Sub-19lb Blur here. Pimptastic.

Thing that most interests me though is this bit;

“While we don’t, in general, advocate 10-speed systems for mountain bikes (some of us still miss our 8-speeds), we knew some of SRAM’s top-drawer Red road group was going to make its way onto this bike,” Currie explained. “The missing link required to let Red play nice with a mountain group was provided by Paul Price of Paul Components, who sent us one of the new Thumbies he’s designed to work with SRAM time-trial levers. The finished shifter was work of neo-retro art: a carbon fibre thumb shifter that weighed 30g less than even a SRAM X.0 twist shifter.”

Now, if I remember right, these new TT shifters from SRAM have a “return to centre” function, whereby they sit in a neutral position and you simply bang the gear up or down from there. Now this, to me, sounds like thumbie heaven….!

what’s the link to the info?

WANT.

Give to me, it.

Is is on Bike Radar

yeah so i found!

Thats mingin

Mmmmmmmm, me likey, especially the thumbies – I’d buy em.

Are those Maxxis Flyweights? Lose 200 grams rotating weight and turn your bike into a sketchy death machine in one fell swoop.

I don’t understand the mentality of these people who jump through any possible hoop to make their bike light, no matter how shit it is to actually ride. If you’re that determined to shave the grams then you might as well ride a unicycle.

did you read the article, mr a?

Yeah, but I’m not convinced. It came across as a bit pre-emptive, if you know what I mean. 🙂

it’s just an advertising statement for their service, isn’t it – like lotus doing up that lada riva for top gear, gets the name out there.

MrA, there’s always the trickle down effect as well. People building loony bikes like this, and the Merida on the front page, have a longer term benefit to everyone.

After all, ten or fifteen years ago or so, full suspension? Disc brakes? Hydraulic seatposts? Are you quite mad? What’s the point? etc. etc. etc.

It’s called progress! 😉

Now, if I remember right, these new TT shifters from SRAM have a “return to centre” function, whereby they sit in a neutral position and you simply bang the gear up or down from there. Now this, to me, sounds like thumbie heaven….!

Just mount them under the bars and you’re there!

Wasn’t the whole “make your bike as light as possible” craze around 10-15 years ago too? 😉

My take on these things is that someone has spent an exorbitant amount of money on a white elephant that is probably going to be about as nice to ride off-road, and as much fun, as a rigid singlespeed or a CX bike.

I agree with Flash, the point is, it can be done, and “relatively” sensibly. OK, it’s a shit load of cash, but I’ll bet they’ve sold one or two just like it. It wasn’t that long ago that I rode a hardtail steel bike for regular XC that weighed the same as Gee Atherton’s 2009 DH bike.

I bet Gee Atherton’s bike a) has someone to strip it down and check it for malfunctions and breakages after almost every run, and b) doesn’t have tyres that are useless anywhere other than a German bike show.

There is some silly stuff on there, especially when you can build a 20.5lb full susser with no silly bits:

Ignore the flat bars, it had risers put on it after the first ride.

thumbies like the paddles on a F! car??

where do i send my cash???

I have to say that that Blur is hideous (**throws up a little**)

Riser bars? Thought you said no silly parts 🙂

I like that Blur, they’re actually Maxxis Maxxlite 310s I’d say, which are worse than Flyweights, and worse than Schwalbe Furious Freds I’d say too! Still, stick some Rocket Rons and some ZTR Race 7000 wheels on there and you could keep the weight the same and make it more usable.

rOcKeTdOg – Member
thumbies like the paddles on a F! car??

where do i send my cash???

Exactly! I have flappy paddles on the Audi and it’s lovely. the idea of a sort of sequential shifting thumbie is brilliant!

still could lose some weight with road front mech and there are lighter seatposts available. poor show!! 🙄

Wouldn’t a hardtail with SIDs be lighter, or am I missing the point?

dougal are those your riding shoes?

thumbies like the paddles on a F! car??
where do i send my cash???

Exactly! I have flappy paddles on the Audi and it’s lovely. the idea of a sort of sequential shifting thumbie is brilliant!

Yeah! You could integrate them into the brake levers so you don’t even have to move your hands to reach them. Now if someone made something like that they’d sell millions!

rOcKeTdOg – Member
dougal are those your riding shoes?

If so, you could save a good 50g by drilling out the heels. Alternatively, consider stilettos.

Very nice looking for a Santa Cruz.

Not mad on that fork though.

Love it

dougal are those your riding shoes?

Yeah. The bunions are a bitch, but they make my (yes – shaved) legs look totally killer when I pop into the bakers for pie mid-ride.

For the return to center thumbies you’ll need….

* A pair of the SRAM TT shifters – £160 on CRC. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=31541
* A pair of pauls thumbie mounts – $50ish on fleabay. http://shop.ebay.com/paul%20thumbies?_nkw=paul+thumbies

Not that cheap really. You also have to put up with 10 speed road kit (Until XX comes out at the end of next year), unless the cable pull is the same as 9spd.

Ooo I like it, could lose more weight on wheels n stuff and is that a remote on the forks?

I’ve always wanted a really light bike, trouble is if I got that I’d immediatley put on some spds instead of those silly things, seat QR, crud catcher, yeti lock on grips, decent treads – then after the first 15 pinch flats I’d probably bung a DH tube in the back tyre. Well done donk your 19lb superbike just piled on the pounds like a post fight ricky hatton.

Hmmm, I’m gingerly trying some Egg Beaters out at the moment, I’m sorely tempted by some 4ti ones, but they are just so expensive, and by all accounts they fall apart!

Grippy tyres is fair enough, Rocket Rons or Racing Ralphs are still reasonably light, run them tubeless and you needn’t worry about pinch flats. Lock-on grips are silly. Seat QRs and crud catchers are unnecessary!

Light bikes can be very usable these days, look at Dougals MSC, or my Epic which isn’t much heavier.

I rather like the look of the Blur.

Just one question regarding the sudden “Must have return to centre shifters” don’t normal MTB shift levers always end up in the same place or am I REALLY missing something here?

Yes, but they’re multiple levers. This is one lever which you can push away to shift up the block, and pull towards you to shift down the block.

I don’t actually think it would work that well, I think you’d struggle to pull the shifter towards you in a hurry.

njee,

sounds a bit of a pointless concept when mounted on normal bars, I understand the usefulness when mounted on the end of TT bars.

njee20 – What Epic do you have? Current S-Works weighs in at 23lbs, owners were seen crying at last BMBS when my bike was weighed.

Your memory is hazy Dougal, when I weighed my Epic at BMBS 1 it was 21.2, the Anthem X0 was 23. The Epic is presently 20.9, still not quite as light as yours. And if you’ll recall, I asked to weigh yours, as I knew it would be lighter 🙂

I’ll blame the heat for my memory loss. Impressed the Epic was that light. You racing this weekend?

Indeed I am, you? Your local round I guess!

Only a four hour drive, local-tastic!

Well if you will live oop North!

It’s 5 for me, if that’s any consolation. But then Crow Hill’s only an hour.