The Diminishing Returns of Mountain Bike Weight Reduction | Polygon Syncline on a Diet
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
- Mountain bike weight reduction. Does Weight Reduction Really Matter? Testing the Impact on Mountain Bike Performance.
In this video, we test the effects of weight on the performance of a mountain bike. We start with The budget-friendly carbon fiber Polygon Syncline and upgrade the wheels, tires, drivetrain, fork, handlebars, and seatpost. After each upgrade, we test the bike on a 6.5-mile loop with a mix of terrain.
Polygon Syncline C5
bikesonline-usa.sjv.io/QyYvXa
Polygon Syncline C3 (an even less expensive option)
bikesonline-usa.sjv.io/9gVjZ4
Parts Used in this Build
WTB Proterra i27 Light Wheels
www.wtb.com/products/proterra...
SRAM GX 11sp Derailleur
bit.ly/3QvoVMR
jenson.sjv.io/6ed4vb
SRAM GX 10-42t Cassette
jenson.sjv.io/zNbJQW
SRAM GX 11 Speed Shifter
bit.ly/3OPDt8G
jenson.sjv.io/4Pm43r
KMC X11SL Chain (this is a really nice chain)
jenson.sjv.io/KjXQVy
Teravail EhLine 29x2.3 Light and Supple
jenson.sjv.io/zNbJAe
bit.ly/47EG8JY
RockShox SID Ultimate Raceday 120mm 44mm offset
Great Price!: www.theproscloset.com/product...
bit.ly/3qwKhi8
______________________________________________
This channel is sponsored by Magura USA.
I am affiliated with Bikes Online. Check them out for the latest Polygon bikes.
USA
bikesonline-usa.sjv.io/kjKbkx
Australia
bikesonline-australia.pxf.io/...
Jenson USA
jenson.sjv.io/9W5WZ4
Check them out for your parts and accessories needs
Check out REI for all your outdoor equipment needs
bit.ly/3rRig5f
Keep Your bike clean and in great shape with Muc-Off Products
mucoff.sjv.io/WDB5Le
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bit.ly/3segV8H
Shopping through these links will help support the channel and keep more content flowing.
My Gear for 2023
Hardtail
Polygon Syncline C5
bikesonline-usa.sjv.io/DKKy3G
Polygon Xtrada 6
bikesonline-usa.sjv.io/6b2jKm
Enduro Bike
Rocky Mountain Altitude C50
jenson.sjv.io/vneMrL
BMX Bike
Kink Gap
bit.ly/3Y2TWrn
Helmet
Half Shell: Troy Lee Designs A2 MIPS
jenson.sjv.io/7m3Pr5
Full Face: Leatt DBX 4.0
bit.ly/3ITRDk1
Camera Gear
GoPro Hero 11 Black
amzn.to/3Y2VB05
GoPro Hero 9 Black
amzn.to/3Iv5kH1
Hero 8 Black
amzn.to/3m4FhP8
Stuntman Chest Mount
amzn.to/3IPvSE4
Shoes
Five Ten Trailcross Mid Pro
jenson.sjv.io/9WQogW
Gloves
Tasco
jenson.sjv.io/n1xaLA
#mountainbike #weightsavings #performancegains #fitness #skill - Jak na to + styl
Does weight matter to you?
Yes one of my bikes is fully modified only fork and frame and brake calipers are stock
@Paganiproductions84 those are my favorite types of bikes!
@@AdrenalineIsLife i only ride xc hardtails whitout a dropperpost and whit flat pedals they are so far the most fun bikes here in the Netherlands
@Paganiproductions84 for flatter terrain, they are the best choice by far. Enjoy!
@@AdrenalineIsLife I also like them on the hills
It wasn’t true weight per se that produced the improvement, it was the reduction in rotating mass. Which is an impediment to acceleration, and on a course that doesn’t feature much climbing it makes sense this would be the majority of the benefit.
So as a racer on my local high school team I can say that weight is definitely important. Like you said, there have been plenty of races where the 1 second actually matters. That said, I’ve never actually owned a race bike, only borrowed others for the important races.
I've been blown away by how fast a dedicated XC race bike can be. Once you have an optimal setup, the rest is up to you and your training. Good luck with your race efforts!
Badass bike, I’ve been eyeing one myself, though I wouldn’t be upgrading it as extensively as you. Great video!
It's been a great bike! You don't need many upgrades to really wake up this bike. Glad you enjoyed the video!
It'd be interesting to see how a bigger chain ring would affect your speed, or an oval versus round.
I'm curious about running a bigger chainring. The change in gear ratios would definitely impact average speed. There's a part of me that thinks an oval chainring would be a hindrance on this bike, but it might be worth some experimentation.
I’m local and primarily ride Kettle but occasionally Palos too and I’m always shocked that people are running DD Minions DHF/DHR’s and other boat anchors for tires as they’d appreciate shaving that weight as that’s just not needed here 9/10 times.
You're 100% correct. There are lots of people with the wrong tires at Palos. I think that much of the time, it's just what their bikes come with and they don't understand how that affects performance.
Yes! I recently switched from DHF/DHR combo to a Specialized Butcher up front and a Rekon on the rear, and holy cow did it bring my local trails back to life.
@politan83 That Butcher is still an aggressive tire, but that Rekon should get you around fast.
@@AdrenalineIsLife The Butcher at least seems to roll more quietly on pavement, which I take to be an indicator of rolling resistance.
@politan83 I always found the DHF to be sluggish. I love the Butcher. I run a Butcher/Eliminator combo on my enduro bike. I'm running the T9 version, so it's a little slow if it's not on steep terrain. It's a great tire. You will not be lacking in grip.
My most effective weight shaving has been the 30 or so lbs off my gut and butt! I actually hip hinge better w/o the 24-pack in the way....
An absolute fact at the end of the day.
Great job.
careful with a knockoff seatpost.. my buddy crashed / injured badly when his snapped
😬 ouch! It worries me too. I think I'm going to swap it back to the stock seatpost. Thanks for the heads-up. Hope your buddy is ok. 🙏
Less weight doesn't always mean faster but it will be easier to pedal so you can go at a higher effort for longer. There is a lot to be said about pedaling around 30lbs for 2 hrs vs pedaling 23lbs for 2 hrs.
Couldn't agree more! Speaking of, we need to ride soon!
IMO, wheels and tires are always going to give the most significant change since that’s where the grip comes from. The reduction in rotational unsprung mass will all the benefit of spinning up/down (acceleration and braking) faster as well as allowing the suspension to react quicker. General weight reduction still has a benefits like reduced wear and tear on the drivetrain and your body. 🩻
Great video and awesome job hunting down those deals!
Thanks. It was certainly an interesting experiment. Admitted I was a little surprised at how little there was gained in that final batch of upgrades. Glad you enjoyed the video!
@@AdrenalineIsLifeGreat video and comparison times of the effect of weight loss. After many years on many different types of bikes I have found the best upgrade is wheels and tires. A pound or two save here is worth double or triple the savings in overall weight because of the constant accelerating and decelerating of the rotating mass. Works for all vehicles. Fun fact.
@georgeb2590 Thanks. I remember this was an old rule of thumb from way back. 1lb off the rotational mass is like 2lb anywhere else.
How would you rate the overall quality and weight of the frame as far as carbon XC frames go? Thank you for the vid and all the great content. I really loved and appreciated your vid on your 1 year journey in XC racing. Cheers to you and have a merry Christmas.
The frame is very lightweight and has held up well. There is still more opportunity to shave even more weight. I have no issues with the frame so far despite a couple of hard crashes. I'd say the bike is designed for efficient power transfer over all else. Compared to all the other hardtails I've ridden, the difference is noticeable. I wouldn't call it a rock garden slayer. Thanks for watching and commenting. 🙏 Have a merry Christmas, and happy new year!
Excellent work on the video. Excellent information and well presented. At my age, I don't race anymore and the best way for me to improve is to lose weight. However, the fun factor of riding a lighter bike makes a huge difference!
Thanks. Couldn't agree more! The best weight loss is on the rider.
Evan though you didn't get a better time with more weight saving, I believe your efficiency over time and distance will improve and fatigue will be reduced allowing you to ride at max effort for longer making you faster overall.
I agree. Marginal gains 💪
Great video! I think weight does matter especially wheel rotational weight. I upgraded my gravel bike with light wheels/tire combo and I could immediately tell the difference especially on steep hills. I am just getting back into mountain biking and was thinking about buying the polygon syncline c3 mainly because it is so light and has modern geometry. I'm a 58 yo woman and just getting my old full suspension mtb on my car rack has become a struggle, which is why I have been thinking about the syncline. I was wondering about the size. I am 5'6" with longish legs/short torso and sit between the Small and Medium. Any advice for sizing?
Less weight makes the ride so much more enjoyable. At your height and proportions, it's likely you'd fit best in a size medium. Bikes Online has a sizing calculator where you can get a size recommendation to confirm. Thank you for watching. I'm glad you enjoyed the video! 🙏
I have a 27.5 wheel, would the i30 wheels same brand be a significant weight savings from the stock syncline c5
Depends on which version. There are "Tough" and "Light versions of that wheel. Regardless, there is some weight savings over the Shimano hubs. There are weight specs are on the WTB site. You can weight your stock wheels and see how they compare.
Cool journey. #1 issue with DIY cycling projects is the incompatibilities.
And ofc depending on your fitness and experience, training more, eating better before and on the bike + faster (= slippier, thus experience needed) tires would do more for you as a step 2.
I think you should spend some more time explaining "director gaps" in the process, i.e. why you had a miss-match 10-52 cassette on there to begin with (because the Proterra i27s you got were xD driver and the microspline (MS) 10-51 did not fit, but "hey, you can use a Sram Cassette with Shimano RD of same #speeds, at least for MTBs because Sram made sure to screw this up with new chain spacing/rollers on their Road groups) etc, and why it might be important to plan ahead on these...often hubs do offer optional free-hub bodies so you can swap them out, even leave them mounted on the cassette or cog setup you have (e.g. swapping between HG freehub for SS and xD or MS for geared versions, if you are on the SS boat, or race SS too etc, where the HG freehub + cog(s) might be a cheaper and more flexible alternative than the xD/MS SS adapter).
Also, although the M6100 10-51T is ~590gr, if you don't want to go into the whole miss-matching, dropping a gear, spending for new shifters + RDs (even if bin-parts, there is a $ tied to them), you could always look into the 10-45T M8100 option. Still 12s, but 460gr and tighter spacing/more even % ramping between cogs to maintain your cadence smoother, and still end up paying less $ overall.
Just saw your comment. It got held for review by CZcams for some reason. Good eye! I had to cut some segments for time. I swapped the cassette to a GX eagle ( it was intended for a different project) when I changed the wheels. This was an interim solution as I was switching to SRAM for the final build, and I didn't have time to wait for an MS freehub to arrive. The Proterra wheels are available in HG and MS freehubs. One can retain the stock drivetrain if they so choose. That is the cheapest option. The weight difference between the SLX and GX was negligible, and there were no issues with compatibility. You bring up a lot of great points, and I think we're long overdue for a video about parts compatibility. Thank you for the very insightful comment. Sorry I didn't respond to this sooner.
I think you might pick up a bit more speed if you look into your position on the bike. If you can get the bars below your saddle, you'll reduce the frontal area and wind resistance. It looks like you might be a bit upright?
I did slam the stem a bit later in the season. I can only go so high with the seat given my body proportions. The only other option is negative rise bars.
The additional weight savings would have come into play if you had more climbing on the course. Based on the video really didn’t see any major climbs. I live in the Denver area and my normal training loop is about 13 miles and has about 1500 of climbing.
Correct. I typically cut climb clips for brevity, and watchability. The lower weight would be more noticeable over a longer distance. Which has been my experience over the course of the riding season. Terrain here in the Midwest is more rolling, and we're usually fighting short punchy climbs regularly rather than the longer, more sustained climbs you have in the Rockies.
Could do with less riding footage. But the rest is awesome. Considering the bike for myself actually. Really cheap here in Australia 🎉
Great video!! Interesting. The balance of lightweight vs durability. It’s different for everyone. Lightweight is better.
Thanks. I definitely love light weight bikes but It's definitely a personal thing.
What's your long-ish term review of the SID fork? I've read complaints about the previous generation of SID forks suffering bushing play among other problems.
No issues with the SID so far. It's been very consistent. No noise or rattles of any concern.
@@AdrenalineIsLife Cool! If you don't mind my asking, where did you find one for $500? I've been looking around and have noticed the prices for forks like these are usually in the range of $600-900.
@icantgivecredit871 Planet Cyclery was blowing out overstock last winter. They had a 100mm 32mm SID ultimate raceday for $380, but I hesitated, an hour it sold out.
@@AdrenalineIsLife WOW, that's crazy. Thanks for the info, I'll keep an eye out.
@@icantgivecredit871 you're welcome!
Seat post clamp and lock on grips have to go... virtually free wait savings!
The speed increase you get out of the first upgrade might have a lot to do with the tire and hub change, not all about weight. Rolling resistance is a big deal
Rolling resistance did play a factor. There was also a noticeable difference in weight between the two setups. Both hubs were higher engagement. Lower rotational weight made for faster acceleration and braking, which was what I noticed most on the trail.
Have you try syncline on road and see how much avg /
max speed it can reach in kph?
I haven't done any extended road rides with it, but I found it to be very good on road. I have done some gravel riding on it. it is excellent on gravel.
Mine reached around 50kph+ , pretty fast.
wow with that speed, it should be fine if want to keep up with road bike peloton right?@@raymond1035
Where can I score one of those SID forks for $500?
It's all timing. I hesitated and missed out on a 100mm SID ultimate for $389.
Here are a couple of deals right now.
A little more but still a solid price.
www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=102518&category=94
Not a SID but I'd say a comparable alternative. 😉
www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=106658&category=92
@@AdrenalineIsLife Thank you 👍
I think changing the gear ratios hurt the final result.
I feel like I'd benefit from a 34 tooth chainring with this setup.
P r o m o s m ☝️
I never get why people weight their own personal bikes without pedals.
Point of reference to the claimed weight of the manufacturer.