[idontplaynice]

I have an old Cannondale M400 bike that is adequate as a suburban recreational bike. It rides well, and I like the upright position its geometry provides.

But I have issue with the weight. I didn't weigh it, but compared to riding my 1994 Kona Lava Dome, it feels like a clunker. The Kona is so much lighter and quicker than the Cannondale, although both have rigid forks.

I don't want to sell the Cannondale because I like the upright position for leisurely rides. However, I do want to lighten it. I won't use it for serious off-road riding. It will probably be used for paved trails or the occasional hard pack.

Any suggestions on how to lighten this bike? It has IRC Piranha Pro tires, all STX front and rear derailleurs, rapidfire shifters, Alivio cantilever brakes. Not sure what the crankset is, but probably STX.

I'm thinking lighter wheels, lighter tires (I'll be putting slicks on it). I could take off the Cannondale rack, but it really belongs on there I think. How about the stem, handlebars, crankset?

Here is a pic. Thanks for your input.

 

[Sonic Reducer]

there is a lot of steel on that bike ie chainrings, stem, probably bars. since its an older bike it will be cheap to upgrade with good used parts from the era. find what is steel on the bike and start replacing it with aluminum stuff. or just forget about the weight, put the slicks on and rock it as is as your townie and spend your money on more important things.

 

[Leppah]

I wouldn't be too worried about shaving weight off that bike. It's going to be pretty hard to do, especially if you have a tight budget. If it were me, I'd just get the skinnier slicks and call it good. It'll roll a lot faster with slicks.

 

[idontplaynice]

Thanks for the info. I guess what I'm really wondering about is why it takes so much effort to pedal the Cannondale compared to the Kona. Maybe it's not the weight. Maybe it's the chain or the crankset? STX gears and Alivio crankset on the Cannondale.

 

[nauc]

lose the rack and reflectors and replace the seatpost, tractor seat, cranks and tires

id probably change out the stem too so it doesnt look like a Walmart bike

 

[Muffler Bearing]

a dime spent on that bike to make it lighter is a dime wasted. if you already have some parts in the spare parts bin that would be an upgrade then go for it, but your better off just keeping it running until you can get something better.

if you want a light bike, buy a light bike. if you want to go faster, more time in the saddle will do that alot better than wasting money on nice parts for an old clunker. bikes are just machines, don't get all sentimental over an old low budget clunker. by all means ride the snot out of it, but dont throw money away trying to make it into something that it is not.

as for taking more effort to pedal the c-dale over the kona, it usually comes down to tires, saddle height and riding position. crankset, gears, etc have very little to do with this and you would never notice the difference on that bike. pump the tires up to their max rated pressure if you have not already and it should make it feel a bit quicker. as someone said above, some skinny slick tires will make it quicker on the pavement but then you loose out on the dirt.

if your just taking it down the bike path, ride it as is and remember: heavy bikes build character.

 

[idontplaynice]

I sold it.

 

[Muffler Bearing]

'atta boy!

 

[Sghost]

It was harder to pedal because of the geometry.

 

[taymat2]

the bike is too old to really do any serious upgrades. To be completely honest thats not going to be much better then most bikes you can get at a supermarket now adays. you would pretty much have to swap out everything on your entire bike to get some noticble weight savings and spend a few hundred bucks, which isn't really worth it if you can go to a bike shop and buy something a bit better.

 

[idontplaynice]

the bike is too old to really do any serious upgrades. To be completely honest thats not going to be much better then most bikes you can get at a supermarket now adays. you would pretty much have to swap out everything on your entire bike to get some noticble weight savings and spend a few hundred bucks, which isn't really worth it if you can go to a bike shop and buy something a bit better.

Yeah I agree.