Hyper Carbon X Stage 3? | Ideas for making Project X even better!
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- čas přidán 13. 09. 2024
- The Hyper Carbon X carbon fiber bicycle from Walmart turned into a great project bike with Project X. Stage 2 proved to be excellent for the local trails and became my most used bike in 2018. Then I bought the Cannondale Rush 3000 lefty - a 13 year old bike. Now I tend to reach for it when looking to ride the trails.
What gives? How can Project X be so good, then get passed by for an older bike? I finally narrowed it down to weight. There is a 2.8 pound weight savings between the two bikes. I struggle on hills, so 2+ pounds is a big deal.
Knowing this I decided it may be time to revisit the Carbon X and search for ways to get the weight down. My new goal is a 24lb bike.
That's where I need your help! Start suggesting ideas that will make Project X lighter and better! If I use an idea I will randomly select subscribers that made the suggested upgrades for a shoutout in the Stage 3 reveal video.
Start commenting and let's see if this bike can get even better!
If you're new and need to catch up please see the Project X playlist:
• Hyper Carbon X MTB
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Thanks for watching another KevCentral bicycle video!
Has to be fork and wheels. They can shed the most weight, but damn doing that for 600 may be tricky
Yep. That’s the tough part.
The fact they're 26-inch help the price significantly on fork and wheels. There's a plethora of once high dollar 26-inch stuff second hand on eBay.
My forks were $220 AUD (so about $200 US). They're about 3.5 lbs, 4lbs lighter than the original Suntours. The Stout 17RC6 is a bizzare yet unusually great Ebay fork.
secondhand proper airfork. You should be able to find a a good deal in 26 inch and then a new service kit. Voila.
@@hondacota4rt An old RS SID or Fox 100 can be found pretty cheap
How about carbon fiber headset spacers
You could use Nylon+fiber ones there. Cheaper and even lighter.
Such a little diffrence but quite cheap
Costs to much😂
I’m always about to leave the video but then I hear that “as always have a great day” then I go back and like it
For upgrades I would reccomend...
-Happybuying 3k full carbon fiber seatpost(on Amazon for $31.98)
-Truvativ descendant 6kal B148 dub crank(very light crankset from jenson USA $105.00)
-opera bike seat(3k carbon seat on Amazon for $26.99)
Go Tubeless
Great list
Wheels would be the best option. They could save up to 500 grams(2lbs) for the pair, it also make the bike more responsive.
I'd say to get an ultra lightweight cassette since they can save alot of weight.
Also get a better crankset to save weight. The one you have now looks pretty old.
500 grams is just over 1lb. 455g≈1lb
@@bryceridesbikes some people cannot math with metric
Keep in mind 600$ for lightweight wheels is already hard to ask. And super lightweight cassettes run for more than 200$ so...quite unefficient for the g/$ saving
The manufacturer's website with those rims at 450 g each. That's well below average weight for 27.5's. unless there's a hot clearance deal on a pair of lightweight rims, there are better places to invest on this project.
@@dustinnoyfba7227 we're just ballparking dude
You need to put a carbon fiber seat post
Andrew Pace no a dropper post
@@colosabeastepic8670 dropper posts weight more that regular seat post.
So it makes a bike ride soo much better
Hey Kev! First and foremost, thanks for the shoutout! My children and I (two boys, one girl) discovered your channel while looking up information for a Trek 820 for my oldest boy and have enjoyed it since.
For the upgrade I think switching to an air fork is the way I’d go. I’d be interested to see if you could find a fork comparable to the Epixon that was used on project Hydro for around the same price.
Keep up the great work!
A set of carbon wheels from aliexpress and a manitou fork
Th ia
is what i would do.
i picked up a set of carbon wheels with dt swiss 240s for $650
Make the wheels tubeless it will make the bike a lot lighter
This will probably be the most notable difference you could do.
What about sealant
A bit lighter, not a lot. Worth it though.
@@RussUnderhill not even referring to weight. The ride of tubeless is going to be better than any weight hea trying to save on a bike like this.
Some tubeless conversions are lighter than factory tubeless, so...yea!
Thank you for another Carbon X video, I can't wait to see stage 3.
Thanks for the 3 secs of internet fame.
100% glad to be a part of your journey.
Keep em coming, Boss.
Try putting a dropper post, it won't reduce weight, but for 100€ it can be a great improvement. Cable routing for the front derailleur can be used for the dropper post. I haven't tried it yet, but I know I would benefit from it.
Been riding since diapers, still don't know what a dropper post is .-.
What's the difference? What even is one?
Great video kev!
I think you have the rock shox silver tk on the X which I think is coil, you should ditch that for the cheap air fork that’s on the xr pro. I’d also look in to lighter rims
Manitou Markhor forks are light and cheap , carbon cranks and wheelset seatpost, bars
Rob Freeman what he said. Your $600 wont go far. Ride the Cannondale. Its cool.
If LOOK's carbon cranks aren't too pricey, they are pretty meaty as well!
I second the guys that say get some new wheels! And get a dropper post! Probably won't save any weight but makes a HUGE difference.
Glad to se CarbonX is still rolling like a thunder!
Carbon fiber everything! From cranks/ bars / wheels( tubeless) to seat post!
I think at this point, going carbon fiber is the only way to shed more weight. Perhaps bar, seat post, stem and wheels. Also those pedals are cool, but there are lighter ones out there. Albeit small gains they will add up in the end. Great bike! I bought one yesterday based entirely off of your reviews and upgrades of the bike. so a hearty thank you for that! Keep up the great work!
I’d go with:
Dropper post, continental trail king tires, and carbon bits wherever possible, maybe a better wheelset. That’s all I can think of. Have an awesome day!
I think wheels would make the biggest difference, if you could get some lightweight wheels it will not only save static weight, but also rolling mass which is 3x the static weight. I really like your channel btw, as you seem to be a really down to earth guy with a true passion for bikes.
back in the days of old - way before carbon fiber and just about everything we rode was steel everything we used to shed a little over a pound drilling rows of small holes in our seat posts and nicking off an inch or so of it as well - anything we didn't need to have the post sit securely and still hold our sitting weight was shaved off the post - of course today you can avoid the insane amount of effort it took us to do safely and just toss a carbon seat post in for more reduction than what we would achieve
I would go with a Syncros Hixon carbon integrated handlebar and stem weight 290 Grams. I am unsure if you went tubeless but you can make the rims tubeless to shed a few grams, along with a carbon fiber seatpost
Torpedo MTB I think that would be a great option!
He wants to cut the wait and dropper posts are heavier
Where can I look at the Syncros Hixon?
@@waynekerr866 A dropper post adds weight.
@@waynekerr866 You're missing the point of this project.
Front fork and wheelset!!! I went from my factory stout xc wheel w/160mm rotor and suntour xcr air fork to a wtb i29 rim and tubeless set up and 180mm rotor, found a left over 2015 model fox 34 float fork on ebay still new in the box. I shed 4lbs off the bike with the set up without the new rear wheel. Paid 350 for the fork and 300 for the wheel set. So i gained brake size, axle size(9qr to 15 through), wider wheel and tire, and more travel in the fork and lost a ton of weight.
Do you think a used lefty fork would work for the carbon x? If not, maybe an entry level 200$ air fork paired with carbon handle bars and stem and while at it, maybe even a carbon seat post. Another way to shed weight off the bike that won’t break the bank would be be going tubeless. I think you can even convert most wheels to be tubeless, so if your current wheels on the carbon x aren’t tubless you could still use them, I would recommend going to Stan's no tube's website on how to convert to tubeless. If I remember, Seth's bike hacks did a comparison video on going tubeless and he managed to shed about 200g which is pretty good for not too much money. I hope this helps you out a bit, and as always, great video kev👍🏼
Easiest things: Carbon seatpost and stem. The Pro's Closet has some Fox forks for just $500. One of them weighs in at just 5lbs. Other than that, a carbon crankset (with the first two options) can be had entirely under budget; or even just an FSA crankset with the hollow forged technology, are incredibly lighter than any standard Shimano crankset.
I would love to see your Carbon X become a Monster Cross bike, the geometry is there already :)
Okay, these are just my suggestions. High quality air fork 110 dollars, Carbon bars, stem, seatpost and seat 60 dollars, High quality wheelset with superior hubs 100 dollars, 50th cassette 40 dollars and tires. All from Aliexpress. That should bring this bike into the below 20lbs range easily. Another great video again Kev, and keep it going. These projects are epic. If you want links then tell me how to access your website with them.
Someone else mentioned carbon cranks as well and this could easily be a 18lbs bike for 600 dollars invested. Plus a far higher quality xc bike.
I hope people realize these are 200 dollar frames in 2019 and the Hyper X carbon is a full generation behind those frames.
Now that Ive watched both videos I have some thoughts.
1. Get an air fork, that will get you most of the way.
2. If not tubeless go tubeless. If youre wheels and tires dont allow that upgrade your wheels and tires to allow it.. And your there!
4. If tubeless is out of budget, upgrade to a thin highend set of XC tires like Bontrager XR0s and some light weight tubes (ie 26x1.95is size or latex)
5. Carbon bar, carbon seatpost and lighter saddle (use this option as a substitute for options 1,2,3/4 if budget is an issue.
This carbon x is such a good upgrade bike
I have to agree, wheels will make the difference, if they can be combined with 120tpi xc tyres preferably tubeless, you will notice the difference in weight if not in drive/pedal quality.
Fork is also an option, but wheels first.
Tubeless setup, carbon handlebar and carbon seatpost. Carbon saddle also, but that might go over the price point goal, so I'd say finish off with the lightest saddle you can find that isn't terribly expensive.
an air fork would save weight over your coil fork. I run the sr suntour xcr 32 air 29 fork with 120mm travel. for only 140 dollars on amazon, it is a great budget fork and leaves more money for a new set of wheels to save even more weight. also getting some Chinese carbon parts for less essential parts like a seatpost and headset spacers could save a little more.
If that is a Recon Fork it has steel stanchions. You can drop a lot of weight going with a fork that has alloy ones. That will eat up a lot of budget though. Other heavy items would be the rims and tires. You could go with some light weight cross country rims and tires that are tubeless. You save a little weight minusing the tubes. You can find some pretty light weight tires too. Also you can get a minimal seat. I love that Cannondale you are riding! 15 years old and it is still rocking.
Tubeless, nylon pedals, cut seat post (if its not dropper). Maybe a carbon wheels if you can find any. Rotating mass has a huge effect on how everything works on the bike, breaking etc.
(1) Lighter tyres. Will cost like 40-90 USD a pair. (2) Rebuild the wheels: Get some rims from China (Kinlin is an OEM used by some big-name shops!) - with spokes (CN424 are good!) about 80 USD per wheel; optionally different hubs (I guess 200 for a pair). (3) Al+Sc handlebars can be made lighter than carbon ones, but are very hard to find (KCNC makes them afaik). Sc alloy got a bad rep because welds broke easily, but that's a non-issue for bars. (4) Not really, but FYI: Titanium bolts; expect to save about avg. 10g vs steel on each (buy them cheap where mechanical engineers order their parts, or biologists, or pool specialists; else the prices are ridiculous; avoid grade 2 as it flexes and breaks easily).
‘Exotic’ (brand) carbon fork (rigid), lightweight tyres (wtb trail boss light- personal fav), tubeless, carbon cockpit, foam grips, single speed (dmr kit is great!), plastic mold seat. These are to get it as light as poss, probably not practical but there ya go 😊
One approach to staying on budget is looking at your cost per gram of weight loss.
Assuming you're wanting to lose a full 4 pounds, (~1,800 grams), the $600 budget breaks down to .33¢ per gram.
Any component swap that would cost .33¢/gram or less in weight savings would be a candidate for this project.
Example: A part swap that saves 100 grams is a possible candidate if it's $33.00 or less.
I hope this helps.
One thing I would suggest immediately is swapping the RS Recon with a Manitou Markhor the markhor is at least a pound lighter than the RS. Plus it doesnt feel that much different you just may get funny looks cause the Rear arch design. Im a 300lb Guy and this fork has been amazing to me.
A new wheel set? Honestly all I can think of. That’s gonna be hella expensive though and change the feel completely to no idea. Anyways look forward to seeing what you can come up with :)
With a $600 budget I think the only way to get down lose 3lbs is to buy used first of all. There are SO MANY high quality used mountain bike parts available with everyone needing the newest stuff out there. Gotta go with carbon crankset, tubeless wheels and lighter fork. Still not sure if it’ll get it down to 24lbs but just maybe...
Side note.. something that drives me crazy is when someone says “if you want a bike that’s 3lbs lighter, just lose 3lbs yourself”! The maneuverability of a mountain bike has so much to do with the weight. Even more than the ease of climbing. So, go for it!
Great video always, I purchased the Carbon X for $199.00 and then I checked around and realized that Walmart around 30 miles from home sold it for $99.00 so they were kind enough to refund me $100.00. First thing had to go was the pedals which I replaced them with Race Face Chesters I found online for $30.00. Please help with upgrades on a budget. Thanks again for a great video and the best bike channel on CZcams.
Damn going to have to check my Walmart
Single speed conversion, every one with multiple MTB's needs at least one decent single speed hardtail. Cheap, drops a lot of weight, and a whole lot more fun than you would think.
You might have some luck buy looking for a lighter wheel set, light weight cassette, plastic pedals and maybe a lighter crankset. Love your videos, keep it up! Cheers.
So I recently did a full upgrade on the same bike and recently got it weighed and it came out to 25.80 lbs pretty proud of it
Upgrade wheels. I purchased Easton Haven carbon wheels from eBay for 450 bucks!! Fork, a Rockshox SID will break the bank but look into the Manitou Hightower fork. I had one on my first 29er HT build and it was great. I bought it new for 250 bucks from eBay also. Finally a lighter crankset like a direct mount SRAM or Raceface. Less weight since its minus the spider. Those upgrades will definitely show weight loss. Oh yeah, tires also like a good set of Schwalbe or Maxxis tires.
Get a carbon fiber seatpost. Also get a carbon fiber saddle, and possibly cut some parts to shed weight.
I would recommend a carbon seatpost/stem/ and bar setup with an air fork, and possibly a lighter wheelset.
Hey Kev, today shopping at Wal- Mart today and looking at the bikes like I always do, and looked up to see the 2020 Hyper Carbon X 29er, yes that's right 29er had to look twice. The Carbon X is a 1X9 drivetrain with not your 28t gear but looks to me like a 40 or 42t for the max gear,the fork looks like a updated but just a budget looking fork, the frame looks like they did some updated to the geometry with a matte black with medium green for the trim. So check out your store in your area and see if they did the same thing.
We never had the carbon x in our local stores. I heard there was a new one coming, though I think it’s supposed to have the same frame and fork.
Easy!! I already got my Hyper Carbon X down to 25lb . Switch your suspension forks to Manitou Markhor air shocks .Little over $200 on ebay new. I have Spank oozy bars but to get it lower than 25 your gonna have to get carbon bars .Quite a few cheap ones made in china that are rated descent. Then just go tubeless on your wheels and you should be good to go. I have sun ringle tubeless rims , but with a little effort you should be able to convert those existing rims to tubeless with some gorilla tape and some sealant. I have a 2x drive train setup but everything else is almost the same as what you have done .So for 600 more you should be able to achieve your goal easy. I really shopped around and was able to get my Carbon X upgraded for an overall price of about $900ish . It is now the best MTB I have ever owned and it still has room for improvements. That's a 25lb carbon frame MTB for $900 ish ! I don't have the hydraulic brakes but that is coming.
With my little knowledge of weight reduction per component I have come with a few ideas. Either go all out and buy an air fork with carbon lower legs or just do a couple smaller things like a new cassette, seat post, and crankset. I suppose another option would be to get a wheel set with carbon rims, and then you might have some cash left to upgrade the cassette and stem if you can find a similar and more light weight one for inexpensive.
Oh also I know that this comment is to late.
Lighter wheels will make a heavy bike feel light while riding. I never bought into the hype until I put a lightweight set on my gravel bike; felt like a dang rocket when I put down power. That would be the single best ROI I could think of with $600 considering the current spec and application of the bike (XC/casual trail).
Dropper post for convenience or carbon post for being lighter
Also carbon bars. (Remember to use carbon paste when installing)
Tubeless
Lighter saddle (Just an oddball)
Get some lightweight rims and tires, or possibly a lighter fork. The old lefty is beautiful, but the carbon x is my favorite bike on your channel.
Carbon bars and direct mount 1x cranks should shed a few pounds. Good luck with the upgrade!
Shed the coil fork! You can get rockshox Solo Air forks for fairly cheap! Also, lightee wheels will make a HUGE difference, especially in Weight and drivability.
Hey Kev go tubeless with some lighter rims and tires. But you can try tubeless on the set you have on the bike first and see what weight you come in at. You can try a Manitou Markour air fork as well they are light and affordable. If your seat post is not carbon you can change the seat post. I am sure you could shed about 3-4 lbs with these upgrades.
FREE!!! = Sand down the clear coat.
Question... how did you fit the 27.5 tires/wheelset in? How wide are they?
Wheels, air fork, carbon seatpost and handle bars. And tubeless if not already converted. Ebay or second sports shops
Maybe a carbon wheel set? In not sure if they are in your budget but it would be a great improvement as it would also limit the rotational mass. Also maybe a carbon bar and stem combo?
Like everyone else is saying, carbon fiber/carbon parts. Seatposts, Bars, Wheels, etc. Another idea I thought of: Going tubeless. Part of a bikes climbing ability is not just the weight factor but traction as well. While good tires are a good start, having low pressures for better ground surface coverage of the tire is another thing. Tubes only let you go so far, but tubeless lets you go nuts with it.
Current fork is listed at 2200 grams. New straight steerer air forks are hard to come by, but Manitou makes the Markhor which is 1679g in 27.5 and would fit the bike, which is listed at $300 and I see at under $250 shipped from reputable sellers. Aside from the weight savings, this would significantly improve the suspension performance of the bike; RS makes great products but the 30TK really isn't the best out there. Better performance and weight would be from finding NOS or used higher end fork in good condition. If the tires aren't already a high end casing, that would also significantly improve performance irrespective of weight and also drop a fair amount of weight, though this can actually be pretty pricy. Converting to tubeless would save weight, and if this doesn't work out then using ultralight tubes is actually a pretty good weight/cost upgrade. The saddle is also probably low hanging fruit. It's definitely also possible to drop those two pounds off the wheels alone--I had a hard time finding weight details for the wheelset, but it looks like those rims are like 520g each, and there are some decent alloy rims 100g lighter than that at reasonable prices, and entry level Shimano hubs are really heavy, but you may not have budget for wheels if you do the fork and some other minor stuff (like saddle, seatpost, tires, etc).
Chinese carbon cranks! $100 on Ebay!
Have you converted to tubeless yet? You could do that and throw on some lighter tires. Another option is a single speed conversion. That can all be done for less than $150, the remaining budget could be spent on some used lighter wheels.
Biggest gain will be a lighter fork, but that's the most expensive. Compare the weight of the cassette, cranks, and wheels to see which would give you the most weight reduction for the dollar. Other sources include removing excess seatpost length, tubeless (which can actually be done on regular wheels and clinchers), pedals (bit of a stretch here, see what you have), and check the weight of your groupset. You might be able to replace a compatible derailleur with a used, higher tier one, or other similar parts. You could also replace just the hubs or rims, and shed weight for less. Lastly, handlebars tend to be very similar, but worth putting on a scale to check, anyways. Priority list would look like: air fork, cranks, cassette, tubeless, rims, hubs, bar and stem, pedals. Last ditch effort is single speed.
The best place to save weight is with the wheels and tires. Tires with light weight casings, tubeless, lighter rims, less spokes, lighter spokes, lighter hubs and cassette. Anything in there Will help. Cut excess off the seat post thats free.
Tubeless wheelset. I spent 475 on a brand new Hope wheelset and went tubeless knocked 1.8 lbs off of my Norco. The remainder of the money can go to tires, sealant, etc.
Carbon bars. Even thought i love the jessicas. Possibly go for a lighter thinner tire. However they wont be able to handle much abuse. Not sure if project x is tubeless or not but thats always an option
To get the carbon bike to weigh less you are going to have to go full on roadie weight weenie; carbon wheels, carbon seatpost, carbon fork, carbon crank. The wheels alone will get you to you’re target, but will be more then $600. You are going to have to do the other parts mentioned and hope a lot a grams saving weight add up to a couple pounds. A spandex outfit will also help with weight if you are adding the rider in your weight goals.
Try swapping out for thinner, lighter tires such as Continental RaceKings and doing a tubeless conversion! Also I'm sure most of the heft is coming from that wheelset and fork. Prioritize those for the $600 upgrade!
I know I'm late, but I would recommend the tideace carbon wheels, they come in all different sizes, hold up to quite a beating and the set I found was 550$ which leaves some room for other Upgrades or 50$ for snacks after hitting the trail.
First of all. I think Manitou Markhor is a GREAT air suspension fork and costs only 200$ from worldwide cyclery. Its lightweight and its performance is amazing
New wheelset and carbon headset spacers can definitely be found for 600 dollars you can get slightly used rims and new spacers then you will be all set.
Change out the crankset to an ixf that weighs around 605 grams and is around $60 shipped. 🤔👍🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸
Nicholas Economus yeah, I'm 100kg, and have had a set for about 8 months now with not one problem!! Look like xt cranks, yet don't cost that. I put better grease in the cheap bbracket when new and still perfect. FYI, I don't do big jumps or mad dh, but pretty rough trails and xc and never creaked once. And I'm in Aus and got them even cheaper than that!!
Boris Flamingo Rite on. Thanks for that great information on the crankset. 👍🏻👌🏻🤔🇺🇸
I have been impressed with how my ixf crankset has been holding up. I got it for $42 shipped on Amazon with Prime.
Tony's Hobbies Even more great info and awesome pricing. 🤔👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸
DH-specific drivetrain has several benefits; most notably, it features thelightest crank, lightest cassette andlightest shifter (the lightest group out there), but the biggest advancement Smith noticed was the shifting.A
here are some sugestions:
carbon hs spacers
carbon bars
carbon seetpost
tubeless
possibly cranks idk how much the deores way
shorter stem cut the bars down
lighter tyres they alot these days
may not be able to all of them but any of these options should help
Rockshox Reba forks are really light. Carbon seat post and fill it with helium
is that a thing? why not fill the frame with helium?
@@sam2026 no, its not a thing. Maybe with tires, but not anything else. All it would do is add weight.
The helium would add weight? But no, he cant. The frames are not air tight.
Helium would eventually turn back to regular air. So...adding the necessary items to seal the frame and then adding a valve to fill the frame...would probably not work well overall. Fun to think about though! 😇😎😀
@@Mud9 on top of everything Jeffery said, yes, helium would add weight. It may be lighter than air, but still has it's atomic weight of 4 Atomic Mass Units. Compared to O2 being 16 AMUs.
Replace any aluminum parts for carbon parts. Stem, handlebars, seatpost, tubless wheelset, and air fork would shed some weight as well.
Honestly dude, 27.5 lbs isn’t that bad. But, if you do insist on shaving weight, I have a couple ideas.
1. I have a hunch that the snafu saddle is heavier than most. Grab any super-thin trail saddle, titanium rails is what I’d go for.
2. Carbon seatpost and cockpit, or at least bars. I’m slightly skeptical of Chinese carbon, but I may be wrong.
3. Fork. I think a fork related to the epixon would be better than the Rockshox, both in performance and weight.
4. Carbon Wheelset maybe?
Besides that, there’s not much to do. Personally, I wouldn’t get too carried away with the carbon, I’m just an alloy lover. My bike that I ride is 33 pounds, and it doesn’t really bother me at all. It feels much lighter, but I think that comes down to frame geometry. All in all, this is a sick build! Oh and one more thing...
Might be cool to put the lefty on the front of the carbon X?
Kev!!! Trinx Bikes will soon reach the shores of America, I mean they already have a HQ situated somewhere, but you really should try those bikes when they become available. Those are selling like hotcakes here in the Philippines, and for a good reason.
Good news
New tyres(continental race king and x king 2.2 are very light around 500gr per tyre and the rotation weight is the most immportant part in weight saving),also going tubeless or buying a nice pair of ultralight weights tubes and carbon seat post and handle bars will be a great choice...
Change bolts aluminum or titanium, wheels carbon, cheap Chinese carbon fork you’ll lose the suspension but it would be lighter, get a lighter seat i am willing to bet the rails are steel or a heavy aluminum, carbon seat post cut to exact length, make it a single speed? Lose the original headset,tubolito or tubeless, but all that for under $600? That’s s a head scratcher. Good luck. Love the channel
Kev, I dig your channel reviews. Let's get together and ride some trails.
Hollow bottom bracket
Carbon seatpost.
Lightweight saddle.
Carbon fiber seat post, lighter saddle, and a shorter stem. That would be the cheapest upgrades. If you want to spend a little more I would upgrade the cranks and wheels. Also go tubeless.😁
A good Light folding tires, might help with weight and rolling resistance, or look for a bit lighter budget wheelset and hubs.
Start with A Carbon post, carbon stem, Carbon Handle bars, and carbon head set spacers. If you have money left over, look at a lighter set of cranks.
Change the quick release from your seatpost to a bolt, olny a few gramms gained, but probpably free.
And maybe a new saddle? More comfort and less weight. With that done all the rest of the money into a new wheelset with tubeless setup.
As virtually everyone else has said carbon seat post, borrow the air fork from the xr or hydro and a lighter wheel/tubeless tyre set up should take a fair bit of weight off
My opinion is change the seatpost and stem and bars to carbon ones and if there is any money left try getting some used lighter wheels
The coil fork might have some weight to it. Maybe look for a slightly used air fork. That could shed some weight and save a little money
Manitou air fork. It might shave a couple pounds, and it’ll improve the handling. I personally have a Manitou machete and it’s amazing because it has a straight steerer tube, and it only set me back $210.
Hello Kevin, I have a trek 9.9 SSL which weights 9.2kg (20lbs just over) with heavy continental mountain king tyres, to shed weight from the carbon X I would start with the forks and wheels and tyres, you'll be amazed how much weight you can save with tyres alone, also ritchey sell reasonably priced but very lightweight and strong stems, handlebars and seat posts, hope this helps
I would get a used Rock Shock Sid Fork off of eBay ~$350. I would then get a good carbon fiber handlebars. Chain reaction cycles has a pair of Nukeproof bars for sale for $69. I would then buy an fsa K-force stem for $100; this is a super light stem. Finally with last $80 I would buy a fsa slk seatpost. This is a carbon seatpost that is very light weight. These will make this Walmart bike look super high end and loose at least 3lbs easily. It will also be easy upgrades to put on.
I'm not sure if anyone has suggested this or not but how about going old school and using a rigid fork? A rigid fork made from aluminum should drop some weight right there. Although I don't think the ride will be the same on the trail. :>)
Or maybe find a used lefty fork. That should be lighter than what you have but I'm not sure it would be lighter than something like a Manitou Markour or Mechete . I think Cannondale might also have a rigid lefty fork on their Bad Boy series of bikes that might also work.
Aluminum or Carbon crank set might loose a little bit of weight as well but not as much as perhaps a fork swap. Depends on how much money is left after you decide on the fork.
A carbon fibre seatpost with a lightweight saddle can save a lot of weight. And maybe you can have a more comfortable ride. Also tubeless tires can save some weight without spending a lot of money.
KEV, I HOPE YOU SEE THIS - Platt Carbon Bars use the optimal 0°, 45°, & 90° tube design, weigh 4-5 ounces, and are only $33 right now! - it's about half as light as the Jessica's, and only about $4 more. And, you _could_ sell the Jessica's so that it doesn't eat into your budget hardly at all, but since you like to use the Jessica's anyway, you might as well keep that spare pair around, ykwim?
When he said now thats when you come in i got Seths bike hacks vibes
Dude, go tubeless by getting some new wheels and a carbon seatpost. I got a carbon seatpost for $31 from Performance Bikes going out of business sale. They also have wheels and lots of other parts for sale, but they close this Friday.
Tubeless wheels, carbon fiber seatpost and carbon fiber stem and spacers will do the trick
I think new Wheels, tyres and going tubeless Will help already a lot