I guess it depends on your tolerance for durability. Sure those bikes are <12lb, but they’re also really fragile. My brother broke a bike frame running over a storm drain, and it wasn’t even that light at 1500g. For a skate example, Trampa’s Vertigo trucks were lighter versions of the Infinity trucks, and they also bent far more easily. Same with Kaly’s thin ABS enclosures vs the Flux ones. Lighter motors with less iron and copper also means less power and heat tolerance.
Otherwise, the deck is probably a good place to start. You’re only standing on two spots, no need to have all the extra deck in the middle, and wood is heavy.
I’m all for reducing weight as a lighter rider, but really for a MTB where terrain makes it more difficult. Not sure about the benefits of it in street boards, where the only benefit is carrying it… Especially as they are designed to be ridden!!
Lol thats exactly why i made the TUUB. It was a 54" deck with no flex that weighed ~2.6kg using the magical power of tubularity. Not very crash resistant though, being hollow and whatnot. The carrying advantage for that deck was more about being able to shoulder hoist it rather than just the weight, tbh
The deck between your feet does create torsional stiffness though, which is another important reason for a tubular deck. If you try to cut out the middle of a plank deck, or even just make a thinner deck with CF skin, you lose that stability. The amount of bias cloth needed to make it back mostly negates the weight savings in wood.
It could shave about 40% off of things like hangers (compared to aluminum) if replicated one to one, but any place with concentrated stress like a bolt mount would need to get beefed up a bit.
Reduce the battery size. Our boards usually have overkill range. If you just build a battery for the distance you plan on riding, then that can significantly cut down your weight.
Like who tf needs 60+ km range on a board? How do your feet last that long?
Adding to this, compact, silent, fast chargers would nullify the problem of reduced battery.
Adding some more… convenient swappable batteries cut weight. They allow you to take just as many batteries, and just as much weight as you need to get to your destination. You can cut battery weight for short distances and add weight for long distances.
Batteries have to be the biggest weight reduction there is. I have heard the Lipo brick packs used for RC cars are lighter but are more tricky to charge.
Absolutely Me. There comes a point where the soles of your feet become a bit desensitised and then the board becomes an extension of your legs. It’s like achieving nirvana.
…but I’d love to be able to swap out the pack for something smaller on certain occasions. Couldn’t agree more.
Well that included the carbon fork, without it’s probably closer to 1000g, which isn’t bad for an alloy bike. Never dropped, the storm drain hit it in a way that it kinked one of the rear frame tubes, and you can’t repair alloy (or CF for that matter).
