After much reading through various bike forums across the internet and changing my bike little by little over the last 30,000 km, I thought I’d share what I’ve done.
My first and only carbon road bike, I got bought this Ultimate CF SL 7 in 2020, size small (as the online fit calculator told me!). With pedals, I think it came in a little over 8.1 kg.
I’ve gradually adapted it to my riding, to my fit, to make it lighter and (arguably) a little cooler. The wheels were by far the biggest spend ; I tried to purchase other parts on sale or second-hand. It now weighs about 7.6 kg (with pedals, bottle cages and computer mount). The changes are summarised in the in the last slide.
Of note :
* The wheels cost half of the price of the bike itself. Still feel a little guilty, but after 3+ years of trouble-free riding, they’ve probably been worth it. A little aero advantage and much lighter.
* I was skeptical about TPU tubes at first, but they’re a no brainer now. You could spend 10 times as much to get the equivalent weight saving elsewhere on your bike, not to mention rolling resistance.
* Most of my riding is hilly (around 1000 m D+ per 50 km). I quickly swapped to a bigger cassette, and only last year to smaller chainrings. I can now do 60 rpm when the gradient is at 15-20%, so some punchy climbs I’d have avoided before are now open to me.
* The bar/stem has been the biggest conundrum. While this reach would have been too much when I started, my fit has gradually changed. Canyon’s 1 1/4” steerer and the limited options (and expense!) of their own integrated cockpit meant a lot of trial and error to pick the right components. I got a cheap aluminium 40 cm bar, and then gradually stepped up using the cheapest aluminium stems I could, starting at 120 mm. It’s certainly not as nippy in turns as it used to be, but I’m more comfortable, especially in the drops and on descents.
Maybe I’d go back to 2020, brave the waiting list and buy a size medium CF SL 8 (Ultegra mechanical), but I’m happy with my choices … at least for another few months!
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After much reading through various bike forums across the internet and changing my bike little by little over the last 30,000 km, I thought I’d share what I’ve done.
My first and only carbon road bike, I got bought this Ultimate CF SL 7 in 2020, size small (as the online fit calculator told me!). With pedals, I think it came in a little over 8.1 kg.
I’ve gradually adapted it to my riding, to my fit, to make it lighter and (arguably) a little cooler. The wheels were by far the biggest spend ; I tried to purchase other parts on sale or second-hand. It now weighs about 7.6 kg (with pedals, bottle cages and computer mount). The changes are summarised in the in the last slide.
Of note :
* The wheels cost half of the price of the bike itself. Still feel a little guilty, but after 3+ years of trouble-free riding, they’ve probably been worth it. A little aero advantage and much lighter.
* I was skeptical about TPU tubes at first, but they’re a no brainer now. You could spend 10 times as much to get the equivalent weight saving elsewhere on your bike, not to mention rolling resistance.
* Most of my riding is hilly (around 1000 m D+ per 50 km). I quickly swapped to a bigger cassette, and only last year to smaller chainrings. I can now do 60 rpm when the gradient is at 15-20%, so some punchy climbs I’d have avoided before are now open to me.
* The bar/stem has been the biggest conundrum. While this reach would have been too much when I started, my fit has gradually changed. Canyon’s 1 1/4” steerer and the limited options (and expense!) of their own integrated cockpit meant a lot of trial and error to pick the right components. I got a cheap aluminium 40 cm bar, and then gradually stepped up using the cheapest aluminium stems I could, starting at 120 mm. It’s certainly not as nippy in turns as it used to be, but I’m more comfortable, especially in the drops and on descents.
Maybe I’d go back to 2020, brave the waiting list and buy a size medium CF SL 8 (Ultegra mechanical), but I’m happy with my choices … at least for another few months!
Open to any queries and comments.