There is a fine line between lightweight construction and durability. But if you don't want to invest a fortune in your mountain bike, you won't have much use for carbon rims, Tune seat posts and the like anyway. We'll show you how to reduce the weight of your bike and optimise its ergonomics at the same time. The 1x1 of mountain bike tuning, so to speak. Let's go:
The classic: tubeless
Tubes out, milk in. Bang - boom, you've already saved around 300 grams. And at a very critical point: the wheels: Because the weight saving on the rotating mass counts at least twice. Detailed instructions for tubeless conversion can be found here.
The roundels: Tyres
Are your tyres as smooth as a baby's bottom again? Get rid of the old tyres! Before buying new tyres, be sure to check: How much Puncture protection do I need? Which Profile is the right one for my application? Which Mixture should it be? And above all, the tyre should be "tubeless ready". Depending on the tyre you choose, you can save 200 grams of weight per tyre - without sacrificing puncture protection (provided you ride it tubeless).
The contact man: Handles
There is also unimagined potential for weight tuning in the grips. If you switch from thick screw grips to foam rubber, you can save over 100 grams for less than ten euros! A better euro/gram ratio - also considering the small amount of work involved - is otherwise difficult to achieve on an MTB.
The holder: Stem
Most bike manufacturers save on the stem. At first glance, an own-brand product doesn't look bad and reduces costs. The upgrade not only sheds pounds (up to 150 grams depending on the model), but you can also adjust the angle and length to suit your own preferences.
The strangler: saddle clamp
More bling-bling than a sensible gram/euro decision. Nevertheless: The Tune strangler Skyline clamp weighs only five (!) grams. Depending on the standard clamp on your bike, this saves a further 30 grams.
The footprint: Pedals
If you ride clipless pedals, you can do without the cage. The platform only adds unnecessary weight! A favourable model: The Crankbrothers Eggbeater 1 costs 60 euros and weighs 290 grams. If you want elite, you need credit: the Eggbeater 11 weigh only 179 grams, but also cost 450 euros.
The shirker: Saddle
With the huge selection of MTB saddles on the market, nobody has to suffer from seat discomfort. Depending on the model, you can save up to 200 grams. Whether a carbon saddle makes the ride more comfortable is up to you to decide.
The conversion measure: Single drive
Saying goodbye to the front derailleur, left-hand shifter and superfluous chainring(s) also saves a lot of weight. Depending on the area of use, a New chainring (narrow-width blade from 25 euros). The exact weight saving depends on the parts used, but should generally be more than 200 grams.
Other alternatives
At the end of the day, it's not the weight of the mountain bike alone that matters, but the system weight, so you can also save weight elsewhere: The cheapest is Slimming down yourselfbut travelling without a rucksack can quickly save a kilo. Instead, you can, for example the Stash Tank from Race Face set.
