5 TIPS to make your bike lighter (under £25 / $30) - no special tools needed!
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- čas přidán 13. 06. 2024
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- Use code ‘TWISTED-BAR’ for $50 off F1 and F1x integrated handlebars - www.farsports.com
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Thanks!
If you want a consultation about any bike-related query, including but not limited to making your bike lighter, send me an email on YouTwistedWheels@gmail.com
My Instagram: @twisted_wheels
Links to parts I mentioned in this video:
Tubolito tubes - www.tubolito.com/
Fork compression plug - www.aliexpress.com/item/32984...
Lightweight stem cap and bolt - www.aliexpress.com/item/10050...
Titanium aftermarket spindles for Speedplay - www.aliexpress.com/item/32815...
Prime thru axles - www.wiggle.co.uk/prime-lightw...
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Use code TWISTED-WHEELS for 100 USD off any www.farsports.com wheels!
Use code TWISTED-BAR FOR 50 USD off the Farsports handlebar!
❤ this content is just made of high quality when it comes to information never thought about loosing weight on those components you listed. So this will help me quite a lot🙏 thank you so much
Yesterday I commented that you were inspiring me to spend too much money on my bike, then I found this video!! Thanks so much, seriously great tips.
many thanks! most helpful. I live and work in a small town in the saj juan islands. ive been bike only for almost 10 years, and its the best. great content, clear, concise, and simple. love it. keep it up! my best to you and yours
All of this is good advice except one thing. I would not replace my expander plug with such a short design. The longer compression plugs like the one you showed on R2-bike are very good at spreading the stresses and forces from your handlebars across a larger surface area of your steerer tube. Short expander plugs like your upgrade plug concentrate the forces from your handlebars into a MUCH smaller area which in turn could lead to cracks, delamination or in the worst case scenario a catastrophic steerer tube failure. Luescher Teknik has done videos examining steerer tube failures across various bikes and brands and often times the bike was built with a short type expander plug. Rather play it safe and use the heavier and longer expander plug in such a structurally critical area of the bike.
congrats man your channel is super clean, keep it up
really enjoying your videos - good job mate.
Thanks mate
Best savings is tubolito, 100 gr per tire plus spare one in your bag, total 300gr.
Great tips! Time to buy some new parts😍
That's for sure!
Bolton axles is actually a triple win upgrade. Save weight, cleaner bike, anti-theft.
The thru axle upgrade you mentioned is probably a little more aero as well.
The fork compression plug is a good one. I just need to find 1-1/4” ones but thanks for posting the design you use.
Невероятная работа! всё в одном видео!
good tips thanks
Hi there, thanks for the great vid.. i want to try your 1st tips
What is the size and length of existing thru axle in cannondale topstone-2? Thanks
Just a thought, what about buying a smaller bike. For those who are thinking about buying a new bike . It's always worth thinking ahead. Really useful and thought provoking vlog as are all of your vlogs
Cool stuff. My 2 pence (rubles) mostly for cross country: get carbon handlebar & seatpost from china (30...40€), lots of them proven to be good by amateur riders. Lite weight stem and grips also cheap and save weight.
For XC, I’d say €15 extralite grips is the best investment in terms of weight saving. They weigh just 8g!
How can I get a spec sheet from you on upgrades for my H30 Orbea Vibe? I am in the US. Great video.
Super vidéo! Are the bolt on quick release compatible on the Cannondale Topstone ? I have the same bike
Thanks Cem. Yes, the ones in the video are actually from my aluminium Cannondale Topstone.
Great video, I'm going to have to look into these types of upgrades for my bike, an Orbea Avant H30-D, as I find it a bit heavy (over 10.5 kg with pedals/bottle cages).
Was also thinking of upgrading the wheels, but don't know if it's worth upgrading an "entry-level" bike ?
Upgrading wheels is worth it imo because you can use it on your next bike too. Most bikes under 4000 euros come with heavy wheels so they’ll likely always be an upgrade.
Thank you brother , I gonna cut my seat post 😂 it’s too long
Well done. I personally got a carbon saddle for?£15 (80g saved), carbon handlebar for £23(75g saved) I'm planning to change the bottle cages and the bolts with titanium ones. I converted my experimental bike to 1x from 2x and I saved 250 grams from front derailleur, cables and a single chainring. And finally new tyres Schwalbe one, slightly more expensive but light and have an excellent performance. All the best. Болшое спасибо. 😎
На здоровье! 😁
Aluminium is lighter than titanium. Use light aluminium bottle cages, mine weigh 18g each. And the bolts for the bottle cages also can be made of aluminium. After all, it is only 50% of ~1kg they have to hold.
And did you weigh your cassette you have to use when going 1x? A lot of the 250g you saved will be "compensated" by the heavier cassette. And the jumps between gears will be greater. 1x? No, not on a road or CX/gravel bike, not if you want to climb hills. Maybe when 13speed or 14 speed has become the standard.
This always makes me laugh how about you lose 5 to 10lbs of fat. Sure things like lite pro wheel sets make sense. But all the rest is stupid. And for the sake of a kilo or two.
My average speed went from 12mph to 14.5mph on my folding bike. When my body weight dropped from 201 lbs to 181lbs.
Nice video, really helpful tips. Only thing from me is that I’m anti cutting seat posts (I’m 6’7’’ tall 😃)
Haha, thanks Eduardo! Now I know who I can sell the cut piece of my seatpost 😂
@@TwistedWheels and I'm the opposite (5'3")...so plenty of seatpost to cut....
As a Dane and former owner of a 6,8 kilo LOOK, Top model with a full Dura-Ace set, also wheels, I can easily find ways to make my bike much lighter, as a now 100 kilo man ;-)
More free methods: 1. Clean your bike. 2. Remove screws from unused bottle cage mounts (tape them over, or put plugs).
AWESOME!!
Добрый вечер, хотел спросить каким велокомпьютером вы пользуетесь или какой посоветуете и ещё какой у вас мультитул. Заранее благодарю за ответ
У меня гармин 830. Мультитул Silca Torque wrench.
I’m short - but opposed to cutting seatpost due to reduced potential resale value.
Also some elect to cut the ends of their drop bars.
Plugs for handlebars too - unnecessary expandable plugs are stout and the weight savings are quick and can be stylish also!
Freaking awesome! It would be grate, if you manage to mentioned all com"paw"(pou?)nents in description. Not just in this video. I'm, (and not just I'm, obviously) very curiuos.
Thanks for all yourwork!
Free methods are: 1. Remove some of your bar tape, e.g., on the top of the handlebars. 2. Remove the cap on the valve and the lock ring that fixes the valve stem to the rim. Cheap upgrades: 1. Light bar tape. 2. Light bar end plugs.
Hello! Are these compression plugs safe for the steerer? How deep should it be mounted and what torque mounting the plug in the steerer?
Yes they are. Longer plugs result in the sheering forces being applied slightly deeper. If the fork tube can't handle them it is crap anyway.
Can you recommend any lightweight aluminum gravel rims? Possibly for 24 spokes?
Stans crest. They are 28/32 spokes only though, but for aluminium rims I would recommend going at least 28 spokes as lower spoke count might make the wheels flex too much (especially with light rims).
Ride singe speed you can save 500 gramms or ride without front brake saves with magura mt7 255gramms and without disc 340 gramms and this is one of the lightest brakes and if you are going brakelless like some people on theire jump bikes you can save 700 gramms up to 900
I made my bike 7kg lighter by losing weight.
Great achievement! You should make a youtube video about it 😃
Or you could lose weight on your body and your bike.
Do you have a link to the bolt on qr skewers? most of the ones that can I find are 58g a set. Thanks.
For example, these www.ebay.co.uk/itm/294208172960?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=fil17m45Q4i&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=ffy4duueqw2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
P.S. I haven’t used them, just did a search on ebay
@twistedwheels hello, is the lightbicycle discount code still working? thanks!
Yes it does!
@@TwistedWheels awesomeness ^^ I hope you get some kickback when I place the order.
Is the 53cm one available?
Hey there. A question about M5 Ti bolts for (alloy) stem & bars. I'm a bit hesitance to use them. Would you trust them on a stem? Thanks!
Keep it up.
Yes.
@@TwistedWheels Thanks!!
There are very light butyl tubes in all sizes. I use tubes that weigh 74g (for 33mm tyres) on my CX bike. They cost 9 or 10 Euros per tube. Maxxis. 25 pounds or Euros is a lot for tubolito tubes that can't really be patched if punctured and come with a very fragile valve stem.
Butyl tubes weighing 74g will be super-thin and prone to punctures, and I’d compare those to Tubolito S-line tubes which are even lighter at 23g for road and 35g for Gravel.
They are not cheap, but you can’t bit the price per saved gram on them.
I’ve heard people had issues patching them, but I’ve done it many times with no issues whatsoever. They’ve released the new patch kit with standard glue and it fixes the previous problems. Also Tubolito has a great customer service, so will replace any faulty tube.
@@TwistedWheels I'm sure I'd break these plastic valve stems whenever I'd try to pump these up on the side of the road with my mini pump. And a CO2pump with cartridges is too heavy...
@@chrisko6439 if you are “sure” you’d break plastic valve stems every time you need to pump it, then I wouldn’t recommend you using carbon rims with your standard valves as you’d easily damage the rims :)
Maybe you need to buy a pump with a flexible hose (e.g. Lezyne pocket drive)?
I’ve never broken a single stem and none of my friends did, but I’m not here to sell you Tubolito tubes. Feel free to use whatever works for you.
@@TwistedWheels I had been thinking about buying a mini pump with a hose, but forgot about it - thanks for the suggestion! I hope it is not heavier ;)
@@chrisko6439 79g :)
Will all patch kits work with tubolito inner tubes?
Tubolito sells their own patch kits
@@TwistedWheels So, those are the only ones that will work? I have a lot of normal tube patches that I did not want to waste.
The best free upgrade is loose body weight ! But i like a beer 🍺 😅😅😅
Check everything in the list except the QR skewer. Feel more secure with heavier qr.
Quick release handle is less secure as it can be opened unintentionally or not closed completely. Plus the closing mechanism wears out over time. Think you only need QR if you want to save a couple of seconds while changing the wheels - otherwise it’s pretty useless. That’s one of the reasons why you see less of them on the latest bikes.
@@TwistedWheels True. And there is also 1 more big benefit of using Bolted skewers... they provide much more stiffness. Very good upgrade especially when you have disc brakes.
Few months ago I decided to try the Tubolitos but I was very deceived by their quality ... for my gravel bike ... and I had to return one of them (unable to keep the pressure, and also presenting a hernia when I inflated it) I think it's unacceptable (considering the price)
I had the same experience with tubolitos. The main complain is they just don't hold pressure, you have to pump them every other day which is totaly unacceptable. But I recently discovered a much better option from our chinese friends. Try ridenow on aliexpress, these are cheaper, lighter (about 33g for road 60mm valve) and hold air even longer than standard butyl tubes. Even after two months they hold about 3.5 bars pressure. The only downside is they specify up to 5 bars max. which is more than enough for 28-30mm tyres but may be conserning if you use 25mm and more of a heavy rider.
Could you share a link for that QR also i need one that will carry me i have 100 kg, thanks :)
Here you go:
www.tredz.co.uk/.Halo-Hex-Key-Skewers_29491.htm?sku=64304&gclid=CjwKCAjwpMOIBhBAEiwAy5M6YICS0nslA_nparyt_7y9qhuICQ3Ntqfz6A1oU2qCgi0pZwSgYRX8RxoCyF8QAvD_BwE
Wouldn’t it just be cheaper to get down to 90kg in weight?
Bro... first train more to loose your weight. So liteweight components can be easily broken with your 100kg. It's very dangerous.
I wouldn't cut the seatpost due to low resale value 😮
I ordered some cheap titanium skewers yes they were lighter but the diameter of the shaft was too narrow causing the wheel to wobble 😢
TPU tubes save weight but not advisable on rim brakes bike 😮
The compression plug needs to be longer than the lower stem bolt
Many cheap ones are too short 😢
Butted/double butted spokes!
I need part 2 of this video. Need to shave off some more weight! :)
😄
get a cheap ryet saddle saves 150-200 grams off your stock saddle for 50 bucks
No, thanks 😀
hi, I am buying used Shimano, size small, would it ok to ride around 10 km regularly?
The compression plug looks too short. It appears it won't support the whole stem clamping area, which can lead to fork steerer failure and heavy injuries.
I use the same plug on my road, gravel and CX bikes for over 3 years and never had any issues. If you use the correct torque wrench - you carbon steer tube should not be relying on a plug holding it from inside.
@@TwistedWheels I disagree. If the plug wasn't necessary, why you don't remove it after installation of the stem? To hold the top cap? There are lighter options for that...
@@chrisko6439 When Shimano was still making Di2 groupsets for MTB they were selling PRO Tharsis stems that do not use the compression plug, but instead ise an expanding ring under the stem to preload the headset. Same principle is used in OneUp components stem. Many weight weenies remove the compression plug after installation - example: Dangerholm in his sub 8kg XC Scott Spark.
Removing the plug is not a common practice because you want to be able to adjust the stem/preload the headset if something happens mid-ride.
Again, I’m not here to sell anything to people. If you want to use a long compression plug - it’s your choice.
@@TwistedWheels But these MTB steerer tubes aren't made of carbon, or are they? Usually it is alloy.
I was told with carbon steerer tubes (typically on road and cx/gravel bikes), you should not just slam the stem down and leave the compression plug where it is. You should check, if the plug is long enough to give support in the (now changed) clamping area of the stem. It it isn't long enough, cut the steerer tube.
So I think one should be cautious when using rather short plugs.
I didn't "accuse" you of advertising. I wish you many more views!
the first change sounds wild to me. Not having a quick release means that you cannot fix your flat tire which happens with everyone (several time per season). And then assuming average 60-100 km ride, you have to walk over 10-20 km back or take a bus or friend's car back. That leads to huge time losses, hours of walking or waiting. While 50 g saves you what? 1 s per 10 rides?=) Good thing that then you can also skip bringing pump and spare tire in this case.
Everyone is carrying a multitool with them :)
If you are not, I suggest you start doing that because everything that you’ve just written applies to slipped seatpost or handlebar or brake calliper or any other bolt on your bike really.
Modern bikes come with thru axles that don’t have quick release ;)
@@TwistedWheels Thanks for your answer. You are right that many modern bikes have axles which can be removed by 6-inch Allen key. In this case, removal is almost as fast as using quick release, and you save a bit of weight (less than 50 g) as one key is lighter than two handles. Yet, many cyclists would disagree that you need to bring usually quite heavy (130-170 grams?) multitool for short rides where most of issues are flat tires so you need only one diameter (often provided by wheelset producer). And the whole weight gain is easten by a multitool =)
P.S. I didn't noticed that you are the author of that famous super lightway bike. Great work, Oleg!
@@salganik so buy a small multitool! It’s as essential as a spare tyre. You should never leave home without it whether you have quick release or not.
@@salganik Had my first flat tyre in 5 or 6 years the other day, so hardly several times a season. Plus I ride all year.
Only reason tyre went flat was me in not topping up sealant from previous year. So my fault.
Tubeless tyres are a game changer. You quickly find out who isn't using them on group rides when you have to hang around waiting for them to sort tyre out.
my U-lock Kryptonite has 1.3 kg...(
One more way is less bar tape
Indeed. That’s why I buy handlebars with internal routing, so that I can stop wrapping at the cable entrance
I spent $80 on two tubes.
You forgot to add weight of tool to remove thru axles
You should be carrying a multitool anyway, so no extra weight.
Compression plug can be super dangerous. The plug gives the inner stability for the carbon fork. It is then existencial to cut the steerer tube. Else the material might easily fail.
Shimano is making PRO Tharsis stems for internal Di2 routing without using the compression plug at all. Same as OneUp stems. I personally have never had issues with this plug at all, and I’m using them on all my bikes.
So “can be super dangerous” statement is far from reality.
Ehm...nope
No it doesn't. It's a myth propagated by youtube experts. But if you think it through the less compression stress on the carbon the better. It's not like the inner expansion is helping the carbon tube. It is just increasing the compression forces.
@@TwistedWheels Because the sheering forces result from the action of the a-head clamp and are concentrated on its lower end. And this is compensated by the "spacer" rings below it. The role of the compression plug is to provide friction force to counter the downwards pressure of the plug. Increasing this force is making the whole thing stiffer. Not any internal expansion forces well above. Engineering isn't really for everybody. However there are plenty of self proclaiming experts on the internet spreading BS out there.
If you want to lessen the sheering of the fork tube - clamp the steerer cap as tight as possible.
@@rosomak8244 No one is saying that longer and beefier fork bung will make the whole construction stronger - you don’t need to be an engineer to understand that haha
You’ll be surprised, but same goes for any part on the bike. But for some reason everyone wants a lighter bike.
So everyone has to answer the question of what they want from their bike - be bombproof but weight a ton or be fit for purpose and light.
You can send your conclusions to the companies like Extralite, Schmolke who produce the same compression plugs and are being used by hundreds (maybe thousands) of people.
I trust engineers of those companies and also my own experience - I’ve been using these plugs on all my bikes for the last 5 years and had zero issues.
Great video! Just a thought, but consider weight saving economy to be derived in performance gains rather than money spent I.e this component changed can translate to a performance gain of x. From this video the only tip that would translate to performance are the tubes, as they reduces rotating mass. I would continue to assess tire tread and weight long before buying bolts and lighter thru axles. Another good one is chainsets, not the cranks but the chainrings, my performance gains after having ridden around on a compact chain set for years when moving to a normal size were phenomenal. Lastly - why do cyclists spend so much on equipment and gear, but not go for a bike fit with a trained professional 😫
Thanks Neil. This video was specifically about weight reduction and nothing else. But any reduction of weight (not just the tubes) would help with the performance as climbing or accelerating a 0.5kg lighter bike definitely feels especially on longer distances. And these are just the simplest tips. If you watch my other videos, you’ll see that my bikes usually weigh from 1 to 3 kg lighter after the upgrades and this is a massive difference.
If we ate talking purely about the performance, then your own physical shape and training is much more important than the weight of the bike, so it’s a completely different topic, that I’ll leave to the specialists in the area.
@@TwistedWheels if we take loosing weight/fitness etc off the table - before touching the components a rider must get a bike fit/posture check/ saddle and shoe (all contact points) - no upgrade to the bike or weight loss or fitness or EPO etc will beat this one single improvement.
My point is that weight weenie content, as great and as nerded out as I get when I see them, sends no message other than “your bike should be light”, I feel that message needs to be altered, even for the multi year riders who obsess about equipment weight.
Love the content, just trying to insert a small consideration around weight vs performance 🤓
@@neilk22 thanks! As mentioned, I’ll leave the other parts re bike fit, fitness, body weight etc to the specialists in those areas :)
Unless; if you are very fit and will do some time trial in the Alps. there is no need to reduce milligrams in weight at all... please dont fall for what everyone says about having a heavy bike as long as is not pure steel. focus on your fitness and performance and you will destroy people on 20K Bikes...
No one stops you from being fit and having a light bike ;)
Riding a lighter bike is so much nicer than riding a heavy one. *Particularly* if you are not fit.
Most non cycling folk's experience of bikes is a cheap heavy one, hence why they mistakenly think riding a bike is hard work.