top ways to decrease weight

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Quoted message said:

i have a specialized hard rock mt bike from way back in 1995, and would
like to make some inexpensive changes to trim down its rock-like
weight. what would give me the most bang for the buck? i do plan on
switching to slicks for city (and trainer) use. as far as what
inexpensive means ... i'm trying to do all this for about $100-150
(probably mostly used components).

thanks!

You won't be able to do a whole lot with that bike no matter how much you
spend, let alone spending so little. You could spend $600 on that bike and
not get it as light as a new $600 bike. People spend $150 on just one
componant to save 3 oz. I would recommend saving a bit more and getting a
new bike or not worrying about weight and making that bike work better.
High pressure street tires will make the biggest difference of anything you
do to that bike to increase road speed, so that's a great start. New
cables, brake pads and chain along with a deraileur adjustment and you've
spent your $150 and should also have made your bike feel like a new bike if
it's been used a lot.

Quoted message said:

i have a specialized hard rock mt bike from way back in 1995, and would
like to make some inexpensive changes to trim down its rock-like
weight. what would give me the most bang for the buck?

http://anonymous.coward.free.fr/temp/drillium.jpg

Kinda sketchy, I'd say. Your best bet may be to get a few hundred
bucks together and get a new bike on closeout at the LBS. Shop around
and you could probably find a lot better bike than you have now for
only $250.

Even if you plan to only upgrade the derailers, replace the chain and
brake pads, you'll pay less for them on a new bike than you will
through online stores because of the volume discounts that large
manufacturers (Trek, Cannondale, etc) can get.

If you just want to add slicks, that should only run about about
$20-$30 - maybe more if you need a LBS to install them for you. That
will probably make a big difference. But if you really want a much
different bike than you have now (lighter, faster, newer components,
etc), it might be best to start saving up for something new.

Quoted message said:

i have a specialized hard rock mt bike from way back in 1995, and would
like to make some inexpensive changes to trim down its rock-like
weight. what would give me the most bang for the buck? i do plan on
switching to slicks for city (and trainer) use. as far as what
inexpensive means ... i'm trying to do all this for about $100-150
(probably mostly used components).

thanks!

Cheap knobbies to good slicks might save over a pound. Cheap cassette to
better one perhaps 1/4 lb, crank upgrade maybe 1/2 lb. Wheels upgrade
maybe a pound. Used cranks and wheels in good shape may be hard to come
by, but they are transferable to another bike, and if your current ones
are in bad shape you might need them anyway.

It's pretty tough to economically upgrade bikes. Some mail-order shops
used to sell "build kits" at very good prices, but I haven't seen good
deals in a while. I bought one to upgrade my bike from "sub-LX" to "XT",
it was a deal for me since I was able to reuse the old stuff on other
bikes. Eventually I retired the frame, so in the end I had a new bike,
and wound up paying new-bike-on-sale total price, but I think it's
easier just to buy a new bike.

When I needed a new frame, I bought a fairly inexpensive bike with a
decent frame and stripped the components off it. I used the components
to upgrade other family bikes. That was the cost-effective way to go,
since margins on complete bikes are lower than components.

some great tips ... and i think that says it's definitely doable and
not worth buying a new bike altogether. i actually have some
experience, having rebuilt a 19-pound fixie from an old bianchi road
frame and spare parts. but i don't have much experience with geared
moutain bikes, which is what this needs to be.

regardless, i like the ideas ... cutting 2-3 pounds would do wonders
.... mainly to make it easier to lift and transport.

thanks again