Project-X...first time build... 7.8kg

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grahus
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 7:43 pm
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

by grahus

Hi,

Been reading the Forums for a few months and decided to post my winter project.

I have been riding an aluminium Bianchi via Narone (~9kg) for the last few years and decided I wanted to try a carbon frame. Being from North of the Wall, I knew I wasn't going to spent £1500 on it, so i stared looking around for a 'cheap' carbon frame. In the end I went for the Planet-X Pro Carbon, just to see what £233 worth of carbon gets you, and it would be delivered in 3 days!

This started off as "Lets see what a carbon frame is like...", then progressed to "Lets see how light i can make it..' then it became "How light can it be for minimum cost...' and now it's currently at "Holy Shit...light bikes are expensive!"

So, at this point in time I don't consider myself to have a particularly light bike, it is light for me, but not compared to most bikes on here....but it's a work in progress. I fully expect to spend vast quantities of money over the next few years changing every part of the bike several times until I am satisfied, or broke! , and I'll explain some of my choices in future posts.

Brand: Planet-X Type: Pro Carbon (Large)

Final weight: 7.8kg / 17.2lb.

Frame: 1045g
Fork: 363g
Hanger: (with frame)
Headset: Cane Creek 40 80g
Seatpost clamp: 28g
Seatpost: Fizik Cyrano R5 285g
Seat: Selle Italia Nekkar 245g
Stem: Pro PLT 130g
Bar: Deda Zero 100 RHM 266g
Bartape: Fizik 40g (est)
Bottle cages and Hardware: 34g

Outer Cable: no idea 250-300g (est) for both.
Inner Cables:

Brakes: Shimano 105 392g
Front derailleur: Shimano 105 88g
Rear derailleur: Shimano 105 227g
Crankset: Shimano 105 725g
Bottom Bracket: Shimano 105 76g
Chainrings: As above.
Chainring bolts: As above.
Chain: Shimano 105 260g
Shifters: Shimano 105 520g
Cassette: Shimano 105 272g

Wheels: 1476g
Hubs: Bitex RAF10/RAR9 257g
Spokes: Sapim Race 319g
Rims: Kinlin XR-22T/22RT 900g
Valves: 14g
Skewars: Carbon/Ti (generic) 42g

Tires: Hutchison Fusion 5 Performance 500g
Pedals: Look Keo 2 Max Blade 250g

(All weights are measured unless stipulated differently)

Rider Weight: 84kg
Rider Height: 184cm / 6' 1"

(All parts were weighed as I bought them, and the bike was weighed once built. I do not have 'Scale' pics, but when I next take it apart I will weigh and photograph all parts. I am sure no one will contest I have a 7.8kg bike here, it's not breaking any records!)
Attachments
IMG_1457 (Large).JPG
IMG_1566 (Large).JPG
Last edited by grahus on Sun Apr 22, 2018 7:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
Bikes:

Road: Project-X Pro Carbon (7.2kg) | Bianchi via Narone (bare metal project)
MTB: Canyon Spectral 6.0 Ex 27.5" | GT Zaskar 26" | Orange Clockwork 26" (Limited Edition green)

by Weenie


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

www.starbike.com



c60rider
Posts: 872
Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:12 pm

by c60rider

Decent bike this for the money I bought one of the Planet X nanolight frames and this one looks similar to it so I guess it might have replaced the nanolight. The only problem with mine is that officially it didn't fit 11 speed and 11 speed drives had been out about 3 years when I bought the frame. It didn't fit 11 speed as the chain grazed the edge of the seatstay when it dropped into the smallest sprocket. It quickly scraped enough off to no longer catch and 7 years on it's still going really well and is my lightest bike I own. I'm guessing this has no such problems there.
Last edited by c60rider on Thu Apr 12, 2018 12:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Lewn777
Posts: 1266
Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:35 am

by Lewn777

Nice bike, almost unbelievable the weight you could shave off potentially. 105 is a very good groupset in terms of reliability and durability, but it's so heavy.

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grahus
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 7:43 pm
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

by grahus

c60rider... thanks, i'm running 11spd (5800) and luckily have not seen that issue, although it is close!

Lewn777...thank you, and yes, totally agree with your comment on 105, but a lot of the component choices were made to get it on the road quickly and I accepted the weight, at the time.

It was also my first wheel build and I wanted to see if they would survive too.

My first goal is to get to 6.8kg...


If anyone reads this, how do you embed decent images into the body of the post, rather than as small attachments?
Bikes:

Road: Project-X Pro Carbon (7.2kg) | Bianchi via Narone (bare metal project)
MTB: Canyon Spectral 6.0 Ex 27.5" | GT Zaskar 26" | Orange Clockwork 26" (Limited Edition green)

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Klaster_1
Posts: 1390
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2016 10:25 am
Location: Paphos, Cyprus

by Klaster_1

grahus wrote:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 10:22 am
If anyone reads this, how do you embed decent images into the body of the post, rather than as small attachments?
Use the img bbcode tag with full image URL:
Image

Nixster
Posts: 253
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2017 3:30 pm

by Nixster

Hylix seat post and Kalloy Uno stem will save you about 170g for a cost of about £90 less what you get for selling your current versions.
Ultegra shifter are MUCH lighter than 105 so I'd start there. And rebuild your wheels with CXrays, should cost about £100 for the spokes and will make the wheels both lighter and more aerodynamic!

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grahus
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 7:43 pm
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

by grahus

So my initial aim was to buy a carbon frame and see how light I could build it up, and to do so without breaking the Bank….

Here are some reasons for what I bought, and some thoughts on changes I want now that I have about 500km on the bike;

Frame & Fork
I wanted an inexpensive carbon frame. Sure, I would have liked to have bought a ‘top brand’ named frame but the cost for me was prohibitive. I may end up changing out the frame in the future, but for now, this will do.
I did consider buying direct from China/Taiwan, but the low cost and ease of getting this frame was why I went with it. I see that it has a reputation for a flexy front-end, speed wobbles and maybe not the best for taller riders (me) so if any of that becomes an issue, I will change it.

The fork will be trimmed a little more as I reduce spacer height and I’m looking for a high top cap for the headset bearing to make the transition from headtube to steerer look smoother.

Aesthetically, I wanted matte black, another reason for choosing this frame, but for now, the build is not very pleasing to my eye. I think removing some of the mish-mash of parts, or the decals on them will help and I will remove the little white stickers on the forks and the seat.

Groupset
Just took the easy option and bough the complete 105 5800 groupset, cheap and reliable, but damn heavy! I knew this would be the case, so I need a plan to reduce this over time, still deciding what to do though….
I would rather keep Shimano or Shimano Compatible components on this bike.

Not sure the best way to reduce weight and keep all Shimano? For the money, buying Ultegra or Dura-ace is not going to save that much weight, or maybe it is (OK Nixter...it is)?
I would switch to a lighter crank arm spider and chainrings, I like the look of the very ‘skinny’ looking Campagnola and Cannondale ‘skeleton’ style rings, but don’t know similar which would complement a mainly Shimano build.

I’m looking for lighter brakes, and might just buy some ‘generic’ lightweights off Ebay to try, we will see!
Again, my brake levers/shifters are heavy but I don’t know what I want to switch to!

Can’t see many options for reducing chain weight by much more than 30g.


The cockpit and seating were already owned, or bought, and were to get the bike on the road….plenty of room for improvement here.

Stem
Will probably change this from 110mm to 120mm and lighten at the same time.

Bars
Width is fine, as is the shape, but I’m looking for lighter.

Seatpost
I have decided I want to change this for a lighter carbon inline post.

Saddle
A spare I had lying around. Will change this for a very light carbon ‘skelf’ in black.

Wheels
I am quite proud of these. This is the first set I have built, and all the parts were sourced to make a light’ish wheelset.
I’m not harsh on my bikes, I’m not a racer, so the hubs were the cheapest, lightest I could find. Not interested in expensive Chris King (why so heavy) or that they last ‘20 years’, if they get sloppy then I’ll change the bearings or know not to buy again, for now they are great.

Rims, again, were sourced as a decent, light’ish purchase, but now they are built up I don’t like the silver brake track or the gloss finish, it doesn’t go with the frame.
I am thinking of getting a set of Light Bicycle 38mm carbon clinchers, Sapim Laser, and the same hubs to buid up as a lighter and more ‘pleasing to the eye’ wheel.

I like my no-name carbon/Ti skewars, nice and light and slim, but who cares when your Groupset weighs 2500g???

Tyres
Started off with Vittoria Rubino Pro G+ 25mm and innertubes, but had a hell of a job mounting the front tyre!! Bust several tubes…
So I switched to the Hutchison Fusion 5 Performance 25mm, running tubeless with Orange Seal, what a difference. Easy to fit, sealed perfectly on the rims with a track pump and I like the ride of them. Also lighter than the Vittorias + inner tube.

Pedals
Originally used my old pair of 105’s but wanted something lighter. So I bought a pair of Look Keo2 Max Blades to see what they were like. About 100g lighter for a start, and just as good to pedal in.

Cables
Just using standard Shimano/Clarkes cables and housing, so definitely looking for something more exciting and lighter.

BB (BSA thread)
Came with the Group, reasonably light, not sure it’s worth it to change?

Headset
I quite like this headset, not sure it is worth changing apart from the top cap?



Klaster1, can you give me an idiots guide for doing "Use the img bbcode tag with full image URL:", the image is on my PC not an image hosting server?
Bikes:

Road: Project-X Pro Carbon (7.2kg) | Bianchi via Narone (bare metal project)
MTB: Canyon Spectral 6.0 Ex 27.5" | GT Zaskar 26" | Orange Clockwork 26" (Limited Edition green)

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Klaster_1
Posts: 1390
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2016 10:25 am
Location: Paphos, Cyprus

by Klaster_1

grahus wrote:
Thu Apr 12, 2018 1:14 pm
Klaster1, can you give me an idiots guide for doing "Use the img bbcode tag with full image URL:", the image is on my PC not an image hosting server?
1. Attach the file to the post like you did before.
2. Right click on thumbnail, "Open in new tab".
3. Copy full image URL from address bar.
4. Switch back to post, click on "Img" button in editor tools, paste the URL at the cursor position.

Personally, attached images are totally fine by me, just click on it and the full-sized image will open in current/new tab. I use a custom userscript to convert all attached images into flickr-style unintrusive gallery.

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grahus
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 7:43 pm
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

by grahus

Great, Thanks.

I like the look of your Honfu FM-079, the stealth black aesthetic appeals to me.
Bikes:

Road: Project-X Pro Carbon (7.2kg) | Bianchi via Narone (bare metal project)
MTB: Canyon Spectral 6.0 Ex 27.5" | GT Zaskar 26" | Orange Clockwork 26" (Limited Edition green)

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jbaillie
Posts: 685
Joined: Thu Nov 01, 2012 4:17 pm

by jbaillie

Really nice bike - it looks like the rear mech has been modified with some aftermarket jockeywheels. What are they?

You mentioned upgrading the crank, I think that'll go a huge distance in getting to your target weight.

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themidge
Posts: 1528
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:19 pm
Location: underneath sweet Scottish rain

by themidge

Hello from Edinburgh, you live in a nicer part of our country to cycle in that me.
For some good, relatively cheap weight savings I definitely recommend lighter cranks (rotor and fsa tend to be quite nicely priced on ebay) as well as cables, bar tape, seatpost, stem, you don't need that fizik rubber ring, FD, and saddle. Basically everything except wheels and frame can be much lighter for not much money per part, but things can start to get out of hand when the bug bites :D. You seem to know what you're doing so good luck!

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grahus
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 7:43 pm
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

by grahus

#jbaillie...Yes, they were Lerway 13T jockey wheels off Amazon. Same weight as the stock items, but I wanted some colour back there!

#themidge...Nice idea, then I can maybe reduce weight and get the 'skeleton' look I am hoping for with the chain rings. Need a bit of research to find a good match with aftermarket rings and the crank/spider. The rubber ring is going. FD, any recomendation? I can't see me loosing much weight there, but I guess small amounts everywhere are what gets the weight down.

All the parts I will replace will be used on my Bianchi frame to upgrade it from Sora 9, so they won't go to waste.
Bikes:

Road: Project-X Pro Carbon (7.2kg) | Bianchi via Narone (bare metal project)
MTB: Canyon Spectral 6.0 Ex 27.5" | GT Zaskar 26" | Orange Clockwork 26" (Limited Edition green)

DJT21
Posts: 381
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2011 7:35 pm

by DJT21

I used to have one of these, about eight years ago. I'm surprised they still sell them! A real blast from the past; when they (along with Ribble) were released, they were very popular as it was carbon fibre for the masses. Previously you'd had to have forked out thousands for a carbon frame. Great bikes! I nearly bought a pink one not long ago, then had a word with myself...

I'd swap saddle/post/stem as they're easy gains. Those bars seem quite light for alloy, I'd probably stick with them for the time being.
I think Ultegra chainset and shifters are a good bit lighter than 105. Of course, you could always go back to 10 speed with SRAM as it's very light and should be fairly cheap on eBay.

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themidge
Posts: 1528
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2017 4:19 pm
Location: underneath sweet Scottish rain

by themidge

Good plan with reusing the parts you switch out, then both your bikes will be getting lighter! :D
I actually didn't get them for my own build as I already had some reasonably light ones, but Stronglight CT2 chainrings are the best weight for the price for 5 bolt rings, and they have that spidery look which I agree is very nice.
Front derailleurs are a bit weird when it comes to weight, as there is often not even 10g difference between the first and third tiers. I got a 10speed DA 7900 one from eBay for like £25 (only 66g!) but that wouldn't be compatible with your shifters, so look out for a 9000 series one, you might find a good deal
Its certainly true that the little things add up, but changing all those parts like seatclamps and cables can make for some quite satisfying weight reduction for (relatively) little money.

by Weenie


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

www.starbike.com



User avatar
grahus
Posts: 68
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 7:43 pm
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

by grahus

I'm now wondering about getting SRAM cranks and rings, or SRAM cranks and Stronglight CT2 chainrings. if I de-badge the SRAM cranks it might still look ok, and give me the 'spider' look I quite like.
Looking on Ebay over the weekend I can see there are quite a few options, certainly to get lighter, but also to get the look I want.
Bikes:

Road: Project-X Pro Carbon (7.2kg) | Bianchi via Narone (bare metal project)
MTB: Canyon Spectral 6.0 Ex 27.5" | GT Zaskar 26" | Orange Clockwork 26" (Limited Edition green)

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