thinking of lightening up the ride...

[flowtron]

I'm w/ Marshall--->2.35 Kenda Nevegals, or 2.35 folding Maxxis Minions, both single ply tires, but relatively high volume and awesome tread pattern. I like Minions ALOT.

Cranks and BB could be switched to XT outboard bearing system for a decent price if you shop around. Gigapipe BBs are HEAVY.

[upallnight]

just ordered some lighter tires (maxxis 2.35 high roller for the front, 2.35 ignitor for the rear), which should lighten things up by about 1000g if you believe the manufacturer's claims. the big benefit that i'm expecting is really from the switch from soft rubber in the dh comp 16s to the firmer compound for climbing. 2.2 pounds saved at the rim of the wheel should make for a noticeable change.

i hope that what i'm giving up (loss in volume and possibly worse traction) will not be that huge compared to what i'll gain.

i might look at 5-6" forks, but i'm not sure if there are any that are *that* much lighter than the 5.5lb / 170mm sherman breakout plus i'm using. i have a preference for coils, but it sounds like some of the new air forks/shocks may be worth a look. seems like the after-market price might be too high.

curious to try the upgrades one at a time.

(thanks kidwoo!)

[upallnight]

Cranks and BB could be switched to XT outboard bearing system for a decent price if you shop around. Gigapipe BBs are HEAVY.

thanks. i'll have to look up the potential weight savings.

would the switch to an outboard bearing system screw up the chainline when using a e.13 DRS?

could i swap the BB/cranks myself, or is that something i'd have to/should head into the shop for?

[Andy_B]

Also, try that Ignitor up front.

I have had better luck with that up front, (and yes, this will be a slow pitch) than in the rear.

[upallnight]

Cranks and BB could be switched to XT outboard bearing system for a decent price if you shop around. Gigapipe BBs are HEAVY.

I had some old paperwork and the Gigapipe is listed as 337g, with the FSA arms are about 585g.

Not sure if this is the XT crankset you mean, but if so it's about 650g for the arms/BB (i estimated the rings @ about 180g....i'm keeping the rings I have).

That's a savings of about 250g or so...for (guessing) at least $200.

WIll be curious to see how the new tires ride then maybe revisit other opportunities for savings.

[upallnight]

Also, try that Ignitor up front.

I have had better luck with that up front, (and yes, this will be a slow pitch) than in the rear.

Thanks! I think the UST thing will make it non-trivial to switch, but I'll give that a shot if it's kind of a rough rider in the rear, so to speak.

Thanks for the tip.

[MarsB]

could i swap the BB/cranks myself, or is that something i'd have to/should head into the shop for?

Not hard to do, but you need the right tools (pretty much just a crankpuller, the right bb tool and some grease).

www.parktool.com has good step by step instructions.

[LaBelle23]

thanks n>j!

i'm not wed to the 2.5s... but it seems like a tire swap saves around 2.5 lbs (i think the DH comp 16s weighed in at around 1300g or so in a 2.5")...plus the added benefits of a less rolling resistance with a different compound rubber.

have you tried those?

My new bike came with Diesels, but just got it yesterday so can't tell you a lot about them. They are a small 2.5. I have some 2.45s that feel (and are)way bigger. They don't have super agressive tread, but performed really well on my ride last night...although that may have been becasue the bike is so sweet everything seemed perfect on it.

[upallnight]

Not hard to do, but you need the right tools (pretty much just a crankpuller, the right bb tool and some grease).

www.parktool.com has good step by step instructions.

cool. thanks. i wouldn't have to re-chase the frame then, which is what i was worried about.

installation of an "external" bb should be easier, too, no?

[powder11]

quit worrying about weight and condition your legs to the heavy bike. you'll be in better shape for skiing.

[kidwoo]

quit worrying about weight and condition your legs to the heavy bike. you'll be in better shape for skiing.

He just had knee surgery.

Plus the shit he hikes should be pretty good indication of his normal winter fitness level. He crawls out of mariana's trench every weekend and summits the grand in about an hour.

Plus regardless of your fitness, a lighter bike allows you ride longer if you're climbing. I don't care who you are.

You'll need the external BB tool. It's cheap and something you should have anyway so that you can work on it in the future. The other thing you'll need if you don't already have it is a truvative/XTR spider removal tool to take out the old one. Both tools probably cost what you'd pay someone to switch them.

[powder11]

He just had knee surgery.

Plus the shit he hikes should be pretty good indication of his normal winter fitness level. He crawls out of mariana's trench every weekend and summits the grand in about an hour.

Plus regardless of your fitness, a lighter bike allows you ride longer if you're climbing. I don't care who you are.

You'll need the external BB tool. It's cheap and something you should have anyway so that you can work on it in the future. The other thing you'll need if you don't already have it is a truvative/XTR spider removal tool to take out the old one. Both tools probably cost what you'd pay someone to switch them.

never said the man wasnt in shape. I tend to focus my ski conditioning on more anaroebic/building solid muscle mass. I dont mind thrashing about on a heavy bike and I climb just as long as anyone on a xc bike. my legs are usually in mid winter shape by opening day. to each his own. good luck with the knee rehab

[kidwoo]

never said the man wasnt in shape. I tend to focus my ski conditioning on more anaroebic/building solid muscle mass. I dont mind thrashing about on a heavy bike and I climb just as long as anyone on a xc bike. my legs are usually in mid winter shape by opening day. to each his own. good luck with the knee rehab

Tell me what the hell you're doing. Every winter I hike several times a week and ski via lifts whenever it's snowing........but my first xc ride every spring feels like I've got wool in my lungs and legs.

Every summer I'm riding about 5 days a week and my first skin up anything feels like all the mountains I hike tripled in size.

It's the great mystery of my life. I've love it solved.

[slippy]

Skiing and biking use different muscles, so a heavy bike is not doing much good. When I biked all summer and fall for 8 years straight, it never did much for my skiing legs. I guess your lungs will be in better shape though. It's like saying skinning with Igneous skis, metal binders and trekkers gets you in shape for bike season. No thanks.

[powder11]

Tell me what the hell you're doing. Every winter I hike several times a week and ski via lifts whenever it's snowing........but my first xc ride every spring feels like I've got wool in my lungs and legs.

Every summer I'm riding about 5 days a week and my first skin up anything feels like all the mountains I hike tripled in size.

It's the great mystery of my life. I've love it solved.

maintain a year round weight training program with relatively low weight and shitloads of reps. squats, lunges, clean & jerk and bench jumps. uphill windsprints are a must too. sometimes I even throw some rocks in my camel back for that. going back & forth between winter and summer seasons with anoerobic vs. aroebic exercise is a waste. train/maintain for whatever your main gig is.

[upallnight]

hey powder11...thanks for chiming in.

my legs are pretty conditioned to the bike...i'm on a bit of a roadbike kick but i used to go out and do a daily ride with 3k - 3500' of climbing off the deck...

howEVer....the main thing i was after in terms of lightening up the bike is some faster acceleration. i think kidwoo nailed it (via PM) in noting that the issue was partly the weight of the tires -- but partly that i was riding uphill on a soft-compound DH tires which compounded the problem. any way you cut it, i'm riding a 39# bike (maybe 37# after the new tires are on), so it's never going to be a light build. if the right circumstances came around, i might swap a few parts to shed some weight...but only if it didn't cost me any performance (my ride is incredibly fun for me on the way down).

for instance, i'm not so interested in swapping a part that will save 100g (and cost $100). i *would* like to have some ideas (which is what this thread was about) in mind for what to keep my eyes out for if a deal comes along...and now i know that there's not that much weight to drop in any single area.

re: fitness... i have to admit that *any* time that i go out and start an activity (like a bike ride uphill, nordic skiing, heading up a bootpack, or skinning), i feel like death. i mean i really feel terrible. i have to remind myself that it passes.

barring major injury, i ski about 120-150 days a year or more, and when the snow melts i try to get out and climb/bike/run about the same amount. (i have to leave town sometimes, so i do slack off. )

lift-served skiing, i find, is really not much of a workout at all, even when really charging all day, 7 days/week. lifts provide a rest, and when going downhill its easy to use the skeletal system such that the bones take the force not the muscles (as much). if i'm getting tired lift-served, i'm definitely trying to muscle the ski and have forgotten some technique.

skinning, on the other hand, is a completely different set of muscles. it's awesome to skin, hike, and ski because you're working everything.

i have little patience for working out with weights in the gym (i really envy people that have the discipline for it), but i've found that just keeping the conditioning going year round leaves me in decent shape for the next season's stuff.

comparing biking to lift-served skiing is not appropriate IMHO... but the aerobic base you build up in biking is valuable for skiing/skinning/hiking/long days in the mountains...and the explosive bursts one could practice while MTBing can translate to some similar bursts on the hill. i think pushing a tall gear is analogous to low weight/high rep lifting (analogous -- not identical). riding DH heps with reactions, balance, line selection, etc.

i think we should all go out and buy the skier's edge. that will be the best way for us to keep in shape during the off-season, right? (is there such a thing as an off-season??? )

[upallnight]

You'll need the external BB tool. It's cheap and something you should have anyway so that you can work on it in the future. The other thing you'll need if you don't already have it is a truvative/XTR spider removal tool to take out the old one. Both tools probably cost what you'd pay someone to switch them.

thanks -- that's exactly what i was looking for. although i haven't assembled a bike from scratch, i'm pretty handy and careful. i'd rather buy the tools, do it myself + learn something (for the reasonable jobs, at least) -- rather than just pay someone and not be any smarter at the end of the day.

[kidwoo]

sometimes I even throw some rocks in my camel back for that.

Nevermind.

You're obviously insane.



















My bike season is every bit as important as my ski season (even moreso on crap years) so when I'm out doing either it's from enjoyment, not necessarily to crosstrain. The only time I ever committed to weight rooms was crew season, before surf trips and after injuries. It does help but it's only to accentuate the activity performance. I might be back in one shortly actually.

[hev]

just ordered some lighter tires (maxxis 2.35 high roller for the front, 2.35 ignitor for the rear)

I had heard all the hype of running low pressures with tubless and was still suprised how significant a factor it was. I am able to run about 23 pounds in the front with that tire and it hooks up amazingly in dry conditions. I keep a little more in the rear 'cus I have had some tire rolling issues.

stop making me feel bad for getting tired at the resort

[upallnight]

I had heard all the hype of running low pressures with tubless and was still suprised how significant a factor it was. I am able to run about 23 pounds in the front with that tire and it hooks up amazingly in dry conditions. I keep a little more in the rear 'cus I have had some tire rolling issues.

cool...glad to hear the positive experience with the tires. i've been running tubeless for a while, so i'm down with that low-pressure game...but we'll see how i feel about it with the single-ply tires.

stop making me feel bad for getting tired at the resort

it's alright...i'm probably doing something wrong. or maybe it's just cuz i only ski groomers.

[powder11]

Nevermind.

You're obviously insane.

that may be true. I spent 1/2 my life ski racing and enduring phsyco training regimens from it. for me, if its not painful Im not getting anything out of it.

[upallnight]

the change in tires worked out pretty well. they're noticeably lighter & roll much faster.

[maniloff]

As you noted, the tires are a huge deal, partly because of weight and partly because of rolling resistance. Obviously your terrain matters, but I've loved running 2.35 DTC Blue Groove's and Nevegals.

It costs just a smidge more, but air shocks are getting really good. I just put the new RP 2.3 on my 575 and I love it. It's plush downhill, stiff uphill, and I haven't bottomed it out or broke the suspension since I got it, and that's all I want. For calibration, I'm 200 pounds, don't do big drops, but otherwise ride it pretty hard.

[upallnight]

thanks, maniloff!

more to think about re: replacing the shock. don't have the $$ for that now, but maybe one day next year.

anyone have a ballpark price for a new spring for a manitou 4-way swinger? i've shed some weight and may actually need a new ride kit. i have to back the spring out close to all the way to get the sag to 30-35%.

[upallnight]

flowtron & marshal:
what terrain do you like the minion & nevegals in?

riding here is loose, rocky, and dusty right now.