# 2008 Tricross Sport - Why so heavy?



## JoJo90 (Aug 9, 2008)

Hey all,

Picked up a Tricross Sport about 6 months ago, loving it in some ways but in others it just seems sluggish. Sometimes I think it is not all that much faster than my mtb and that isn't anything special...

I'm trying desperatly to work out why but I'm stumped. The bike weight 24-25 lbs which is about 4-5lbs over what similarly priced cross bikes weigh (e.g Focus bikes). This could go some way to explaining it.

Any ideas where the extra weight is coming from? I'm tempted to stick a new pair of wheels on there however looking through some specs the rims don't seem all that heavy so perhaps that won't help?

Maybe its just the frame, I don't know!

Here is the spec, would love to get some feedback 

Specialized A1 Premium Aluminium frame, fully manipulated tubing, semi-compact Freeroad design, integrated headset, rack and fender fittings
Specialized FACT carbon Tricross fork, carbon legs, aluminium steerer, SpeedZertz inserts, full rack and fender mounts
Tektro Oryx cantilever brakes w/ cartridge pads
Deore LX rear derailleur
Alex ACE-19, double wall rims, machined sidewalls w/ eyelets
Specialized Borough Sport CX tyres
Body Geometry Rival saddle

FRAME Specialized A1 Premium Aluminium, fully manipulated tubing, semi-compact Freeroad design, integrated headset, rack and fender fittings
REAR SHOCK N/A
FORK Specialized FACT carbon Tricross fork, carbon legs, aluminium steerer, SpeedZertz inserts, full rack and fender mounts
HEADSET Specialized Mindset Plus, 1 1/8" integrated threadless, cartridge sealed bearings, alloy 20mm cone w/ one 10mm and two 5mm alloy spacers
STEM Specialized Sport, 3D forged alloy, 31.8mm split clamp, 7 degree
HANDLEBARS Specialized Comp, racing drop, 31.8 Clamp
TAPE Body Geometry Bar Phat, cork ribbon w/ 2.5mm gel padding
FRONT BRAKE Tektro Oryx cantilever brakes w/ cartridge pads
REAR BRAKE Tektro Oryx cantilever brakes w/ cartridge pads
BRAKE LEVERS Shimano Tiagra, 9-speed STI, flight deck compatible w/ brake lever extensions
FRONT DERAILLEUR Shimano Tiagra, 31.8mm clamp, bottom pull
REAR DERAILLEUR Deore LX, 9-speed, long cage
SHIFT LEVERS Shimano Tiagra, 9-speed STI, flight deck compatible
CASSETTE Shimano HG-50, 9-speed 11-34t
CHAIN Shimano HG-73, 9-speed
CRANKSET FSA Vero, cold-forged crankset
CHAINRINGS 50x39x30T
BOTTOM BRACKET Sport cartridge, square taper, 68 x 113mm
PEDALS Composite body, alloy cage w/ toe clips and straps
RIMS Alex ACE-19, double wall rim, machined sidewalls w/ eyelets
FRONT HUB Specialized forged alloy, 32 hole, double sealed bearings, QR
REAR HUB Specialized forged alloy, 32 hole, double sealed bearings, QR
SPOKES Stainless 14g
FRONT TIRE Specialized Borough Sport CX, 700x32c, wire bead, 60TPI
REAR TIRE Specialized Borough Sport CX, 700x32c, wire bead, 60TPI
TUBES Specialized standard presta tube
SADDLE Specialized Rival, microfibre cover, Cr-Mo rails
SEAT POST Specialized carbon fibre wrapped, 27.2mm
SEAT BINDER Specialized CNC, alloy


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## rkj__ (Mar 21, 2007)

The weight is coming from, well, everywhere. None of the components are really that light.

One of the big differences from most cross bikes is the drivetrain. A triple up front, with a MTB cassette, and long cage rear deraileur in the rear adds some heft.


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## JoJo90 (Aug 9, 2008)

hmm yeah I guess it could be a combination of everything.

Shame these bikes only go for about £300 on ebay or I'd sell it then build up another. Not really worth selling it for that price but then not sure what I would do with it if I built another from scratch :S

Teach me to buy things on a whim!

Does anyone else find theirs comparatively sluggish to other crossers or am I just expecting too much?


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

I blame everything except the frame that has a "Specialized" label on it. I'm not an S fan but I am sure the frame is decent. But a "comp" level bike is going to be weighed down by a bunch of low-zoot house-brand components.

I would not be surprised if there was an extra pound hidden in the wheelset. Cold forged cranks spinning on what is probably a very cheap, heavy cartridge BB is not helping. All of the S brand cockpit components are probably weighing things down considerably.


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## JoJo90 (Aug 9, 2008)

Thats kind of what I'm thinking, perhaps the way forward here is to upgrade bits slowly and eventually transfer the kit over to a new frame if it does not help 

Perhaps the wheels will be my first victim...


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## dead flag blues (Aug 26, 2004)

Or you could just get rid of it and get a used Redline.


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## gobes (Sep 12, 2006)

I have a tricross sport and it's not the frame... it's everything else.
Here are some of the weights of the bike:
cassette - 434g
front wheel - 946g
rear wheel - 1301
Just swapping the wheels and tires to something respectable can save you over 2 pounds.
I imagine that the crankset and bb is heavy too.

Having said that, I love the bike. I can ride it anywhere... road, dirt, everything. But I have a lighter bike to race on.


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## jaansk (Aug 27, 2007)

I have a 08 comp and am quite happy with it, except for the FSA Gossamer crankset, which besides weight has other issues (clicking noise, non-drive side coming loose).
Sometime I'll probably be replacing it with either :

- the FSA Energy (if I can persuade myself that it won't have the same issues
- Ultegra or Ultegra SL (which of course means changing the BB also)

The Roval Pave wheels may not be the lightest, but have yet to come out of true even after some violently bumpy gravel roads and doubletrack (I weigh 73kg).


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## flanman (Jul 7, 2006)

I would replace the tires first, then the cranks and BB. Going to a single front chainring will take off another 1/2 lb.

Should be able to reduce it to the low 20 lbs very easily and cheaply (I picked up a Truvativ Elita + ISIS BB on ebay for under $40 and it works great.). That's a respectable weight.

Next replace wheels with Ulegra/Open Pro's whenever you get the opportunity/cash.

After that, pick up replacement stem, bars, seatpost, saddle off craigslist over the next year or so.


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## JoJo90 (Aug 9, 2008)

Wow OK thanks Gobes  Going to order some new bits for it now. 

One of the reasons I love it is the ride quality. Took it for a bash over some really tight root/rock/mud laden singletrack yesterday in the rain and it felt smooth as you like. This is on the stock almost slick tyres too! Going to whack some knoblies on there so I can push it a bit harder too. One thing that did scream out at me was a need for disc brakes, poor mini Vs were grinding after the first few mud baths .

Reckon I will have a winner once the weight is sorted.


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## rkj__ (Mar 21, 2007)

JoJo90 said:


> Wow OK thanks Gobes  Going to order some new bits for it now.
> 
> One of the reasons I love it is the ride quality. Took it for a bash over some really tight root/rock/mud laden singletrack yesterday in the rain and it felt smooth as you like. This is on the stock almost slick tyres too! Going to whack some knoblies on there so I can push it a bit harder too. One thing that did scream out at me was a need for disc brakes, poor mini Vs were grinding after the first few mud baths .
> 
> Reckon I will have a winner once the weight is sorted.


Adding disc brakes is going to add quite a bit of weight though. And adding knobbies is unlikely to help with the sluggish feel.


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## JoJo90 (Aug 9, 2008)

Some good advice, thanks 

Gobes, a quick question, is 1301 for the rear without the cassette!?



gobes said:


> I have a tricross sport and it's not the frame... it's everything else.
> Here are some of the weights of the bike:
> cassette - 434g
> front wheel - 946g
> ...


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## one_speed (Jun 30, 2003)

I have a friend that has a TriCross, though likely a higher-end. In any event, he said the carbon fork on his was super heavy. He swapped it out said the one he put on was about half the weight of the S fork. Just a thought. I think he went with the Alpha Q, which is pricey, I think there are others for less $$ that could do the trick as well.


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## gobes (Sep 12, 2006)

JoJo90 said:


> Some good advice, thanks
> 
> Gobes, a quick question, is 1301 for the rear without the cassette!?


Yes, that is the weight without the cassette. It does include the rim strip though. Add the heavy mtb cassette and heavy steel skewer and it's quite a bit of weight. 
Once in a while I throw on a set of bontrager race lite wheels with road tires and the bike is instantly 3+ lbs. lighter.

As another poster mentioned, the fork is on the heavy side by today's standards. I haven't taken mine apart to weigh it but I think that I read once that they're around 880g. I don't think that that's really heavy but compared to an alpha q, easton or reynolds you're definitely adding a bit of weight.

Someday, when it's more convenient, I'll strip mine down and weigh the frame but I can't imagine that it weighs more than around 1500g. The frame is definitely lighter than steel 'cross frames and those can be built up to be quite light.


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## JoJo90 (Aug 9, 2008)

Cool 

The fork is one thing I wouldn't touch as I feel it gives a nice smooth ride and looks to be bombproof


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## Ergchimp21 (Mar 25, 2009)

Sorry if I'm a bit behind the times to be helpful but:

Weighed my frame and forks on bathroom scales (pretty accurate but not only precise to nearest 100g)

Frame (size 56)- 1.7kg
Fork - 0.9kg

Frame is broken with two 10cm chunks missing from middle of stays going down to back wheel thanks to a driver asleep at the wheel and letting his car aggressively hump my back wheel!


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## jrm (Dec 23, 2001)

*What i did*

swapped out the wheels and tires, then the triple for a FSA mega EXO compact double, the seat post and seat, bar and stem. Big ass weight savings. Bike rides so much better.


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## PeanutButterBreath (Dec 4, 2005)

If 900g is anything close to an accurate weight for the fork, that is another place to save up to a pound.


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## cs1 (Sep 16, 2003)

If the frame/fork is nice then sell off the build kit. Use the money towards a lighter build. I'm sure someone on ebay would be willing to buy the group. Good luck


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## C Cow (Oct 1, 2007)

*Heavy Bike Fix*

Start by converting it to singlespeed, that'll drop about 4 lbs. 

I have a singlecross, same frame and fork except for cable stops and hangers. Mine is sub 20 lbs. after a few parts swaps. I've heard from many Spec cross bike owners (and the shop I got it from) that the fork is the most excessively heavy part of the Spec cross line. I think for about $300.00 I can cut the fork weight in half. That may get mine into the 18's.

Carbon seat post, carbon bar, carbon stem, carbon SS crankset, etc................$$$$$$$$

C Cow


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## holy cromoly (Nov 9, 2008)

jrm said:


> swapped out the wheels and tires, then the triple for a FSA mega EXO compact double, the seat post and seat, bar and stem. Big ass weight savings. Bike rides so much better.


Agreed.

Swap out the tires for something faster and lighter. If you don't need the dirt duties of the Bourough CX stock tires, then it's overkill. Put on something like the Conti Gatorskins 25-28c and you'll feel a difference for the lowest cost invested.


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## zigurate (Mar 3, 2009)

gobes said:


> I have a tricross sport and it's not the frame... it's everything else.
> Here are some of the weights of the bike:
> cassette - 434g
> front wheel - 946g
> ...


Definitely the wheels those are where you're going to see the most savings in weight.


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## thirdin77 (Feb 23, 2007)

I'd swap out the 3-piece crankset for nearly anything else. The oem crankset was heavy and, IMO, they just didn't rotate that smoothly. I don't know if it was poor bearing quality in the oem cartridge bb or what.

If you want a compact double or a road 130bcd triple, just go to a 2-piece, external bearing crankset. It'll not only be lighter but stiffer, which in combination with the tricross frameset's torsional stiffness (huge, partially-triangulated downtube) should give better power transmission.

For riding on the worst pavement, the 700x32 specialized borough cx tires are good but for moderate to good pavement, get some road tires. I agree with the suggestion for 700x28 conti gatorskins, that's what I run on my bike and they roll so much more easily than my borough cx's at the same pressure.

For anything but long, steep inlines or with a load, the 11-32/34 cassette is unnecessary. Get a 12-25 and get not only a lighter cassette but closer ratios.

The crankset will make the bike more responsive and the road tires and road cassette will make the bike faster on pavement.

I personally would save the wheel change for last as it will lighten the bike and maybe give better acceleration but on the flats, I don't see any advantage.

The thing to be wary of with a wheel change is rim width. A lot of road wheelsets have an internal rim width of 13-15mm whereas the oem cross wheelset has a 17mm width which is fine with 700x28 road tire and better when you run wider tires as a wider rim "squares" or "flattens" the carcass of a wider tire which gives more stable handling.


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## rmp (Aug 25, 2004)

PeanutButterBreath said:


> If 900g is anything close to an accurate weight for the fork, that is another place to save up to a pound.



<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rmplum/3997775717/" title="Fork by rmplum, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2639/3997775717_35dc9d0631_o.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Fork" /></a>

(from a 2009 TriCross Singlecross). Ouch.


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## gobes (Sep 12, 2006)

Sorry to revive an old thread but I finally got around to stripping down and weighing my 2008 tricross sport, 52cm.

frame - 1512g
fork - 839 g

I think that 1512g is pretty good for such a tough, versatile frame. There's no denying that the fork is heavy though.


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## RetroS (Jan 16, 2007)

I have an '09 Comp or what is left of it. Not really a true cx race bike with the long wheelbase, 3 water bottle mounts. Mine has some Dura Ace shifters, carbon crankset and ultegra level tubulars and is 20.5 lbs. I tried to change the fork to a newer model that came out last year but the S works would not fit on the comp. The bike is bullet proof as I do trail riding with it on a different wheelset.


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## SunnyinCO (Oct 26, 2010)

I just swaped out my stem and bars on my 07 or 08. I put on the same as the '10 Rubouix Expert. Stem length was the same (slight increase in angle) but the bar was totally different. Shallower, narrower and not as deep. Raced on it the next day. Made a HUGE difference, a totally different bike. I could actually steer. That was my biggest problem with the bike.

FYI The stem came off the discount table at the lbs as it was swapped out and could not be sold as new...for $15.


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## cs1 (Sep 16, 2003)

jaansk said:


> I- Ultegra or Ultegra SL (which of course means changing the BB also)


Shimano make really nice cranks. I'd dump the FSA for an Ultegra in a heartbeat.

By the time you swap out all the recomended parts like the fork, crank and wheelset you'll have spent enough money to buy a lighter bike. Financially that makes no sense at all.


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## mozami (Nov 14, 2010)

Damn thats a heavy bike... not too far off a hardtail


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## steve_e_f (Sep 8, 2003)

just replace stuff as you break it. thats what I did with my bianchi axis and I'm below 17lbs now.


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