Help me lighten Merida (1x11 CX with Shimano)

The spirit of Grav-lo-cross. No but seriously, cyclocross and gravel go here!

Moderator: Moderator Team

AdyM
Posts: 127
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:12 am

by AdyM

Hi,

I have a fairly simple Merida CX 500 (Alu with 105 11 speed, mechanical disc) looking at removing some grams. Want to switch to a 1x11 (38T oval ring) and was wondering if any of you had experience with lightening/removing the shifting mechanism from the left hand lever! Or a brake lever with a very similar hood shape to 105 5800.

Other ideas down the line are new wheels, I weigh 80kg, so any wheelset recommendations for around £400 (€500) for CX racing would be great! Advice on spoke count too, and number of POE I should be looking for. (In my head, Hope PRO4 28/28 on DCR disc rim(415g), D-light spokes, or CX ray, budget dependant, would be around 1600g)

http://imgur.com/HRNFsE1

thanks in Advance!

AdyM
Posts: 127
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:12 am

by AdyM

Have been looking at the alfine S705-L, looks like the same hood shape as shimano 105, around 146g to the around 240g for a 105 shifter. 90g saving for £35.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



AdyM
Posts: 127
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:12 am

by AdyM

Hope Pro4s have arrived! As have the Pacenti CL25 rims (very cheap £28.50 each!) will be building with DT super comp or revolution spokes! Very excited.

The alfine lever has arrived, a slightly slimmer hood shape, but the closest you can expect to get to the original hood.

Still waiting on the Garbaruk 38T oval ring

AdyM
Posts: 127
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:12 am

by AdyM

Chainring has arrived, and installed with the alfine! Pleased so far, the hood shape is very similar to the 105. Shifted about 300g, and looks cleaner.

Check out this album for photo updates http://imgur.com/a/xcHDk


Next step are the wheels! Hope pro4, pacenti cl25, Cx rays, brass nipples! Should be built next tuesday.

jorisee01
Posts: 386
Joined: Mon May 04, 2015 8:22 pm

by jorisee01

Nice


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

AdyM
Posts: 127
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:12 am

by AdyM

More updates!
The wheels are finished. Rear from 1220g to 910g(-310g). Front from 910g to 770g(-140g)

They are also now tubeless too. Approx -40g per wheel for that. Total of -530g!

Very very happy, bike feels much lighter. Not sure of an exact figure, will be around the 9.2kg mark. It's getting there!

More photo updates: http://imgur.com/a/xcHDk

Next step will likely be carbon cranks(force22 or FSA SL-K) and carbon bars (Thomson KFC) to drop below 9kg!

Marin
Posts: 4035
Joined: Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:48 am
Location: Vienna Austria

by Marin

Very clean looking bike! You should post some pics in here.

What bar tape is that?

jooo
Posts: 1510
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:48 am

by jooo

AdyM wrote:Next step will likely be carbon cranks(force22 or FSA SL-K)

Red cranks are heaps lighter than Force for not much more money.

wheelzqc
Posts: 266
Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 6:51 pm

by wheelzqc

Interesting thread to follow. I didn't know about that left shimano shifter, cool !

AdyM
Posts: 127
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:12 am

by AdyM

Thanks for your comments:
Not sure what the bar tape is I'm afraid, it's just whatever came with the bike as standard. It's not particularly nice feeling, but also didn't leave a sticky mess on the bar when I retaped the left side after swapping the lever.

With the lever, the hood shape/size is slightly different for the Alfine, it's a bit slimmer, but hard to tell the difference when riding and with gloves etc.

I'll see if I can find a Red crank for a good price when the time comes then. I have the Fsa Slk on my road bike, so I might do a switch over, treat the road bike to the fancy new stuff.

9.27kg, so cranks and bars will get it under 9kg, when I can afford it :)
The new wheels are superb, when you drop around 500g of rotating weight, you are going to notice, and I think you can tell the difference between tubed and tubeless, the bike seems to have much more character now. Very pleased.

Image
Image

expatscot
Posts: 63
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2016 11:20 pm
Location: North Yorkshire, UK

by expatscot

Looking good - particularly the wheels!

A few suggestions:

- SRAM Red cranks. (I'm not sure if your 38t ring is 110 or 130.) The 130 flavour is very cheap on ebay, particularly if you don't mind cosmetic "blemishes". (I just paid £66 for compact Rotor 3D+ scuffed for my build).

- cheap carbon saddle off eBay. I've seen quite a few at around the £10-£12 mark. Unpadded and vv light. I'm tempted to get one, as I figure my bike is not going to be ridden for much more than an hour at a time, and a bare carbon saddle is easier to keep clean (and less likely to get scuffed).
- seatpost. You can pick up an old USE Alien carbon for around £20 if you look around. Obv depends on your seattube dia.

That's about it for the obvious stuff.
Look 695 aerolight eTap 11
Boardman TTE eTap 11
Brompton S2 LX ti custom
Trek 5500 1994 Sram Red 10
Boardman CXR9.8 eTap 11
Open UPPER - DA 9270
Ridley x-fire Sram Red 10

and lots of non- WW others.

AdyM
Posts: 127
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:12 am

by AdyM

It's a 110BCD ring, haven't seen a 130bcd 38T oval, not sure it's possible to make! But Red, BB30, compact is around £225 new, will keep hunting around for a bargain though.

I am looking at cheap saddles, my only criticism with the one I have is that it's just so damn slippery! And you have to get the position bang on otherwise it hurts like a bitch! Looking at a selle smp fake currently.

And with the seatpost, whilst not the lightest, the CG-R is simply a fabulous post, and is definitely staying!

jooo
Posts: 1510
Joined: Wed Feb 02, 2011 3:48 am

by jooo

People really seem to like them, but gosh they're pretty ugly.

Lolz

Image

expatscot
Posts: 63
Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2016 11:20 pm
Location: North Yorkshire, UK

by expatscot

AdyM wrote:It's a 110BCD ring, haven't seen a 130bcd 38T oval, not sure it's possible to make! But Red, BB30, compact is around £225 new, will keep hunting around for a bargain though.

I am looking at cheap saddles, my only criticism with the one I have is that it's just so damn slippery! And you have to get the position bang on otherwise it hurts like a bitch! Looking at a selle smp fake currently.

And with the seatpost, whilst not the lightest, the CG-R is simply a fabulous post, and is definitely staying!


I'm sure you can just about get a 38T in 130 (Stronglight?)

I've seen quite a few Sram Red 130 chainsets for <£100 on eBay, but the compact ones tend to be a bit dearer.
Mind you, if you could stretch up a little from 38T to a 39T then there's nothing stopping you from using a 130.
Look 695 aerolight eTap 11
Boardman TTE eTap 11
Brompton S2 LX ti custom
Trek 5500 1994 Sram Red 10
Boardman CXR9.8 eTap 11
Open UPPER - DA 9270
Ridley x-fire Sram Red 10

and lots of non- WW others.

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



AdyM
Posts: 127
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 4:12 am

by AdyM

Yet to see a narrow wide 38T oval 130BCD, round is fine (absolute black/wolftooth etc), oval is not.

Post Reply