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Why is my bike so heavy!?

3K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  AndrwSwitch 
#1 ·
Motobecane Fantom Pro 29 alloy large frame....35 Lbs!

 
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#2 ·
That's one of those "let me count the ways" type questions. The big contributors are the frame, fork, wheels and tires. But cranks, pedals and saddles can contribute a fair amount too, and there's a surprising swing in weight between heavy and light cockpit components.

It's hard to say much without a spec list but I don't think anything on there, or the frame, is light.

If it's that big a deal to you, take it apart, weigh the pieces, and build up a spreadsheet. Then you'll know, and you can find out how much of a swing in weight you'll see with any given parts swap. Look up some reviews of anything you buy to save weight - the industry has a tendency to underreport.
 
#3 ·
Welllllllll........ Just looking at your bike I would say...

Saddle
Seatpost
Bash guard
Pretty heavy fork
Probably heavy tires
Tubes
Pedals
Can't tell what your handlebar/stem combo is..

Other things that add weight are mid-range cranks, steel headset and the F29 frame is no lightweight either. I know, I have one too. But...

I also ditched a lot of the stock parts right out of the box for stuff that I already had. I replaced the crank, BB, tires (w/tubeless...not a guarantee of lower weight, but it probably helped), headset (once it wore out), bars/stem, seat post, saddle and I went to a 1x10 with a 11X42 cassette (w/an aluminum 42T). I also use Crank Bros. pedals coming in at about 309grams vs. what appear to be your Shimano pedals.

That being said...35lbs...not super shabby for a bike of that price range/caliber. Your bike can still do pretty much everything any other XC bike will do!!
 
#4 ·
If the is actually the $1k plus pro version with a Reba and xt drivetrain, it should be down about 30lb. Tire and tube weight may contribute more than expected. Seat isn't that light either. Ritchey seat post, handle bar, and stem should be OK. Cassette is probably adding half pound, and the rear wheel is the other killer. Gravity hub with steel freehub is sad at this price point, and the WTB rims are not as good as they should be.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Actually many band name parts on Moto bikes are VERY heavy. I replaced Ritchey branded bars, stem and a post on a friends Moto and these parts were unbelievably heavy. The post was so heavy I felt like it was made of cast iron. Furthermore, these parts did not appear to be parts that are sold by Ritchey to the public. IMO this one of the reasons Bikes Direct is able to sell bikes at low prices.

You are 100% correct about the WTB/Gravity wheels that come on many Moto bikes- They are very heavy.

Not Bikes Direct basing here, just sharing my observations.
 
#12 ·
That seat post that comes stock on the Moto's is heavy. Steel clamp parts, solid pressed in head and a thick walled post... I went to my local non-profit shop and got an Easton for $5....knocked a 1/4lbs off immediately. Everything is cumulative...so, there's your break my friend. I am curious why you don't believe it's that heavy? The OP could be trolling...but there are definitely worse threads on here.
 
#13 ·
Aside from focusing on the weight as said so eloquently by JACKL the surest way to feel a difference is your wheels and tires. Start with a tubeless conversion. Then try lighter and higher thread count tires.

This should lighten up the wheels and make them more compliant. If that doesn't work, source out a set of higher end lighter wheels. Something that is light across the board, hubs, rims, spokes and nipples. That will cut some fat for sure and will be the most noticeable from the pedals.

If your bike feels top heavy, then replace the cockpit items with lighter ones. This will change the bikes center of gravity.

Otherwise I would ride it and love it. As someone else said light, strong, cheap, pick any two. Be glad you didn't pick light and cheap but instead picked strong and cheap.
 
#11 ·
everything on that bike is heavy. everything


you would need to get to the frame only, and rebuild
it with all new gruppo, seat, fork, bb, wheels, tires....literally everything
 
#16 ·
Didn't know the moto Ritchey stuff was on par with their house brand stuff. That's kinda a rip. Their house stuff is OK when compared to low end bontrager and race face stuff, but I expect more from Ritchey.
 
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