfortable 

*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
hylix stem (-11 grams): 13.22 kg
Lighter pump & tube (-107 grams): 13.11 kg
Clipless pedals (+83 grams): 13.19 kg
Carbon saddle (-150 grams): 13.04 kg
Lighter bottle cage (-10 grams): 13.03 kg
Silicone grisps (-78 grams): 12.94 kg
New front wheel (-185 grams): 12.75 kg
New rear wheel (-235 grams): 12.51 kg
Ditched the spare tube (-140 grams): 12.35 kg
New saddle and chainstay protector removed (-20 grams): 12.33 kg
From ISP to RaRa (-731 grams): 11.59 kg
*Current: 11.59 kg, lost 2 566 grams*

-allu


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

To avoid a hike back home put the tube and a tire lever back underneath the seat, gained 149 grams. Wanted to play with the tools again, ending up with something like this:



Just a single 4 and 5 mm hex key with a piece of an old inner tube stretched over it for protection. Strapped to seatpost using another piece of inner tube. Looks pretty makeshift, but works well enough and is light for sure. Compared to the earlier set up with Topeak Ninja lost a nice 161 grams with this. Granted, lost the second bottle cage on the process, but most of the time I wasn't using it anyway.

We'll see if I can get the bike under 10 kg this summer with increased budget. Under 11 kg is easy, but the next kilo gets far more expensive... :eekster:

*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
hylix stem (-11 grams): 13.22 kg
Lighter pump & tube (-107 grams): 13.11 kg
Clipless pedals (+83 grams): 13.19 kg
Carbon saddle (-150 grams): 13.04 kg
Lighter bottle cage (-10 grams): 13.03 kg
Silicone grisps (-78 grams): 12.94 kg
New front wheel (-185 grams): 12.75 kg
New rear wheel (-235 grams): 12.51 kg
Ditched the spare tube (-140 grams): 12.35 kg
New saddle and chainstay protector removed (-20 grams): 12.33 kg
From ISP to RaRa (-731 grams): 11.59 kg
Tube and tire lever back on (+149 grams): 11.74 kg
Topeak Ninja taken off (-161 grams): 11.58 kg
*Current: 11.58 kg, lost 2 576 grams*

-allu


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Snow is getting pretty rare even up here north, so it was time to change the front tire as well. The Ice Spiker Pro I had on weighed a whopping 1 285 grams, even heavier than the other one. Replaced it with a Specialized Ground Control 2.3 (~720 grams) for now so ended up losing a nice 734 grams. The Ground Control isn't the lightest tire either, a Rocket Ron (2.25, snakeskin) would be over 100 grams lighter, so there's still some to lose.



So now the bike is under 11 kg. Nearly 300 grams of the weight comes from the tube, tools, pump and bottle cage. Even with those removed it's still over 500 grams to lose before it's under 10 kg. Could lose over 100 grams from the seapost, over 300 from the cranks, maybe a few hundred from the fork, same with the wheels. Apart from the seatpost these would be some very pricey upgrades. It seems the biggest weight saving to be done would be switching the frame itself. I don't know the exact weight of the frame but I assume it's somewhere in the 1600-1800 gram range, so even a "cheap" 1200 gram carbon frame would be significantly lighter. Maybe I'll consider that later in the summer, but for the time being I'll be on a lookout for second hand parts.

*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
hylix stem (-11 grams): 13.22 kg
Lighter pump & tube (-107 grams): 13.11 kg
Clipless pedals (+83 grams): 13.19 kg
Carbon saddle (-150 grams): 13.04 kg
Lighter bottle cage (-10 grams): 13.03 kg
Silicone grisps (-78 grams): 12.94 kg
New front wheel (-185 grams): 12.75 kg
New rear wheel (-235 grams): 12.51 kg
Ditched the spare tube (-140 grams): 12.35 kg
New saddle and chainstay protector removed (-20 grams): 12.33 kg
From ISP to RaRa (-731 grams): 11.59 kg
Tube and tire lever back on (+149 grams): 11.74 kg
Topeak Ninja taken off (-161 grams): 11.58 kg
From ISP to Ground Control (-734 grams): 10.82 kg
*Current: 10.82 kg, lost 3 310 grams*

-allu


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

Not much has happened on the bike besides a new front tire showed up and twiddling with the tools, like always. So Schwalbe Rocket Ron 29" x 2.25 Snakeskin pacestar came in at 639 grams:



A bit heavier than advertised but I can live with that. Once installed the front tire was 78 grams lighter. A Syncros 180 speed road saddle bag turned out to be a pretty clever way of carrying all the absolutely necessary, apart from the chain tool. Currently it contains a 4 and 5 mm hex key, the tube, a pair of single use rubber gloves in a ziplock bag and a tire lever:



*Original bike weight (including tools): 14.18 kg*
Lighter solution for carrying tools (-60 grams): 14.1 kg
Bar mitts off (-330 grams): 13.80 kg
Topeak ninja and lighter pump (-125 grams): 13.70 kg
1 x 10 setup (-415 grams): 13.32 kg
Carbon bar (-100 grams): 13.23 kg
hylix stem (-11 grams): 13.22 kg
Lighter pump & tube (-107 grams): 13.11 kg
Clipless pedals (+83 grams): 13.19 kg
Carbon saddle (-150 grams): 13.04 kg
Lighter bottle cage (-10 grams): 13.03 kg
Silicone grisps (-78 grams): 12.94 kg
New front wheel (-185 grams): 12.75 kg
New rear wheel (-235 grams): 12.51 kg
Ditched the spare tube (-140 grams): 12.35 kg
New saddle and chainstay protector removed (-20 grams): 12.33 kg
From ISP to RaRa (-731 grams): 11.59 kg
Tube and tire lever back on (+149 grams): 11.74 kg
Topeak Ninja taken off (-161 grams): 11.58 kg
From ISP to Ground Control (-734 grams): 10.82 kg
From Ground Control to RoRo (-78 grams): 10.75 kg
Saddle bag (+11 grams): 10.76 kg
*Current: 10.76 kg, lost 3 380 grams*

-allu


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## allu (Aug 23, 2016)

I decided to move this project to a new blog I started. If you have been following this project and you can continue following it here.

-allu


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## hdparrish (Jan 24, 2008)

Darn blogs, stealing away all of our Finnish posters ...


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