[sunnerbeanmtb]

I just bought a jamis durango sport sx and its a little heavy but doable (im a 135 lb female, 17 in bike). are there any affordable easy ways to lighten the back? i need a new fork in the front, thats not too bad...but what about the back? PLEASE let me know, im dieing here trying to bunnyhop logs and untruing my wheels.
UGH
frustrated

 

[binary visions]

I don't know the spec on the bike, but the absolute easiest, most effective way to lose noticable weight is to go tubeless and go with some lightweight tires.

If you're willing to spend some cash, you could go with a whole new wheelset, too.

 

[H8R]

I just bought a jamis durango sport sx and its a little heavy but doable (im a 135 lb female, 17 in bike). are there any affordable easy ways to lighten the back? i need a new fork in the front, thats not too bad...but what about the back? PLEASE let me know, im dieing here trying to bunnyhop logs and untruing my wheels.
UGH
frustrated

Seatpost
Saddle
Cassette
Tires
Tubes

These are all the first places to start.

Try not to spend TOO much. This is a good entry-level bike, and adding to many high-end parts makes it a money pit. Better to hammer on it and get your skills up, then got for a higher end bike later.

If you're always truing up wheels, make sure you take them to a really good mech and have them tension them as high as they'll go. Some TLC from a good wheel person will make them last longer and stay truer longer.

 

[sunnerbeanmtb]

thanks guys i appreciate the answers. whats sad is i am a bike mechanic/shop worker and my boss doesnt have the time or the people skills to teach stuff about bikes, whats good whats bad etc...
ive had to learn and do all of it on my own im actually a intermediate biker but i just didnt know what i was doing. if i would have know i prolly wouldnt have bought this bike.
anyways thanks again guys i appreciate it.

 

[arboc!]

i would get a lighter weight fire extinguisher

 

[caputo1989]

i would get a lighter weight fire extinguisher

I don't think she knows the joke yet.

 

[arboc!]

now she does

 

[trailblazer]

get a new wheel set. Light UST's and a light fork. DO NOT GET LIGHTWEIGHT TIRES.
At least 500gm minimum on tires like a Specialized roll x pro. Manitou minute 2 fork.
Mavix crossmax XL are my choice for wheels. Bladed spokes will need NO truing and run smooth for years.Add some Stan's sealant to ANY UST set up and you are good to go.

 

[binary visions]

now she does

No, she doesn't, she just thinks some moron posted in the wrong thread or doesn't know how to read

 

[sanjuro]

I should point out if you are struggling to bunny hop, weight is important but for a newbie, technique is more important. Once I saw a series of pictures where Wade Simmons bunny hopped his RM7 (40lbs+) onto a picnic table.

There is a huge amount of information how to do a bunny hop properly, but the way I learned (and I was a hardcore roadie until my mid-twenties), was to use a BMX bike in the shop.

For you, I would put some platform pedals on (no toe clips), lower your seat, and head out to the parking lot or field to practice.

 

[H8R]

get a new wheel set. Light UST's and a light fork. DO NOT GET LIGHTWEIGHT TIRES.
At least 500gm minimum on tires like a Specialized roll x pro. Manitou minute 2 fork.
Mavix crossmax XL are my choice for wheels. Bladed spokes will need NO truing and run smooth for years.Add some Stan's sealant to ANY UST set up and you are good to go.

You are smoking crack, and that's bad for you.

 

[sanjuro]

Mavix crossmax XL are my choice for wheels. Bladed spokes will need NO truing and run smooth for years.Add some Stan's sealant to ANY UST set up and you are good to go.

Hey I have Ksyriums SSC and I have trued them every year I owned them. Should I get a return on the wheels? I only raced and trained on them for two seasons.

Bladed spokes are no better or worse than normal round spokes in terms of strength. I like the Crossmax's very much, but it is an $700 wheelset. You could save weight in places like the cassette or the crankset for so much cheaper.

 

[blue]

Tehe...I see it now, Crossmax XLs on a Durango...

Thats like putting a twin turbo in a Ford Taurus.

 

[BuddhaRoadkill]

It could be more a sizing issue than a weight issue if your having trouble getting the rear end up.

UST tires are HEAVIER than normal tires, often heavier than a normal tire and tube together.
Just remember the golden rule: Weight, Strength, Price ... choose two.

 

[trailblazer]

look you cats must be hamfists.
A bladed crossmax is the standard. You can run them for YEARs without any truing.
No argument there.
Big air tires that will not puncture is key to riding success. Any rider who knows his or her **** knows that lightweight tires are a classic mistake.
I said Mavic crossmax>>not road kryserium ****.


Technique is the answer anyway. I can loft a 50 pound ride from a standing position and do circles hopping around. The lighter the bike the easier it is. First off clipping in should be mandatory. While on a medium speed you twist your wrist so the knuckles are facing up and PUSH down on the fork the same time your ENTIRE body pushes down like a cat>>>then>>>>spring with your whole body pulling up on the fork while lifting the center of your wrists and throw the bike forward.
The other method is to do a small wheelie and throw the bike up and forward. Try this on curbs and work your way up.

Presently I am using a Stan's rear disc. It weighs 648grams without the rotor or rubber and it requires no tube so lofting is a breeze. When I mount my XT/519 the weight is almost double so my pulling up of the rear is doubled. It seems just as easy if I don't compensate the front and just giver in the back.
I hope this helps.
I have spent countless bux getting it right so for your info:
Ya crack kills and I don't do chemicals including alcohol.
That was a doofus retort.
Dude is probably stuck to the pipe that's why he talks about it.

as far as the cross maxes on a durango go>>>>the hoops will be rolling long after the bike is deceased and those hoops probably will never need to be trued, besides the entire ride is dependant on a wheelset so YA give me a lemon and mount it on the best wheels money can buy because I hate pulling along a rusted chain or a cheap wheelset>>>they both are like anchors.

peace.
out.

 

[sanjuro]

Thanks for posting again. You're sh*t makes me laugh and laugh.

 

[H8R]

look you cats must be hamfists.
A bladed crossmax is the standard. You can run them for YEARs without any truing.
No argument there.

Go back and read the first post. She asked: "are there any affordable easy ways to lighten the back?"

...and you suggest a $829.00 wheelset.

And no, they are NOT the standard. They go out of true and break down like any other wheelset, and they are a bitch to get spokes for at most shops.

What are you, a Mavic rep?

Big air tires that will not puncture is key to riding success. Any rider who knows his or her **** knows that lightweight tires are a classic mistake.
I said Mavic crossmax>>not road kryserium ****.

Not to a 135 lb woman learning to bunny hop. Just because it works for you doesn't mean it works for everyone.

Technique is the answer anyway. I can loft a 50 pound ride from a standing position and do circles hopping around. The lighter the bike the easier it is. First off clipping in should be mandatory.

First off learn how to hop on flat pedals and then see how much higher you can hop while clipped. I can loft my 36lb hardtail on crappy flats higher than most of my friends who clip in. Ask any trials or BMX rider if they use clip-in pedals, and if it's "mandatory" to learn how to hop with them. Please STOP giving bad advise. Clip-ins might hurt more than they help. It's more effective to learn how to make the bike stick to your feet without them.

I'm sure there are at least a few people here that would agree.

While on a medium speed you twist your wrist so the knuckles are facing up and PUSH down on the fork the same time your ENTIRE body pushes down like a cat>>>then>>>>spring with your whole body pulling up on the fork while lifting the center of your wrists and throw the bike forward.
The other method is to do a small wheelie and throw the bike up and forward. Try this on curbs and work your way up.

This is the first thing you've posted that almost makes sense.

Presently I am using a Stan's rear disc. It weighs 648grams without the rotor or rubber and it requires no tube so lofting is a breeze. When I mount my XT/519 the weight is almost double so my pulling up of the rear is doubled. It seems just as easy if I don't compensate the front and just giver in the back.
I hope this helps.
I have spent countless bux getting it right so for your info:
Ya crack kills and I don't do chemicals including alcohol.
That was a doofus retort.
Dude is probably stuck to the pipe that's why he talks about it.

Glad to hear you've spent "countless bux". Who cares? There are thousands of kids all over the country that can hop on very cheap bikes no problem. Practice saves money.

The crack comment I made was maybe not neccesary, but you were offering some weird advise. She asked for inexpensive ways to lighten a budget bike. You suggest wheelset that costs almost TWICE as much as the bike. This lead me to believe you were:

A) Insane
B) Stupid
C) On crack.

I gave you the benefit of the doubt.

as far as the cross maxes on a durango go>>>>the hoops will be rolling long after the bike is deceased and those hoops probably will never need to be trued, besides the entire ride is dependant on a wheelset so YA give me a lemon and mount it on the best wheels money can buy because I hate pulling along a rusted chain or a cheap wheelset>>>they both are like anchors.

peace.
out.

There are HUNDREDS of lighter options for a bike like this. Throwing a top-dollar wheelset on a cheap frame doesn't solve the problem at hand.

Everyone else posted some sane suggestions. Please re-read the thread and think about it. Thank you.

 

[OGRipper]

I love you H8R. :love: :love: Thanks for taking the time to set it straight.

To the original poster: Use this bike as opportunity to figure out how much you love riding and what you'll want when you step up to your next rig. Don't put too much money into this bike, you won't get it that much lighter without spending way too many "bux." And you'll never be able to sell it for what you pay, even if you're not paying retail. Save the money towards your next bike, meanwhile ride the snot out of this one - it's not the bike holding you back, you just need to ride more. And it can be very satisfying to ride circles around people with nicer bikes...

 

[sanjuro]

Go back and read the first post. She asked: "are there any affordable easy ways to lighten the back?"

...and you suggest a $829.00 wheelset.

And no, they are NOT the standard. They go out of true and break down like any other wheelset, and they are a bitch to get spokes for at most shops.

What are you, a Mavic rep?

A Mavic rep? Would a Mavic rep guarantee his wheelsets will never go out of true? Would any wheel rep?

 

[H8R]

A Mavic rep? Would a Mavic rep guarantee his wheelsets will never go out of true? Would any wheel rep?

Did I say Mavic rep? I meant to say troglodyte. My bad.

 

[sanjuro]

Seriously, trailblazer, this is the second posting where you made some pretty bold claims, which you backed up with insults.

There are some very smart monkeys on this site, which is why I surf here. I have learned alot, and I have tried to add my own perspective.

I have thought more about your "no cable stretch" post, and after some research, I realize that there are other places for "stretching" may occur, like the housing or ferrule seating. I appreciate learning more about a basic function of the bike.

However, if you continue to act an ass, 1. those same smart monkeys will come after you like you stole their bikes, and 2. whatever useful information you choose to offer will be ignored.

 

[H8R]

I have thought more about your "no cable stretch" post, and after some research, I realize that there are other places for "stretching" may occur, like the housing or ferrule seating. I appreciate learning more about a basic function of the bike.

Cables, like many other fiber or wire materials DO stretch. A little. There is a point that they stop, commonly called "maximum elongation".

We call it "break-in".

Take a rubber band, and stretch it. Notice that at a certain point it resists the stretch? That's max elongation. From this point the band will either continue to resist the forces pulling it, or it will break. It won't stretch any more though.

This is where you want your cables to be, at max elongation. The steel strands are of course MUCH stronger than a rubber band, and are less elastic. They will stretch a bit, then stop.

Notice after a couple of adjustment over a few weeks that most deraileurs seem to keep the adjustment? There you go.

Add to all this a bit of compression in the housing, some compression and/or slight deformation of the ferruls, and viola - you need a bunch of break-in.

New cables suck.


trailblazer, please do some reading.

 

[Changleen]

Even 'pre-stretched' cables pretty much always need to be adjusted once or twice.

 

[Wumpus]

Anbody ever measure a bike cable to prove it?

 

[sanjuro]

Anbody ever measure a bike cable to prove it?

Not to totally derail this topic (sorry sunnerbeanmtb), but that is why I think housing and ferrule seating will be more affected by cable stretch.

However, since I am not measuring any cables, it is just a guess.

 

[Wumpus]

Back to the topic:

Just because it is an entry level bike doesn't mean you can't upgrade parts. I have only bought one new bike complete. All the rest I have just purchased a frame and fork and transferred my old parts over to the new frame.

Wheels are the biggest weight savings usually. Dt Onyx or Hope sport hubs laced with double butted spokes(14/16 or even 14/17 at your weight).

 

[dhriderII]

the 1st 2 things that i did to lighten any of my bikes is of course cut the steer tube... and cut the extra off of the seat post that u arent using... also cut away all extra cables and any of that damn plastic that might be in your wheels.. i know its a little bit of wieght that might not seem that much at all but every little bit adds up to something. eh and u could go all out and get some carbon head set spacers if u need too