Hi Bob, I have felt your pain -- quite literally.
My steel tourer is "heavy" as a frame + fork, which weigh 3700 g, including the headset. So there's MAYBE a couple pounds that could be saved by going to an Al touring frame. That's not an option, obviously, but it makes a point. By the time I was riding it as a commuter and on a multi-day tour, it weighed 36 lbs. Dyno hub, Velocity Dyad rims, racks & fenders -- sound familiar? Your bike weight is fine. The Hillborne is very similar to my BLT in all respects except prettiness and lugs. My extra weight came in part from Marathon tires, and I need those in this college town. Every heavy part served a purpose, so I left it. You've already chosen the lightest reasonable tires for your purposes and the 38 mm width. You could lose the fenders, or save "many grams" by going to SKS plastic. Pass. I would add a kickstand, but that's me ;) Here's what I would REALLY do: For a few long unencumbered rides -- randonneuring, for instance -- lose the fenders and the rear rack. You can save more weight by ditching the saddle for something light weight, but c'mon. Find a set of racy rim brake wheels -- $100 goes a long way in the used market -- and who still wants rim brakes? Add a 5 mm spacer to the non-drive side and re-dish the rear wheel. Shoe the wheels with GP5000s in 700x32. Those tires are FAST and not flat prone under normal circumstances. Ride. Measure your speed with both rigs. You will have saved a couple, three pounds, but that won't make you faster. It may change the way the bike feels -- lighter FEELS better. You'll probably gain a little speed this way, and it'll feel like a different bike. Then come to your senses and restore the tourer to its touring role. Better yet, do what I do, get a 1980s Cannondale STx00 and ride it on group rides and unloaded jaunts. A great ride, light weight, feels fast, and the perfect complement to a tourer. Plus they have proper steel forks, not the unicrown of the later ones. We're such slaves to style. cheers -mathias On Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 7:40:12 PM UTC-4 warne...@gmail.com wrote: > Would be grateful for reasonable/cost conscious suggestions for how to > shed some weight from my Sam; which is currently is weighing in at 31.3# > with the following configuration: > > - Velocity Dyad 36 / Ultegra 6500 rear with Ultegra 6700 12-30 > cassette; Velocity Dyad 32 with SP Dynamo & BM IQ-X > - Nitto 135mm Faceplater stem + Nitto Billie Bars; Newbaums & Oury > grips > - Sugino XD-2 crank > - Paul Racer brakes & Paul Levers > - Brooks B17 Special > - Nitto S-83 seatpost > - IRD QB-95 BB > - Shimano 105 5701 long cage RD > - Shimano 6500 FD > - Tubus rear rack, Nitto M18 front rack > - Blackburn SS cages > - Berthoud SS fenders & RH Barlow Pass tires > > I went on my first overnight bike tour and boy was my rig heavy. It was a > big adjustment for me pushing all that weight for 80 miles!! My camping > gear is pretty lightweight stuff for backpacking, so curious if there are > any reasonable priced alternatives to lighten up the bike. Many thanks in > advance!! ~Bob > [image: SamH.jpeg] > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/0f1db001-dadb-4505-89c8-202055df9d78n%40googlegroups.com.
