While I do rarely mind the higher weight of my steel 80s road bike, I wonder where you guys see most potential for saving grams while not breaking the bank.
It's not a very expensive bicycle, so I won't spend more on a single hub than on the whole build…
by Correct_Pool7275
10 Comments
Lightweight saddle and seatpost is a good go to. Rarely compatibility issues and the right ones can look good on old bikes. Personally I’d leave this exactly how it is. Maybe faster tires?
i would suggest looking into some nice wheels, especially looking at those deep profile rims you’ve got. nice wheels aren’t cheap but more than any other component they are the biggest value add.
other than that you can start swapping in some carbon (metal forks are especially chunky), or drop it to a singlespeed.
You could probably make a decent weight saving on the wheels, but decent wheel sets aren’t cheap. You could also probably shave off some with a modern groupset and carbon seatpost.
Eat less ice cream
Saddle might be good light weight upgrade. Other than that, I wouldn’t touch it. Unless you are racing, weight doesn’t matter that much.
Those wheels were heavy. Near me there are a dozen wheelsets on FB marketplace that are $300 or less and would save a ton of weight.
Wheels or tires are great ways to shave off some grams, but with these older bikes, even relatively cheap upgrades can be more than the bike itself.
The most important influence on the speed of a bike has the wight of the wheels ! The „rotating masses“ are crucial for acceleration , topspeed and average speed…already a few hundred grams less by changing to lighter tyres , tubes and wheelset ( also not to forget their stiffness )will make you significantly faster…
The frame alone is a pound or two…
Honestly, enjoy the vintage character. If you want light, get a full carbon bike from the 2010 era. Super light but with much less of the complicated modern stuff.
Take a dump 😉