Decreasing Weight

[pink monkey]

I am hoping someone can give me advice on reducing weight on my mtn bike. I have been riding a hardtail and my husband just ordered me a new Kona Lisa Four!

I'd like to get it as light as possible without shelling out a lot of money (everyone's dream, right?). I was told i'd go a lot slower with more weight of a full suspension. I ride with all guys so it's important to me to be able to keep up with them, which i already struggle with on my hardtail!

If someone could recommend what I should upgrade first, and to what, that would be great! Thanks in advance!!

Here are the specs:
Frame tubing Kona Race Light Scandium Butted, 4" Travel
Fork RockShox Dart 2 w/ Turnkey 100mm
Rear Shock RockShox ARIO 2.2
Headset TH
Crankarms FSA Alpha Drive Exo
Chainrings 44/32/22
B/B FSA Powerdrive Exo
Pedals Shimano M505 Clipless
Chain KMC HG53
Freewheel Shimano Deore (11-32, 9spd)
F/D Shimano Deore
R/D Shimano LX
Shifters Shimano Deore
Handlebar Kona XC/BC
Stem Kona XC/BC
Grips Kona Lisa
Brakes Hayes Stroker Ryde Hydraulic V6
Brake Levers Hayes Stroker Ryde Hydraulic
Front hub KK Disc
Rear hub Shimano M475 disc
Spokes Stainless 14g
Tires Maxxis Ignitor 26 x 2.1
Rims Alex ACE-18
Saddle WTB Speed SHE Comp
Seatpost Kona XC/BC
Seat clamp Kona QR
Color Pink/White

[Zen]

You don't ask for much in a first post, do ya?

[pink monkey]

not much help for your 6,232th post, are ya?

should i have started with: What color bike should i get??

[Zen]

not much help for your 6,232th post, are ya?

A lot of people start here
or with a lovely post like this one.

Honestly, I was smelling spam for a moment there.

[pinkbikes]

Yep - that's quite a question!

OK, well I had a Kona Lisa HT and shifted to a full suspension rig. To be honest I didn't notice it was heavier (possibly because I shelled out lots of money and it is probably actually lighter) at all. What I did notice was increased confidence in bombing over all surfaces and greater comfort, so you may find that there is a trade-off and you won't be any slower at all. And it's a NICE looking bike btw - I have a real soft spot for the Konas since my first MTB was one and that one looks sweet!

In terms of answering your question...

You can fiddle around with a few lighter bits and pieces here and there, but if you really want to keep up with the guys, the best gain is to reduce your rotating mass at large diameter. So probably my first stop would be lighter rims and tyres. That means you don't have to work so hard to accelerate your wheels and keep them rolling. It'd be your single biggest gain I think particularly for climbing.

That being said, I really liked the Ignitors and took them off my Lisa and put them on my Specialized (which utterly scandalised the mechanic at the shop) instead of the nice light tyres it came with! I find the ignitors very confidence-inspiring with their good solid edge tread. They have lots of bite and have saved me many a time. They are also really good for shedding mud so are a good all-around tyre for where I ride.

You can fiddle around with carbon blingy bits and save yourself maybe a half a pound or so. By all means do it if you like the bling factor - but IMHO a good poop is going to save you as much weight and help you keep up just as well!

If it were me I would be saving up that carbon money to upgrade the rear derailleur to a better spec, as I see that as the weakest link in this set-up. And at some stage you may decide you want a better fork?

So, in summary...

The bike seems to be specced at a consistent level. Fiddling around the edges with a few light bits will probably get you nowhere in terms of keeping up with the boys, but do it if you like the look of the bits. The biggest gains will be in wheels (for rotating weight), then rear derailleur and fork (for better mechanical performance).

It's a sweet-looking bike - hope you enjoy it.



PS: Maybe ride it first - you may find that they are talking crap and you are no slower!?

[Irulan]

Yep, wheels are where you'll get your most weight savings. Consider the other stuff very carefully: you get to a point where you are better off saving your money for a whole new rig.

[sundial]

I saved weight by going with lighter cranks, lighter rims, and tubeless tires. You can add lighter road type components to your mtb but it may not be as durable, depending on what you use. Seatpost, saddle and handlebar could also be lightened but the savings in the rotational weight will make the biggest difference in handling.

[solobiker]

Yep, wheels are where you'll get your most weight savings. Consider the other stuff very carefully: you get to a point where you are better off saving your money for a whole new rig.

I agree.

[pink monkey]

Thank you!!! everyone for the responses!

pinkbikes, how did you like your kona ht? I am really excited about getting my bike, but a little nervous because i've never ridden a kona and didnt get to try it out beforehand. I've never ridden a full suspension either! I'm hoping for a smoother ride too - where i ride it is super rocky and there are a lot of downhill portions. I feel like i'm getting jerked around a lot. (P.s. i'll def. try riding it first before I make any purchases. I think i just have pre-jitters! haha )

I am looking for major weight differences, like wheels and cranks. I dont really have the money to waste on upgrading small tiny-weight saving things. I think I am most worried about reducing weight because where I ride, there is a portion where it's completely uphill for about 8 miles. This is where I have to work to keep up with the main group. I just dont want to drop to the back! I think with my new bike I will be adding on a couple of pounds of bike weight.

Starting with the wheels would be a good idea. Can anyone recommend a set to get for a reasonable price?

[laura*]

Frame tubing Kona Race Light Scandium Butted, 4" Travel

I'm almost done building an XC MTB on a VooDoo Sobo Scandium frame. The bare frame is scary light. I expect your Kona frame would be too, especially as the VooDoo's designer also works for Kona.

Freewheel Shimano Deore (11-32, 9spd)

You could save a bit of weight by upgrading to one of the cassettes that uses an aluminum cog carrier: XTR, Deore XT, or HG80.

Spokes Stainless 14g

If you get lighter rims, you could also get lighter double (or triple) butted spokes. Also, instead of rim tape or those big rubber band things, consider Velocity VeloPlugs. They'll reduce rotating weight all the way out by the tire.

[pink monkey]

I'm almost done building an XC MTB on a VooDoo Sobo Scandium frame. The bare frame is scary light. I expect your Kona frame would be too, especially as the VooDoo's designer also works for Kona.

You could save a bit of weight by upgrading to one of the cassettes that uses an aluminum cog carrier: XTR, Deore XT, or HG80.

If you get lighter rims, you could also get lighter double (or triple) butted spokes. Also, instead of rim tape or those big rubber band things, consider Velocity VeloPlugs. They'll reduce rotating weight all the way out by the tire.

Thanks Laura! I have a friend who is going to give me the XTR cassette off his bike before he sells it so i'm set there. Good thinking about the wheels! I didnt even think about the spokes or tape. I heard with the Kona four, they decreased the weight of the frame but then hung heavier parts on it... which was disappointing, but i guess good for now cause it kept price down.

[Aggie_Ama]

A lot of people I ride with that ride full suspension actually say they climb faster than HT. My husband would like to rebuild his HT for the non-technical courses on his race schedule but loves his full for the climbing courses or the western parts which are all rocky.

I don't have much suggestion on upgrading just what I have heard from others who went full suspension. I ride a HT right now as my first bike.

[pink monkey]

wow, thanks for the great advice, everyone! I never thought i'd get this much feedback!!

I think I am going to wait till i get my bike and do a couple of rides on it before I make any big decisions or pricey upgrades. If i do upgrade anything, it will probably be just the wheels and the cranks. THough, I have a friend who is going to give me a XT cassettee and rear derailleur for free.

Irulan does have a good point - if i did upgrade a lot of stuff, i might as well of gotten my dream era or even the pink myka!! both of which were technically out of my price range.