I started taking my cycling seriously from May 11th 2020, I weighed myself and I was 14st 10lb/(206 lb)/(93.6kg) and I am only 5'6" tall, On that day I stopped drinking alcohol completely, stopped eating rubbish food and started putting in the miles. It is now 5th July 2020 and I have cycled 768 miles, saved £350 by not drinking beer seven days a week, and have lost 30lbs in weight, that's nearly 14kgs in 56 days. All this has not cost me a penny on the bike.
Was going to say - either spend £100s on fancy upgrades to save maybe 2kg max across everything, or just tighten up the diet for a month or so. Most people, myself included, have a couple of spare kilos to drop!
Bravo mate. A buddy always says If you think you should spend money on upgrades, just remember.the most cost effective upgrade is to lose weight and stop eating junk
Well done!! keep going. I am 5' 5" tall and am down to 59kg and despite this I have increased my FTP to 3.5 watts a kilo. I am also nearly 67 years old now and need all he help I can get and think I have the balance/power output about right. Would like to hit 4 watts a kilo in the next year but not sure if that is possible for someone my age.
Thanks for this..very informative. I have a cheap carbon seat post 130 grams (ok for me as I weigh only 59kg's) and a carbon saddle 95 grams(if your bum can stand it!!) 50 gram tubes, 220 gram tyres, and 220 gram keo carbon pedals(pair). Trying to make up for the 105 disc groupset additional weight but even so my budget (£1700) by modern standards bike (planet X carbon frame) still only comes in at 7.7 kg's all in with bike computer and bottle cages etc.
@@cornishalps9870 probably your frame is a lot lighter. The planet X pro carbon evo is not particularly light, extra small frame is 1120 and fork 440 but it cost me only £377 last year (they are £999 now!!) and my carbon wheels (Tuff Cycle ) weigh 1490. Think I have a good balance between weight, aero and cost though. Had I been 80+ kilos then I wouldn't be so concerned about the weight but being so light and older I don't want to be pushing around a heavy bike. I also have a Dolan track bike (front brake fitted) as it is fixed gear and this still only weighs 7kg's and it is all alloy (the only carbon is the seat post and saddle).
Exactly. I ride my bike everyday to work and when I switch from 29x2.4 hardtail to my 9.7kg gravel bike when winter is over I cant even describe how it feels.
I have lost 15 kg of my own weigh during the last couple of years by riding more. That's almost twice the weigh of my lighter bike. Still, the heavier one is 3-5 km/h faster as it's a TT bike.
I've lost well over 100 Pounds at a time sitting on a sofa, don't knock it. If you turn the sofa over, I think you will make a profit. Where'd you get a free couch that you would sit on?
Tubeless wasn't mentioned which is a far more upto date solution compaired to latex tubes. But my favorite for those of us with short legs. is to chop off any seatpost inside the frame that is not needed, keep 10cm in the frame and cut off any extra below that.
Some more things: Switch to SRAM Red 11sp cassette if you are using Shimano or Campy 11sp (need a new freewheel as well with Campagnolo). Much the lightest 11sp option. Get custom Ti pedal axles (available from a specialist retailer in the States). Weigh bar end plugs and use the lightest ones (you probably have a bunch of different ones in your odds & ends box - the Deda ones are good). Use aluminium bolts to hold bottle cages on (make sure to regularly grease them to prevent corrosion). If your clincher wheels need rim tape, use veloplugs rather than tape. Oh yes, and the weight weenies bashers are correct in one respect - have a cr*p too before you ride.. More confortable as well as lighter.. ;-)
0:35 haha!! I like that view. A very light bike not only feels great, it also makes your wallet a lot lighter. So if I carry my wallet with me on my bike rides I'm already twice lighter. I think that's definitely worth it ! It's so fun to be a bit bike nerdish ! Great episode dudes 👍
Going lightweight is the same as getting aero. The rider is 85% of the problem. Lay off the cake, costs no money at all and might even save some. I dropped 35kg over the course of a year and that really made a dent in my climbing speed, I'm still 85kg so I'm hardly emaciated either.
Great Tip ;) i am 75kg and gonna lose 35kg ,too for becoming a climbing machine lol ^^ yeha joke aside its ofc true... 69kg is when i am in excellent shape having 10% BFat and that would cost me nothing but discipline and these 6kg would make a world of difference in climbing speed. Nothing i could do to my bike would gave anything close to the same advantage
Remove any removeable stickers! Sometimes you can save a "lot" of weight... Mosttimes on some cheaper allow wheel sets you can peel off the stickers and you can save up to 35g....
Totally agree tyres and tubes are the place to start. A few things I changed on my race bike... Chain and cassette is a good place to look for weight savings, where you can not spend loads and keep reliable performance. I like the KMC X11SL chain and SRAM red cassettes. The SRAM cassette is steel, not ti, so it lasts really well. Look out for a lightly used second hand one and it'll last a good while. KCNC KQR skewers are another good (non-extreme) option - 45g and have a nice solid axle (I've broken a butted ti axle before) and good clamping force. Also to the dullards saying about body comp.... When you're fit, you eat well and train well - let's say you're 4.5w/kg+ then you don't really have a kilo or maybe even half a kilo to lose without affecting performance. Or if you're overweight, why not lose weight off yourself AND your bike? Also it's fun to geek out, and have a light bike!
I have been doing that for a while actually. Using old tubes ( punctured ) as "bar tape". A nice pair of sharp scissors is all you need for it. Pretty comfortable but there is a distinctive smell on your palm after a long ride.
Watching this video whilst sanding my new super six evo Himod frame (2016 model). Going to be built with 2nd hand SRAM red etap and enve finishing kit, but love all the tips. Hoping to go sub 6 for a training bike for the Surrey hills. Cheers GCN!
Hey guys! Thanks for an absolute joy of a channel you have! Regarding the section, i might have an 11'th one: The fat(in many cases, mine included...) blob on top of the horse! The cost-to-weight ratio might be neglectingly overlooket, if you ask me! Not to mention the health-to-enjoy ratio. In many cases(mine you...), it may go through the top of the collender(so to speak)! There is however one major obstacle in this 11'th way: The fat blob(me-self-included...) has to get ON the horse, and PEDAL!! Thanks again, guys!
Ollie is the "New and Improved" Si. Very thorough....only thing you missed is the rider weight. You should do a video on everything rider weight! Or even the science of weight on bike, tyre pressure, racing weight, pro tips, weight nutrition and the good old #2 before a race.
You guys do a great job. I can always pick up a pearl or 2 from you. One thing to keep in mind is that not all of us are out to race. Maybe make sure that in your videos you add advice for the more mundane of us, it would would be appreciated. Thank you.
I have a CAAD12. Fitted the Save carbon seatpost, Mavic Ksyrium pros, Ultegra Di2, Carbon handlebars, and changed bolts to titanium. These are functional upgrades first and foremost, but it has saved a a lot of weight over standard. Will weigh the bike and add result in a bit.
@@marcgtsr Haha, sorry mate, forgot all about it. Still have the bike, just weighed it in it's current setup, with a huge rear cassette on the back for tackling the many hills I have around here, and it comes in at just under 8 kilos. The cassette is BIG. 11-40. Seatpost is great, with a Specialised Toupe saddle, can ride on it all day long. Di2 is brilliant. Bolts gave me a massive drop in weight (kidding). My next task is dropping a few stone off my middle aged frame! Soon creeps back on when you don't keep up the cycling.
I got a set of PERGEAR Carbon bottle cages, I then used some ultra fine sand paper to get a matte finish. $28, ultra light, holds firm, no logos, matches my frame. Highly recommended!
I recall the other reason people I know stopped drilling their components all those years ago: all metals fail if you reduce their structural integrity enough. Handlebars broke, cranks sheered, derailleurs exploded. This led to the ultralight movement in mountain bike components, which led to not just ultralight components but spectacular failures where riders were severely injured and sparked lots of lawsuits, which prompted the (deservedly) legendary response by Keith Bontrager on what he thought about all this: Light, cheap, durable: pick two. Still brilliant.
If you like rim brakes then I recommend the Odyssey Springfield system. Super lightweight with excellent stopping power and will usually fit road bikes despite bring designed for BMX. Even better, it uses a single central sping which automatically balances the calipers.
Of course, no mention of Ali Express here... I dropped 700 grams for about £70 by going with Ali Express carbon seatpost, saddle, bottle cages, titanium skewers, poly pedals... Been riding these parts for 2 years and 10,000 km with little to no issues. Best gram/£ ratio is definitely to be had buying parts on a cheap Chinese site like this.
@@sprayaho1ic For the money the finish is really good. I got one of the head unit mounts and they realised there was a flaw. Sent me out some washers to fix it without even asking. I've been super impressed with them. I'd love to see a video review on the disc road frame they have. Maybe GCN would do it one day...
@@thibaultquelavoine5811 Toseek is a pretty good brand on AliExpress. Also Elita One seatposts are good. Knockoff bontrager bottle cages. Top result for titanium skewers (don't remember brand).
We need a video on converting to lightweight cable outers. I've seen very mixed reviews on their ease of installation and performance. Maybe get Jon Cannings back for a special!
Actually Titanium screws can be expensive , as its not really a highly stressed part you can easily use Aluminum or Plastic screws . Also there is a big steel bolt that goes down the centre of the stem to put tension in the headset , this also is not highly stressed as its only finger tight check the size and buy anodised Aluminium for a bit of bling
The linked cable housing is actually much cheaper in the long run as the links can be reused many many times. When changing housing, you only need to buy the inner liner which only costs around 1 dollar per meter.
I totally agree because you will get a lower Center of gravity on your bike. And in many cases, older bike riders have a higher BMI and own more money to strip down their bikes.
I save more than a kilo on my bike.Mostly explained on the video, but didnt't do the tire and inner tire upgrade, and also big no for drilium :DDD One of the most significant weight saving is after cutting my seatpost (of course still saving minimum insertion length from company's recommendation) and unbranded 16 grams carbon bottle cages with $15 each (won't work well on C*melback bottles, but no problem with Elit* bottles)! Cables seems promising and will be my next target after this video!
There are small things you can do over time. Cut your seatpost to a length that ensures you have enough in the frame that you are not going to break the frame but have no excess. When it's time to overhaul your hubs, check and see if the maker of the hub offers a titanium or alloy cassette body and axle kit. Many pedal brands use the same design across a platform so when you overhaul your pedals you can change the axle to titanium. Shimano shifters can sometimes be interchangable with the actual lever that you put your fingers on so you can change out the alloy lever on some 105 shifters with the carbon lever of an Ultegra. Stem faceplate, some manufacturers like FSA offer replacement faceplate and you can change out the alloy one for a carbon one. FSA also has titanium bolts that will work on most of the stems but you will usually need to nicely ask there warranty guys to provide those since they are not in the catalog. Same with brakes. Most of the bolts and hardware for lower end brakes is the same size and thread pitch as the high end stuff so you can use the titanium bolts from the high end parts to rebuild your low end stuff.
A light wheelset is the most effective one, well everything is effective but if the first thing you will do is to get a very light alloy wheelset then light tires and latex inner tube. That feeling is so wonderful!
Ask yourself, "If Alaphillippe rode my bike, would he go faster than me?" As long as the answer is Yes, the bike is not the problem. But I went for the new Saddle -110g, Seatpost -50g, Wheels -400g, Handlebar -120g, Conti Supersonic tubes -150g (2 +spare) Now I've got a sub 16lb Caad12 and I'm still slow!
recently into cycling, usually do running, lighter bike... im terrified on current road bike lol, came down winter hill yesterday and never been so nervous, felt like nothing was under me
I agree. Carbon wheels are the least bang for your buck in terms of weight saving. Frame would be better. But I'd also start with seatpost, stem, seat, pedals and so on. Easy to change, not majorly expensive. Also shifters are a good investment.
I find cranksets can be one of the most cost effective upgrades.y giant defy came with 105 but a no series crank. Went ultegra, $200 dollars for 400g weight savings
Definitely! Can’t believe you missed cranks of this list GCN! Recently picked up a nearly new carbon FSA K Light on eBay for a fraction of its new price. Weight 586g. Replaced non-series shimano. Weight 840g! Ollie could lose his mind if he saved over 250g for under £100 😂. Absolute transformation of the bike too.
Not for everyone, but I spent a few years analyzing the gear ratios I often rode, and with all the hype around 1X, I carefully chose the front ring and rear cassette to make a 1X. Carbon cranks from Praxis, Garburuk oval chainring and I took off about 300g, albeit that wasn't the intent.
Steve King But, what Ollie says at the start of this is true. A lighter bike FEELS different, more lively and responsive under your feet. And I don’t mean a 100g lighter bike. I’ve been upgrading a 2016 Focus Cayo which has a brilliant super light frame but is saddled with cheap crap from the shimano spares bin! I’ve upgraded - so far - the crank, the al post and the seat with carbon items. This has already saved me over 400g and this is instantly noticeable when you pick the bike up. This was an 8kg bike that is now 7.6kg. Still have the bars and wheels to go which will save another 400g. And yes, you do notice a 250g crank and BB upgrade. The bike flies up hills when you stand on the pedals 😀
Great content Ollie and team! But I do prefer reliability and comfort more than lightweight everything. For an example, cheap heavy butyl tubes and puncture resistant tyres are amazing when you dont have to pump your tyres every day and do not get punctures for a whole year 😌 who doesn't want that?
I tried the Tubolito tubes last year. They are really super light. The first one fitted failed instantly at the valve. Great customer service from the German company who sent two replacements. I persevered. A further failure where the valve is fixed to the tube. I had two left. The third failed not even moving at a cafe in Majorca. Parted against a wall in 25c went down, tube split. Had one left, but now removed as they are simply far too unreliable. I think the concept of the material is great but not worth the risk. The most reliable light tubes I’ve found are schwalbe extra light.
I l really like the Schwalbe SV14A at 108 grams for my 42 mm 650B wheels. 1 flat this season. My rides range from pavement to category 3 gravel. However, I weigh 108 lbs. Rene Herse has a great selection of light-weight Schwalbe tubes.
I had several Conti Supersonic inner tubes fail at the edge of the reinforced patch round the valve. One on the front wheel while riding (scary), and several while not even riding. I ditched them for Vittoria latex - I always check pressure before riding anyway, it only takes a minute.
A saddle and lighter pedals count as more permanent upgrades as well because they transfer to your next bike when it’s time for a change. I have a few fizik saddles that were pricey, but I keep my saddle when I change bikes, so no money is “lost” on those
I recently cut my seat post, not to save weight, but it was ridiculously long. Probably did cut a few grams though. Don't bring 2 full water bottles if you don't need to. They are close to 1kg each.
@@davidhellyer5353 weight weenie-ism is not about performance as such, it's just a tinkering hobby. Like lowering your car and tinting the windows won't make it faster, people do that just because they like it better that way. 1 extra kg of water over the elevation difference of Alpe d'Huez increases your time by 20 or 40 seconds. Who cares, unless you're trying to win something.
As a Junior I had a trainer he advised us instead of drilling the chainring we d better go out for training the guy’s name is Paul Köchli. With mid class components one can race on amateur level. My experience is that one kilo on the bike makes about 8 seconds on 350 meters altitude difference most people overestimate. Better investment is a good Hometrainer that you don’t miss trainings in bad weather conditions
You forget about the rear cassette. You can save over 100g on that, and in my experience the CNC type ones last considerably longer too , so not really more expensive in the end.
My respects to those who are at levels high enough to require such extreme measures. I, for one, shall begin by dropping my love-handles, saving both weight and beer money.
My bike started off as 8.5kg without pedals, by the time i finished upgrading stuff the bike now weighs 8.2kg But to be fair, i added pedals 320g, bottle cages 64g, computer mount 27g, garmin computer and sensors 125g, rear light mount 15g, camera mounts 50g. Brake pads with cooling fins. carbon Stem and carbon seat post saved 150g, and carbon wheel set saved even more weight.
I found a used full carbon bike for 1000 euro, I weighed it and it came in at 7,6 kg! It had ultegra components as well, I made a good deal for sure! Although you might find that not that impressive, Im pretty new to road cycling so its good for me!
My first road bike, soon to be winter hack, is a nasty Tourney spec Carrera TDF weighing a whopping 12kg and 14 gears (2x7) with Tektro brakes... I've sourced some new, some old bits from Ebay etc and now it has 105 calipers, and 4600 Tiagra 20 gears...I decided that the difference between a cheap set of wheels (needed for the cassette, old wheel had a freewheel lol) and some Mavic Aksiums was a false economy so bought the Mavics. Strangely though the biggest saving was moving from a square taper BB to HTII, and 200g from the chainset switch, new cassette was 367g cos I wanted a 36T lower, but my biggest shock was the fact the 105 calipers weighed 3g MORE than the shonky Tektros!! Just hope they really brake better.... The biggest saving to come though will be the replacement fork- the original all steel one is 1190g and I've a carbon one in the post that when cut to 225mm should be around 500g... the total saving will take the bike to 10.3 (inc pedals) which is great...I just need to do my bit now and shift some lard....
Can anyone explain how different tubes can affect rolling resistance? I could only think that tyre pressures and tyres change rolling restistance but not sure how inner tubes made of different materials can affect this. Thanks.
Elastic hysteresis will play a part. Butyl and latex differ in this regard. Less energy is expended due to internal material friction in latex. I don’t know the details.
I like the many different phases of his bangs. Especially at 12:50 when one stray hair floats around like an old mans eyebrow. I'm just messing with you though, this was a very informative video, but I'm going to have to do some research on Drillium.
Just needed to replace a tyre on my boardman hybrid ! Cheapest tyre weighed 800 grammes , luckily I noticed before buying , and got the original Vittoria tyres weighing 400 grammes each
I have a drillium Stronglight chainset on my wall. It's really pretty I think, loads of holes. Bought it to go on my '84 Dawes Galaxy to do Eroica Britannia, that's looking like a way off though :( Still I get to enjoy it on the wall some more at least!
Noticed it already in the last video, but now I gotta ask you guys. 01:30 Is Ollie growing a mullet?? And if so, is there any aerodynamic advantage to it over a regular haircut?
I was looking into latex tube for rim carbon clinchers and was told on no uncertain terms that latex tubes should *never* be used with carbon clinchers (rim brake). Can you comment? The information came from a reputable source, a massive online bike parts store/website.
I would guess this is due to the potential for latex to explosively fail when subject to the high temperatures generated by rim brakes on carbon wheels.
If you can shrink your front and rear gears while keeping good ratios then you can knock of weight from both cassettes and the chain which can be made shorter.
@Tony Ma My jersey has 3 pockets on the lower back for tools, supplies and food. I use them. My current record is a 540 km ride with no saddle bag, just the stuff I could pack in my pockets. Had to stop to refill food and water of course.
panzerveps you are just shifting the weight from under your saddle to in your pocket. It may not be on your bike but you are still carrying it when you ride.
And a big, fun source of affordable weight savings is eBay or anywhere used parts can be purchased at surprisingly low prices. And you just never know how low you can go until you scroll through the offerings.
Water bottles! You almost always have them with you and if you replace your current water bottles with something like a Elite Fly, you can save two times 30grams (60 grams in total) for a 750ml sized bottle. They only cost 5 euro's more than their heavier counterparts.
swapped the stock aluminium seat post and cockpit for carbon fibre craigslist-ed the lot of it, spent less than $100 US for all three bits and saved about 150g next is a full carbon fork
Perhaps GCN could start a “Manon reacts to Ollie’s videos” feature. I watched the whole thing waiting for her comments on the Flock of Seagulls hair and/or the colander.
And Ollie said nothing about removing chimneys. Manon is not going to be pleased about that. Ollie should start writing his apology for that oversight now.
I bought a regular hybrid with a nice 105 set-up and hydraulic brakes. It´s not as light as proper road bikes but it´s still lighter than many commuter/hybrid bikes at around 10.5kg. But by far the best way to lose weight is for me to just lose weight, which is the plan.
I started taking my cycling seriously from May 11th 2020, I weighed myself and I was 14st 10lb/(206 lb)/(93.6kg) and I am only 5'6" tall, On that day I stopped drinking alcohol completely, stopped eating rubbish food and started putting in the miles. It is now 5th July 2020 and I have cycled 768 miles, saved £350 by not drinking beer seven days a week, and have lost 30lbs in weight, that's nearly 14kgs in 56 days. All this has not cost me a penny on the bike.
Well done! 👍
Well done.
Was going to say - either spend £100s on fancy upgrades to save maybe 2kg max across everything, or just tighten up the diet for a month or so. Most people, myself included, have a couple of spare kilos to drop!
Bravo mate. A buddy always says If you think you should spend money on upgrades, just remember.the most cost effective upgrade is to lose weight and stop eating junk
Well done!! keep going. I am 5' 5" tall and am down to 59kg and despite this I have increased my FTP to 3.5 watts a kilo. I am also nearly 67 years old now and need all he help I can get and think I have the balance/power output about right. Would like to hit 4 watts a kilo in the next year but not sure if that is possible for someone my age.
0:57 - Tires
2:51 - Tubes (latex)
4:20 - Bar tape
5:57 - Saddles
7:32 - Remove frame paint
8:50 - Bottle cages
9:50 - QR skewers
10:50 - Cable housing (linked)
11:39 - Drilling holes
Some typical component weight ranges:
Frame/fork: 1000g-1800g (carbon), 1500g-2500g (alloy)
Wheelset: 1400g-2100g
Tireset: 500g-1000g
Tubeset: 100g-300g
Crankset: 600g-1200g
Cassettes: 200g-450g
Shifters: 350g-550g (mechanical, rim)
RDs: 150g-350g
FDs: 80g-150g
Skewers: 50g-150g
Bars: 200g-350g
Stem: 80g-200g
Saddle: 100g-400g
Seatpost: 150g-400g
Brakes: 300g-350g (rim)
Pedals: 200g-450g
Bar tape: 50g-150g
Bottle cage: 10g-100g
The most cost-effective are skewers, tubes, tires, stem, bar tape, cheap carbon seatpost, saddle, crankset, bottle cage, and pedals. Import carbon disc wheels and used wheels come next on the $/g return.
Thanks for this..very informative. I have a cheap carbon seat post 130 grams (ok for me as I weigh only 59kg's) and a carbon saddle 95 grams(if your bum can stand it!!) 50 gram tubes, 220 gram tyres, and 220 gram keo carbon pedals(pair). Trying to make up for the 105 disc groupset additional weight but even so my budget (£1700) by modern standards bike (planet X carbon frame) still only comes in at 7.7 kg's all in with bike computer and bottle cages etc.
@@ozmadman my TCR advanced pro one weighs the same but it's all stock though and set up tubeless cost £1900 though
@@cornishalps9870 probably your frame is a lot lighter. The planet X pro carbon evo is not particularly light, extra small frame is 1120 and fork 440 but it cost me only £377 last year (they are £999 now!!) and my carbon wheels (Tuff Cycle ) weigh 1490. Think I have a good balance between weight, aero and cost though. Had I been 80+ kilos then I wouldn't be so concerned about the weight but being so light and older I don't want to be pushing around a heavy bike. I also have a Dolan track bike (front brake fitted) as it is fixed gear and this still only weighs 7kg's and it is all alloy (the only carbon is the seat post and saddle).
I don't think I've ever commented on YT in the past few years, but this is a well done collection if OC. Thx.
@@virslee1498 Watch GCN on here, the content is always good
A GCN Tech drillium bike sounds like a fun video, with Ollie riding the new lightweight bike in a hillclimb
I took the shell off my racing snail but only made it more sluggish.
Haha.. Thanks for making me snort milk out my nose
Training on a heavier bike and switching on a much lighter bike on race day. This helps me alot
Exactly. I ride my bike everyday to work and when I switch from 29x2.4 hardtail to my 9.7kg gravel bike when winter is over I cant even describe how it feels.
i successfully lose 65kg off my bike by staying on the couch and it's free.
Those are rookie numbers. I lose more than 90.
If i weighed 65kg I'd happily ride a 10kg bike
I have lost 15 kg of my own weigh during the last couple of years by riding more. That's almost twice the weigh of my lighter bike. Still, the heavier one is 3-5 km/h faster as it's a TT bike.
And the genius of this method is that the longer you stay on the couch the bigger the wieght loss from the bike!
I've lost well over 100 Pounds at a time sitting on a sofa, don't knock it. If you turn the sofa over, I think you will make a profit. Where'd you get a free couch that you would sit on?
A fan of latex (puts on a nitrile glove) inner tubes!
He made that comment himself last time
Spent 10 years wearing nitrile gloves pretty much every day of my life!
@@GCNuser123 Likewise!
Tubeless wasn't mentioned which is a far more upto date solution compaired to latex tubes. But my favorite for those of us with short legs. is to chop off any seatpost inside the frame that is not needed, keep 10cm in the frame and cut off any extra below that.
Some more things: Switch to SRAM Red 11sp cassette if you are using Shimano or Campy 11sp (need a new freewheel as well with Campagnolo). Much the lightest 11sp option. Get custom Ti pedal axles (available from a specialist retailer in the States). Weigh bar end plugs and use the lightest ones (you probably have a bunch of different ones in your odds & ends box - the Deda ones are good). Use aluminium bolts to hold bottle cages on (make sure to regularly grease them to prevent corrosion). If your clincher wheels need rim tape, use veloplugs rather than tape. Oh yes, and the weight weenies bashers are correct in one respect - have a cr*p too before you ride.. More confortable as well as lighter.. ;-)
Taking a d*mp before a ride is the most cost effective way to save weight.
and the most satisfying? ;) Hey the older I get...(sorry but I am an ER nurse nothing about the body is off limits).
Not sure this obsession with grams of weight. I thought biking was about getting stronger? Why the need to make it easier?
Loving the "Butthead" style haircut.
We need Hank in the room, to form GCN's version of Beavis & Butthead ;-)
0:35 haha!! I like that view. A very light bike not only feels great, it also makes your wallet a lot lighter. So if I carry my wallet with me on my bike rides I'm already twice lighter. I think that's definitely worth it ! It's so fun to be a bit bike nerdish ! Great episode dudes 👍
4:28 surely Ollie, you not only have taken the bar tape off, you chopped the bar off.
To loosely quote casually explained: "Just get any other cyclist to carry your extra crap". Probably best way to save weight
Nailed it
Good inner voice:
- Just give him an inner tube and a cookie.
Bad inner voice:
- Shit in his back pocket.
Never carried a pump to this day.
One of my few KOMs had assistance from my son carrying my spare tube and tyre leavers and pump and tool bag and water bottle 🚴
Do a Drillium project video, that would be awesome.
ua-cam.com/video/HdYGLDk2e4U/v-deo.html
Narrower tires weigh less. No high costs. A very light helmet brings comfort and weight reduction. These are my tips.
Tyres - the first check for me is always running tyres that have a folding bead instead of tyres that have a wire bead. 👍🏻
Going lightweight is the same as getting aero. The rider is 85% of the problem. Lay off the cake, costs no money at all and might even save some. I dropped 35kg over the course of a year and that really made a dent in my climbing speed, I'm still 85kg so I'm hardly emaciated either.
Great Tip ;) i am 75kg and gonna lose 35kg ,too for becoming a climbing machine lol ^^ yeha joke aside its ofc true... 69kg is when i am in excellent shape having 10% BFat and that would cost me nothing but discipline and these 6kg would make a world of difference in climbing speed. Nothing i could do to my bike would gave anything close to the same advantage
Remove any removeable stickers! Sometimes you can save a "lot" of weight... Mosttimes on some cheaper allow wheel sets you can peel off the stickers and you can save up to 35g....
carbon fiber seat post, titanium rail seat, swapping all my bolts & skewers to TI & switching to tubeless.
Totally agree tyres and tubes are the place to start. A few things I changed on my race bike...
Chain and cassette is a good place to look for weight savings, where you can not spend loads and keep reliable performance. I like the KMC X11SL chain and SRAM red cassettes. The SRAM cassette is steel, not ti, so it lasts really well. Look out for a lightly used second hand one and it'll last a good while.
KCNC KQR skewers are another good (non-extreme) option - 45g and have a nice solid axle (I've broken a butted ti axle before) and good clamping force.
Also to the dullards saying about body comp.... When you're fit, you eat well and train well - let's say you're 4.5w/kg+ then you don't really have a kilo or maybe even half a kilo to lose without affecting performance. Or if you're overweight, why not lose weight off yourself AND your bike? Also it's fun to geek out, and have a light bike!
Instead of using 300g bar tape wrape the handle bars with that 40g inner tube?
Your onto something there...
I have been doing that for a while actually. Using old tubes ( punctured ) as "bar tape". A nice pair of sharp scissors is all you need for it. Pretty comfortable but there is a distinctive smell on your palm after a long ride.
Watching this video whilst sanding my new super six evo Himod frame (2016 model). Going to be built with 2nd hand SRAM red etap and enve finishing kit, but love all the tips. Hoping to go sub 6 for a training bike for the Surrey hills. Cheers GCN!
Great info! Thanks! Just installed time trial tires and latex tubes.. Big help!
Shaving that hair off will save 2kgs I reckon
Not to mention the cda savings....
200g maybe
But the mullet gives an extra 6.9W. So is it worth it?
bet he tried self-cut allready, looks like it 😁jeeeeez
It also makes more aerodynamic to a person having no helmet
Hey guys! Thanks for an absolute joy of a channel you have! Regarding the
section, i might have an 11'th one: The fat(in many cases, mine included...) blob on top of the horse! The cost-to-weight ratio might be neglectingly overlooket, if you ask me! Not to mention the health-to-enjoy ratio. In many cases(mine you...), it may go through the top of the collender(so to speak)! There is however one major obstacle in this 11'th way: The fat blob(me-self-included...) has to get ON the horse, and PEDAL!! Thanks again, guys!
Ollie is the "New and Improved" Si. Very thorough....only thing you missed is the rider weight. You should do a video on everything rider weight! Or even the science of weight on bike, tyre pressure, racing weight, pro tips, weight nutrition and the good old #2 before a race.
You can actually make money getting weight off your bike: Just reduce waist circumference.
Even better: do this on your bike.
Right, replace 28" with 27.5" inch wheels and tires.
Not bothered about saving weight I'm just here to keep track of the mullet progress
You guys do a great job. I can always pick up a pearl or 2 from you. One thing to keep in mind is that not all of us are out to race. Maybe make sure that in your videos you add advice for the more mundane of us, it would would be appreciated. Thank you.
I'm a fan of cheap Chinese carbon bits off ebay.
I've done; Saddle, seatpost and handle bars, each only £40.
Each item saved me about 150g.
@Ryan Hustler 😂😂😂😂😂
Consider also titanium skewers (~$10 and 100 g savings) and bottle cages ($16 for a 33 g pair).
@Ryan Hustler All parts over a year of heavy use, no problems.
You keep paying over the odds for your parts that are made in China anyway.
@@ltu42 Good call, did that saved 75g!
Careful with the handlebars -- lots of examples of epic catastrophic failures of cheap Chinese bars on UA-cam!
Seatpost. There are lighter options. Say like 125 grams carbon seatposts. You can easily save 100-200 grams.
I have a CAAD12. Fitted the Save carbon seatpost, Mavic Ksyrium pros, Ultegra Di2, Carbon handlebars, and changed bolts to titanium. These are functional upgrades first and foremost, but it has saved a a lot of weight over standard. Will weigh the bike and add result in a bit.
1 year later...
@@marcgtsr Haha, sorry mate, forgot all about it. Still have the bike, just weighed it in it's current setup, with a huge rear cassette on the back for tackling the many hills I have around here, and it comes in at just under 8 kilos. The cassette is BIG. 11-40.
Seatpost is great, with a Specialised Toupe saddle, can ride on it all day long. Di2 is brilliant. Bolts gave me a massive drop in weight (kidding). My next task is dropping a few stone off my middle aged frame! Soon creeps back on when you don't keep up the cycling.
I got a set of PERGEAR Carbon bottle cages, I then used some ultra fine sand paper to get a matte finish. $28, ultra light, holds firm, no logos, matches my frame. Highly recommended!
I recall the other reason people I know stopped drilling their components all those years ago: all metals fail if you reduce their structural integrity enough. Handlebars broke, cranks sheered, derailleurs exploded. This led to the ultralight movement in mountain bike components, which led to not just ultralight components but spectacular failures where riders were severely injured and sparked lots of lawsuits, which prompted the (deservedly) legendary response by Keith Bontrager on what he thought about all this: Light, cheap, durable: pick two. Still brilliant.
If you like rim brakes then I recommend the Odyssey Springfield system. Super lightweight with excellent stopping power and will usually fit road bikes despite bring designed for BMX. Even better, it uses a single central sping which automatically balances the calipers.
Of course, no mention of Ali Express here... I dropped 700 grams for about £70 by going with Ali Express carbon seatpost, saddle, bottle cages, titanium skewers, poly pedals... Been riding these parts for 2 years and 10,000 km with little to no issues.
Best gram/£ ratio is definitely to be had buying parts on a cheap Chinese site like this.
care to share the components ? Sort of on a budget myself hehe
Thibault Quelavoine check out OG-Evkin. I’ve used their carbon seat post and stem on my winter bike, no issues
Ryan Haney got OG-Evkin aero bars couple of months back. Very nice for the money!
@@sprayaho1ic For the money the finish is really good. I got one of the head unit mounts and they realised there was a flaw. Sent me out some washers to fix it without even asking. I've been super impressed with them. I'd love to see a video review on the disc road frame they have. Maybe GCN would do it one day...
@@thibaultquelavoine5811 Toseek is a pretty good brand on AliExpress. Also Elita One seatposts are good. Knockoff bontrager bottle cages. Top result for titanium skewers (don't remember brand).
Big difference to the overall weight on my bike - lost 7kg in body weight.👍 Much easier on up hill sections but slower on the down😉
Maybe not if you've become more aero in the process then you've become faster climbing and decent wise. Double bonus, congrats on the weight loss!!! 👍
I’ve recently switched to the tubolito’s and they’re amazing, just as fast as latex. Hold air much better as well
We need a video on converting to lightweight cable outers. I've seen very mixed reviews on their ease of installation and performance. Maybe get Jon Cannings back for a special!
Also Titanium screws for your bottle cages and stem, for around $30 you can save about 40 grams in total.
Good one William
Actually Titanium screws can be expensive , as its not really a highly stressed part you can easily use Aluminum or Plastic screws . Also there is a big steel bolt that goes down the centre of the stem to put tension in the headset , this also is not highly stressed as its only finger tight check the size and buy anodised Aluminium for a bit of bling
I have carbon screws on my 5g carbon cages. Not even €7 each. 40% lighter than aluminium.
The linked cable housing is actually much cheaper in the long run as the links can be reused many many times. When changing housing, you only need to buy the inner liner which only costs around 1 dollar per meter.
You're a champion Ollie!
Best weight reduction is your own body
what a stupid comment!
for fit people this is a bad and unhealthy idea that will make you slower.
@@LordVilmore May be you looks like Peter Sagan, I don't and will never have the fitness as him, not even close.
@@daniellai9370 I hope you are healthy! There are enough people that are thinner than Sagan, don't tell them they should reduce body weight.
For a lot of people this is true though. Nothing more hilarious than a fat beer belly in lyrca on a high end bike.
I totally agree because you will get a lower Center of gravity on your bike. And in many cases, older bike riders have a higher BMI and own more money to strip down their bikes.
I have been using ultra lightweight butyl tubes coated with talc powder. Works amazing. Low RR
Peak forward AND peak back. You're onto something with that colander, Ollie!
what a fascinating video
i'm trying loads of these
You forgot the most important thing on your list: VALVE CAPS
Hah - we don't count them anyway
I save more than a kilo on my bike.Mostly explained on the video, but didnt't do the tire and inner tire upgrade, and also big no for drilium :DDD
One of the most significant weight saving is after cutting my seatpost (of course still saving minimum insertion length from company's recommendation) and unbranded 16 grams carbon bottle cages with $15 each (won't work well on C*melback bottles, but no problem with Elit* bottles)! Cables seems promising and will be my next target after this video!
There are small things you can do over time. Cut your seatpost to a length that ensures you have enough in the frame that you are not going to break the frame but have no excess. When it's time to overhaul your hubs, check and see if the maker of the hub offers a titanium or alloy cassette body and axle kit. Many pedal brands use the same design across a platform so when you overhaul your pedals you can change the axle to titanium. Shimano shifters can sometimes be interchangable with the actual lever that you put your fingers on so you can change out the alloy lever on some 105 shifters with the carbon lever of an Ultegra. Stem faceplate, some manufacturers like FSA offer replacement faceplate and you can change out the alloy one for a carbon one. FSA also has titanium bolts that will work on most of the stems but you will usually need to nicely ask there warranty guys to provide those since they are not in the catalog. Same with brakes. Most of the bolts and hardware for lower end brakes is the same size and thread pitch as the high end stuff so you can use the titanium bolts from the high end parts to rebuild your low end stuff.
A light wheelset is the most effective one, well everything is effective but if the first thing you will do is to get a very light alloy wheelset then light tires and latex inner tube. That feeling is so wonderful!
Ask yourself, "If Alaphillippe rode my bike, would he go faster than me?" As long as the answer is Yes, the bike is not the problem.
But I went for the new Saddle -110g, Seatpost -50g, Wheels -400g, Handlebar -120g, Conti Supersonic tubes -150g (2 +spare) Now I've got a sub 16lb Caad12 and I'm still slow!
Fantástico ideas !! Thank you very much !
recently into cycling, usually do running, lighter bike... im terrified on current road bike lol, came down winter hill yesterday and never been so nervous, felt like nothing was under me
I agree. Carbon wheels are the least bang for your buck in terms of weight saving. Frame would be better. But I'd also start with seatpost, stem, seat, pedals and so on. Easy to change, not majorly expensive. Also shifters are a good investment.
I find cranksets can be one of the most cost effective upgrades.y giant defy came with 105 but a no series crank. Went ultegra, $200 dollars for 400g weight savings
So, do you feel the improvement?
@@Jaeoh.woof765 I doubt you would feel it while riding (apart from stiffness), but picking up your bike would be noticable.
Definitely! Can’t believe you missed cranks of this list GCN! Recently picked up a nearly new carbon FSA K Light on eBay for a fraction of its new price. Weight 586g. Replaced non-series shimano. Weight 840g! Ollie could lose his mind if he saved over 250g for under £100 😂. Absolute transformation of the bike too.
Not for everyone, but I spent a few years analyzing the gear ratios I often rode, and with all the hype around 1X, I carefully chose the front ring and rear cassette to make a 1X. Carbon cranks from Praxis, Garburuk oval chainring and I took off about 300g, albeit that wasn't the intent.
Steve King But, what Ollie says at the start of this is true. A lighter bike FEELS different, more lively and responsive under your feet. And I don’t mean a 100g lighter bike. I’ve been upgrading a 2016 Focus Cayo which has a brilliant super light frame but is saddled with cheap crap from the shimano spares bin! I’ve upgraded - so far - the crank, the al post and the seat with carbon items. This has already saved me over 400g and this is instantly noticeable when you pick the bike up. This was an 8kg bike that is now 7.6kg. Still have the bars and wheels to go which will save another 400g. And yes, you do notice a 250g crank and BB upgrade. The bike flies up hills when you stand on the pedals 😀
Great content Ollie and team! But I do prefer reliability and comfort more than lightweight everything.
For an example, cheap heavy butyl tubes and puncture resistant tyres are amazing when you dont have to pump your tyres every day and do not get punctures for a whole year 😌 who doesn't want that?
Weight weenies?
Maybe not clicking on a video about weight saving would have been more relevant to you? 🤷🏻♂️
I tried the Tubolito tubes last year. They are really super light. The first one fitted failed instantly at the valve. Great customer service from the German company who sent two replacements. I persevered. A further failure where the valve is fixed to the tube. I had two left. The third failed not even moving at a cafe in Majorca. Parted against a wall in 25c went down, tube split. Had one left, but now removed as they are simply far too unreliable. I think the concept of the material is great but not worth the risk. The most reliable light tubes I’ve found are schwalbe extra light.
I l really like the Schwalbe SV14A at 108 grams for my 42 mm 650B wheels. 1 flat this season. My rides range from pavement to category 3 gravel. However, I weigh 108 lbs. Rene Herse has a great selection of light-weight Schwalbe tubes.
I had several Conti Supersonic inner tubes fail at the edge of the reinforced patch round the valve. One on the front wheel while riding (scary), and several while not even riding. I ditched them for Vittoria latex - I always check pressure before riding anyway, it only takes a minute.
Tube savings weight is at least 3X since we generally ride with at least three tubes. Two in the tires and one spare.
Great video!
A saddle and lighter pedals count as more permanent upgrades as well because they transfer to your next bike when it’s time for a change. I have a few fizik saddles that were pricey, but I keep my saddle when I change bikes, so no money is “lost” on those
That applies to most weight saving upgrades other than the frame, truth be told.
What about tubeless? No mention of it. I know its quite a controversial subject but less rollling resistance and improved puncture resistance
My Michelin 23 mm TT tires with latex tubes are as fast as Vittoria corsa tubeless and lighter. Lots of tubeless are actually heavier than clinchers.
Love your mullet getting stronger
Cheers Spaeckli, should Ollie keep it?
@@gcntech he has to
everey centimeter of mullet is the equivalent of 100g in weightsavings, facts
I've done everything you said Ollie, spent loads of dosh on low weight upgrades but I'm still 14stone!
Enjoyed that👍🇦🇺
Switch to Time pedals. They are a lot lighter than other brands. And perform as well as Look or Shimano
I recently cut my seat post, not to save weight, but it was ridiculously long. Probably did cut a few grams though.
Don't bring 2 full water bottles if you don't need to. They are close to 1kg each.
100% right. Always laugh at my weight weenie buddies who carry full untouched bottles for entire ride
Dim With et
@@davidhellyer5353 weight weenie-ism is not about performance as such, it's just a tinkering hobby. Like lowering your car and tinting the windows won't make it faster, people do that just because they like it better that way. 1 extra kg of water over the elevation difference of Alpe d'Huez increases your time by 20 or 40 seconds. Who cares, unless you're trying to win something.
I have lightweight water bottles can easily save 100g for no extra cost as they are just as cheap as heavy ones.
As a Junior I had a trainer he advised us instead of drilling the chainring we d better go out for training the guy’s name is Paul Köchli. With mid class components one can race on amateur level. My experience is that one kilo on the bike makes about 8 seconds on 350 meters altitude difference most people overestimate. Better investment is a good Hometrainer that you don’t miss trainings in bad weather conditions
You forget about the rear cassette. You can save over 100g on that, and in my experience the CNC type ones last considerably longer too , so not really more expensive in the end.
You can make a custom cassette and make your own gears with weight as low as 150 grams (8sp)
My respects to those who are at levels high enough to require such extreme measures. I, for one, shall begin by dropping my love-handles, saving both weight and beer money.
You deserve a like and a comment
My bike started off as 8.5kg without pedals, by the time i finished upgrading stuff the bike now weighs 8.2kg
But to be fair, i added pedals 320g, bottle cages 64g, computer mount 27g, garmin computer and sensors 125g, rear light mount 15g, camera mounts 50g. Brake pads with cooling fins.
carbon Stem and carbon seat post saved 150g, and carbon wheel set saved even more weight.
I keep my gel-bartape, I'll have the allday comfort (especially in Belgium) above 100grams!
Seat posts and pedals can make a difference too. Took 1.2lbs of weight off my folding bike. Just upgrading them.
I found a used full carbon bike for 1000 euro, I weighed it and it came in at 7,6 kg! It had ultegra components as well, I made a good deal for sure! Although you might find that not that impressive, Im pretty new to road cycling so its good for me!
Damn, you guys looked bloody good in the new Castelli kit :)
Oh you!
😂😂😂
Great vid!
I decided to save money ollie and u just list weight... nearly 3 stone, 42 lbs in weight for free 💪
My first road bike, soon to be winter hack, is a nasty Tourney spec Carrera TDF weighing a whopping 12kg and 14 gears (2x7) with Tektro brakes... I've sourced some new, some old bits from Ebay etc and now it has 105 calipers, and 4600 Tiagra 20 gears...I decided that the difference between a cheap set of wheels (needed for the cassette, old wheel had a freewheel lol) and some Mavic Aksiums was a false economy so bought the Mavics. Strangely though the biggest saving was moving from a square taper BB to HTII, and 200g from the chainset switch, new cassette was 367g cos I wanted a 36T lower, but my biggest shock was the fact the 105 calipers weighed 3g MORE than the shonky Tektros!! Just hope they really brake better.... The biggest saving to come though will be the replacement fork- the original all steel one is 1190g and I've a carbon one in the post that when cut to 225mm should be around 500g... the total saving will take the bike to 10.3 (inc pedals) which is great...I just need to do my bit now and shift some lard....
Can anyone explain how different tubes can affect rolling resistance? I could only think that tyre pressures and tyres change rolling restistance but not sure how inner tubes made of different materials can affect this. Thanks.
Elastic hysteresis will play a part. Butyl and latex differ in this regard. Less energy is expended due to internal material friction in latex. I don’t know the details.
I like the many different phases of his bangs. Especially at 12:50 when one stray hair floats around like an old mans eyebrow. I'm just messing with you though, this was a very informative video, but I'm going to have to do some research on Drillium.
Just needed to replace a tyre on my boardman hybrid ! Cheapest tyre weighed 800 grammes , luckily I noticed before buying , and got the original Vittoria tyres weighing 400 grammes each
Damn, I've done them all already.
Switching from a 105 group set to a Dura Ace group set is far too expensive and I would suggest upgrading to an Ultegra group set instead.
I have a drillium Stronglight chainset on my wall. It's really pretty I think, loads of holes. Bought it to go on my '84 Dawes Galaxy to do Eroica Britannia, that's looking like a way off though :( Still I get to enjoy it on the wall some more at least!
Noticed it already in the last video, but now I gotta ask you guys. 01:30 Is Ollie growing a mullet?? And if so, is there any aerodynamic advantage to it over a regular haircut?
I was looking into latex tube for rim carbon clinchers and was told on no uncertain terms that latex tubes should *never* be used with carbon clinchers (rim brake). Can you comment? The information came from a reputable source, a massive online bike parts store/website.
I would guess this is due to the potential for latex to explosively fail when subject to the high temperatures generated by rim brakes on carbon wheels.
If you can shrink your front and rear gears while keeping good ratios then you can knock of weight from both cassettes and the chain which can be made shorter.
how are the super light QR skewers? they are weaker, so, do we compromise on bike/frame stiffnes then ?
"Big fan of latex innertubes" - puts on a nitrile glove.
Also, the cheapest way to save weight on your bike is to drop the saddle bag.
@Tony Ma nope, use mechanic with car :)
@Tony Ma My jersey has 3 pockets on the lower back for tools, supplies and food.
I use them.
My current record is a 540 km ride with no saddle bag, just the stuff I could pack in my pockets.
Had to stop to refill food and water of course.
panzerveps you are just shifting the weight from under your saddle to in your pocket. It may not be on your bike but you are still carrying it when you ride.
@@Jeff-bd4gg So the saddle bag is weight less?
And a big, fun source of affordable weight savings is eBay or anywhere used parts can be purchased at surprisingly low prices. And you just never know how low you can go until you scroll through the offerings.
0:19 which bar tape has Dan on his bike (the black and red one)? somebody knows?
Water bottles! You almost always have them with you and if you replace your current water bottles with something like a Elite Fly, you can save two times 30grams (60 grams in total) for a 750ml sized bottle. They only cost 5 euro's more than their heavier counterparts.
swapped the stock aluminium seat post and cockpit for carbon fibre
craigslist-ed the lot of it, spent less than $100 US for all three bits and saved about 150g
next is a full carbon fork
Well forgot to mention changing cassette, I paid about 150 eur for 11-32 and saved about 300 grams, good value.
Fill the tires with helium
When it comes to weight saving on the bike, I’ve learned it costs 1€ per gram saved in average.
About that bottle cages: there is a velcro-binding plastic "bottle cages" for about one dollar on aliexpress. Weight is lower than any carbon cage.
Perhaps GCN could start a “Manon reacts to Ollie’s videos” feature. I watched the whole thing waiting for her comments on the Flock of Seagulls hair and/or the colander.
And Ollie said nothing about removing chimneys. Manon is not going to be pleased about that. Ollie should start writing his apology for that oversight now.
I bought a regular hybrid with a nice 105 set-up and hydraulic brakes. It´s not as light as proper road bikes but it´s still lighter than many commuter/hybrid bikes at around 10.5kg. But by far the best way to lose weight is for me to just lose weight, which is the plan.