Let's talk Down Country components (light but tough)

[DanW]

First off, apologies for the title. I hate the term. But hopefully it explains what I'd like to discuss.

Those of you who ride XC bikes in harsh places or have really light Trail bikes, could you please help me with selecting a build for my new Rocky Mountain Element?

The frame should be around 2400g so light for a Trail bike but not mega XC light. My build is coming out around 12kg and I'm wondering where I have easy g's to save. Mainly the areas in bold I think

Drivetrain:
AXS GX made to XX1 weight with some mech tuning from Ratio Technology
Leap paddle upgrades make a world of difference IMO
XX1 mechanical would be lighter but I've come to really appreciate the lighter action levers of AXS for long rides
SRAM carbon cranks are very hard to beat for weight/ strength/ value

Wheels:
I have Bontrager 30mm internal carbon rims on DT Swiss 240/ CX-Ray. Not the lightest at arond 1550g but I'm happy enough and already have them.

Tyres:
A little stuck for all around 2.4 tyres.
Up until now I've used Bontrager XR4 which are tough enough for me, fast enough, huge and comfy and grippy enough for all but the slickest, steepest trails. 800g each.

Brakes:
I have Magura MT8 Pro currently and was planning to use Magura MT Trail SL, 4 pot front, 2 pot rear, thick Trickstuff rotors. This seems like the ideal "Down Country" component so I'm pretty happy here too.

Fork:
The frame is designed around a 130mm fork so I plan to go Fox 34 GRIP2 for adjustability and plushness. 1800g is OKish
I could drop ~250g with a SID or StepCast 34 but I want the mud clearance and damper adjustability of the non-SC 34.
Any other ideas on a light 130mm fork?

Bar and Stem:
I am really struggling here. 45-50mm stem with 750mm wide, low rise 9 x5 degree bars would be ideal.

Dropper:
I already have a 125mm drop AXS seatpost which is 622g + 55g controller + 12g discrete clamp.
BikeYoke Divine SL would be my next choice dropping ~300g

Saddle:
Already have a Bontrager Aeolus which I love

[OnTheRivet]

My 2022 Stumpjumper (130mm) with a 140mm Pike ,900g tires and quarq power meter weighs 11.5kg.

[Hexsense]

Rotors:
Galfer E-bike rotor. It is 2mm thick single piece of stamp rotor. Very very resistant to being bent. And it's still lighter than Sram HS2

Dropper:
I dislike BikeYoke Divine SL. I have it, and found it to require more force to use than any other dropper post I own. The issue is, BikeYoke Divine SL activate by moving the cable housing rather than moving the inner cable. So instead of just pulling the inner cable to slide within the slick cable housing. The whole housing actually slide against the entire frame internal cable routing guide.
It hold the air pressure well and don't require frequent seal re-lubrication though.
But I much prefer Fox Transfer SL over it. Unlike regular Fox Transfer, Fox Transfer SL use mechanical spring rather than air spring. So it has 2 durability/maintenance advantage:
1) Dropper post doesn't require air pressure or hydraulic maintenance.
2) The dust seal aren't critical to the function of dropper post. It's just mechanical spring. So, it doesn't require frequent seal maintenance too.

Fork:
For that class of fork: I'd get the new Manitou Mattoc Pro instead. https://nsmb.com/articles/manitou-matto ... ht-enduro/

Tires:
Kenda TR tires are light.
Kenda Karma 2 TR for front wheel.
Kenda Rush or Booster rear wheel.

[DanW]

@OnTheRivet how are you getting 11.5kg with a lot of heavier components than my plans? Do you have a build list and some example gems of parts for this type of bike please?

[DanW]

Galfer e-bike rotors are a great shout to save around 50g over my Trickstuff rotors

Thanks for the heads up on the BikeYoke. My issue with the Transfer SL is only 2 positions. On a shorter travel bike I'd happily go for it with a smaller drop but I'd like more positions on a bike like the Element. Maybe the regular Transfer... but I heard that is a not the most reliable. It would look cool though

It's been a while since I've looked at wired droppers but even a PNW or Wolftooth would shed good weight compared to my Reverb AXS

[DanW]

Any opinions on 9point8 Fall Line R for a lighter dropper than AXS Reverb?

[rapsac]

Have a look at the Vecnum Nivo dropper.

[OnTheRivet]

@OnTheRivet how are you getting 11.5kg with a lot of heavier components than my plans? Do you have a build list and some example gems of parts for this type of bike please?

Stumpjumper Frame 2450g
Light Bicycle wheels 1360g
XX1 crank
XX1 11 speed shifter converted to 12 speed
XX1 rear derailleur
E13 9-50 Helix R cassette
Trail 1 bar 195g
Candy Ti pedals
Syncros saddle 160g
One up dropper
Cut down race face grips
Every bolt is Ti or aluminum.
Guide RSC (carbon)
Full disclosure I did change stems after weighing it so maybe a bit more.

[DanW]

Have a look at the Vecnum Nivo dropper.

After a bit more research the Vecnum does indeed look a great option for a light, fit and forget 130/120mm bike. Thanks!

[alexdi]

@OnTheRivet how are you getting 11.5kg with a lot of heavier components than my plans? Do you have a build list and some example gems of parts for this type of bike please?

Stumpjumper Frame 2450g
Light Bicycle wheels 1360g
XX1 crank
XX1 11 speed shifter converted to 12 speed
XX1 rear derailleur
E13 9-50 Helix R cassette
Trail 1 bar 195g
Candy Ti pedals
Syncros saddle 160g
One up dropper
Cut down race face grips
Every bolt is Ti or aluminum.
Guide RSC (carbon)
Full disclosure I did change stems after weighing it so maybe a bit more.

I'd like to see the complete list as well. Most of this stuff isn't very light.

[DanW]

Two more dropper questions...

1) What do you guys reckon to 7x10mm saddle rails in either the Vecnum Nivo or Fox Transfer SL? Has anyone done this already?

My instinct is it should be fine for seatposts like these which clamp top and bottom and it was fine in my KS Lev Ci, but I can't get a definite answer from the manufacturers.

2) What do you recommend for dropper inner/ outer cables and remote?

I used to use regular inner cables with something like the Quaxar Ultralite outer: https://www.xcracer.com/shop/viewproduc ... ductid=304

Remote I would be looking to find a good match to whatever dropper I go for as they all seem similar weight

[rapsac]

Oval rails are fine in both. You might need to use longer bolts if the rails are highly oval, to be seen once you have it I guess. With the Vecnum post, go for the Vecnum remote.
Have used both Vecnum Nivo and the Transfer SL. Sold the SL and replaced it with a Yep Podio. No comparison…
For vacations in the Alps I have used the Vecnum Nivo for some years now. Very nice dropper and (very) well made.

Edit: my Mcfk saddle with 7x9 rails was perfectly fine in both. The Vecnum uses bolts with a separate convex washer so you can easily use 5mm longer bolts. Vecnum sells these as well, but I used black titanium bolts - for looks, equal length was fine - with the already supplied washers. The Vecnum allows to reverse the (asymmetrical) lower cradle for a slightly more forward saddle position - when needed.

[DanW]

That is great info thanks @rapsac.

My issue with the Vecnum was the 7mm (?) offset head. I just don't see the need for offset nowadays and the length of the lower cradle really limits adjustment.

Was the stickiness the issue with the Transfer SL?

[rapsac]

You’re welcome. What I did not like about the 100mm Transfer SL:
- up or down (by design, but did not like it)
- too much play (fore-aft and rotational)
- made creaking sound when torsionally loaded (rotation)
I had it serviced under warranty and sold it after getting it back. The often mentioned ‘stickiness’ is mostly due too oversized seat tubes of frames or bad seatpost collars, both leading to overtorque-ing to keep the post from slipping and/or uneven clamping force. The SL is very sensitive to this.

[JaeOne3345]

Dropper:
I dislike BikeYoke Divine SL. I have it, and found it to require more force to use than any other dropper post I own. The issue is, BikeYoke Divine SL activate by moving the cable housing rather than moving the inner cable. So instead of just pulling the inner cable to slide within the slick cable housing. The whole housing actually slide against the entire frame internal cable routing guide.
It hold the air pressure well and don't require frequent seal re-lubrication though.

That's interesting. I really love my Divine SL (100mm). I am using it with the Triggy Alpha Short remote and the activation is fairly easy to me. I am running mine at 300psi and it is super smooth and easy to manipulate. I am using Shimano SP41/Optislik shift cable. The cable that came packaged with mine didn't feel that great to me. Also using the Bike Yoke Squeezy clamp.