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  • I suspect (but don't know) that anyone who repaints frames professionally would scuff the existing paint and then shoot over the top, so you'd end up with a net gain in weight.

    Media blasting carbon fibre would probably be possible with some really soft media, but the "pain in the arse" factor would probably equate to a significant cost.

    I'd leave the paint as-is for now and look forward to some thrilling sanding action during the long winter nights that lurk at the end of the year.

    In terms of what you want to get from the bike aero will trump weight on the wheel front up to a fairly significant gradient- I've gone for HED Stinger 4's which are 44mm deep for the bike I'll be using on a 21 long/1.5km high climb in June. They're not the last word in lightweight, but they're a good "general use" aero wheel, which works for me. I'm thinking of going back to Zoncolan that same week, which may make me regret that decision, however.

    If I wasn't taking the bike to the mountains I'd probably have gone deeper - and heavier.

    I took my (relatively heavy) SystemSix down to 6.4kg, then the weight climbed back up as I broke stuff, or went from pseudo-aero to "has at some point seen a wind tunnel".

    In it's final form the S6 was 6.76kg, the new bike is ~7.2, but the frame is half a kilo heavier.

    Picking up some second hand 404's would drop half a kilo off your bike and give you a big advantage against the wind, then it's a case of looking at each part and balancing weight savings against cost against practicality- the Smud carbon cages would drop 100g, but tie you into one specific bottle (of which I have loads, btw) for example.

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