[swoody]

I have a Trek 4300 that I use as a primarily trail bike, however, it is a bit on the heavy side, and I'd like to see what I can do. The bike is a hard-tail XC mountain bike with a 21" aluminum frame. I also believe the seat post, handlebars, stem, fork, and wheels are either aluminum or some kind of composite (Not positive what they are, but I just tested them with a magnet, and it didn't stick to any of them). It also has 24 speeds (3x8), and v-brakes. The only after-market parts already on the bike already are a set of EggBeater pedals.

I took some initial weights with a food scale. I tested out the scale with one of my EggBeaters, and it came out right on the nose at 147g, so the weights here are probably pretty accurate. However, the heavier items I had to weigh using my bathroom scale, so they're probably not as accurate.

Total Weight - 30.4 lbs
Fork w/steerer - ~5.4lbs (~2,450g)
Front Wheel - ~4.4 lbs (~2000g - hub, wheel, tire, tube, spokes)
Tires - 750g/each
HandleBars - 350g
Grips - 80g/pair
Stem - 210g
Saddle - 350g
Seat Post (with hardware) - 350g
Seat Tube Clamp - 60g

I had a couple ideas in mind for modding the bike which wouldn't cost me a thing - namely cutting 2" excess from the fork top (and removing the unneeded spacers), shortening the handlebars by 1"-2" on each side, and cutting off excess on bottom of seat post. Any ideas on these mods? I would really love some insight or tips from anyone who's done this before. I know these won't save me a *ton* of weight, but it is free, and every little bit will help.

I am also looking to get a new pair of grips. From what I hear, the foam ones are supposed to be the lightest of all. Are there any decent rubber grips which will come close to the weight of the foam ones? I would prefer better grip-ability, but I'm not adversed to using foam. Also, any recommendations on which grips are the lightest of all would be very welcomed

Like I mentioned, I'm looking to shed weight very inexpensively, so I'd really like to get some ideas on what can save me a good bit of weight without loosing too much weight from my wallet. I look forward to hearing some creative ideas out of you all Thanks in advance!

-Woody

 

[JRogers]

Your bars, post, brakes...all that stuff- should be aluminum, probably with all steel hardware. Wheels have aluminum rims/hubs and steel spokes. Fork is probably a mix of stuff (steel, aluminum, possibly magnesium for the lowers, but I don't know for the one you have).

I gotta say, and maybe you won't want to hear this, doing the mods you suggest won't make much of a dent in the overall weight of the bike. At least, I very much doubt you'll actually notice any of those changes.

That said, you could still do them. When cutting things like these, I prefer to use a hacksaw, preferably with some kind of guide. After cutting, it's not a bad idea to file/sand things down a bit so there are no sharp edges or burrs.

Cutting the fork is fairly easy, but if you take off 2 inches, you will probably also have to drive the star nut inside it down further or install a new one.

You can cut the seatpost as long as you make sure you have enough to safely insert it. Mosts posts have a minimum insertion line on them, showing how far they need to be in to be safe (ie, not bend or break...and they can do both). That will at least give you an idea of how much you can safely take off.

Cutting bars can also be done, but I'd think about that one pretty hard first. Reducing the width of your bars will reduce the amount of control you have, especially when things get technical, rough or fast. 2 inches off each side on a bar that is under, say, 28+ inches is a very large amount. I would not cut the bars just to save weight. I would only cut them if you feel they are too wide for you. The weight savings will be minimal, but loss of stability will be pretty big if you take off a decent amount. If you do cut them, make sure you still have enough room on each side for brake levers, grips and shifters. Some people have messed that up before and realized after cutting that not everything fit due to bends/bulges in the bar.

I would advise against foam grips. Minimal weight savings, but many disadvantages compared to rubber grips: not as grippy, not as comfortable, not as durable, more likely to twist on the bar. If you want to replace your grips with something lighter, you might want to check out ESI grips. They are lighter than most rubber grips, but made from silicone. I haven't used them, but have heard lots of good things.

So, that's my advice: cut the post and fork if you want, maybe new grips, maybe leave the bars as they are. More generally, there aren't many good ways to save weight on a bike without spending money. Cheaper upgrades to save weight usually come at a cost that make them not worth it for most people (ie aluminum bolts are weaker, thin tubes will lead to more flats). Plus, your bike is 30 lbs....thin tubes aren't going to make much of a difference. But, on the other hand, weight is not nearly as important (in speed, how much fun you have, etc) as most people think it is.

But if you do want to spend money to save weight, I'd suggest three things to think about: 1) buy a new bike (not because your bike is crappy, but because a new bike is just more economical than replacing one part at a time). 2) concentrate on the less expensive parts that manufacturers cheap out on and get something lighter on ebay (seatpost, stem, bars, cassette are good places to start). 3) light wheels- rotating weight matters most.

Hope that helps.

 

[gonefirefightin]

without changing component you arent going save very much and the changes you are talking of making are going to drastically change your riding posture and fit.

you can probably drop some weight in the seat and wheels/tires right off the bat and not for much money depending on what you allready have

 

[swoody]

doing the mods you suggest won't make much of a dent in the overall weight of the bike. At least, I very much doubt you'll actually notice any of those changes.

If you want to replace your grips with something lighter, you might want to check out ESI grips...

1) buy a new bike 2) get something lighter on ebay 3) light wheels- rotating weight matters most.

Lots of great suggestions in your post, thanks for all the advice

Yeah, I figured it really isn't going to make a massive impact immediately, but I still want to start down the path of making my ride much lighter. I will be putting more money into this goal as time goes on, but I just can't afford too much at once - which is why I can't just plop down the money for a new rig

without changing component you arent going save very much and the changes you are talking of making are going to drastically change your riding posture and fit.

you can probably drop some weight in the seat and wheels/tires right off the bat and not for much money depending on what you allready have

Well, I already have the stem mounted right against the headset - the spacers are actually on top of it, so they're just wasting space/weight being there. I set it up this way myself after riding the bike for a bit. The stem that's on the bike right now is rather tall, and I have long arms, so this position fits me great. I think I might even be more comfortable and have a better riding posture with a shorter stem, but I'll test that out when I get the opportunity to

Also, I don't have anything already besides the EggBeater pedals. Like I said, the bike is stock otherwise. Did you have something in mind as far as lightweight wheels go? I didn't think they would be inexpensive, but I'm very open to ideas on a new set.

 

[swoody]

Update: Well, I just took a couple minutes to cut down both the seat post and the fork. Got about 4" of aluminum tube and the spare spacers off It feels pretty bulky, a bit more than I thought it would weigh. I weighed the entire bike on my scale again, and it read that I just lost .8 lbs (about 363g) I even weighed it three times to make sure, and it came out the same reading each time.

I'm going to try and pick up a decent postal/kitchen scale tomorrow so I can keep better track of weights from now on.

Still very much open to ideas, so keep them coming

 

[TreeSaw]

JRogers advice is sound!

I too would not bother with the foam grips, just prefer the feel and durability of rubber myself (and I am apparently pretty rough on my stuff). Start saving your pennies for some new wheels...that'll save you quite a bit of weight, or a whole new bike (again your bike is solid and built that way but it might be more cost effective to purchase a lighter full bike than it is to replace all or most of the existing parts).

One other thing to look at...what tires are you running (size and style). The larger the tire, the heavier it is so you may not necessarily need a 2.35 for your trails and change to a 2.1 to save some weight that way. Not free, but cheaper than a whole wheelset.

 

[JRogers]

I wasn't suggesting you buy a new bike right now or even in the near future...Like TreeSaw said, it's not very economical to replace one part at a time. Sometimes it's better to just save it up.

If you're looking for new wheels or a new bike eventually, looking at the used market is a good way to go if cost is a concern. Stuff that was pretty high end a few years ago and is still really quality will be cheap now.

 

[swoody]

TreeSaw - Thanks for the advice

My current tires are Bontrager Connection Trails, and they are 26x2.0 already. I also looked up the info from their website here, and they advertise them as being 750g Going with some 26x2.0 Kenda Karma DTC's would save me about 540g total for both tires. Not sure about the Conti Race Kings, they seem to have multiple weights depending on which particular variation of the tire you're running.

JRogers - Thanks for clearing that up. It does make more sense for me to consider saving up for a new rig than just forking out the cash outright

To be honest, I haven't considered looking into a new bike, so I'm really unaware of what kind of weight/price points are out there for used bikes. Also, since my interest in light bikes is pretty new, I'm not sure what brands/models to keep an eye out for. Can you guys give me some ideas about how much I'd be looking to spend and what kind of weights I could expect for various price ranges? I'm going to try searching a little bit, but since you have been so helpful I figured I would ask

 

[JRogers]

There's no way to give a real clear idea of how much a bike should weigh relative to cost- there are lots of types of bikes out there. But I suppose since most manufacturers are using lots of the same parts, the weights end up being fairly close as long as you are talking similar price points and types of bikes. XC hardtails will basically range from the low 30s at the low-mid end, to the mid 20s in the middle and lower 20s at the higher end (say $2500+ new, but that is a REALLY rough generalization). They can be built below 20, but that usually takes a lot of money and some real compromises in durability and practicality. Used prices are all over the map and change based on the bike, the age and how beat it is or isn't.

I can give at least one anecdote, though: Maybe 3 years ago I bought off of ebay an older, pretty lightly used complete bike. If I remember correctly, it cost me around $750. Frame was fine, nothing special (Kona Muni-Mula) but the components were nice: Chris King headset and hubs, Mavic 517 rims, Avid Arch Rival v-brakes...lots of stuff that was pretty high end a few years ago. So, no tubeless, no disc brakes, external bearing cranks... Just quality, lightly used, but older technology- which I have no problem with. With a few minor parts changes (mostly just so it fit me better), I have a bike that is probably in the range of 21-22 lbs. Pretty darn light, still very durable and not very expensive in the long run.

But just remember that weight is only one small part of the equation. For example, I had super light tires on that Kona for a while because I won them in a contest. They were mad light, but SUCKED for riding on anything but pavement- they needed lots of pressure to avoid flats and had little grip and shock absorption. So I put heavier, knobbier tires on (I think a 2.2 on the front and 2.15 in back). WAY better than before in every way.

 

[swoody]

Thanks again for the pointers JRogers

Is there really much difference between the frames themselves? I know obviously a low end frame will not be equal to a higher end one, but is it generally the frame that makes the largest difference, or the components? I've been stripping down my bike a bit more to get some weights - which I updated in the OP - and at some point I'd like to get an idea of how much this frame weighs by itself.

After doing a bit more searching around for complete bikes I think I may just stick with my original plan of modding this bike as time goes on. As much as I enjoy riding and having a light bike to begin with, this is much more of a hobby and something I enjoy - I'm not very competitive about it, and I don't do anything cycling-related professionally. I'm also a tweaker at heart - that's why I use Linux and also why I had to sell my Camaro I get even more fun out of taking something standard and adjusting it to suit my needs in the way that I would like it to. Building the thing is the other half of the fun. So starting off with a bike that's not geared towards being weight conscious just gives me more opportunity for 'fun' along the way, even if it does wind up costing a little bit more a year or two from now when I'm done with it

Now speaking of my weights and the OP, I'd really appreciate any kind of input that may be the best bang-for-the-buck for losing weight. I think I'm going to look into lightweight tires and a DIY ghetto tubeless setup for sure, but I'm still open to ideas on other components

 

[Sonic Reducer]

what you will gain by going the route that Jrogers recomends is taking advantage of the horrible depreciation that mtb's have. you could get a few hundred for your trek, and put that towards 5-800 on a high end, late 1990s used bike. Im pretty confident you could find something that old with XTR and nice wheels in that price range. imho if you are on a budget and know how to spot a deal you can make the depreciation work to your advantage. craigslist is your friend.