Chronic weight weenie-ism isn’t a condition solely suffered by roadies, many rad mountain bike shredders are gram counters too — particularly within the fiercely competitive XC racing crowd.
While you’re guaranteed to get a comment from a friend suggesting you "just go to the loo before your ride", that isn’t nearly as fun as buying new, shiny bits and we’ve got some suggestions on how you can make your bike that little bit lighter.
1. Upgrade your wheels
While it’s among the most rehashed advice given in cycling, moving to a lighter set of hoops should usually be your first port of call if you’re trying to shed weight from your bike.
Stock wheels rarely cut the mustard and not only will a lighter set of wheels drop weight from your bike, they will also likely make it feel more spritely with less effort being required to spin them up.
Unsure what to look for in a new set of wheels? Check out our buyer's guides below.
2. Go tubeless
While we’re on the subject of wheels, there’s pretty much no compelling reason to still be running tubes on your mountain bike wheels in to 2017.
While ditching tubes will save something in the region of 225g per wheel it will also allow you to run significantly lower pressures and tubeless set ups are far less prone to punctures.
Unsure how to go tubeless? Check out our guide below.
3. Go 1x
Although many bikes are now designed around 1x drivetrains, converting an older 2x or 3x bike to a single ring set up is guaranteed to drop some weight, reduce maintenance and make for a cleaner looking bike.
As well as the surplus chainrings you’ll lose a shifter, mech and cables, so the weight savings quickly add up.
Find out how to convert your bike to a 1x set up in our article below.
4. Go rigid
If you’re looking to drop a tonne of weight or just want to spice up your riding a little, you could consider going old school and converting your hardtail into a rigid speed weapon.
Suspension forks are becoming astonishingly light, but nothing will match a fully rigid fork with the lightest examples coming in around 560g.
Although rigid forks require sharp handling they will make even the most boring trail more interesting and are well worth a go.
Check out our rigid fork reviews below.
5. Go full weight weenie
A browse through any XC bike check will provoke a combination of both awe and alarm in most — missing rotor bolts? Thread like seat clamps? Insane custom stems? Brutal carbon saddles? We’ve seen it all and the lengths mechanics go to save precious grams never ceases to astonish us.
Check out our pro-bike galleries below for more lightweight insanity.
