Lemond Poprad

[dirtroadie]

I need some expert advise on trimming the weight off a stock 2008 Lemond Poprad. Price is certainly a primary (and well, secondary) concern... tertiary is true race functionality/durability. It will likely be a work in progress, so I need to make the smartest upgrade choices possible for speediest results. The only current modifications are trimming the gigantic steerer tube and removing about 6" of spacers.

Frame: LeMond True Temper OX Platinum Cross Canti
Fork: Bontrager Satellite, carbon
Headset: Aheadset Slimstak w/cartridge bearings, sealed, alloy
Crank: Bontrager Race Cross 46/38 GXP
Pedals: Crankbrothers smarty
Front Derailleur: Shimano 105
Rear Derailleur: Shimano Ultegra
Shift/Brake Levers: Shimano 105 STI, 10-speed
Cassette: Shimano 105 12-27, 10 speed
Wheel System: Bontrager Race
Tires: Bontrager Jones CX, 700x34c, folding
Brakes: Avid Shorty 4 cantilevers w/Shimano 105 STI levers
Handlebar: Bontrager Race Cross, 25.4mm
Stem: Bontrager Select, 10 degree, 25.4mm
Saddle: Bontrager Race w/Hollow cromoly rails
Seatpost: Bontrager Carbon

ok... so ideas?

[mayhem]

Ditch that seatpost for a Thomson. They work really well till they don't. At that point they come loose and you have to disassemble the entire head and clean it. I've seen them come loose before in races.

Might as well single ring that bike for $20 in parts. Maybe drops some weight, esp if you replace the left brifter with a brake lever.

Ditch those tires. They're too narrow. Get some Grifo's. They're very light and will work well in a variety of conditions.

Stem, handlebar and saddle are all pretty heavy. Eash 50g+ saving per item there.

[the Repeater]

Saddle first, for something real with Ti rails.

Secondly, the post, Mayhem makes a good point. I like a two-bolt post for cross, unless it's a Shimano post.


Anything else I would wait to see what you do or don't like after a few races. My guess is you won't like the tires, and with some research you can get a pair you do and relegate those to training/winter use.

[dirtroadie]

I'm glad I asked... I would not have thought with the approach you guys mentioned... thinking I may have needed to start with lighter wheels, and thinking about options.

I just raced in Breckenridge a few weekends ago and I thought I'd like a little longer stem. But that was its maiden race, and found some areas for improvement. I honestly dislike the shape of the bars, and I may just swipe the ITM stem and bars from my road bike.

I may just swipe my trusty saddle as well. Should I steer away from any carbon post?

[40x14]

Perfect timing, I have a Poprad disc and came here to look up crankset and cassette weights.

The real hippo is the crankset. The cranks are 880g claimed weight, that's not including 100g (estimated) for the bb cups. Switching it out for a dura ace double crankset would shave about 240g in one fell swoop. Then save more weight by going with a single ring, eliminating the front derailleur, and maybe switching out the front brifter to a non shifting left side brake lever.

I've considered switching the seatpost and saddle for something fancier and lighter, but to be honest I'm not entirely convinced that the stuff that's already on the bike is much heavier than an arione/thomson combo would be.

Also,

105 12x27 cassette is 50g heavier than d/a 12x27.

The wheels are on the heavy side and may eventually be laced as a set of box-section tubulars.

[mayhem]

I don't think you'll save a lot going to a single ring, besides getting rid of the left brifter.

The point of getting rid of the seatpost isn't to safe weight, it's to finish the race. The design of that head is trick and light, but not designed for 'cross.

[the Repeater]

I've been riding a set of Bontrager Race Lites on my road and cross bike for about 4 years now. They are really durable wheels, if you pay attention to the hubs regularly.


They are a little stiff and quite heavy, and laterally can feel like spaghetti. If you decide to spend money on wheels, you could probably save a pound over these stock sets, though I think they're great for training, from a durability standpoint anyway.