Author Topic: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**  (Read 13255 times)

Offline FlatSociety

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**Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« on: May 16, 2015, 08:45:10 AM »
After some time sourcing the right parts & modding a few things, here it is:

Frame: Odyssey Flatware Tango (19.5 in. T.T. w/ Diabolic Ti Brake Mounts)
Fork:  KHE Tanaka (Trimmed down 5mm)
Bars:  We The People Utopia (Trimmed down to 25.5 in.)
Stem:  Sequence 'The Hook' Stem (26mm)
Headset: Token Omega C-1 w/ Custom Carbon Fiber 1 Piece Cap/Spacer
Compression Bolt: We The People
Gyro Plate: Hoffman D-Plate
Gyro: Snafu
Grips:  Stranger Quan
Bar Ends:  ODI
Front Brakes:  Mankind w/ Ti Bolts & inner cable routing & Diabolic Ti Pivot Bolts
Front Pads:  Fly Manual w/ Ti Bolts
Gyro Cable:  (Upper) ORYG Pro Flatland (Trimmed w/ 34R Knarp in lever & Fly cable stop)
Brake Cables:  Clark's Zero-G w/ Teflon inner cable (Dual Lower Gyro Setup)
Levers:  Kink Restraint
Rear Brake:  Odyssey Springfield w/ Diabolic Ti Pivot Bolts & 34R Knarps
Rear Pads:  Odyssey Ghost Pads w/ Ti Bolts
Gyro Tabs:  Vocal BMX
Seat:  St. Martin A.J. Tripod w/ Ti Bolt
Seat Post:  Sunday Tripod 300mm (Trimmed down to 250mm)
Seat Clamp:  Problem Solvers (Actually a headset clamp but works as the slimmest/lightest seat clamp.)
Front Hub:  Profile Elite w/ Diabolic Ti Female Axle Bolts & Ceramic Hybrid Bearings
Rims:  Sun Envy Lite (metal eyelets & welded seams)
Spokes:  Sapim Double Butted w/ Alloy 7075 Nipples
Rim Strips:  Rox Super Dut-E (lightest out there)
Tires:  Rubena DOM X (Kevlar) 1.60 width
Tubes:  KHE Twiggy (lightest tubes only 81 grams)
Pegs:  Deco Wu 1.5
Rear Hub:  Ezra Freecoaster w/ Proper Ti Female Axle w/Ceramic Hybrid Bearings w/ Salt Plus 9T Driver & Diabolic Ti Female Bolts
(Rear Hub weighs about 13 oz.)
Cranks:  Gusset Woodstock 853 165mm (The lightest Chromoly Cranks available. Made w/ Reynolds 853 Tubing.)
Crank Spindle:  FSA Ti w/ Diabolic Ti Bolts & Washers
Sprocket:  Profile Splined 18T
Bottom Bracket:  KHE/Affix Bushing (Bearingless Design)
Chain:  Crupi Rhythm Pro Hollow Pin
Pedals:  Wellgo KC008 MTB DH w/ Ti Spindles

 
Total Weight: 18 lbs. 5 oz.

 

Offline byke

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2015, 09:42:06 AM »
No it is not.

Offline metalbmxer

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2015, 11:15:39 AM »
No it is not.

How do u get any lighter? Ti spokes maybe? 32 or 28 spoke wheels? Ti frame?
Dax (now in LAS VEGAS as of July 2022)

Offline FlatSociety

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2015, 11:56:46 AM »
Good question. There's a stem out there that's about 1/2 oz lighter. Flatlandfuel has the Hoffman Low Drag 4.3.bars. It says they're only 17.9 oz, a full 7oz lighter than my We The people bars. It must be a misprint or else the Hoffman bars are paper thin. If I took my brakes & gyro off as is, my bike will be under 17 ibs. already...

Offline byke

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2015, 06:18:38 PM »
No it is not.

How do u get any lighter? Ti spokes maybe? 32 or 28 spoke wheels? Ti frame?


You can always go lighter, but the question is how far does one go in the search of lightness before it no longer serves a purpose ?


There are and have been lighter flatland bikes.
But trying to pursue such as a off the peg consumer is a race you will never win.


The goal should always be to find the perfect strength to weight ratio, for an individuals need.


Offline SurfonFlatland

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2015, 12:12:20 AM »
Profile Mini Mag cranks with ti spindle and Ti bolts are lighter than the Gusset set up.
The following is the truth.  The preceeding is a lie.

Offline FlatSociety

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2015, 02:03:14 AM »
Thx Surfon. I checked those out but I weigh 200 lbs & I still prefer chromoly for strength. The magna Ti's were about 1/2 oz lighter.

Offline FlatSociety

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2015, 02:07:33 AM »
No it is not.

How do u get any lighter? Ti spokes maybe? 32 or 28 spoke wheels? Ti frame?


You can always go lighter, but the question is how far does one go in the search of lightness before it no longer serves a purpose ?


There are and have been lighter flatland bikes.
But trying to pursue such as a off the peg consumer is a race you will never win.


The goal should always be to find the perfect strength to weight ratio, for an individuals need.

Good point Byke. This bike right now is crazy light for me & even though  I weigh 200 lbs it holds up great for me.

Offline getzfafive

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #8 on: May 20, 2015, 07:43:39 PM »
Its easier to stop eating meat / dairy / eggs and then drop 40 lbs, than it is to research buying light parts.

Offline metalbmxer

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2015, 08:38:03 PM »
Its easier to stop eating meat / dairy / eggs and then drop 40 lbs, than it is to research buying light parts.

disagree...just takes a little more attention to detail and $$
Dax (now in LAS VEGAS as of July 2022)

Offline byke

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2015, 08:11:13 AM »
Meat, eggs and dairy are all protein, which aids towards muscle growth (strength) ..... So if this theory was to work, you would be shedding muscle weight to achieve weight loss? Which would seem counter productive.


Carbs reduction however could help reduce insulin spikes.

Offline getzfafive

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2015, 03:59:33 PM »
Its easier to stop eating meat / dairy / eggs and then drop 40 lbs, than it is to research buying light parts.

disagree...just takes a little more attention to detail and $$


"Easier" was the wrong word, what I meant to say was a it's bigger return on investment to loose body weight, than loose stem bolt weight.


Offline DaddyCool

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2015, 10:34:43 PM »
Hi guys,
it is interesting that we talk about diets after a few posts here  ;D .
About the bike: I like it! It is beautiful and I always like when somebody cares for details which was done here for sure!
quixnet99, which spokes are you using? The ones with 2 mm - 1,5 mm - 2 mm diameter? Not easy to find them in suitable length, don't you think? I was looking for them and find them in the end. I think titamium spokes in 2 mm are not much lighter... Did you compare the weight to the KHE DT Swiss spokes?
I like how you have pimped your freecoaster. I did not know that there is a titanium axle that fits to a freecoaster. If there was one for the KHE ones I might buy it  ::) .
What was the weight of your old bike? Do you like the feeling?
I found out that less than 10 kg does not feel good for me. That is why I stopped searching for lighter parts some time ago.
Have fun with this bike!

Offline FlatSociety

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #13 on: May 22, 2015, 10:56:44 AM »
Thanks Daddy Cool for the nice compliments. Now to answer your questions; the spokes are Double Butted Stainless steel. They start out as 14 gauge & then taper to 15 gauge. They are comparable in weight to the KHE DT Swiss spokes. Titanium spokes are a bit lighter but I also value strength over absolute weight savings. Titanium spokes tend to flex & eventually snap easier than Stainless steel. The double-butted stainless spokes turn out in my opinion to be the best value & best strength to weight ratio. As far as the Ti axle. The axle that comes stock in this hub is a fairly standard cassette style axle. I read online that Rob Ridge uses the same Proper Magna Ti Female axle w/ great results, so I thought I'd give it a go. Even w/ all the Ti upgrades that is available for the new Profile Z Coaster, this hub is still several ounces lighter & less than half the cost. I'm not aware of any Ti axle for a KHE style hub. I believe there are Ti axles available for the Nankai Bamboo & of course the new Profile Z Coaster. This bike has been a gradual transition for me, so the weight has come down slowly as I have been able to find the right parts. I have some specialty Ti bolts on order that should bring my bike weight down close to another ounce. If i removed the brakes, my bike would weigh in the 16 lb. range. I am an older rider & for me a lighter bike has helped me to be really smooth in my riding & it is way easier on my body to not have to muscle it around. Like I said before, although this bike is light, I have had zero problems w/ parts breaking on it even though I am 200 lbs. I hope this helps!  B)

Offline DaddyCool

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Re: **Is This The Lightest Flatland Bike W/ Brakes?**
« Reply #14 on: May 22, 2015, 09:47:24 PM »
Hi quixnet99,
thanks for your answers.
I think the 14g to 15g spokes are 2 mm to 1,8 mm. I use those at one of my bikes and haven't snapped one in many years. So I agree that it is a good choice!
I also feel like it is easier on your body to ride a light bike. But as I mentioned there is a limit for me. I tried a KHE Paris with a Swiss Miss bar around 8,5 kg once and I missed the counter balance of the handlebar and the whole bike during hitchhikers for example. I might get used to it, but I thought a little more would feel better for me. So with 10 kg I feel very comfortable now.
But to be honest: As the bike is finished now I miss the aspect of looking out for new light parts to lower the weight haha!
Just kidding...