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Lighten Your BMX Guide *New Revamped Version*

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Lighten Your BMX Guide *New Revamped Version*
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flag justin99
Posted: Feb 16, 2009 at 17:04 Quote
Since there are always so many people asking how to lighten up their BMX bikes I thought I'd make a guide so that there aren't so many threads on it. This is the new revamped version of the guide and the old one is now locked. Hopefully this will be useful to some. Here it goes....

*Disclaimer: The following tips, suggestions and techniques to lighten up your bike may or may not be right for you. Your weight or riding style might not be good for a certain product or tip. Know your boundaries and limitations. Also, don't take lightening up your bike too seriously. I don't want to see anybody drilling holes in their parts or riding without a seat and post to have a lighter bike. Use your common sense please. As well, you don't need to have a light bike to be a better rider. Practice will make much more of a difference than having a feathery light bike and besides, a heavy bike isn't necessarily a bad thing.

First off is the easy and free tip to take the good old metal saw or grinder to your bike. Sounds scary I know, but no need to worry. There are a few things on your bike that can be cut down for weight savings. First off is the bars. If you are finding your bars are too wide for you then just cut them down a bit. Not only will they feel better for you if they were too big but you will be saving some weight on your ride. When cutting your bars down make sure to measure how much you are going to take off and do it equally on each side. Don't cut off too much at once. Cut a little at a time and see if the width feels right for you because remember, once it's cut off you can't put it on again. Once you are finished slicing away be sure to sand or file off the sharp edges when you are done. This way the grips aren't as likely to get ripped. Next is to trim your seatpost. If you are a rider that runs your seat slammed or quite low and has a lengthy seatpost then you might as well cut it down. No need for the extra metal to be shoved into the seat tube of your frame. Ounces will now magically disappear. The last tip in this category is to cut down your hub axles. If you don't have pegs on your ride and your axles stick out a lot then you might as well cut them down. This will save some weight for the very cheap price of $0.

My next category of tips is to remove un-needed parts on your bike. Again, these are all free ways to lighten up your bike. To start, if you have pegs on your ride and don't even use them, then simply take them off. This will save a surprising amount of weight. If you do like to grind but only can on one side and just happen to have 4 pegs on your bike, then take the 2 off that are on your non-grind side. No need to have them there if you can't use them. My next tip is to remove pins from your pedals. Certain pedals have a lot of excessive pins that you don't really need so why not just take them out? This won't make a big difference in weight saving but hey, it's free. Next tip, if your bike comes with reflectors, take them off. Pretty much all new stock complete bikes come with reflectors on them and there isn't really a need for them unless you are oftenly riding during the night. Not only by removing these reflectors will your bike be lighter but it will also have a better cleaner look. The last tip in this category is to remove your gyro if you have one and don't really need it. Instead of running a gyro you could run a straight cable set-up or go brakeless. All the hardware for a gyro can be quite heavy and a straight cable or a brakeless ride will make a big difference in weight savings.

My next tip for weight savings is to upgrade to a lighter seat set-up. If you have a heavier seat and post, a good way to save some weight is to get a pivotal seat set-up (style of seat/post that doesn't use rails but rather a one bolt design) or a one piece seat and post set-up (seat and post that are made into a single piece). Most companies out there are now making pivotal seat set-ups so they definitely aren't hard to find. For a typical pivotal seat and post it's going to set you back about $60-$70 CAD but it's worth the money. Not only will you save a good amount of weight but the simplicity of being able to adjust your seat angle is quite nice. Here are many different styles of pivotal seats and here are some pivotal seatposts. As for one piece seat set-ups, they are a fairly new concept and design but are extremely light. The Eclat Complex seat/post combo for example is only 6.4 ounces for the unpadded version and 7.61 ounces for the padded. Another great thing about one piece seat and post combos is that they are about half the price of a pivotal seat and post. The biggest downfall of the combo though is that you can not adjust the angle of the seat.

Now for all you riders that grind. If you do ride pegs and are looking to purchase some or get some lighter ones, there are many different options available. Pegs nowadays can come in all kinds of materials such as plastic, aluminum, titanium, steel/chromoly or even combinations of each. Certain materials may be lighter but they also may not slide as well. So the best thing to do is try different peg materials and see which ones grind best for you. If you like the feeling of chromoly pegs and how they slide then Eastern's Slit Pegs may be a good lightweight choice for you park riders. They have slits/holes in them on one side too remove un-needed weight. You grind with the smooth surface while the side with holes/slits would face upwards. For a really lightweight peg choice maybe you should consider the material of plastic. G-Sport makes plastic pegs known as plegs which are only 4.3 ounces each.

My next tip is to downsize your sprocket and freewheel/driver. If your bike has a higher gearing like 39-14 and up and you're not a racer, then maybe you should spend the extra cash to go for a smaller gearing. If you don't have a cassette hub but rather have a typical freewheel style hub then you can go as low as a 36-13 gearing. With some cassettes you can run a gearing as small as 23-8 but remember there will be quite a bit of stress on the chain. I'd recommend getting either a 25-9, 28-10 or 30-11 gearing if you have a cassette hub. Not only will this upgrade of getting a smaller gearing save weight but you will have more clearance when you're riding. By getting a smaller gearing you can also drop a few links in the chain and shorten it up, thus saving some more weight. Here is a gearing chart for quick reference.

Of all the places on your bike that can be lightened up that makes the biggest difference it would have to be the wheels. Rotational weight is much more noticable than weight elsewhere on your bike and the less rotational weight the better the bike will feel. If you currently have a heavy wheelset and have enough money, then a new complete wheelset or rims or hubs will definitely be a good idea in the sense of lightening up your bike. When purchasing new wheels or wheel parts, remember that 32 or 36 hole wheels will be a bit lighter than a 48 hole so consider getting them instead if you want to go as light as possible. If you need the extra spokes because you are a pretty rough rider or want them for assurance then get 48 hole. If you don't have enough money for new wheels, plan on purchasing foldable/kevlar tires and new tubes for your ride. Kevlar/foldable tires are quite expensive but you will feel the difference. Depending on your current tires, with foldable/kevlar tires you can save over a pound.

Now onto stems. Your stem may look light on the outside but it's the inside that counts. Light stems are hollowed out (CNC'D) inside to lighten them up. If you're stock stem is solid think of buying a new CNC'D stem. A new stem should lighten up your front end and depending on how much weight you lose, make manuals a bit easier. Really good examples of light and hollowed out stems are the Odyssey Elementary and the Primo Aneyerlator.

Another great way to save weight if your bike has fairly heavy hi-tensile steel forks and bars is to buy new full chromoly forks and bars. This will make a big difference. Unfortunately it will be quite expensive but not only will the full chromoly forks and bars be lighter but they will also be stronger. The reason for this is that hi-tensile steel is pretty much any combination of non-reactive metals you can think of. So your current hi-tensile steel bars could contain a mixture of iron, steel, aluminum and whatever else you can think of.

If you have a ton of cash to spend, consider one of the lightest freestyle materials on the market, titanium. There are pretty much titanium products for every part on your bike. Eastern has many Ti parts including frames, bars and cranks. The most popular bought titanium part is probably Ti spindles for your cranks. Profile has many very light Ti spindles which fit cranks from various brands. There are also Ti spokes from companies like Marwi, Bombshell and Answer. They cost about $5 a spoke. Yes, I know it's crazy expensive. The Answer and Bombshell titanium spokes are only designed for racing. Other parts you can buy that are titanium are hub axles, drivers/cogs, pedal spindles, bolts, seats that have Ti rails and seatposts.
-Thanks to ron-burgundy for reminding me to add stuff on titanium.

If you're not liking the pedals on your ride and are thinking about upgrading them then consider purchasing some plastic pedals. Not only are plastic pedals cheap at about $20-$25 CAD but they are also very light. Nowadays you can buy very high quality plastic pedals from companies like Eastern, Animal and Odyssey. If you have the money and don't like plastic pedals because they wear out too fast then think about investing in a set of magnesium pedals. Some magnesium pedals weigh the same as plastics and will last way longer. Companies like Mirraco even have magnesium pedals with titanium axles. However, they are extremely expensive.
-Thanks to BMX8000 for reminding me to add stuff on plastic pedals.

Well, that's a wrap. If there are any techniques or tips you have that could be added to the guide please tell me.
flag
Posted: Feb 24, 2009 at 15:46 Quote
shorter version buy lighter things
flag bluntosaurusrex
FL
Posted: Feb 24, 2009 at 22:30 Quote
you can also if your brave or don't give a f*ck like myself you can take a grinder to your frame and say shorten your drop outs, or cut/drill holes in your seat tube, and even grind down the top of your seat tube where your seat clap attaches and run that seat really slammed
flag justin99
Posted: Feb 25, 2009 at 11:21 Quote
RoryKtownX2 wrote:
you can also if your brave or don't give a f*ck like myself you can take a grinder to your frame and say shorten your drop outs, or cut/drill holes in your seat tube, and even grind down the top of your seat tube where your seat clap attaches and run that seat really slammed
No, not a good idea.
flag blkmrkt78
Posted: Feb 25, 2009 at 15:25 Quote
ti parts Smile
like ti spindle in your cranks
ti bolts
WHOLE TI BIKE if your rich
flag bluntosaurusrex
FL
Posted: Feb 25, 2009 at 17:15 Quote
justin99 wrote:
RoryKtownX2 wrote:
you can also if your brave or don't give a f*ck like myself you can take a grinder to your frame and say shorten your drop outs, or cut/drill holes in your seat tube, and even grind down the top of your seat tube where your seat clap attaches and run that seat really slammed
No, not a good idea.

and why not if your like me ( a poor ass student) and all you have to ride is an 2004 hoffman rhythm that needs "updating" and if your careful...I cut my drop outs down cause they were like 6 mm thick and probably 5inchs long so I made my own revised dropouts. I essentially am just grinding off spots where their is excess material that really doesn't do anything for the bike other than add weight
flag justin99
Posted: Feb 25, 2009 at 17:23 Quote
RoryKtownX2 wrote:
justin99 wrote:
RoryKtownX2 wrote:
you can also if your brave or don't give a f*ck like myself you can take a grinder to your frame and say shorten your drop outs, or cut/drill holes in your seat tube, and even grind down the top of your seat tube where your seat clap attaches and run that seat really slammed
No, not a good idea.

and why not if your like me ( a poor ass student) and all you have to ride is an 2004 hoffman rhythm that needs "updating" and if your careful...I cut my drop outs down cause they were like 6 mm thick and probably 5inchs long so I made my own revised dropouts. I essentially am just grinding off spots where their is excess material that really doesn't do anything for the bike other than add weight
It all depends on how you do it. I'm just not going to recommend to anybody to drill holes or cut parts off their frame. If some kid goes and cuts his dropouts too short for the sake of losing weight then he'll need a new frame. If some kid goes and drills holes near the welds of his frame and it cracks then he'll have to buy a new one. It's not worth it.
flag bluntosaurusrex
FL
Posted: Feb 25, 2009 at 17:26 Quote
justin99 wrote:
RoryKtownX2 wrote:
justin99 wrote:

No, not a good idea.

and why not if your like me ( a poor ass student) and all you have to ride is an 2004 hoffman rhythm that needs "updating" and if your careful...I cut my drop outs down cause they were like 6 mm thick and probably 5inchs long so I made my own revised dropouts. I essentially am just grinding off spots where their is excess material that really doesn't do anything for the bike other than add weight
It all depends on how you do it. I'm just not going to recommend to anybody to drill holes or cut parts off their frame. If some kid goes and cuts his dropouts too short for the sake of losing weight then he'll need a new frame. If some kid goes and drills holes near the welds of his frame and it cracks then he'll have to buy a new one. It's not worth it.

fair enough thats why you should add the very simple rule that stops that from happening MEASURE TWICE CUT ONCE or if you don't know what your doing don't do it.
flag DrDropoff
Posted: Feb 25, 2009 at 17:35 Quote
Weight whores suck.
flag bluntosaurusrex
FL
Posted: Feb 25, 2009 at 17:46 Quote
DrDropoff wrote:
Weight whores suck.

Nope
flag DrDropoff
Posted: Feb 25, 2009 at 17:51 Quote
RoryKtownX2 wrote:
DrDropoff wrote:
Weight whores suck.

Nope
From that response i assume that you are...one of..themEek
flag bluntosaurusrex
FL
Posted: Feb 25, 2009 at 18:03 Quote
DrDropoff wrote:
RoryKtownX2 wrote:
DrDropoff wrote:
Weight whores suck.

Nope
From that response i assume that you are...one of..themEek

attempting to be but not buy buying light parts cause i'm broke but for an 04-05 hoffman rhythm at 24 lbs with a nankai freecoaster I'm not doing that bad
flag
Posted: Feb 25, 2009 at 18:04 Quote
RoryKtownX2 wrote:
DrDropoff wrote:
RoryKtownX2 wrote:


Nope
From that response i assume that you are...one of..themEek

attempting to be but not buy buying light parts cause i'm broke but for an 04-05 hoffman rhythm at 24 lbs with a nankai freecoaster I'm not doing that bad
thats not too bad my bike is gonna be like 23.5 lbs freecoaster and brakes
flag GangstaBoi
Posted: Feb 25, 2009 at 18:08 Quote
pinkperformer07 wrote:
RoryKtownX2 wrote:
DrDropoff wrote:

From that response i assume that you are...one of..themEek

attempting to be but not buy buying light parts cause i'm broke but for an 04-05 hoffman rhythm at 24 lbs with a nankai freecoaster I'm not doing that bad
thats not too bad my bike is gonna be like 23.5 lbs freecoaster and brakes

lol i had a hoffman rythym theyre pretty dece bikes
flag f-it-bike-co
Posted: Feb 26, 2009 at 10:15 Quote
if u have pc's and they wear out too fast just put pins in them
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