My GF's bike is a 2019 merida one twenty, originally it was 2×10 but it was converted to 1×10 by the previous owner and we keep it like this.
I'm tempted to dremel the whole thing, to save weight and because we will probably paint the frame. But I don't know if it will leave a whole in the tube (I don't think so), I know it's possible to remove v-brake mounts from steel frames, but a full suspension aluminum frame is a different story.
Looking for feedback and experiences.
by balrog687
39 Comments
Yeah people do this with kick stand mounts all the time. Just make sure to not remove to much material
Just leave it on. The percentage weight difference for rider and bike will be negligible.
I wouldn’t detab the frame. You never know what is in its future. You can’t replace that.
Removing likely wouldn’t cause any structural issues. I just think doing this would open a can of worms. Because repainting is rarely worth the effort.
Save weight? Seriously?
1) easy for the dremel tool to slip and damage other adjacent parts of the frame.
2) removing the weld material has the potential to compromise the structural integrity of the frame.
3) how badly do you want that gone?
I would fit a chainguide on there if it were mine.
Keep it and use it as a cool tool holder attachment/ bottle opener etc
This is gonna feel like a roast, but it’s honest: you should occupy yourself with keeping a bike clean and lubed before you start concerning yourself about weight. What’s 15 grams on an MTB gonna do *ever*, let alone when the chain is eating up 20 more watts than it needs to?
Leave it on. Mount a chain guide there. if it really bothers you to have a bare aluminum face then you can buy or 3D print a little cover for it.
1x is do prevalent right now that I don’t think it would even hurt resale value in the future, if you are already planning on painting go for it, just be careful, I’ve done that to many frames removing cabe guides to convert to fixed gear and get a cleaner look
I would not remove all of the weld, but cut it off and round it around the weld seam. A weld usually will weaken the parent material some. and the bulk of the weld makes up for the lost strength in the material.
Be careful to not slip and nick another part of the frame, if you’re not experienced with power tools this can easily be done with a hacksaw and a file.
Just paint over the cut, Repainting a frame is almost never worth the effort, unless its a sentimental or otherwise very special frame and you’re getting it professionally done.
You probably will save more weight by cleaning that dirt off
I believe you can get a beer bottle opener for the mount. Now that IS handy!
Lubing the Cain us completely acceptable
Yes, you could grind back and blend the weld into the tube but it’s probably not worth it.
to save weight? really.
Mount a bottle opener to it
Just say you don’t like how it looks lol, to save weight is a silly reason.
that’s a goated chain guide mount
imo it’s not worth the time, effort, risk, or payoff. there’s bundles of other ways to save weight on your bike and hardly anyone will notice the empty mount, much less say anything about it. if I saw someone with an empty FD mount on their bike I’d think “oh yeah they know what’s up”
and if you really want a faster bike, i’d say to invest the time you’d take dremeling that into cleaning that drivetrain and waxing the chain instead. you’d be surprised at the difference it makes
You kidding right?
But as said here already, a chain guard is not a luxury on an mtb.
Adds weigth though…
Chain guide, or just paint it with nail polish in same colour and you’ll forget all about it 🙂
It is safe and advised that you clean and lube your drive train
To answer your question without personal opinion, it wont do any damage, if you dont cut too deep or damage the frame on any other spot.
I recommend an angle grinder with an aliminum disc, and then smooth it up with a grinding disc. Not a fan of Dremel tbh.
If you going to give it a repaint anyway and don‘t like the look of it, go for it. I‘ve cut up and reweleded a lot of frames, mostly older ones though. (I work in a metal workshop)
For the repainting process, i recommend to watch a tutorial if you don‘t know what youre doing. Use paint stripper to clean up the whole frame, then clean it properly grind it up a little, clean again, use primer and proper paint. I can recommend Spray.Bike.
Id put a front derailleur on it! Not everyone has that opportunity
You’d damage the resell value more than the integrity of the frame
It’s definitely not a structural part of the frame, but why would you take it off? You’ll be stuck with a large spot of untreated aluminum and take away the possibility to add a front derailleur or chain guide in the future. All that to save a couple of grams on a full suspension mountain bike that, by the looks of it, doesn’t get a lot of love for even just the drivetrain?
Not related to the mount removal, but a bit of info on painting your frame.
1. Everyone says the same thing, “remove all paint first” this is wildly inaccurate and based on the situation. Your best bet is to use a maroon colored scotch pad and rough up the current paint and prime and paint over that. You absolutely do not need to strip down to bare metal, the factory coat they put in there is way more durable than anything you put on there and will just add protection to the frame.
If your bike has decals then you’ll probably need to sand those off completely, if you don’t you’ll see them raised over the old paint. Painting yourself is super fun if you enjoy details.
2. If you go the diy route definitely use a 2k clear coat to finish it. It’s crazy durable and works perfectly fine with spray.bike, otherwise always stick to the same brand of paint. The 2k clear gloss is WAAAAAY harder to get a good finish with than the matte clear. If it’s your first paint, use the matte.
3. You can also go with a powder coat. I’ve had steel and aluminum frames painted with powder coat and I’ve never been incredibly happy with the outcome, both times it came out very orange peeley (from 2 different places). They will media blast it for you though. Its never cost me less than $250 FYI.
3.1 if you use 2k please wear a respirator, that stuff is pure cancer in a can.
You’re on an alloy full sus, that little bit of weight savings is not gonna do anything.
Better chance of ruining the frame than making it look like it was never there.
If she can squeeze out a small fart before the right it will be equal weight saved.
There are cool looking cover plates for those, some even have bottle openers. Taking it off with a hacksaw isn’t going to make the frame look better, that I can promise you.
Trek had this
https://preview.redd.it/qer664z581we1.png?width=1698&format=png&auto=webp&s=88c090fa3468d1b51b4501428721c3acc9a39cce
CLEAN YOUR BIKE and get a chain guide
Print a custom cap for it that says something cool instead of trying to ruin the frame
Either mount a chain guide,or if you don’t think that’ll be needed, then either a bottle holder or a blanking plate to neaten it up.
If you grind off the mount, no one will ever buy your bike used. It’s a jabroni move, hack mechanic stuff, and your word won’t be trustworthy when it comes to the maintenance discussion. Just leave it on. Someone else might want to use it later.
Mount a chain guide if the aesthetics annoy you enough, which is a good idea anyway if this bike goes to the bike park .
Thanks for all your feedback!
I wasn’t aware of the existence of d-type chain guides and bottle openers.
Ps, the bike is clean now! The photo was taken right after a ride this weekend.
Aluminum doesn’t like heat!