# reducing weight of Trek 1500



## Jason1500

I have a 06 Trek 1500 with the following:

Frame: Alpha Aluminum SLR 
FD: 105 
RD: 105
Crank: Ultegra Octalink 53/39
Handle bars: Bontranger Select 
Stem: Bontrager Select 
Brake: Canecreek SCR-3
Headset: Canecreek LS2
Levers: 105 STI
Pedals: cheap Look not sure of the model base is plastic/composite with chromoly spindles
Cassette: Shimano HG-50 9spd steel
Saddle: Specialized Toupe Team
Water Cages: Bontrager Race lite

I want to keep my aluminum frame for awhile, and just upgrade components all are fine for now but I was wondering about weight reduction, what can I affordable replace that would result in good weight reduction, I was thinking probably replace my steel cassette for a lighter aluminum cassette. Also I don't know what kind of chain is other there but do they make light weight chains or are they all abou the same weight? And what else?


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## PigmyRacer

Why do you need to reduce your bike's weight? Do you race? Do you climb a lot? 

Weight reduction is a generally painful and expensive process. If you really want to make that bike significantly lighter, you would need to upgrade just about all of your mechanical components to 10spd DA, upgrade the pedals to a lightweight road clipless system and upgrade your bars, stem and post to lightweight aluminum. You didn't mention a wheelset, but given the rest of your build I'm going to guess its a relatively heavy Bontrager set. That would need to be replaced too.


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## Jason1500

PigmyRacer said:


> Why do you need to reduce your bike's weight? Do you race? Do you climb a lot?
> 
> Weight reduction is a generally painful and expensive process. If you really want to make that bike significantly lighter, you would need to upgrade just about all of your mechanical components to 10spd DA, upgrade the pedals to a lightweight road clipless system and upgrade your bars, stem and post to lightweight aluminum. You didn't mention a wheelset, but given the rest of your build I'm going to guess its a relatively heavy Bontrager set. That would need to be replaced too.


No just for fun, Im not really looking to reduce the weight THAT MUCH. I know stock the bike is 19.5 lbs without water bottles so I was looking to reduce the weight a bit perhaps enough so a water bottle won't put me over 20lbs.


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## PigmyRacer

Jason1500 said:


> No just for fun, Im not really looking to reduce the weight THAT MUCH. I know stock the bike is 19.5 lbs without water bottles so I was looking to reduce the weight a bit perhaps enough so a water bottle won't put me over 20lbs.


You're wasting both time and money.


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## Mdeth1313

Do what you want. You're going to spend money, but it doesnt have to be that crazy.

Usually the cheapest way to drop weight is to get lighter tubes/tires, how heavy is your seatpost, you can also find stuff new on ebay relatively cheap, you just need to be careful. There are some stems that are not that expensive that may be lighter than what you have.


You need to be a little more specific in what you're looking to spend for more specific responses though.


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## PigmyRacer

My point is simply that reducing weight for no other reason to say your bike weighs X pounds is kind of pathetic. People assume that they can ride faster with a lighter bike and they become obsessed with it. Lightening a 20+ pound bike is a waste of time.


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## Mdeth1313

PigmyRacer said:


> My point is simply that reducing weight for no other reason to say your bike weighs X pounds is kind of pathetic. People assume that they can ride faster with a lighter bike and they become obsessed with it. Lightening a 20+ pound bike is a waste of time.


Does that make me pathetic because I got my bike down to 11.99 pounds? I'm not looking for a pissing match here, but over the past few years I've really enjoyed trying to make my bike as light as possible and still rideable-- kind of a hobby within a hobby. While the bike may have only lost a few pounds, during that time I've also managed to lose 25 or 30 pounds. I dont see that as being pathetic, as lightening the bike inspired me to lose the weight. It's win-win for me in my pathetic little life.

Oh yeah- can we get back to lightening the bike now?


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## lionheartdds

Weight savings start everywhere. Light chains-get KCNC chains, you'll save maybe 40 gm but you'll pay a hefty price-not worth it. You can also save on weight with Token cassettes (rooughly 100 gm or half the weight of your existing cassette), but at an average street price or ebay price of $250, it costs plenty. A few grams here and there on all your components add up to a much lighter bike at much more expensive bite from your wallet. The biggest places to save weight are your wheelset, tires and tubes. Again the cost will be huge. Ask yourself why you want a lighter bike. I have a 15 lb 0 oz trek madone sslx that I hardly ride anymore, a 15 lb 6 oz felt f3c that I ride even less, and an 18 lb 10 oz titanium beasty that I ride a lot more often, and is stiffer and quicker too, not to mention more cush to ride. If light bikes are your hobby, just for the sake of building a light bike (I do it too) then start going for broke, 'cause that's what it costs to build a light bike. If you want it for faster climbs, start with wheels and tires (continental supersonic tires and tubes will cut almost 8 oz from the average high end race tire/tube combos out there). On mostly flat runs, weight savings won't make much difference. My Dura Ace wheelset is 100 grams heavier than my Bontrager race x lites, but rolls more effortlessly than the Bonty's. My favorite wheelset-Mavic Ksyrium SL's-heavier than my race x lites, but infinitely faster in my opinion.
btw-I have an '06 Trek 1500 Discovery Channel paintscheme-Dura Ace/SRAM Force drive train, Winwood components,Fizik saddle, Bontrager Race X lite wheels, Hutchinson Discovery channel tires-16 lbs 9 oz (without pedals) so you can get it down pretty light but it'll cost. I don't ride this bike much-it sits on the trainer for bad weather days or night exercise when I get home late from work.


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## Kestreljr

PigmyRacer said:


> My point is simply that reducing weight for no other reason to say your bike weighs X pounds is kind of pathetic. People assume that they can ride faster with a lighter bike and they become obsessed with it. Lightening a 20+ pound bike is a waste of time.



Pigmy- no offense or anything, but maybe you should just skip the "Save Some Weight" forum all together. Unless you are going on a crusade for fatties or something. 

I am just say'n. 

kthxby.


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## DIRT BOY

*a few things*

that can help without breaking the bank. Thay's a nice aluminum frame. Not the best, but not the worst. Now I wold not dump a ton into it. But if you shop around for deals, you can save a few pounds.


Get some lighter wheel. The stock Bontrager are tanks. Shopping you can get some new lighter wheels and save a pound for $300-500
DA 9speed RD can be found cheap.
KCNC Raod cranks will save 200g for $300 or so.
Syntace or KCNC stem for under $80 will save 25-75g+
Seatpost. Under $120 save 25-85g.


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## JetSpeed

If it's a 54 cm, I'll buy your 1500. I need a beater bike, really. 
THEN, you can put some $ towards a new, lighter bike of your liking.

It's upgrade fever, don't do it. What you'll spend to loose a few grams will
quickly approach what the bike is really worth. We've all been there before.


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## PigmyRacer

Kestreljr said:


> Pigmy- no offense or anything, but maybe you should just skip the "Save Some Weight" forum all together. Unless you are going on a crusade for fatties or something.
> 
> I am just say'n.
> 
> kthxby.


None taken, but I thought the point of this section was to be a mini WW. Some bikes are just not WW material. I was merely attempting to point out that trying to lighten a 20+ pound bike is wasting time that could be spent riding.


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## Jason1500

Its a 58cm. Anyway I'm going to do for plan 'B'. Which is upgrade my wheelset, bought Forte Titan's from performance which comes to 1755g not sure how that compares so the Bontrager Select wheels but according to the reviews I've read the Titan's roll much faster...albeit there does seem to be a spoke breakage problem, but I don't weight 230lbs so we'll see. Total cost was $203 that included new tires(Vredestein Fortezza SE) and tubes. Oh and I also purchased a new saddle a specialized toupe team several weeks ago...which is awesome and I plan to keep forever. Gave the frame a nice wax n clean and bike looks like new again. 

So my plan now is to keep the bike just like it is(with the new saddle and wheelset....nothing more unless something breaks) ride it and enjoy it for a few more seasons and save up for a nice cheap carbon bike I kinda like the Immortal Spirit bikesdirect is selling and convert the 1500 into a cyclocross bike.


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## wchane

i was going to say...i had the same bike in a 52cm. loved it, but certainly wouldn't attempt to lighten it too much - would honestly rather have better components and carbon stays...which ultimately led to the "stop wasting money and buy a new bike" decision. 

biggest bang for the buck items on that bike were the wheelset the bontrager selects are pigs, same goes for the bontrager stem, bar, seat post and saddle. 

label me a snob but i would rather have the bontrager selects over the forte titans, those wheels are heavy but BOMBPROOF, i have never had a better training wheelset...but being the snob and lazy ass i am, i defaulted to my ksyriums sc's. 

i enjoyed the bike, it was crisp, responsive, and fairly light when i parted with it...however those aluminum stays finally did me in. sold the bike with the selects, new owner is commuting with it and no issues yet. (and i hope ever)


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## lionheartdds

Personally would have stayed with the Bonty wheels. They're heavy, but I'll take them over the Forte wheelset any day. They're great training wheels, near indestructable if you weigh less than 200 sodas. I've never been impressed with Forte products-everytime I've purchased a Performance Bike brand, they've sucked. (with the exception of a Tirreno 2000, which was built on a pedal force carbon frame, but was too big and sold it to my pastor who can climb a hill almost as fast as i can go down the same hill). Try this test-place your bike on a repair stand, turn your crank one half revolution and time how long it takes the wheel to stop. Do the same for the other wheelset, keeping the cassette and gearing the same. I'll be surprised if the Forte wheel beats the Bonty (which admittedly doesn't take much, did this test myself once. Bonty's avg 65 sec, Shimano DA and Ultegra wheelsets avg 115 sec, Mavic SSC SL's and ES avg160 sec.) OK, small discalimer here-the Mavic wheelsets have had the bearings replaced with ceramic bearings. If you do this test and the Forte actually beats the Bonty, maybe I'll try them out.


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## PeanutButterBreath

lionheartdds said:


> Personally would have stayed with the Bonty wheels. They're heavy, but I'll take them over the Forte wheelset any day. They're great training wheels, near indestructable if you weigh less than 200 sodas. I've never been impressed with Forte products-everytime I've purchased a Performance Bike brand, they've sucked. (with the exception of a Tirreno 2000, which was built on a pedal force carbon frame, but was too big and sold it to my pastor who can climb a hill almost as fast as i can go down the same hill). Try this test-place your bike on a repair stand, turn your crank one half revolution and time how long it takes the wheel to stop. Do the same for the other wheelset, keeping the cassette and gearing the same. I'll be surprised if the Forte wheel beats the Bonty (which admittedly doesn't take much, did this test myself once. Bonty's avg 65 sec, Shimano DA and Ultegra wheelsets avg 115 sec, Mavic SSC SL's and ES avg160 sec.) OK, small discalimer here-the Mavic wheelsets have had the bearings replaced with ceramic bearings. If you do this test and the Forte actually beats the Bonty, maybe I'll try them out.


That test proves nothing. You time is better spent futzing around with the digital scale, which isn't saying much but this is the WW forum. Then again this is a WW project not a "can I find some faux-scientific rationalization for spending $$$ on ceramic bearing upgrades" project.

I bought a set of Titans a few years ago. Never had a problem Recently bought another set and if they are still as good, you'd have a hard time finding a better wheelset for $105 (frequent sale price plus 20% coupon).


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## sevencycle

*Not your time and not your money.*



PigmyRacer said:


> You're wasting both time and money.


 You are wasting his time with your uninformative comments. You must live in Florida where a bridge is considered a hill.


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## PigmyRacer

sevencycle said:


> You are wasting his time with your uninformative comments. You must live in Florida where a bridge is considered a hill.


Frankly I'm still not sure what Florida, a bridge and a hill have to do with each other but I hope that was not meant to be witty. But you are right, you've added far more to this thread than I have or anybody else for that matter.


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## DIRT BOY

Jason1500 said:


> Its a 58cm. Anyway I'm going to do for plan 'B'. Which is upgrade my wheelset, bought Forte Titan's from performance which comes to 1755g not sure how that compares so the Bontrager Select wheels but according to the reviews I've read the Titan's roll much faster...albeit there does seem to be a spoke breakage problem, but I don't weight 230lbs so we'll see. Total cost was $203 that included new tires(Vredestein Fortezza SE) and tubes. Oh and I also purchased a new saddle a specialized toupe team several weeks ago...which is awesome and I plan to keep forever. Gave the frame a nice wax n clean and bike looks like new again.
> 
> So my plan now is to keep the bike just like it is(with the new saddle and wheelset....nothing more unless something breaks) ride it and enjoy it for a few more seasons and save up for a nice cheap carbon bike I kinda like the Immortal Spirit bikesdirect is selling and convert the 1500 into a cyclocross bike.


You may only save 100-200g. Waste of money, sorry.


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## shanabit

This has nothing to do with the WEIGHT issue per se. However, I started upgrading components on my Trek 1200 and after awhile, my wife told me to stop the madness and go get the bike I really wanted!!!! I still have my 1200 for most of my training rides. If I want to speed it up I go get on my Tarmac Expert Comp now!!!! 

Items I upgraded on my Trek 1200:
1. Front and rear DR
2. Wheels
3. Handlebars
4. Bottle cages
5. Seat
6. Brake calipers
7. Stem
8. Tires

As you can see, I WASTED a LOT of dough getting the bike to be RIDEABLE for ME


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## Jason1500

DIRT BOY said:


> You may only save 100-200g. Waste of money, sorry.


200g isn't so bad and if the wheels spin faster like a lot of reviews claim then I think I made a good purchase/ Unless your saying I'll only save 200g by going with the bikesdirect carbon bike?


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## bikesdirect

Jason1500 said:


> 200g isn't so bad and if the wheels spin faster like a lot of reviews claim then I think I made a good purchase/ Unless your saying I'll only save 200g by going with the bikesdirect carbon bike?


You would save about 3 lbs with an Immortal Spirit

But if you want to just lighten up the Trek and make it more fun to ride
you could just upgrade wheels. These wheels would likely cut a pound off your Trek and have much better hubs to boot for $300

http://bikeisland.com/cgi-bin/BKTK_STOR20.cgi?Action=Details&ProdID=738

Lighter tire would be nice too


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## DIRT BOY

Jason1500 said:


> 200g isn't so bad and if the wheels spin faster like a lot of reviews claim then I think I made a good purchase/ Unless your saying I'll only save 200g by going with the bikesdirect carbon bike?


They won't spin usp much faster IMO> the rims weight s wil be very similar. Yes 200g is almost a 1/2 pound, but those are not a huge performace gain and the money and weight could have gone somewhere esle. That's all.


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## 08Madone5.2

Save your money, go on a diet and lose 5 lbs


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## cyclust

To all of you who have told the OP that it is a waste of time and money to upgrade his bike and make it lighter, please remember, cycling is a hobby that is not just about riding, but also about the equiptment. Upgrading parts on a bike fullfills my "manly mechanical tinkering desire". It's no different than being a car collector who obsesses over every little thing on his classic car. Or a woodworker who loves to go into a tool store and oogle over the latest tablesaw or whatever. Sure, it may not be practical to put $800 into a new wheelset for his bike, but everyone has his poison. Some guys buy $100,000 boats, some buy a $500 driver and still can't hit a ball worth a ship. Cycling is unique because it can fullfill the "toy" desire that all guys seem to have along with being just a great activity. Some folks can be perfectly content to ride any old bike, and be perfectly happy with an heavy, scratched up rusty old tank. And that's great. But many guys, myself included, enjoy the beauty and sexiness of a finely crafted, high end bike with all the lateset high tech gizmos and superlight components as much as we enjoy riding the darned thing. So I say let him get his toys if he wants to!


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## jmlapoint

I have a TREK 5500 that I lightened just a little:

SpeedPlay Pedals
Thompson Masterpiece Seatpost
Fizek Saddle
Lighter Tires
Ti Skewers
King Ti WB Cage

You can get lighter Wheels, but that can really be expensive for not much gain unless you are a racer or a climber.
Good luck.


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