Weight reduction in MTBs

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines

4.07.2021

Making your MTBs lighter.

In the interest of safety, age, and convenience, this post has gradually shifted his attention from RB to MTB.   There are more interesting technology in MTB.

The MTB is generally seen as no place for weight reduction.  But champion MTB riders have carbon and generally ligher bikes.   As in RB, and motorracing, light is always might.

There are generally 3 high priority areas that are subject to weight reduction

1.  Fork

2.  Wheelset and tires

3.   Drive train.

FORK -  you can shift to rigid forks which tip the scales at 700 gm max for alum and 500 g for carbon fiber.   That would save you about 2.5 kg from 3 kg fork.    Or you can halve the weight to 1.7 kg by shifting to much lighter albeit more expensive fork

WHEELSET and tires.   Maybe you can lose 500 gm on lighter tires, and  kg on carbon fiber wheelset.   But that is expensive.

DRIVE TRAIN 

      1. Converting to one by -  saves you about 300 - 600 grams

     2.  Hollow chains  - about 20 to 30 grams.

If you follow all the three weight reduction can be 2.5 kg from fork, 2.  tires 500 gm and 3. one by 0.5 kg.  Thats a total of 3.5 kg.    If you have a 15 kg bike, you will end up with 11.5 kg bike.  That'light.  If you have a 11.7 kg carbon fiber bike (as what I have ordered) the final weight will be less than 10 kg.  or 8.2 kg.   x 2.2 18.04 lbs.  Just almost the weight of an rb.

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Some of the investment for weight slash of my old bike

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
January 23, 2018

A number of investments have been made by this office to reduce  bicycle weight

1.  Importation of OEM carbon fiber frame and fork.  It was estimated that the bike frame would be  985 grams +  400 grams fork; -  1,385

2. Novatec  Jetfly wheel set       1,435 grams

3.  Supelight tube at  98 grams

4.  Conti GP 4000 tires at 220 grams  Let us repeat that the investment in tires, is worth the PHP, since substantial weight loss can be achieved.  Even more than the investment in carbon fiber wheelset and fork, and even wheel set.   Invest now.

5.  Salsa cork gel bartape

I hope to get the SRAM red second hand group set.

                                     Complete cable end accessories, last copy with Celeste
                                                  Green outer (di ako sinagot ng Celeste sa text ko)

                                                   Superlight, est 50 grams lighter vs ordinary

                                                  Light cork gel  baka  lighter by almost 100 grams

Suggestions on how to manage your upgraditis the sensible effective way (upgraditis weight winnies and costing)

                                               

A lot of inventory sales are going on and many companies are unloading their excess inventories.  The marketing hype  is driving bikers crazy and many may be making unwise investments

The bottom line, the objective  in upgrading is to make you ride faster and better with less efforts and
body ache

Here are some suggestions based on my readings and experience regarding upgrading.

Efficiency  is the key.  You must exert less effort in your ride.  Your equipment must be efficient.  Less friction, less drag in your aerodynamics (the wind resisting your forward motion)

And here LIGHT IS MIGHT.

1.  Thus with regards to the bike and your equipment

          1.  Concentrate on your drive/power train and this includes:

               1.  Shoes.  The only light shoes are carbon fiber soled shoes.  If your shoes are heavy. say by
                     100 grams each vs the carbon fiber soled models, 200 grams x  say 10,000 revs in  a ride
                      translates into 2,000,000 grams additional efforts or  2,000 tons. Wow.  Thats the
                      amount of effort you will exert if you wear a modest carbon fiber soled shoes

                     I have two pairs:   a Shimano and Scott.  The Shimano cost me P3,500 and Scott 5k

                     According to Weigh Weenies, some of the light shoes are:

                     Mavic  Huez                                                      210 grams each

                     Pearl Izumi Tri Fly Carbon                                 521 grams a pair

                     Shimano M221                                                  710 grams

                     SIDI   Genius 3                                                 552 grams

                    Specialized Pro Geometry                                  542 grams

                     Vittoria Racer                                                   240 grams (each)

                     Thus even the lightest shoes are .0.5 kg each. Imagine if you were wearing a 1 kg shoe
           
                 2.  Pedals

                     Invest in high quality light pedals

                     Shimano pedals would be about 200 grams a pair now (a very good development0

                     Speedplay would be about 180 grams a pair;  but Exustar, and I have one carbon fiber                            tips the scale only 88 grams  (176 grams for the pair) with Ti axle (referred to me by
                      Engr. June....  Budget was P7,000+

             3.   Cranksets

                   The Shimano cranks are heavy.   But Red of SRAM is very light and so are FSA line of cranks
                    built from machined alum and carbon fiber. (Both SRAM and FSA are Taiwan producers)

                   Comparison of crankset from Bike Radar

                    SRAM   Red                        594 grams

                    Ultegra                                 699 grams

                    Shimano 105                        759 grams

                    FSA force                            567 grams

                    Durace                                 636 grams

                    Campagnolo Athena             650 grams

       4.   Cogs

             The manufacturers are very  competitive now with cogs weighing  200 grams on the average for
             Shmano SRAM and Campy

Total Cycling   - SRAM claims to have produced the first sub 2 kg group set  (Durace and Super Record
                         are just about even

       5  Wheelsets

                  The name brands are not necessarily the best and the lightest.  Carbon fiber wheelsets are not
                   not necessarily light.  There are plenty of materials needed for the aero design, hence to be bit
                   heavier in the long run. But the aero design is supposed to cut and  slice through the air and thats
                   what matters for speeds beyond 30 kph.

                  So I have an old model wheelset with 36 spokes and my its heavy.  It must weigh 2,000 grams
                   even with Alex 22 rims

                  So some comparison, and I was lured by marketers to buy:

                  Fulcrum   7                                    1,845 grams
         
                 Shimano RS 10 and 11                   1,845 grams

                 Fulcrum Quattro Alum                    1,700 grams

                 Light ones:

                 Am Cla 350                                  1,396 grams    @! P5,500

                 Novatec Jet Fly                             1,435 grams    @  12,500

                                                         Novatec Jetfly only 1,435 grams

Light bike or lighter biker affect climbing?

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
December 24, 2015

Merry Christmas tomorrow.














The video that you are about to watch explains why we need to:   1.  lighten our bike (buy a bike whose parts:  wheel sets, frame, tires, BB, fork, headset must be light.  2. why we should exercise some more, diet etc. to lose weight.  We spend about $2/gram that we say (about $2,000 for every kg.  That is lot.  It should be easier and cheaper to lose weight of the engine (the biker)

VM Jun Vic mentions this findings very often.  This justifies why he opts for lighter bikes and wheel sets/tires always

There was an experiment conducted.  One bike was used and rode up 8% gradient, for a minute and the power was measured.  Two rides were made:  the basic bike (about 16 lbs) and for the second ride, 2.6 kg water bottle was added.  Two rides were made:  one at 8 kph, and second at 16 kph  The second rider who was bulkier repeated the ride.

What were the findings?

1. For the first rider, riding at 8 kph and 16 kph, doubling the speed added  output of about 40 watts.   The heavier bike (or the water bottles) increased the power output by 9 watts. That is huge

2. For the second rider who was heavier results were the same for the heavier and lighter bike. However, his heavier mass caused an increase of 40 watts. Hence, if you are overweight, or not lean, you tend to tire out faster because you have to have higher output.

3. We should rid our bikes of unnecessary weight and excess baggage. You now know why TDF riders dispose of most of their water bottles prior to a climb.  For TT riders, the advice is not to bring tools or spares or even a water bottle.  That is to conserve energy

Advice

1.  Work on the engine, reduce body weight by eating healthy foods, going to the gym, cross exercise, push ups, crunches  or doing cross exercises:  swimming, jogging etc

2.  Lighten your bike.  But lighter interior, wheelsets, chain, pedals, shoes.  On a slow staggered basis.  Unti unti.   EVERYDAY WE MUST IMPROVE

Can electro muscle stimulation machine trim your flab?

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines  | November 18, 2014



From Livestrong

From compex

Contour Electro Stimulation Machine

I just watched a TV ad for home shopping that glorifies a electro stimulating machine to build six packs and remove flabs.  

So I googled the benefits and it turned out that such devices as used for physical therapy for those who had stroke.massage and pain relief  And its use and benefits are doubtful.  So what is your pick.  Will you buy the P3,500.00 machine?