How do i make my bike lighter?

Question

How do i make my bike lighter?

Answer 1

In weight wise.....

Remove the breaks, the metal thing for the bike holder, any extra bolts that holds the breaks or anything of that sort. Get smaller bolts for the wheels or get smaller wheels...

other wise. Add some shiny stickers.

Answer 2

stay off it

Answer 3

put on more shiny stickers

Answer 4

Mat has given you the best answer so far.  The marginal cost of reducing weight in bicycle components can be very high. I've bought lighter carbon fiber components that cost me, per gram saved, more than the market price of the same weight of gold -- seriously.

So, if you really want a light bike you should consider starting with a new bicycle.  It's far more expensive to buy a bike piece by piece.

That said, the best place to lose weight is in the wheels and tires.  Wheels are rotating weight and have the most effect on inertia and performance.  Also, new lighter wheels can be kept and put on a newer bike if you later decide to upgrade the entire bike -- and it's always nice to have a spare pair of wheels.

If you want to get serious about weight, and check manufacturers' weight claims against the facts, then go to the Weight Weenies site, linked below.

Happy riding.

Ben

Answer 5

depends on the type of bike you have, i ride xc so i can really only help you there.  the lightests manufactured dual suspension bike are around 23 lbs which is extremely light.  This ia achieved through very high end components designed for this usage. lists of parts for example...sram X0 derailleur and shifters, magura marta sl disc brakes, carbon fiber seat posts, bar, stem, titanium rails in your saddle,titanium pedals and even carbon fiber triangles in your frame.  Lets not forget the most high end shocks and forks.  By incorporating all these high end parts, you are able to reduce weight on your bike. Im sure if yu ride a road bike that the same general rules apply and you can purchase similar parts in that category.  this does get very expensive replacing parts. your best bet if you want a really light bike is to purcahse it already built but also is very costly and you might not need that.  (on a side note...purchase a bike from a reputable bike shop and not a department store bike...makes a world of a difference aswell)

Answer 6

what kind of bike do you have now?

might be smart to just get a new bike becasue you are going to buy a lot of components to make the bike lighter,,,first thing to do is to take off all stickers and other decorative stuff you dont need,,,next, take a look at your tires,,go to www.performancebike.com and look you your tires, see how much they weigh,,you should be able to find some new/lighter tires pretty cheap that wont break the bank,,,take a look at your seat and pedals too,,if you have come cash, then look at your wheels,,wheels can get expensive,,you can find lighter wheels on ebay for $200/$300 or more you willprobably spend $100 or more for a new seat,,tires can be $40 each so you are already talking $500-$600,,,sell your current bike on ebay and upgrade to just reasearch the components you want to save,,,all in all, with wheels, tires, seat and a few other things, you will probably be able to knock off a pound, maybe 2.,,