As the guy who lives in an apartment on fifth floor with no elevator in building I can say that weight really matters, especially after full day on a bike
I upgraded my Polygon Syncline C5 carbon hardtail to tubeless Bontrager XR2 lightweight XC tyres, dropped weight from over 13kg down to 11.8kg with empty bottles, tool bag & mudguards - made an improvement for a total cost of about $2500 AUD, very happy with price point & performance, not everyone can spend 15K pounds on a bike 😜
I did similar to the same bike size M. Al Hunt wheels, tubeless vittoria barzo tyres and a carbon bar. Also added a oneup dropper post (not for weight saving 🤣). Down to 11.3kg for a total cost of about £1500 👍🏻
I upgraded to a full sus which is aa heavy as my ht. Bearings in the wheels make the bike feel lighter and easyer to pedal than the old ht. It's weird how something so overlooked appear to be so important.
When I'm 5kg overweight I'm not going to worry about saving 2kg with lighter parts on my bike. I'm just going to go on a diet... when the xmas choccies run out.
Good point. It's similar in the firearm / prepper world. You can buy all the gucci gear you want - but if you can't run a mile with said gear on then fatigue and exhaustion will get you long before wild animals or zombies lol.
Agree…I think being lighter plays a bigger difference than the bike being lighter. I know when I am lighter I tend to be heather and makes me stronger rider on my bikes.
I had my moment of enlightenment (no pun intended) about 5 years ago. I'm a '90s weight weenie, and had always obsessed over the mass of my bike. But before an event in Wales I stuffed by back wheel and had to borrow a mate's for the ride. Added about 350 g to my ride... and I didn't notice at all. So got my new wheel set and figured I had about 325 g free to add to the bike. Went from 2.1/2.0 inch wide rubber (f/r) to 2.35 both ends and upgraded my fork with a better, heavier damper. Heavier bike, but I'm going faster with less upper body fatigue. First ride on it round my usually trail centre was the first time ever I made a lap with nobody overtaking me, and that's been the story ever since. Now looking at a heavier bike (YT Izzo Uncaged 11) that promised to be a lot more capable... Plan to put the equivalent mass of water ottoes on my rig and see how it feels on the climbs.
I would say that weight should only matter at the highest level of competition. If you’re a weekend warrior you probably shouldn’t worry about it unless you have the money.
Very true. My lightest bike is 11kg Niner Jet9Rdo but I’m a good 15kg over my ideal weight 🤷♂️ because it’s easier to save money than to change my diet
Light = harsh, getting bucked and flung about it's not for me, I'm perfectly happy with my 13.95kg trail hardtail with 29x2.6 tyres, the big tyres are a Godsend on a hardtail ❤
@@michaelmicallef668 apologies but I had to edit, I had the weight wrong, it's actually quoted at 13.95, but what I am trying to say is I'm happy with how it feels and wouldn't want it lighter, yeah I'd agree there's heavier trail bikes around but near on 14kg is no xc featherweight race machine, it's substantial feeling enough to ride all over all day, just not at a race pace kind of speed, the 2.6 tyres are draggy on the road but you don't notice on trails.
@@powerkraut007 I just bought Kenda Regolith 2.6 for the front and Kenda Nevegal II 2.6 for the rear for when my Bontrager Xr4's wear out, they were on sale hear in Australia, I had the original Nevegal way back in the day in 26x2.25 on my Stumpjumper FSR and loved those tyres so I'm looking forward to trying this new version.
My Orbea Alma currently weighs 8.8 Kg and feels amazing! When I switch to my 15.5 Kg Rallon, ascending gets at least interesting. Is almost double the effort depending on the pace you cycle at.
I think that once a bike gets over 30 lbs it starts to get into the too heavy category. This is one reason I personally don't like eBikes. Sure, they get you up the hill easier, but they are a lot of work on the upper body trying to toss them around on the way down. Jumping an eBike literally overworks my arms and shoulders compared to a 30 lb trail bike. Although, you stated this in the video, it really depends on what you are going to be doing with the bike. So the real thing here is picking the right category of bike for what you are going to do. I mainly ride a trail full suspension bike or one of my hardtails. My full suspension bike is a Carbon Salsa Rustler and weighs about 30 lbs with the upgrades I have done. For most of the riding I do that bike is perfect and I don't need an Enduro bike with heavy casing tires and so on. I think most riders are overbiked and ride a heavy enduro bike when a trail bike, down country, or hardtail will do them just fine. Enduro bikes got super trendy and everyone started buying them and riding around on 34 plus pound 150mm plus travel bikes when they don't need them. Sure, some people do, but most riders don't ever push an enduro bike to its limits. Weight does matter and I feel like bikes keep getting heavier and heavier. My goal with a bike is to keep it around 30 lbs or less. I shave most of the weight with the wheels and tires I choose.
After my sub 9 kg BMC Twostroke 01 three build broke under compression in a left turn (right seat stay folded) last autumn, I needed a new bike fast. Found an Intense sniper XC Expert (11,9 kg large) on offer. After some discount opgrades (mostly from the BMC) replacing: fork (SID raceday), crank (X01 CF), wheels (Roval Terra), tires (Racing Ralph/Ray Super Race), handlebar (Black Ink one piece), grips (Wolftooth), drivetrain (XX1 chain / cassette, GX AXS derailleur), breakpads (XT metal, fins), Rotors (galfer) and Saddle (SLR Superflow EVO LTD), it weights in at about 10,5 kg (marathon setup with 2 bottle cages, light mount, garmin mount and pedals. I love the journey of finding parts 😊. One thing I never see in weight videos are other system parts where weight can be saved (ignoring body weight), such as pedals (time XC 12, including cleats 292 g), disk Rotors (Galfer, 102 and 101 g respectively), shoes (I use gravel shoes, not only for lighter weight, but more stiffness (shimano RX8, 180g lighter than Recon 2).
I think right around 24 lbs / 10.X kgs is the sweet spot for lightness without getting overly stupid in price. Ok, maybe a bit stupid. I was able to build a new Scott Spark at this weight and still maintain some "nice to haves" like 120mm travel, Onyx Vesper hub, dropper post, suspension lockout system, and power meter. A highly capable bike that's still a champ on long endurance rides and stupid climbs. I could 'easily' make the push for 10kg by killing off the aforementioned items, but the bike would lose its appeal as a decent all-arounder.
I have only older 26" mountain bikes from the years around 2002-2013 and I have modified them a lot with lighter parts. My lightest full suspension bike is Scott Spark 10 and it weighs 8,23 kg including spd lock pedals. I always give my bikes weights including the pedals. It has still 2.2" Continental Race King tyres (535 grams each). Brakes are Centerlock 180 mm front disc and 160 mm rear disc Formula R1R. It has carbon wheels (DT Swiss XRC 300), carbon fork (DT Swiss XRC 100), carbon cranks (Race Face Next SL G5), carbon handlebar (RF low riser 720 mm), carbon saddle (Saevid Alien short 69 grams) etc. Stem is Extralite Hyperstem and it´s aluminium because it´s even lighter and stronger than carbon ones that weigh as little (64 grams only) for a 70 mm lenght stem. Trek 8500 hard tail weighs 9,75 kg and GT Zaskar Elite hard tail weighs just under 10 kg 9,99 kg. Not "full effort" weight reduction here as otherwise weight should start with 8 kg at least. Giant Trance full suspension weighs 10,5 kg. Gary Fisher Sugar 2+ full suspension weighs 11,0 kg. Could be lighter but great weight reduction already vs. the starting point and not expensive to build like this. Kona Process full suspension trail bike (year 2013 with stock 160 mm RS Lyric coil fork and stock 150 mm rear shock) weighs 11,8 kg with Continental Mountain King 2.3" tyres (600 grams each). This bikes weight was originally over 15 kg... My heaviest weight mtb from all the seven I own is "Ford" branded full suspension bike. It weighs just under 13 kg at the moment. 12,95 kg. Total weight of all seven of my 26" mtb`s (five full suspension and two hard tails) is 74,22 kg so this divided by seven gives the average weight of 10,6 kg.
Talking about enduro bike weight : saving 500-750 or even 1000g doesn't make a HUGE difference. However, from 1500g, it will start feeling different. It's way easier to handle it, easier to do Scandi flicks, feels more agile on the jumps etc... I made that comparison with a carbon Pivot Firebird and an alloy Trek Slash
It really depends on the riding you do. Easiest thing to do is drop body weight. That being said a high quality carbon or aluminum that’s stiff helps deliver immediate power to the wheels. My XC full sus. Is 23 lb and my comfy all mtn daily rider is 26-27lb. They ride difficult the all mtn is great for fun trail riding.
Light, within reason. Otherwise, put 600mm handelbars, 35mm stem, the lighest saddle, even if its super uncomfortable, Maxxis Pace tires, 140mm rotors, I can keep going on.
Yes, a weight weenie enduro build with a shoot out between you and Blake comparing it to a standard one would be interesting especially if you could do a whole day adventure where the weight difference should show
Most people don't ride to get a podium place. Riding for most people is about fun and enjoyment. Far too many people get fixed on the latest and light's ride. You can have as much fun on a $2000 bike. If you are not racing just go have fun. Hell I have a 93 trek 850 as a daily run about and it's just as enjoyable as any of my modern bikes and to be honest. It chops the gears better than 90% of the new drive trains.
@@yukiko_5051 too true. I'm in New Zealand so a decent new hardtail up to six months ago was in that range. But I do agree it's about fun and enjoyment.
I’m a major weight weenie & when it comes to weight the wheels come into huge play. I’m a small guy about 60kg mainly doing XC light trail. I got an 8kg hardtail & 12.5kg Enduro bike. If you ask me if I had to ride back to back stock version and my custom build, heck yeah I would notice difference. I think weight matters how you ride. If you’re doing whole lot of climbing and long distance then yes, weight does matter especially if you’re a small guy like me. But if you enjoy riding on gnarly terrain & live going downhill you might as well ride 15kg enduro bike with coil
Hey everyone. I'm the proud owner of a Rockrider Race 740 hardtail. And yes, I can tell you that Rockrider are building good bikes. My bike weighs(without pedals) 11,4kgs and I can tell you, it's a godsend! I've put a bit more weight in(few grams...) with a 34T crank to substitute the 32T and a completely variable handlebar stem(+140grams) to correct the God awfull ergonomics a negative angle stem brought on my body since I bought the bike. Can't say I've felt the weight increase, especially when I now can ride my bike better, faster and without completely corrupting my back. But I must admit...I'm a fan of shaving weight off! Tomorrow I'll be putting in a new Rockshox SID Ultimate 120mm to substitute the Rockshox Reckon 100mm, I'll shave 450 gr off and, since I can't eliminate the slight inner gap/slack in the variable handlebar I'll put on an simple angled stem with the correct angle and reach, for my riding position. Just with that i'll "revolutionize" that bike with 7mm less offset, quality damping and, crucially, a lot less weight on the front of the bike . And not gonna stop there. I'll continue with some very decent Sram G2 RSC brakes on slightlly bigger rotors, 2,35 wide Vittoria Mezcal front and back(prefere it to the Barza I have in the front and adding a few grams here...) and I'll end with some decent Syncros alloy wheels(shaving 120gr). When I'm through, my work with that bike will be done, it'll weigh a tadd over 11 kgs and...I'm gonna buy an Orbea Occam SL M10! A 12.3kgs almost perfect All Mountain bike to really push the boundaries on the mountain. 15 kgs bikes are not on my wishlist...at least until I have to buy an ebike! Sheers and good ridings to everyone from Coimbra, Portugal.
Weight is a big factor BUT it depends on where you are saving the weight. For XC the biggest gain is from a lighter Wheelset, Tires, and Cassette. The rotational mass and rolling resistance will net you the best gains. Focus on that before you worry about the light seat post, handlebars, pedals, and brakes. Going from an aluminum Wheelset, trail tires, and Deore cassette to a Carbon Wheelset, XC tires, and a Garbaruk cassette will save you over 2 lbs in rotational mass.
Yep. Switched to Carbon wheels and lighter tires on my Stumpjumper. Took off 2 pounds. Averaging over 2 mph quicker on my typical trails. Feels like a different bike.
if you can...own an xc bike and a enduro bike....if not....trail bike with second set of xc wheelset & tires...generally lighter is better if the trail is smoother and if trails are up and down....if trails are fire roads up & a descent then weight is less a factor.
I like light bikes, I like the nimbleness and responsiveness they bring. I’ve had a 9.4kg HT bad a 9.7kg FS (both 26”) in the past. My current ride is a 12kg Whyte T130c frame rebuilt as a Mullet. 130/140mm travel. There is also no getting away from the fact that the bigger wheels come with a weight penalty. I don’t spend a fortune, my current bike cost me less than £2000 to put together.
It depends on rider and how they ride their bikes. I am in my fifties so I am not doing any aggressive jumps, but I like riding my bike on nature trails.
I buy on weight and cost....Most lightness per dollar. Responsiveness = Fun Id rather have a responsive bike than a mega fast bike. So yeah, weight is nearly everything to me, because FUN is everything.
Tire treads are huge in certain conditions! I bought a WTB something or other out of necessity at a nearby bike shop ...my tire at the time split open, and it looked like a tread pattern that would fit the trail. The entire ride I was pushing and pushing and getting way more tired than normal, even my buddy mentioned my difference in speed. I swapped it out a couple weeks later to my normal tire choice, and yeah....I was moving again, and riding the same trail!
@@GoodwinGlassworks It really is shocking how much of a difference tires can make. Here lately I've been trying out the specialized tires. Very impressed so far. They weren't that great in the past.
I always have the problem that I actually need my E mtb cause I'm physically disabled, so it helps me with steep climbs, also on technical trails where there's a lot of up and down pedaling. But my bike weights 24kg, and that is pretty much half as much as my own body weight is, so not exactly a good ratio between me and my bike, also for handling. I'd actually need a light bike with maybe up to 12 kg max, but then it's not possible to have an ebike that assists me. So I decided to stick with the heavy one although it's far from perfect for me. After all, it brought me to many nice places and even made it though a bike park 😊
Here I am trying to lose another 300g to bring my Cannondale FSI to 7.5kg. But yeah, a 29er hardtail starts to really rack up the cost for every fkin gram below 9kg.
Unless I go to bike park with lift, getting up to the altitude is the biggest obstacle I face at age of 50... Can't do it with Trail or Enduro. XC bike is the only way to get my mush ass up the mountain, XC bike is worth to sacrifice some downhill fun for me.
Carbon or not carbon isnt the question. Its about the design. i know many many Aloy parts, wich are lighter than most carbon pendants. I have a 7.4 kg 80mm Hardtail. Its a rocket. But not for every day riding.
Hey. I am highly interested in the Rallon 2022/23 frame weight. Has anyone of you ever weighed the frame ? The Orbea claimed weight of 2.3kg seems completely nonsense
@gmbn maybe on of you can put your frame on a scale for a basis analysis on how low I can get an enduro bike and if my Rallon could be used for this or is too heavy
The weights numbers of current bikes look huge to 26" race hardtail days but they are faster anyway. The truth is as always somewhere in the middle. Would I trade in my dropper post for weight savings? Hell no! Would I pedal a DH casing tire up any hill? No way.
you can put a pair of good aluminum rims and trail tires on a xc bike and wildly improve its handling while increasing only around 700g lol. It's naive to assume everyone is going for a ~$2000 carbon wheelset and slicks. On the other hand, you could perfectly have an enduro bike with a 36mm stanchion fork and carbon wheels and have it weigh less than 14kg, you don't have to go the full almost-dh coil shock 180mm travel way. As always, this channel goes to the extreme instead of focusing on value and balance.
Yes but no. When I went from a 11kg hardtail to a 13.5kg full sus trail bike climbing very smooth sections was slower, but any climb with bump steps or chatter was faster because I could keep the power on and get it down without wasted energy spinning out. Can ride faster for longer too. A full day was always hard on the hardtail but as I'm past my 30s now I can still ride the susser all day without feeling destroyed.
My Spectral Al is 17kg (37lbs), heaviest of the entire comments section 😭 still love it tho! (Wouldn't mind getting rid of a couple kg for sure... I can feel it in the climbs compared to my hardtail)
If it's a like for like style of bike... Yes it does as it makes all day riding simple. I've gone from a 170 enduro bike at around 32-33lbs to a 160/140 that is pretty much smack on 28lb bike it is soo much easier to pedal. So comparing an enduro bike to an xc bike is utterly pointless, with similar style bikes it can help. Just as a heavier DH bike can just plough in but takes more physical strength to handle.
Having just bought and started riding my first full power emtb (Ibis Oso) that weighs about 20 lbs more than my Amish bike (SC Bronson) I would say that heavier can actually mean better on gnarly DH if the weight is in the proper location. I have noticed this before on DH bikes that were in the 40 lb range, but it is really noticeable when you get into the 53 lb range. The Oso, with it’s weight down low in the BB and downtube and with a DW link and a Fox X2, is super stable and super smooth at high speed over gnarly DH tracks. Yes it is a longer wheelbase, but my Bronson is an XL with a 1252 mm wheelbase (I sized up specifically bc I wanted more stability at speed) and has 2.6 in tires so not as much difference in wheelsize as one might expect bc 27.5 x 2.6s are a bigger diameter. Plus, what I am talking about is just the feel of that low down weight counteracting the hits trying to throw the bike off-line. It is something palpable that you can feel when riding. So sometimes weight is not only bad but can be an advantage.
Another problem also Some people like me,very muscular(😂) fighting weight about 95-100kg have problems with adjusting the pressure in the damper. It goes near to the max psi!! Not good for me or damper😂
I'm tall and also muscular...bad combo for bikes! I destroy parts often, but I've learned...cost doesn't always equal to reliability! Lots of experimentation to find what lasts
Sorry to sorry nothing new to me, I would prefer to see light for it's class, just put those XC wheels on the the heavy bike ( but not the tires ) and live with it for a month, along with carbon bars and carbon cranks and some light 180 rotors and you might findout you can with some changes in riding technics can go downhill as a champ
For the vast majority, such investment does not make sense, even if it might be great to ride such a bike. Considering the place where I ride (close to Lyon, France), I decided to go back to a decent hardtail (Orbea Alma H30). Can't be happier. For a bit more than 1 k€, you have anything you need for XC.
It doesn't really make much difference to pedalling effort in my 'real world' experience, but if you do a lot of cross country hike-a-bike it's much nicer carrying a lightweight carbon XC bike on your shoulders 😊
I have an free ride bike. I dont care about the weight that much. Dont want a 50 lb bike. After all some dh racers weigh down their bikes for more traction.
from a dude who struggles to maintain 70kg and has to be careful not to drop too far below it... Going from a 15kg cheap hardtail to an 11.5kg alu frame (old components but the best of 2008) has made for a far quicker daily travel/XC/jumping machine.
I don’t mean to be rude, but I really don’t care about weight because if you buy substantial, good quality parts your always going to end up with a speed machine anyway.
Unfortunately the "light" bike requires the ugliest fork...that hideous orange that Fox sticks with and doesn't match with any paint scheme....so...is it worth the weight savings? Ha ha. I reduced weight on my 31 pound(stock) trail bike after replacing parts I broke with surprisingly less expensive parts. I had down around 29 pounds. I was then using a KS Lev dropper with no remote.(Heavy...like a brick!) I loved the simplicity of that dropper but jumps I was familiar with were not being jumped as I had on other bikes. I replaced the KS with a Specialized remote dropper which decreased the center bike weight by quite a lot, and those same jumps suddenly became much more jumped again. That bike now is somehow around 28 pounds. Transition Scout Another analogy....I went to thorn proof tubes a while ago due to trails I was riding where I'd get flats way too often due to the sharp rock edges I was plowing through. I got zero flats but the bike pedaled like I was in mud constantly. I went back to normal tubes and the bike flew again. I learned that "weight" isn't always about heaviness but where the weight is. Wheels make a change, and apparently that weight at the seatpost for me had a big change in feeling on the bike.
You want to save weight? I thought the video on no chain downhill was eye-opening. If you're shuttling, even an Enduro bike just for recreation, you don't need the derailleur/cass. maintenance, weight, cost, etc. Pick a ring/gear/crank arm and go with it. Then lose the conventional dual susp. for a single, larger lock-out coil shock inline with the top tube. Fully gusseted head, frame pivot at the BB, Ti tube fork. Ti seat post, bar, crank and frame if you're special. Now you could just pedal around at a decent rate, or with your mini motor/battery attached. The vast majority of the world are not racing, needing all the gears, suspension, weight and maxed out everything. It is fun, and the lightweight moto fantasy for pedalers, though. And wouldn't that be worth, oh, 5K or so. The capitalist mob under control; now that's the UK, isn't it? Oh, did I mention that the fork/head angle is fully user adjustable, in the head design. And the frame, coil/valving, geometry and paint are suited to the buyer.
Does anyone here know how good/reliable the Dartmoor Primal frame is? it would be in my pricerange but i dont know anything about the reliability of that brand.
Dude the cost is not correct.. you have to have new.. I built a full titanium GT Zaskar for less than two grand.. 14k lbs shit better be carbon fiber wrapped hollow aluminum. Mountain bikes are way to expensive and they are hurting themselves over pricing.. I've ridden newer bikes, sure they're a little bit better. Still not enough proformance gain to justify the cost.. I can have fun with Mustang GT add four times the cost and get a 911s. Is the performance gain justified? Yes. Ten seconds faster. But on a mountain bike? That's the thing everyone wants the newest.. I run old Diore Shimano. No issues runs like new. We are talking over twenty years old.. that's my rant.. 14k even 4k. Maybe closer..
riding in the dry will save you some g's... not having a bike covered in mud from yestys shred.. that will save you some g's... having a dump n a piss b4 hand... plenty of cheaer ways t save weight!!
Yes! I always tell people to upgrade their wheels/tires to the lightest combo that A) meets their needs for robustness and B) meets their budget. You will feel huge gains with that upgrade. I remember the pure eye-opener it was going from a 2200g aluminum wheelset to a 1500g carbon set. Wild how much quicker everything felt. Lighten up those cranks too if you're going to be spinning them for hours straight on endurance rides. Though not nearly as beneficial as wheels.
@@Andy_ATBI think there's a whole branch of the sport you seem to have missed... XC guys already obsess over weight. And have done so since, well, the start of the sport.
Do you want a lighter bike? Do you know the weight of your bike or where you think you could save weight without sacrificing durability? Let us know👇
For me, performance/safety comes before weight savings.
I actually work on my bodyweight first
Safety third, my Giant trance X 29 large aluminium weight 29.22 pounds, it took a lot of grinding to get there with 160/135 travel 😂
I have an Eagle cassette and it weighs a ton
Merida one twenty 6000 13.5 kg inc pedal
As the guy who lives in an apartment on fifth floor with no elevator in building I can say that weight really matters, especially after full day on a bike
like me lives on apartment on fifth floor with no elevator 😅😅😅😅
Time to upgrade the apt! Lol
@@dadventuretv2538yeah, it might be cheaper than a new ligjtweight bike these days
I upgraded my Polygon Syncline C5 carbon hardtail to tubeless Bontrager XR2 lightweight XC tyres, dropped weight from over 13kg down to 11.8kg with empty bottles, tool bag & mudguards - made an improvement for a total cost of about $2500 AUD, very happy with price point & performance, not everyone can spend 15K pounds on a bike 😜
Very happy you got XR2s. Bontrager makes very good tires, underrated. I run XR3s on my trail bike, XR5s on enduro
I did similar to the same bike size M. Al Hunt wheels, tubeless vittoria barzo tyres and a carbon bar. Also added a oneup dropper post (not for weight saving 🤣). Down to 11.3kg for a total cost of about £1500 👍🏻
I upgraded to a full sus which is aa heavy as my ht. Bearings in the wheels make the bike feel lighter and easyer to pedal than the old ht. It's weird how something so overlooked appear to be so important.
When I'm 5kg overweight I'm not going to worry about saving 2kg with lighter parts on my bike. I'm just going to go on a diet... when the xmas choccies run out.
Good point. It's similar in the firearm / prepper world. You can buy all the gucci gear you want - but if you can't run a mile with said gear on then fatigue and exhaustion will get you long before wild animals or zombies lol.
Agree…I think being lighter plays a bigger difference than the bike being lighter. I know when I am lighter I tend to be heather and makes me stronger rider on my bikes.
I had my moment of enlightenment (no pun intended) about 5 years ago. I'm a '90s weight weenie, and had always obsessed over the mass of my bike. But before an event in Wales I stuffed by back wheel and had to borrow a mate's for the ride. Added about 350 g to my ride... and I didn't notice at all. So got my new wheel set and figured I had about 325 g free to add to the bike. Went from 2.1/2.0 inch wide rubber (f/r) to 2.35 both ends and upgraded my fork with a better, heavier damper. Heavier bike, but I'm going faster with less upper body fatigue. First ride on it round my usually trail centre was the first time ever I made a lap with nobody overtaking me, and that's been the story ever since. Now looking at a heavier bike (YT Izzo Uncaged 11) that promised to be a lot more capable... Plan to put the equivalent mass of water ottoes on my rig and see how it feels on the climbs.
A lighter bike should decelerate quicker. Change direaction faster and acelerate faster . That's three opportunities at every bend.
I would say that weight should only matter at the highest level of competition. If you’re a weekend warrior you probably shouldn’t worry about it unless you have the money.
Depends on bodyweight. The most of us don't need light bikes, perhaps a healthy diet😅😅😅
Very true. My lightest bike is 11kg Niner Jet9Rdo but I’m a good 15kg over my ideal weight 🤷♂️ because it’s easier to save money than to change my diet
Light = harsh, getting bucked and flung about it's not for me, I'm perfectly happy with my 13.95kg trail hardtail with 29x2.6 tyres, the big tyres are a Godsend on a hardtail ❤
... thinking about an upgrade from 2.4" kenda to 2.6" continental x king/ mountain king but they are heavier...
@powerkraut007 and slower rolling. If you're offroad a lot then they're fine.
13kg trail bike is incredibly light!
@@michaelmicallef668 apologies but I had to edit, I had the weight wrong, it's actually quoted at 13.95, but what I am trying to say is I'm happy with how it feels and wouldn't want it lighter, yeah I'd agree there's heavier trail bikes around but near on 14kg is no xc featherweight race machine, it's substantial feeling enough to ride all over all day, just not at a race pace kind of speed, the 2.6 tyres are draggy on the road but you don't notice on trails.
@@powerkraut007 I just bought Kenda Regolith 2.6 for the front and Kenda Nevegal II 2.6 for the rear for when my Bontrager Xr4's wear out, they were on sale hear in Australia, I had the original Nevegal way back in the day in 26x2.25 on my Stumpjumper FSR and loved those tyres so I'm looking forward to trying this new version.
For enduro people like us.. durability matters over weight.. but still a little bit of a sneeze out of weight is nice..
My Orbea Alma currently weighs 8.8 Kg and feels amazing! When I switch to my 15.5 Kg Rallon, ascending gets at least interesting. Is almost double the effort depending on the pace you cycle at.
I think that once a bike gets over 30 lbs it starts to get into the too heavy category. This is one reason I personally don't like eBikes. Sure, they get you up the hill easier, but they are a lot of work on the upper body trying to toss them around on the way down. Jumping an eBike literally overworks my arms and shoulders compared to a 30 lb trail bike.
Although, you stated this in the video, it really depends on what you are going to be doing with the bike. So the real thing here is picking the right category of bike for what you are going to do.
I mainly ride a trail full suspension bike or one of my hardtails. My full suspension bike is a Carbon Salsa Rustler and weighs about 30 lbs with the upgrades I have done. For most of the riding I do that bike is perfect and I don't need an Enduro bike with heavy casing tires and so on.
I think most riders are overbiked and ride a heavy enduro bike when a trail bike, down country, or hardtail will do them just fine. Enduro bikes got super trendy and everyone started buying them and riding around on 34 plus pound 150mm plus travel bikes when they don't need them. Sure, some people do, but most riders don't ever push an enduro bike to its limits.
Weight does matter and I feel like bikes keep getting heavier and heavier. My goal with a bike is to keep it around 30 lbs or less. I shave most of the weight with the wheels and tires I choose.
And so on and so forth! Nice seeing you in the comments Shadlife. Spitting truth
@@GregAspensonNice! 😂
After my sub 9 kg BMC Twostroke 01 three build broke under compression in a left turn (right seat stay folded) last autumn, I needed a new bike fast. Found an Intense sniper XC Expert (11,9 kg large) on offer. After some discount opgrades (mostly from the BMC) replacing: fork (SID raceday), crank (X01 CF), wheels (Roval Terra), tires (Racing Ralph/Ray Super Race), handlebar (Black Ink one piece), grips (Wolftooth), drivetrain (XX1 chain / cassette, GX AXS derailleur), breakpads (XT metal, fins), Rotors (galfer) and Saddle (SLR Superflow EVO LTD), it weights in at about 10,5 kg (marathon setup with 2 bottle cages, light mount, garmin mount and pedals. I love the journey of finding parts 😊. One thing I never see in weight videos are other system parts where weight can be saved (ignoring body weight), such as pedals (time XC 12, including cleats 292 g), disk Rotors (Galfer, 102 and 101 g respectively), shoes (I use gravel shoes, not only for lighter weight, but more stiffness (shimano RX8, 180g lighter than Recon 2).
I think right around 24 lbs / 10.X kgs is the sweet spot for lightness without getting overly stupid in price. Ok, maybe a bit stupid. I was able to build a new Scott Spark at this weight and still maintain some "nice to haves" like 120mm travel, Onyx Vesper hub, dropper post, suspension lockout system, and power meter. A highly capable bike that's still a champ on long endurance rides and stupid climbs.
I could 'easily' make the push for 10kg by killing off the aforementioned items, but the bike would lose its appeal as a decent all-arounder.
I have only older 26" mountain bikes from the years around 2002-2013 and I have modified them a lot with lighter parts. My lightest full suspension bike is Scott Spark 10 and it weighs 8,23 kg including spd lock pedals. I always give my bikes weights including the pedals. It has still 2.2" Continental Race King tyres (535 grams each). Brakes are Centerlock 180 mm front disc and 160 mm rear disc Formula R1R. It has carbon wheels (DT Swiss XRC 300), carbon fork (DT Swiss XRC 100), carbon cranks (Race Face Next SL G5), carbon handlebar (RF low riser 720 mm), carbon saddle (Saevid Alien short 69 grams) etc. Stem is Extralite Hyperstem and it´s aluminium because it´s even lighter and stronger than carbon ones that weigh as little (64 grams only) for a 70 mm lenght stem.
Trek 8500 hard tail weighs 9,75 kg and GT Zaskar Elite hard tail weighs just under 10 kg 9,99 kg. Not "full effort" weight reduction here as otherwise weight should start with 8 kg at least.
Giant Trance full suspension weighs 10,5 kg. Gary Fisher Sugar 2+ full suspension weighs 11,0 kg. Could be lighter but great weight reduction already vs. the starting point and not expensive to build like this.
Kona Process full suspension trail bike (year 2013 with stock 160 mm RS Lyric coil fork and stock 150 mm rear shock) weighs 11,8 kg with Continental Mountain King 2.3" tyres (600 grams each). This bikes weight was originally over 15 kg...
My heaviest weight mtb from all the seven I own is "Ford" branded full suspension bike. It weighs just under 13 kg at the moment. 12,95 kg.
Total weight of all seven of my 26" mtb`s (five full suspension and two hard tails) is 74,22 kg so this divided by seven gives the average weight of 10,6 kg.
Light bikes don't put your back out when you try to load them into vehicles
Talking about enduro bike weight : saving 500-750 or even 1000g doesn't make a HUGE difference.
However, from 1500g, it will start feeling different. It's way easier to handle it, easier to do Scandi flicks, feels more agile on the jumps etc...
I made that comparison with a carbon Pivot Firebird and an alloy Trek Slash
It really depends on the riding you do. Easiest thing to do is drop body weight. That being said a high quality carbon or aluminum that’s stiff helps deliver immediate power to the wheels. My XC full sus. Is 23 lb and my comfy all mtn daily rider is 26-27lb. They ride difficult the all mtn is great for fun trail riding.
That Rallon is stunning! :)
As someone that mtb was 45 lb and is now 28 lb having tubes it is a very big difference
Light, within reason. Otherwise, put 600mm handelbars, 35mm stem, the lighest saddle, even if its super uncomfortable, Maxxis Pace tires, 140mm rotors, I can keep going on.
Yes, a weight weenie enduro build with a shoot out between you and Blake comparing it to a standard one would be interesting especially if you could do a whole day adventure where the weight difference should show
I find them in a year or two with my sub 13kg Trek Slash build (high chance be 12.5-12.7 with Enduro grade tyres)
Thank you. Great explanatiion. Greetings from Mexico
Most people don't ride to get a podium place. Riding for most people is about fun and enjoyment. Far too many people get fixed on the latest and light's ride. You can have as much fun on a $2000 bike. If you are not racing just go have fun. Hell I have a 93 trek 850 as a daily run about and it's just as enjoyable as any of my modern bikes and to be honest. It chops the gears better than 90% of the new drive trains.
2000 is already too much. Try $350 hardtail for extra fun
@@yukiko_5051 too true. I'm in New Zealand so a decent new hardtail up to six months ago was in that range. But I do agree it's about fun and enjoyment.
Even as light spirited and funny the commentators on this channel are, I hope everyone appreciates how professional they are.
I’m a major weight weenie & when it comes to weight the wheels come into huge play. I’m a small guy about 60kg mainly doing XC light trail. I got an 8kg hardtail & 12.5kg Enduro bike. If you ask me if I had to ride back to back stock version and my custom build, heck yeah I would notice difference. I think weight matters how you ride. If you’re doing whole lot of climbing and long distance then yes, weight does matter especially if you’re a small guy like me. But if you enjoy riding on gnarly terrain & live going downhill you might as well ride 15kg enduro bike with coil
Hey everyone. I'm the proud owner of a Rockrider Race 740 hardtail. And yes, I can tell you that Rockrider are building good bikes. My bike weighs(without pedals) 11,4kgs and I can tell you, it's a godsend! I've put a bit more weight in(few grams...) with a 34T crank to substitute the 32T and a completely variable handlebar stem(+140grams) to correct the God awfull ergonomics a negative angle stem brought on my body since I bought the bike. Can't say I've felt the weight increase, especially when I now can ride my bike better, faster and without completely corrupting my back. But I must admit...I'm a fan of shaving weight off! Tomorrow I'll be putting in a new Rockshox SID Ultimate 120mm to substitute the Rockshox Reckon 100mm, I'll shave 450 gr off and, since I can't eliminate the slight inner gap/slack in the variable handlebar I'll put on an simple angled stem with the correct angle and reach, for my riding position. Just with that i'll "revolutionize" that bike with 7mm less offset, quality damping and, crucially, a lot less weight on the front of the bike . And not gonna stop there. I'll continue with some very decent Sram G2 RSC brakes on slightlly bigger rotors, 2,35 wide Vittoria Mezcal front and back(prefere it to the Barza I have in the front and adding a few grams here...) and I'll end with some decent Syncros alloy wheels(shaving 120gr). When I'm through, my work with that bike will be done, it'll weigh a tadd over 11 kgs and...I'm gonna buy an Orbea Occam SL M10! A 12.3kgs almost perfect All Mountain bike to really push the boundaries on the mountain. 15 kgs bikes are not on my wishlist...at least until I have to buy an ebike! Sheers and good ridings to everyone from Coimbra, Portugal.
Got a Santa Cruz Nomad CC 14.7 kg, the only way I get this lighter is carbon cranks and lighter tires. Maybe smaller discs too.
I love that canyon's paint scheme it gives a kind of Portal vibe
Weight is a big factor BUT it depends on where you are saving the weight. For XC the biggest gain is from a lighter Wheelset, Tires, and Cassette. The rotational mass and rolling resistance will net you the best gains. Focus on that before you worry about the light seat post, handlebars, pedals, and brakes.
Going from an aluminum Wheelset, trail tires, and Deore cassette to a Carbon Wheelset, XC tires, and a Garbaruk cassette will save you over 2 lbs in rotational mass.
Yep. Switched to Carbon wheels and lighter tires on my Stumpjumper. Took off 2 pounds. Averaging over 2 mph quicker on my typical trails. Feels like a different bike.
if you can...own an xc bike and a enduro bike....if not....trail bike with second set of xc wheelset & tires...generally lighter is better if the trail is smoother and if trails are up and down....if trails are fire roads up & a descent then weight is less a factor.
Rich is awesome 🤩
I have dropped 2lbs from my Knolly with a lighter fork, mullet build and some odds and ends. Bike feela way livelier
I had a top fuel 7 and it was 31 lbs. I went to epic World Cup pro and it made such a difference
I like light bikes, I like the nimbleness and responsiveness they bring.
I’ve had a 9.4kg HT bad a 9.7kg FS (both 26”) in the past. My current ride is a 12kg Whyte T130c frame rebuilt as a Mullet. 130/140mm travel. There is also no getting away from the fact that the bigger wheels come with a weight penalty.
I don’t spend a fortune, my current bike cost me less than £2000 to put together.
It depends on rider and how they ride their bikes. I am in my fifties so I am not doing any aggressive jumps, but I like riding my bike on nature trails.
I buy on weight and cost....Most lightness per dollar.
Responsiveness = Fun
Id rather have a responsive bike than a mega fast bike.
So yeah, weight is nearly everything to me, because FUN is everything.
I'm gonna make myself feel better and say no because I can't afford one of those 😅
Just like most of us. And if you even can afford it - "Is it worth it?"
Eh my stunpjumper evo and chromag rootdown are both around 15kg. I did put faster rolling tires on the hardtail. That can make a good difference too.
Tire treads are huge in certain conditions! I bought a WTB something or other out of necessity at a nearby bike shop ...my tire at the time split open, and it looked like a tread pattern that would fit the trail. The entire ride I was pushing and pushing and getting way more tired than normal, even my buddy mentioned my difference in speed. I swapped it out a couple weeks later to my normal tire choice, and yeah....I was moving again, and riding the same trail!
@@GoodwinGlassworks It really is shocking how much of a difference tires can make. Here lately I've been trying out the specialized tires. Very impressed so far. They weren't that great in the past.
I always have the problem that I actually need my E mtb cause I'm physically disabled, so it helps me with steep climbs, also on technical trails where there's a lot of up and down pedaling. But my bike weights 24kg, and that is pretty much half as much as my own body weight is, so not exactly a good ratio between me and my bike, also for handling. I'd actually need a light bike with maybe up to 12 kg max, but then it's not possible to have an ebike that assists me. So I decided to stick with the heavy one although it's far from perfect for me. After all, it brought me to many nice places and even made it though a bike park 😊
17I can see he's got a CP0008 cockpit. Is that the -6° or -17° stem one ???
Bike is 29.74 lbs or 13,5 kg. I have lost 3 kg of fat, is much more cheaper 😂
Some of us are skinny thought....cant drop one kilo.
Also, great screen name!
Here I am trying to lose another 300g to bring my Cannondale FSI to 7.5kg. But yeah, a 29er hardtail starts to really rack up the cost for every fkin gram below 9kg.
Unless I go to bike park with lift, getting up to the altitude is the biggest obstacle I face at age of 50... Can't do it with Trail or Enduro.
XC bike is the only way to get my mush ass up the mountain, XC bike is worth to sacrifice some downhill fun for me.
I'd like a light weight carbon trail hardtail with 130mm fork. Shame there's not more on the market like that.
Carbon or not carbon isnt the question. Its about the design. i know many many Aloy parts, wich are lighter than most carbon pendants. I have a 7.4 kg 80mm Hardtail. Its a rocket. But not for every day riding.
Hey. I am highly interested in the Rallon 2022/23 frame weight. Has anyone of you ever weighed the frame ? The Orbea claimed weight of 2.3kg seems completely nonsense
@gmbn maybe on of you can put your frame on a scale for a basis analysis on how low I can get an enduro bike and if my Rallon could be used for this or is too heavy
Yes. For the trails I ride anyway. My new build is around 25 lbs.
The weights numbers of current bikes look huge to 26" race hardtail days but they are faster anyway. The truth is as always somewhere in the middle. Would I trade in my dropper post for weight savings? Hell no! Would I pedal a DH casing tire up any hill? No way.
Good video but when did we become. Roadies talking about grams. What about the weight of muc we collect.
you can put a pair of good aluminum rims and trail tires on a xc bike and wildly improve its handling while increasing only around 700g lol. It's naive to assume everyone is going for a ~$2000 carbon wheelset and slicks.
On the other hand, you could perfectly have an enduro bike with a 36mm stanchion fork and carbon wheels and have it weigh less than 14kg, you don't have to go the full almost-dh coil shock 180mm travel way.
As always, this channel goes to the extreme instead of focusing on value and balance.
Yes but no. When I went from a 11kg hardtail to a 13.5kg full sus trail bike climbing very smooth sections was slower, but any climb with bump steps or chatter was faster because I could keep the power on and get it down without wasted energy spinning out. Can ride faster for longer too. A full day was always hard on the hardtail but as I'm past my 30s now I can still ride the susser all day without feeling destroyed.
I think those improvements you noted may have more to do with you going from a hardtail to a full suspension.
@@Chan1881 Yes that was my point, though maybe not so clear. The extra weight made little to no difference compared to the benefits of going full sus.
My Spectral Al is 17kg (37lbs), heaviest of the entire comments section 😭 still love it tho! (Wouldn't mind getting rid of a couple kg for sure... I can feel it in the climbs compared to my hardtail)
I wouldnt know, my hardtail is 14kg and my trail full sus is 15.3kg lol
My hardtail is 15.3kg. 😂
My 170mm Enduro is 14.7kg.
now that I have a full sus I want a steel frame for the hardtail, that won't make things any better !
If it's a like for like style of bike... Yes it does as it makes all day riding simple. I've gone from a 170 enduro bike at around 32-33lbs to a 160/140 that is pretty much smack on 28lb bike it is soo much easier to pedal. So comparing an enduro bike to an xc bike is utterly pointless, with similar style bikes it can help. Just as a heavier DH bike can just plough in but takes more physical strength to handle.
Having just bought and started riding my first full power emtb (Ibis Oso) that weighs about 20 lbs more than my Amish bike (SC Bronson) I would say that heavier can actually mean better on gnarly DH if the weight is in the proper location. I have noticed this before on DH bikes that were in the 40 lb range, but it is really noticeable when you get into the 53 lb range. The Oso, with it’s weight down low in the BB and downtube and with a DW link and a Fox X2, is super stable and super smooth at high speed over gnarly DH tracks. Yes it is a longer wheelbase, but my Bronson is an XL with a 1252 mm wheelbase (I sized up specifically bc I wanted more stability at speed) and has 2.6 in tires so not as much difference in wheelsize as one might expect bc 27.5 x 2.6s are a bigger diameter. Plus, what I am talking about is just the feel of that low down weight counteracting the hits trying to throw the bike off-line. It is something palpable that you can feel when riding. So sometimes weight is not only bad but can be an advantage.
I want to build a cross country CROSS endro mixed wheel 😅
Another problem also
Some people like me,very muscular(😂) fighting weight about 95-100kg have problems with adjusting the pressure in the damper.
It goes near to the max psi!!
Not good for me or damper😂
I'm tall and also muscular...bad combo for bikes! I destroy parts often, but I've learned...cost doesn't always equal to reliability! Lots of experimentation to find what lasts
Sorry to sorry nothing new to me, I would prefer to see light for it's class, just put those XC wheels on the the heavy bike ( but not the tires ) and live with it for a month, along with carbon bars and carbon cranks and some light 180 rotors and you might findout you can with some changes in riding technics can go downhill as a champ
I couldn’t care less about weight I think it’s better to worry more about the weight of the rider more
For the vast majority, such investment does not make sense, even if it might be great to ride such a bike.
Considering the place where I ride (close to Lyon, France), I decided to go back to a decent hardtail (Orbea Alma H30). Can't be happier. For a bit more than 1 k€, you have anything you need for XC.
I love riding a lighter bike. Light wheels are worth the investment.
Also, lightening your car makes it handle better too.
As someone who owns a aluminium DH bike, I find it funny that XC riders will fight over a couple grams. 😂
I get it. But after a few 100mile, 11,000 ft ascent suffer-fests, you'd be surprised what you'll consider 'reasonable' to spend on weight savings! 😂
@@WRBWRXWGN Well racing DH doesn’t involve going uphill so I’ll be fine.
Hai 🙃 Is there a globalbikefestival in Saalbach 2024 ?
Geometry and reliability are best for me.
If you’re not racing, don’t worry about it.
This Seatpost makes me cringe…
It doesn't really make much difference to pedalling effort in my 'real world' experience, but if you do a lot of cross country hike-a-bike it's much nicer carrying a lightweight carbon XC bike on your shoulders 😊
I have an free ride bike. I dont care about the weight that much. Dont want a 50 lb bike. After all some dh racers weigh down their bikes for more traction.
from a dude who struggles to maintain 70kg and has to be careful not to drop too far below it... Going from a 15kg cheap hardtail to an 11.5kg alu frame (old components but the best of 2008) has made for a far quicker daily travel/XC/jumping machine.
I don’t mean to be rude, but I really don’t care about weight because if you buy substantial, good quality parts your always going to end up with a speed machine anyway.
I have a 10kg hardtail and what seems 2000kg full sus 😅
And 10 is heavier , with the options on market nowadays
Unfortunately the "light" bike requires the ugliest fork...that hideous orange that Fox sticks with and doesn't match with any paint scheme....so...is it worth the weight savings? Ha ha.
I reduced weight on my 31 pound(stock) trail bike after replacing parts I broke with surprisingly less expensive parts. I had down around 29 pounds. I was then using a KS Lev dropper with no remote.(Heavy...like a brick!) I loved the simplicity of that dropper but jumps I was familiar with were not being jumped as I had on other bikes. I replaced the KS with a Specialized remote dropper which decreased the center bike weight by quite a lot, and those same jumps suddenly became much more jumped again. That bike now is somehow around 28 pounds. Transition Scout
Another analogy....I went to thorn proof tubes a while ago due to trails I was riding where I'd get flats way too often due to the sharp rock edges I was plowing through. I got zero flats but the bike pedaled like I was in mud constantly. I went back to normal tubes and the bike flew again.
I learned that "weight" isn't always about heaviness but where the weight is. Wheels make a change, and apparently that weight at the seatpost for me had a big change in feeling on the bike.
You want to save weight? I thought the video on no chain downhill was eye-opening. If you're shuttling, even an Enduro bike just for recreation, you don't need the derailleur/cass. maintenance, weight, cost, etc. Pick a ring/gear/crank arm and go with it. Then lose the conventional dual susp. for a single, larger lock-out coil shock inline with the top tube. Fully gusseted head, frame pivot at the BB, Ti tube fork. Ti seat post, bar, crank and frame if you're special. Now you could just pedal around at a decent rate, or with your mini motor/battery attached. The vast majority of the world are not racing, needing all the gears, suspension, weight and maxed out everything. It is fun, and the lightweight moto fantasy for pedalers, though. And wouldn't that be worth, oh, 5K or so. The capitalist mob under control; now that's the UK, isn't it? Oh, did I mention that the fork/head angle is fully user adjustable, in the head design. And the frame, coil/valving, geometry and paint are suited to the buyer.
Does anyone here know how good/reliable the Dartmoor Primal frame is? it would be in my pricerange but i dont know anything about the reliability of that brand.
My math says anything under 30 lbs is great, anything over 34 is not.
Dude the cost is not correct.. you have to have new.. I built a full titanium GT Zaskar for less than two grand.. 14k lbs shit better be carbon fiber wrapped hollow aluminum. Mountain bikes are way to expensive and they are hurting themselves over pricing.. I've ridden newer bikes, sure they're a little bit better. Still not enough proformance gain to justify the cost.. I can have fun with Mustang GT add four times the cost and get a 911s. Is the performance gain justified? Yes. Ten seconds faster. But on a mountain bike? That's the thing everyone wants the newest.. I run old Diore Shimano. No issues runs like new. We are talking over twenty years old.. that's my rant.. 14k even 4k. Maybe closer..
And how does rider weight impact things :P #clydesdaledivision
As a non racer weight has never been a concern. I am more about the quality of the ride and the fit of the bike.
riding in the dry will save you some g's... not having a bike covered in mud from yestys shred.. that will save you some g's... having a dump n a piss b4 hand... plenty of cheaer ways t save weight!!
no dropper on the XC bike - boo!
Rotational weight matters...
Yes! I always tell people to upgrade their wheels/tires to the lightest combo that A) meets their needs for robustness and B) meets their budget. You will feel huge gains with that upgrade. I remember the pure eye-opener it was going from a 2200g aluminum wheelset to a 1500g carbon set. Wild how much quicker everything felt.
Lighten up those cranks too if you're going to be spinning them for hours straight on endurance rides. Though not nearly as beneficial as wheels.
As an enduro rider, the weight savings that are easiest and cheapest for me to get are when I lay off the beers and burgers lol.
Light bike for XC I guess but I prefer going downhill where a heavier bike is more stable & planted
We really don't obsess over weight. We're not roadie's.
I don't want MTB to get like them, obsessing about weight......
@@Andy_ATBI think there's a whole branch of the sport you seem to have missed... XC guys already obsess over weight. And have done so since, well, the start of the sport.
First 😂
Weight means nothing
If your bike feels too heavy get stronger. Weight is no real issue.
What does that even mean? Absolute nonsense.......You belong on a road channel.
A bit of a pointless video really
Light bikes are for people with weak body.
7 inch suspension on xc trails is for a weak body.