Our rouge weight weenie, Mr. Graham Pounder, shared tons (oops, sorry, not tons, but ounces) of tips to shave weight off your bike without breaking the bank (MBA. March 202). If you took his tips seriously, you are ready for the next phase--Shaving weight and reducing your bank account at the same time.
TIP ONE: SPEND IN THE RIGHT PLACES
When I begin to spend real money, I start with anything that rotates, starting the furthest from the center of the rotating mass. This will make the greatest difference to the performance of your bike. Here is my order of importance of parts I didn?t address in the magazine story...
Tires
Rims
Spoke Nipples*
Spokes*
Hub
Skewers
Cranks
*While these items are not expensive, you?ll pay some bucks having your wheel rebuilt.
TIP TWO: USE OUR MAGAZINE AS YOUR GUIDE
Now that you know what parts to go after, how will know the light ones? Take a close look at the mail-order advertisements in your latest issue of MBA. Many of these guys list the weight of the parts they are selling in their ads. While component suppliers are notorious for stretching the truth when it comes to weight (remember, it is always a claimed weight until you drop the part on your Ohaus scale), this information will get you in the ballpark.
TIP THREE: MIX AND MATCH
Don?t think of wheel skewers as a single part. You can save even more weight by mixing parts from various skewers to create your own lightweight hybrid. The process will test the patents of the most accommodating bike shop, but you can?t leave any stone (or in this case, clamping mechanism) unturned in your quest for a lighter bike.
TIP FOUR: NOT ALL TIRES ARE CREATED EQUAL
Just like with tubes, weight of the same size and model tire vary greatly. Have your trusty Ohaus scale narrow the selection before you hand over the Gold Card to purchase any lightweight tire.
TIP FIVE: ONE MORE CHEAP ONE
I always feel better when I save weight without spending money so I?ll pass along one more freebie. Chains are sold to fit bikes with the longest wheelbases. If you ride a bike with a relatively short wheelbase, chances are the chain is too long. You can save weight by shortening your chain.
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