Starting on the long spiral down

[1spd]

Well, I have been in and out of road bikes from year to year. Most recently been out on a SS, rigid, MTB. But I was recently offered a deal from a friend of mine who just happens to own his own shop and just couldn't pass it up. I'm now the proud owner of an 09 Bianch Pinella (Boron-steel) w/ a mixture of Campy parts on it. I say it was a good deal as the parts are pretty much as follows and included two wheelsets (granted only one set is complete if you will-no tires/cassette on the other)

Bianchi Pinella steel frame w/ full carbon B4P fork
FSA Orbit X headset
ITM Melinium carbon wrapped stem (just ordered Zipp Service Corse)
ITM carbon bar (can't figure out the model of these-older so not on their site)
Cinelli bar tape
Record ti/bb brakes
Centaur carbon V3 levers (he liked the feel of the new levers but didn't want to upgrade it to 11 spd)
Record 10 spd RD
Centaur 10 spd FD
Chorus CT 10 spd crank (compact)
Jagwire cables all around
Record 10 spd chain
Thomson Elite laid back post
Fizik Aliante saddle (some sort of base model in celeste)
Wheel set I
Velocity Deep V celeste
Sapim Cxray spokes (24f/28r) black
White Industries hubs black
Brass nipples black
Wheel set II
Velocity Aero Head f, AH OC rear celeste
Sapim Cxray spokes (24f/28r) silver
White Industries hubs (silver)
Brass nipples silver
Tires-Hutchinson Atom tubless
Record 11-25 cassette
Elite classic bottle cages (I think they are the heaviest ones they make!)

I think that is about it. Obviously there is a lot to be changed out on this bike and the never ending path to weight weenieism has already begun. I have already started replacing parts on the bike and will be doing so for quite a while apparently. I will say that I love the ride of the frame. The Boron tubing is tripple butted and heat treated. I don't think any tube is perfectly round in its entirety and in fact, the chain stays are actually square at the bb. I would have to say that it rides more like a ti frame than a steel frame. The carbon fork is the same fork that is used on their high end carbon frames so that is a plus.

So far I have changed out the following:

Thomson post for KCNC ti-light pro (already had this) diff. -100g
Aliante for San Marco Aspide diff. -116g
Elite btl cage for ebay specials diff. -138g
Melinium stem for Zipp Service Course diff. -113g
Expander plug/top cap for Tune Gum-gum and Campy record carbon top cap diff. -35g
Campy seat collar for ? ebay special diff. -15g
Centaur fd for a Record one I had (freebee!) diff. -10g
Cinelli bar tape for Specialized diff. -5g

At this point I am heading in the right direction. I have a long ways to go and a lot of crap to swap out. Yes, another set of wheels will really make the biggest difference but I am going to focus on the other bike parts first since I already have two sets of wheels to ride on. Instead I will be picking up some new tires (probably Conti PG 400s since I have had good experience with these in the past. (diff should be about -130g going to the Conti's over the current Hutchinson's) I will also shift to some lighter weight tubes (either Performance lights, Conti race, or perhaps give some latex a shot). I plan on swapping out the Jagwires for some i-links over the winter. The guy I got the bike from is looking for the original Record carbon 10spd levers (v2 style) as he doesn't recall selling them and will simply swap them with me if he can find them. Not sure if it will shed much weight but it will bring the bike back to being all Record (minus the crank-which I will more than likely replace with a Record 10spd). I am also considering a KCNC 10 spd cassette but need to do a little more research on that one. Eventually the bars will be swapped out to a set of Zipp Contours I think. Eventually I may swap out the brake calipers for either Zero G's or some KCNC C7's but that will be down the road.

So, as you can see, there is a lot of work to be done and money to be spent (which is why this will take a while -$$$). The theme of the bike initially was all Italian and I think he was trying to get everything he could find in celeste. It rides great but is/was just too heavy for my taste. The goal is to get under 16 lbs (7.27kg). Right now with the Aero Head wheels on it, it is sitting at 17.17 bls (7.8 kg). This is without the new stem that hasn't shown up yet so I suspect that I will be pretty close to 17 lbs (7.73 kg) flat. I'm sure that even swapping out all these little parts, tires/tubes, I should be able to get into the high 16's lb range. Once all this other little crap is done, I will then shift my focus to a nice new wheel build and shoot for the 15 lbs range. Not bad for a steel frame really.

So the pictures of the bike:

The first one is pretty much the way I got it with the Deep V wheels on it. I did swap the seat/post for something while I was initially buying it (well when I was deciding if I wanted to) Yes, there is about a foot of steerer tube there! (not any more)

This picture is after a few things have been swapped out:

Again, the seat/post have been changed out to an Aspide and a KCNC post, steerer was cut down, bottle cages have been swapped out, bar tape redone (in celeste-waiting to see if he finds the levers and will then change tape to black and get some celeste hoodz)

More pics to come and I'll try to keep this thread updated as I continue on with the project. I will also get a parts list together as well (already have it but need to clean it up a bit and reweigh a few things)

[1spd]

Trust me, I have a whole shopping list put together or at least ideas of what I'm considering. Skewers are also on the list (forgot about those). Paid $1200 for the bike and really can't complain about it much at all. All take off parts, while heavy are simply going to be going on my super cheap, fixie that I built up last winter but that is a whole other story and nothing worthy of this forum.

[1spd]

Ok, so I received my Zipp Service Course SL stem, bottle cages, seat clamp, and Tune Gum-Gum. I also swapped my wheels out to the lighter (not these are light either mind you) set of the two, changed out the bar tape, swapped the der cables out to i-Links (just happened to have some that I used on the MTB a while back (nothing like recycling!). Still trying out different seats on the bike but somehow keep ending up back with my Aspide (155g). In any case, the weight is at 17.55 lbs or 7.97 kg.

After reviewing my list of things to change, it is looking like the next thing to tackle is tires, tubes, and skewers. I need some new tires anyway so this just makes the most sense to me. The bike currently has some Hutchinson's on it so I know I can drop a good 100g just by changing the tires and maybe another 40-50g for the tubes and about 60 or so for the skewers.

I'll get some new pics of the bike up tonight or tomorrow. The goal is to break the 17 lb mark by spring which shouldn't be too hard at this point.

On a side note, I thought I would be lower for all the things that I change out but the bottom line is that the wheels that were on it when I got it (Velocity Deep V) were pretty frickn heavy. I remember throwing it on the scale before I bought it and it was right at 19.1 lbs! So I guess I am heading in the right direction. I mean when you can shave some 138g by swapping bottle cages then there is a lot of work to do!

[1spd]

Ok, so here are a few pics of how the bike is sitting right now. I'm pretty sure that a new set of tires, tubes, and skewers will be next on the list. Trying to figure out a more cost effective approach to this at the moment since Christmas is right around the corner and I'll have to dawn my Santa hat here soon. But I got all winter to work on this. Just going to keep trying to plug away at it a little at a time.

[1spd]

Oh, I was going thru some emails yesterday and found one that I had sent to the original owner. I apparently had weighed it at one point prior to my purchase (when I had borrowed it for a few days) and apparently it was at 19.8 lbs (9 kg)! So, by swapping to the other set of wheels and the few other things that I have done, I have actually shaved over 2 lbs off the bike already! That definitely makes me feel a little better. Still have a ways to go though. It may never be a true WW build or claim any sort of prize for its lightness but as long as I can get this sucker down in the 16 lb range (7.2 kg) I'll be quite happy.

[artray]

Still lighter than a Pinarello

[kgt]

Lovely, lovely frame!

[1spd]

Was looking at pictures on the computer of other stuff a minute ago and forgot that I took this one. Just thought I'd post up what I'm working with. I tell ya, the prior owner went celeste happy! Can't believe I shaved 138g just by changing my bottle cages!

[Wingnut]

Love it...nice bike...

[btompkins0112]

Looking good! I feel the pull for a steel rig pretty much constantly......one day!

[1spd]

So I have posted a few things up in different threads and figured I would go back to my original one and follow up with the bikes progress.

As I mentioned early on, I picked the bike up second hand from a long time friend (who just happens to own his own shop now). He is very into the Italian bike scene and did this bike up in as much celeste as he could get his hands on. He wasn't too stressed about weight as he is a pretty big guy. None the less, lots of things needed to be changed for the bike to work for me. I believe the bike weighed in at close to 19.5 lbs when I bought it from him last June/July. I am proud to say that I now have it down to 16 lbs 11 oz (at least that is what the scale said last week before a few more little things were added-I doubt it will change much though).

So since the last post I threw up on this thread I have purchased/changed out the following:

Handle bars, saddle, seat post, pedals, tires, bottle cages, cables (derailleur), bar tape, top cap, stem, headset compression bolt set up, skewers...I think that's it.

My initial goal for the bike was to get it down to 17 lbs as that seems pretty respectable for a mass produced steel frame. Of course it never stops there. While it was my plan to lighten the bike up the real goal was to make it what I wanted and to have it fit me better. So when I would be searching for a replacement part I of course took weight into consideration and for the most part managed to drop weight on everything I swapped out. As I mentioned the bike actually broke the 16 lb barrier which is pretty cool but I now realize that I'm going to end up taking it lower still. Not for the sake of being a WW but because there are still a few things left on the bike that I want to change out/upgrade if you will and as a result, it should shave a little more weight in the process.

I even managed to do a little carbon project myself by modifying my SLR XP saddle by swapping out the rails (documented in another thread) so that was pretty cool and a fun experience but I realize I don't have the patients that a true carbon fiber wiz like Berk or Weeracerweenie have (or the tools).

My most recent round of upgrades that all showed up this week are/were, bars, seat post, pedals, tires, and skewers. All were actually items I needed. I wanted a different bar that had a shallower drop and shorter reach. I then realized I wanted a flat top bar but didn't want to have to fully wrap the bars at the same time to hide the cables. In the end I went with the ITM Pathom 2 bar. It was listed at 220g which didn't make me that happy but I pulled the trigger because comfort was going to win out in this case. I threw it on the scale (pic of this will be added later as it is on the camera at home) and it weighed in at 207g out of the box! Sweet because the bar it was replacing weighed 230g! Boom! 23g dropped!

I needed to replace my 12+ yr old Speedplay X2's and ended up winning an auction on the bay for a set of X1's that only had about 100 miles on them. I mean these things might as well be brand new. The cleats only had a single scratch on them for crying out loud! Weight savings was 42g !

I had to replace the seatpost as the KCNC one I had been riding was on loan to me as I realized I needed a straight post. The KCNC weighed in at 141g for a 27.2x350mm post. I picked up a Hylix carbon that was a 27.2x400mm that had a claimed weight of 160g. After trimming it down to the needed length, it now weighs 131g and technically I guess I could cut another inch off it but I figure I'll leave it the way it is in the event I want to slap it on another bike or something. So really I only saved about 10g for the seat post, but I now own this one so that is a plus.

Skewers, well, I got two sets of wheels when I bought the bike. But only one was complete. That meant I needed some more skewers, tires, and a cassette. For the skewers I went with the Token titanium/carbon's. In comparison to the stock Campy ones I was using this netted me a 73g weight savings! Yep the Token's are pretty frickn light at 36g for the pair!

Tires: Again something I needed as I only had one set to swap between the two wheel sets. The old tires were Hutchinsons that weighed in at 560g for the pair. The new tires are Velo Flex Corsa and weigh 383g for a savings of 177g! Just ridiculous really!

By doing my little saddle project I shaved another 42g.

I plan on going for a spin at lunch today and stopping by a shop that recently moved to a new location. I figure it will give me a chance to check out the new store as well as see if they have a scale to weigh the bike on. If so, I'll post up a weight when I get back.

I am a little up in the air as to what to go after next. I have a lot of different ideas (one of which should be wheels) but my goal is also to keep the cost down as well. The idea of wheels is there simply because I want a pair of lower profile carbon rims. But the reality is that I already have two sets of wheels and would rather work on swapping some other stuff first. At the moment, I am thinking that a new headset is at the top of the list. I was considering the Cane Creek AER but don't like the idea of not having a bearing on the top (though the new model allows for it) so I am thinking that I'll go with an Extra Light instead. That will probably shave another 30g or so. Next will probably be a set of brakes. I am most likely going to go with the KCNC C7's as that will probably drop about 100g but I will do a little more research on these to see what others have experienced with them. I will then move on to the derailleurs. For the rear I will do a carbon fiber rear plate, new jockey wheels, and different bolts (alu/ti). I have no idea what the weight savings will be here. For the front derailleur, I will replace it all together with a braze on style and then get a Parle carbon clamp. Lastly will be a new crank or chain rings or both! I don't think that just getting new rings will drop much weight. I also don't think that upgrading to a Record 10 spd crank is going to save that much either (compared to the money being spent). So the idea is to maybe just get my hands on an Extra Light or Lightening crank and then put some Extra Light rings on it. That should amount to a huge weight savings over the current Chorus CT crank w/ stock rings. But this is the most expensive upgrade so I'm sure it will take some time.

As you can see, the next round of upgrades is becoming more of a want rather than a need (other than a headset). So, I'm not as pressed about doing them at this point which in turn gives me some time to sock some money away and do more research into them.

On a side note, I will add that I took a bit of a butt woopin installing the new bar last night. Just ridiculous really. The i-Link cables didn't fit thru the bar. Then for whatever reason I could only find one of the original cables that came on the bike (I swear that Elf on the Shelf took it). In the end I pulled the cables off my daughters bike Once that was done is was time for the next beat down w/ the bar tape. Normally bar tape goes pretty quick for me but I used the new Lizard Skin dimpled stuff and it doesn't stretch. This made it a little tricky around the tighter bends and the hoods themselves. Instead of it taking me some 5-10 min, it ended up taking almost 30! But I'm quite happy with the end results.

And one of the new saddle/seat post

Pic of front hub (White Industries all polished up and clean) w/ the new Token skewer

Lastly here's the build list so far and what weights I have:

09 Pinella Frame/carbon fork ?wt?
FSA Orbit X headset 110g
Zipp 5mm spacer 4g
Zipp Service Corse stem 120g
ITM Pathom 2 bar 207g
Record calipers 280g/pair
Centaur levers 364g/pair
Brake/shift cables: Jag Wire ?wt??
Lizard Skin bar tape wt???
Seat post collar 8g
Hylix carbon post w/ ti hardware 131g
Modded SLR saddle 113g
Wheels:
set 1- Velocity Areohead (ah OC on rear), Sapim spokes, brass nips, WI hubs 645g front/890g rear
set 2- Velocity Deep V, sapim spokes, brass nips, WI hubs (black) 818g front/1027g rear
Tires:
set 1- Veloflex Corsa 23c 383g (on set 1)
set 2- Hutchinson Atoms 560g (on set 2)
Tubes:
set 1- Bontrager lights @76g ea. (on set 1)
set 2- Performance cheapies at 120g ea (on set 2)
Skewers:
Token carbon/ti 36g (on set 1)
Campy 109g (on set 2)
Record clamp on front der 100g
Record 10spd rear der wt??
C10 chain wt???
Chorus CT 10spd crank wt???
Speedplay X1 pedals 155g
Chorus cassette 11-25t 252g
Campy lock ring 14g

I think that is about it. I have yet to completely disassemble the bike to get all the weights and I keep saying I am going to do it when the weather breaks but that just hasn't happened yet. I also need to get the Campy tool to pull my crank.

So there you have it. Still a lot of room to work with at this point and the new goal is to get it down to 15.something pounds over this upcoming year.

[1spd]

Stop by a shop on my lunch time ride and weighed it with their Park scale. New weight is 16 lbs 4 oz or 7370g! Heading in the right direction and it looks like all these little mods I just finished up actually did more than I thought they would.