my M-Trax 150 Comp (97)Worth upgrading/losing weight?

[Malvern Rider]

So now (thanks to Retrobike) I have a much nicer looking steed, better size, and is in all honesty like 99% NOS, only change is the gripshifts and the seat.

Not sure of the weight of the frame as I haven't stripped it down, but it feels mid-range as expected, not too inspiring, but certainly not dull Seller kindly gave me a scan of the brochure, it says the frame is 'RSP full cromo series one'??

It's a lovely bike, colour 'Granite Cromica (kind of metallic bronze/grey, really classy) with some good honest mid-low parts (Acera groupset, weinmann 519 rims, RSP stem and seatpost)

I would like to lighten the total weight a bit without losing it's classic style.

So far done nothing except fit a (tan) Charge Spoon seat. Considering taping the shiny bar-ends with Charge U-Bend bar tape to match. They are slippery! I really like the stem, but it's too flat and long for my arms, not sure if they made another option with some rise? It's a weird RSP highly polished silver affair with the cinch bolt actually bisecting the stem (near front of the steerer)

Not sure if it's aheadset or quill, bit of a learner on this stuff....


Intended to be a do-all bike (for me that means training, touring, back lanes, trailer-lugging, occasional trail) and so far fits the bill, with a few mods planned.

Any suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance.

Will get some pics soon...

 

[Anthony]

M-Trax bikes were of quite reasonable quality and the 150 Comp (£370) was in the middle of the range from the 50 Sport (£270) to the 250 Comp (£550). I don't know whether it was a butted frame, but it could be.

I would have thought the most useful upgrade, from the point of view of lighter weight and improved ride with no down-side would as ever be hand-built wheels with kevlar-bead tyres. There's nowhere else you can save 2lbs, but you may be able to there.

Also of course V-brakes and SPD pedals, and if that is a steel handlebar an alloy one will save you half a pound.

 

[tintin40]

agree with Anthony on the lightening of your bike. Kevlar bead tyres are 100 gram lighter each .
But weight saving is an expensive past time. i've knocked just over a 1lb off my bike but the cost was :shock: :shock: eg Controltech ti skewers 29 gram = £44. 26 grams lighter than what had before. So value rating is low. Rocket Ron tyres £35 but 6 oz lighter than my old tyres. But will i be more prone to punctures?

 

[Malvern Rider]

Hi Anthony, not so sure about the buttedness of it meself. I just 'pinged' it with a ballpoint pen all over, and the top tube changes pitch (higher in the centre), the downtube is a high 'ting' all the way along, and the rear triangle and forks are a dull low tone.

The way my wife's looking at me right now makes me think it doesn't look too scientific a process.

Wheels. Yes indeed. Am on the lookout to replace with 221's as I already have a back wheel with XT hub, although if a pair of anything better come along at the right price I might well purchase.

I just weighed the Weinmann's off the bike and they are:

5.5lbs (rear with Schwalbe Silento II)
4.3lbs (front with Schwalbe Silento II)

That's 9.5 lbs of wheelage. Cripes.

Whatabout the chainset & BB?

Couldn't I make a good saving there by going Deore/XT etc?

Tintin you make a good point about punctures and cost/weight savings ratio.

In all honesty right now I'm a bit of a lardy fecker so any weight saved on the bike will translate right out of my wallet, and not so much on the road.

But an eye to the future sees me minus 40lbs and the bike minus about 3lbs! Me first... ;-)

 

[taffy]

Anthony is quite right about wheel's
(he's usually right about many other things too!)

Lower rotating weight means better handling and acceleration.

 

[tintin40]

But an eye to the future sees me minus 40lbs and the bike minus about 3lbs! Me first... ;-)

If you start this your wallet will lose weight even faster