[Kalbi777]

Hi again,
Maybe a stupid question and I don't know if anyone knows the weight of their rear wheel or are willing to weight it.
I have the feeling that mine is way to heavy, it weights 3414g=7.526lbs. I wonder if this is a classic rear wheel weight or if there's some mercury in it

specs: Syncross Hub, Avid 200mm Disc, DT swiss spokes 1.8 or 2mm ? (not sure), Sram PG970 11-32 9 speed casette, inner tube, maxxis 2.5 minion DHF, SUN Rims MTX 6061 Alloy 559 x 34mm

 

[Jm_]

Hi again,
Maybe a stupid question and I don't know if anyone knows the weight of their rear wheel or are willing to weight it.
I have the feeling that mine is way to heavy, it weights 3414g=7.526lbs. I wonder if this is a classic rear wheel weight or if there's some mercury in it

specs: Syncross Hub, Avid 200mm Disc, DT swiss spokes 1.8 or 2mm ? (not sure), Sram PG970 11-32 9 speed casette, inner tube, maxxis 2.5 minion DHF, SUN Rims MTX 6061 Alloy 559 x 34mm

Minons, super heavy. Tube, super heavy. Those rims, probably significantly heavier than carbon ones. This atomlab hub is 525g, basically 200g heavier than comparable hubs like Hope, CK, DT Swiss, etc.

I don't know what minions you are using, but many/most of them are at least 1000g, so an 800g tire would be -200g, a lighter hub, -200g, no tube, -200g-especially if you can find some super-light tape like Tyvek, alloy nipples and super comp spokes, -70-80g, crab-on rim, -150 maybe, total weight savings, close to 2lbs, significant, but pricey.

I'd say what you have is pretty classic for a heavier AM/freeride type bike. A few years back, most of us ran aluminum rims, but aluminum rims and heavy tires do add up, especially with tubes and the rolling resistance caused by the tube impinging on the tire. For one of my big rides last year I decided to leave my 29er minions (2.5) on my bike after DHing (6" travel both ends). Big mistake, on that long ride it absolutely sucked turning those wheels. To make matters worse, there was a ride back on the road where I was chasing an XC racer the whole way. Those tires were painful. I can also feel the added mass preventing me from turning as tightly at speed, but that's probably magnified by the 29er wheelsize, I've never really felt that with 26" tires of different weights.

Saving wheel weight can make a big difference in acceleration and ability to ride all day, in this thought, the rear wheel would be the most important, but you face a dilemma, having a light bike overall is nice and can ease the fatigue on long harder rides, as well as accelerate explosively, but it's expensive to do so and the more you concentrate on just one item, the less of an overall difference it makes (like XTR rear cassette VS. SLX when the rest of the bike is unchanged). That means you could save some weight with a radically different wheel, as I suggest above, but that's also radically expensive. Changing out a few things, tire, toobs, would be less of a change, so less of an effect, but also less expensive.

660g rim (found a few different weights, some were 700+)
66g nipples (brass)
200g straight gauge spokes
525g hub
1000g tire (could be more, is it a DH version?)
250g tube (DH tube or regular?)
140g brake rotor (size?)
340g cassette
30g rim strip

3211g

I'd say your measured weight is not far off.

 

[maxyedor]

Just rough estimate, as it's been a while since I weighed a DH bike rear wheel, 7.5ish sounds about right for a "normal" build.

If you're looking to cut weight, start from the outside and move inward. The further from the center of the wheel you remove mass, the more you'll notice it.

Unfortunately you won't save a ton with a tire without getting silly, single ply 2.3s are sweet for trail bikes, but were s bit of a fail experiment of mine on the big bike.

Start by ditching the tube, and then look at your rim choice. You can shave weight really easily with cassettes, most of the cheaper ones are total boat anchors. Hubs are also a fairly good investment because the good ones are light and also last pretty much forever, but the effect of dollars to noticeable weight loss drops with hubs and cassettes

 

[Kalbi777]

Good advices guy i'm gonna see if i can upgrade some parts.
It's kinda strange cause the front wheel feels way better and lighter.
Basically it's almost the same. except on the front I have a 203mm disc a slightly different hub, syncross rim and no cassette. But i can't believe it's that much of a difference

 

[norbar]

What kind of a bike is that? Because JM kinda assumes it's not a dh wheel since he is against using dh tires.

The easiest way too loose weight is a lighter tube and a lighter casette but those syncros hubs are stupid heavy too. I assume it's an OEM wheel. They usually get shit parts. You can find a nice used wheel that will be way lighter.

 

[Jm_]

That's a 345g cassette, unless he spends $$$$ and gets a SRAM XX or X0 type, he isn't going to save much, and those would be crazy expensive with the required derailleur, driver, shifter, etc. XT is about 325g for comp, although with bigger spread.

 

[Sandwich]

a 12-25 tiagra 9 speed cassette will save 80 grams off that cassette for $30. Better yet, get an ultegra and save 130 for 45.

unless you want to build a new wheel, it's going to be heavy. That's life. Grab an XC tube and you'll be a bit better off. You don't want a single ply tire, nor narrower (if it's indeed a dhf 2.5 which measures 2.3). Do the cassette trick, think about new wheels, and move toward tubeless if you have the patience.

I'm going to try to set up my continentals tubeless as they suck at pinch flatting.

 

[Kalbi777]

What kind of a bike is that? Because JM kinda assumes it's not a dh wheel since he is against using dh tires.

The easiest way too loose weight is a lighter tube and a lighter casette but those syncros hubs are stupid heavy too. I assume it's an OEM wheel. They usually get shit parts. You can find a nice used wheel that will be way lighter.

Yes it is a downhill bike. The hub is the original one, from the scott gambler 30 from 2014.

 

[Kalbi777]

a 12-25 tiagra 9 speed cassette will save 80 grams off that cassette for $30. Better yet, get an ultegra and save 130 for 45.

unless you want to build a new wheel, it's going to be heavy. That's life. Grab an XC tube and you'll be a bit better off. You don't want a single ply tire, nor narrower (if it's indeed a dhf 2.5 which measures 2.3). Do the cassette trick, think about new wheels, and move toward tubeless if you have the patience.

I'm going to try to set up my continentals tubeless as they suck at pinch flatting.

I'm gonna change the tube, probably switch to single speed and strip the paint off the rim
Or look for used complete wheel

 

[IH8Rice]

seems a bit on the heavy side even for an older hub.
heres mine:
Hadley 12mm on MTX 33 32h rim (brass nipples, double butted spokes)-1298 gr
sram pg970 12-26-220g
shimano rt86 8" w/ hardware-181g
minion dhr 2.5" ST-1204g
dh tube-390g
3293grams + a bit for velox rim strip

 

[SDet]

Atomlab 7 speed can drop 100g

 

[MmmBones]

I'm gonna change the tube, probably switch to single speed and strip the paint off the rim
Or look for used complete wheel

I recommend going tubeless & removing the 32 & 28t cogs from the cassette and replace them with a spacer, then remove the appropriate # of chain links and adjust your low limit screw on the derailleur. That will give you a 7spd 11-24t spread on the cassette, should cost less than $20 and you'll shave around 300-400g.

 

[Jm_]

And then, DRILL HOLES

 

[norbar]

I'm gonna change the tube, probably switch to single speed and strip the paint off the rim
Or look for used complete wheel

Single speed sonner or later will annoy you. Better to look for a cheap wheel. XC tube is also a good idea. not the lightest 120g tubes but something sub 200g is a good idea.