Top 5 | Expensive Mountain Bike Upgrades You Don't Need
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ค. 2024
- Here are 5 expensive mountain bike upgrades you don't need. It’s so, so easy to get dragged into the upgrade arms race, dropping hundreds or even thousands of your hard earned cash on trying to improve your bike to the
n-th degree.
And, while there’s nothing wrong with upgrades, and fair play if you do - we reckon there are plenty of expensive upgrades you may not need to buy.
Remember, don’t get angry with us if we’ve just mentioned the entirety of your credit card bill - bikes are meant to be fun, and so is upgrading them.
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Have we missed any? Comment below and tell us what you think!
Keep in mind this is my saddle and a aluminum flat pedals
Missed the obligatory and well-deserved swipe at ceramic jockey wheels!
Super boost
Just relized carbon rims, carbon handlebar, carbon stem, etc
If we’re allowed to mix and match components, GX cassette gets you the XD driver and 10 tooth, but it’s fully compatible with SX and NX chain/derailleur/shifter. Honestly wish more bikes came like this.
Good one... a biking channel that doesn’t want to convince you to spend more than necessary. 😀 I think your recommendations were spot on.
Did you already forget that they are sponsored by the cycling illuminati?
Might be the first time they do it TBH :)
Is this a good beginner bike www.fezzari.com/plus-tire/abajo-peak
OhioState Buckeyes Fan how about a cheap used one and some tools alongside
How about MTB upgrades that *are* worth it?
Most high end things in mountain biking are just ridiculously expensive
ANd imagine smashing them on a rock...
You should see what the roadies are spending
Roadies spend thousands
yeah but if you have the money I don’t see why you wouldn’t
Always gonna be spending your money on something otherwise it’s just paper. So why not moutain biking,
Last time I was this early, 3x10 was all the rage
First comment, have one billion gold stars and a heart from your friends at BikeRadar!
I still hate 1x. Less versatile than 2x and 3x
i use 3x10 but i never use the first front one
I like 1x 1 klick 1 gear no chain drops less noise and adjustment.
1x on my Fatbike, Gravel Bike and Road Bike
Boy last time i rode my mtb hard 3x8 is a luxury LMAO
I have used mid range shimano stuff on all my bikes for many years and not one of them ever broke . pointless to spend more .
For normal hobby riders mid range components are good enough, today they use many technologies former used in top groups. So a mid range group from today is almost as good as a top group from the 90s.
I think it makes also no sense to invest a lot of money to make a bike lighter, if the rider itself has overweight.
Deor, slx. All sound. Hammer it and don't worry about smashing it.
So you kept your same frame you bought and just upgrade the shocks and the other stuff 🤔 you can do that? I thought certain stuff only fits certain years makes and models
I have the 1st Gen deore shadow derraileur. Still holds up today and shift crisp.
@@simonm1447 some bits are important to make as light as possible though. The lower the sprung mass the better the suspension works.
ride it "til it breaks... THEN upgrade!
...sitting here patching my Hans Dampf tyre from the inside using 6 layers of inner tube and dental floss...🙈
Rides 5 feet, grabs hammer, BAM, ok it broke, now upgrade??
Yeah, my motto. Why replace a good condition existing bike parts even though it's still working? Can't get the logic 😆
The one thing I would add is if you are happy with your old bike and it doesn't have:
• Boost spacing
• Flip Chip
• Split pivot suspension
• 12x
• Kashima Coating
Don't upgrade.
It's barely noticeable. Manufacturers make every new fangled update seem like a "must have". But in my 30 years of riding I've only really seen one true must have, and that's disk brakes. 29" wheels, and full-suspension were big changes, but even then, not things you had to have. It's far better to keep the bike you have in good condition, and keep your skill and fitness levels high. That's what real riding is anyway.
Phil Anderson you mean 12 speed, not 12x I assume lol
For me the dropper post is a must have. Other than that I completely agree.
Boost wasnt a choice, time for a new bike.... they were ALL boost. It's also a downgrade, high q factor for literally no gains I notice.
Add Ceramic speed bearings in that list
I 2nd that
They touched on that on their road bike version of this list.
most expensive downgrade you can do
They are amazing
@@ianmangham4570 lol found the guy who fell for this "upgrade"
This video is so spot on! I can’t believe how many people are “upgrading” components on their new bike before they even ride the bike to determine if if what they have is fine or not! I recently traded for a nearly perfect condition Nukeproof Scout. The guy had changed out the handlebars to 825’s (because everyone knows wider is better, right?), and a number of other “uogrades”. The bike was in nearly new condition because the guy admitted he only rode it around the campground when camping with his family. He obviously didn’t need those upgrades; he did them because it was of trends and the cool new thing. On the positive side, I guess I’m the beneficiary of those upgrades, except...where is that hacksaw? I need to cut 50mm off those handlebars.
Awesome video, and thank you!
I'm still riding my 26" wheel size Rocky Mountain Vertex equipped with XT, Gripshift, and a Marzocchi Bomber.
Maintenance: fork rebuild about six months ago along with new tires.
My playground: Appalachian Mountains in Virginia.
I need new elastomers for my forks 😂
I’m still riding an older 26” hard tail. It was pretty high end when it released, so it still does everything that I need and more.
I also have a Vertex! The 29 inch wheel though. They re awesome
Upgrade the shifters dude trust me. They're so cheap aswell (easily find a good shifter for 20$ or so) there's no reason to have grip shifters
@@stefanbondeson6505 agreed. no reason to keep grip shifters.
Ive been riding for 20 years. Forks are way better now than they were even 5 years ago. Light years better. One thing I recently did that blew my mind was messing with the air can volume spacers. Took one out of my Fox 34 and it that allowed me to dial this fork like nothing Ive ridden before. I guess point is adjust those spacers. Its easy and it can make a world of difference.
Far too many people upgrade their forks and shocks and in the end, still don't tune their air spring. Doing so in the beginning, like Paul, reaps huge benefits before a blingy damper's performance comes into play.
"Cable parts have worked well for years, and will continue to do so at a much more affordable price than electronics." - if only all bike reviews trying to push Di2 and AXS components down our throats (and especially when discussing road bikes, which are far less likely to suffer from shifting issues) would contain this remark at some point.
And you dont have to charge a cable... I know people say the batteries last for ages but so do my rechargeable LED road lights... and the battery still runs out at some point!
I bought a new road bike a year ago. I figured I'd might as well go electronic. I honestly wish I'd just stayed with mechanical. Electronic groupsets are the most over rated thing in cycling and not worth the cost. (In my worthless opinion.) I'd never go electronic on a mountain bike.
@@DaveCM frankly the only reasons electronic groupsets caught on are:
a) people who are completely unable to turn a barrel adjuster the right way to occasionally index their gears properly
b) people who can't be bothered to invest some 30€ worth of high quality cables, casings and ferrules every year to replace worn out/corroded ones (I highly reccomend the stuff from Jagwire)
c) the idiotic obsession with integrating every single bit of cable and housing on road bikes, for some 0.0283% aero gains (which of course makes cable shifting quite poor or nearly impossible depending on the frame and handlebars design)
Get a nice set of mechanical Ultegra R8000 and you'll enjoy it for years.
got both di2 and mehanical and di2 is better in use on a road bike imho, not required fr mtb though.
Totally. I think when the price goes down it is going to be a nice option for some to have E-shifting. Cables are not only cheap, but they do work really good. The question now is "how much money do you have to burn". In reality it makes adjustments easier, but in the big picture you have to worry about charging and room to make a self-repair is very limited. Still, I would not be surprised that in 20-30 years most bikes are gonna be E-shifted, but only bikes for enthusiasts or high priced rigs are going to be purely analog. Today people who are into car racing pay top prices for cars without electrical steering that even those cheap car brands have.
This is great! I see so many people getting into the sport, just starting out, immediately get on the upgrade train because the think it will become a better rider, instead of focusing on skills.
He's talking about carbon parts and rear shocks meanwhile I'm here with my cracked and welded aluminium frame I've painted with nail polish
how was the welding fix?, i took mine to a profeional welder and it didn't catch
I also had cracked my AL frame (rear triangle)
The welder did his job perfectly, but I was riding with uncomfortable felling like the rear triangle will crack again if I'll shred next berm.
And one day it happened...
So I moved to carbon frame and didn't regret a thing.
As bonus it will get you more torsional rigidity [you can feel it while sharp turns]
Lol that must’ve been a lot of nail polish.
@@notUnclePetro im not too sure if that's the best of ideas because carbon can crack
You’re forgetting the cardboard to make your pads last longer....🙈😂
Or maybe just wait 20 years until you can get hydralic discs, air suspension, 1x, and a dropper for £200 from Halfords 😂
nice try
True. Just wait till those high end get cheap as time pass
would you even trust it..?
By that time we better have hover boards and anti gravity bikes..
I don't think it will be 20 years. Of course any of those components can still be crap.
Great advice! I used to have the "more expensive the better it is" mentality, but learned that in most cases, the more expensive stuff is just lighter weight.
aye, and most people are very overweight, so instead of spending a few thousand on some super expensive part that shaves 10g off the weight, instead eat a couple less biscuits. It seems mostly about bragging rights.
You're going to make the dentist mad
He/She can relax with a ride on his santa cruz
Marky's Bike Lab yeti is the dentist brand
@@tylerobrien5416 exactly. Santa Cruz is the audi/bmw arse.
All the high end parts are probably great for the pros but for the other 99.9% of riders the tiny gains you get aren't worth the money most of the time
The next crazy thing might be oval bars: vertically soft, horizontally stiff and totally incompatible with any stem you can find.
It sounds like something that the industry could actually invent
PD: Gemini handbars have a custom shape (sort of oval) for that matter haha
OneUp already has one - for regular 35 mm stems. A friend already rode them last year and liked it a lot. (But I'm not 100% sure if it was a OneUp or maybe from another brand that might have an oval shaped bar with more damping.)
Yea OneUp bars are Oval but not where you clamp it. They are great btw...
Ha ha ha
I found a butterfly handle bar lol
I have to admit my Yeti SB 5.5 with SRAM XX1 oil slick, Fox with kashiwa coat and Enve wheels is a badass that gets more love than my old beat up Honda Civic but my wife begs to differ.
This video is giving advise to the "average" punter not to get in to the "gold fever" trap. In other words (for those of us on modest incomes) stop dreaming. Be realistic & stick with proven mid range gear & enjoy the ride.
Bingo 90% of mtb riders .
ok, but couple years ago XTR cost the same as XT nowdays the prices increase a lot of
@@marcinsochacki8707 bike boom cause that can’t get a new cassette until mid 2022 now checker over 50 websites and nothing anywhere
I truly enjoy these types of videos from Bike Radar. A reality check is truly needed at the price of todays components. It's so hard to fight and resist marketing of big bike industry. Thank you for giving me some ammunition to resist the upgrades!
Actually you don't need any high-end or something that makes you broke. You just only need to ride a bike, (you don't join to races).
I don't even own a mounatinbike, I'm just bored out of my mind.
You should get a mountain bike. It'll be the best decision you've ever made
Do a puzzle
I hear you. I have only MTB, but I still visit and comment on roadie videos and channels.
Please get one, it’s amazing
Get in to RC trucks either a crawler or basher. Or better yet get both a decent mountain bike w/helmet and an Axial, Traxxas or Arrma RC truck all for under $2000.
Spot on! I read a few different mtb blogs, and I always astounded how many newbie bikers immediately, often before they ever ride their bike on a trail, swap out the dirk. Marketing and hype for the next best thing does an amazing folks convincing folks their bike will no longer make it up or downhill without the newest top equipment.
The bike industry follows the same evolution arc of just about everything other consumer good. Manufacturers have to constantly find ways to "upgrade and improve" and draw customers in with "drool factor"...things they will convince themselves they just have to have. With the passage of time, this becomes more and more difficult...enter "long and low", wireless shifting, carbon everything, boost spacing, 1x12, one bike running 29" AND 27.5+, etc. What I have learned, after owning most of the "new-fangled" stuff, is that there is no replacement for a good or great rider with a proper skillset. I now ride an aluminum-framed, non-boost Santa Cruz with just a couple of carbon bits (crank and bar...they were there when I bought the bike). It's a great, simple ride and I might have $2K in it. Weighs 30 lbs (size XL), runs 1 x 11, has 150 mm front, 135 mm rear, Fox Factory suspension and, best of all, I don't have $5k-$10k tied up in it! If I crash, I don't care (other than not wanting to hurt myself). If I bump a tree, or accidentally ride off course into thick brush, I don't care if I scratch it. I'm done falling victim to the gimmicky BS that causes me to pay thousands more than is necessary and be afraid to ride the bike for fear of damaging it.
It's called capatilism, it's a good thing
@@michaelstewart9308 yip good for the 1% :)
Michael Stewart fuck your capitalism
No its pushing this crap on stupid idiotic millianials that have more cash then brains. Any seasoned mtb rider that I see own bikes under 3grand tops 4 grand. Its the sub 25 year old that want all the bling bling for bragging rights yet most of there riding skills are crap.
I see guys on department store bikes ride local public park bike park jumps like pros the guys with 7000 bikes casing the shit out of them breaking shit constantly because they don't know what the fuck they are doing but the look cool 😎.
Good video, sometimes it’s more helpful to know what you don’t need so that you can fully understand where best to upgrade.
Enjoyed that. It’s quite useful to me as I’m about to build up a new 29” frame. I’ve always made do with fairly basic bikes. At the end of the day as long as the bike functions adequately it’ll do. One of the best things about mtb’ing is you can’t buy skill or cohones!
At 4:05, that exact rear derailleur would cost me $945.00 CAD on Amazon Canada to replace. My entire bike is worth 3 grand. That's 1/3 of my ENTIRE bike cost. Super exotic price. These components are for the rich, or for sponsored pros.
Idk where you buy your parts but that pricing seems way off.
@@jarnozondag694 key word - "Canada" their currency is about as worthless as the northern most 2/3rds if their land.
@@rocketssss6
That and Canadians typically have to order intentionally. Shipping to Canada is ridiculous.
You can just stop smoking and drinking to save up money. Then you'll got it after one year. But to be realistic, I know that nobody ever does that trick. 😂
3:10 fully agree Slx 1x12 with XT shifter works really good, I did that shifter upgrade and it really works better
High end parts are for racers. You can do everything on an SLX groupset and you don't have to rob a bank if you need to replace your rear mech. Altough, I'd really wanna go for an electric shifter if the prices are dropping in the (hopefully) near future. Tried one and yes, its that better even for an amateur like me :)
The SLX set is good enough for most...but I would agree with a XT shifter will make the SLX group set perform different. Plus its under $100 and a much better improvement.
@@rmoore4yris Using an XT shifter too with an XT rear mech and yes, its way better than my SLX was.
I am old enough to remember when the MTB mags were telling me to fit ultra long stems and really narrow bars. I had back ache, repetitive strain and tennis elbow injuries.
A rough time indeed
Cool video. Fresh angle for mtb videos on “what isn’t worth it”. I personally bought a “cheaper” aluminum mtb hardtail and upgraded every component over time. Now I’m saving to buy a sick carbon frame only, will get full suspension this time.
Agree for all except for carbon frames (and wheels). Carbon hardtail frames have gone a long way to provide stiffness where needed and compliance where necessary making the riding experience more enjoyable.
Totally agree. I've just moved from an alloy 29er hardtail to carbon 29er hardtail (nothing super special, just Voodoo Bizangos) and the difference is amazing. The alloy was a great bike anyway but the carbon is so much better. Just seems to be way less harsh at the back end. Super happy with my decision to move to the carbon version.
flikdurbean I think they were talking about a trail bike perspective compared to an xc bike perspective
Just seriously getting into biking myself, good to know stuff like this upfront. Good vido
Thank you for this! 35mm is a step in good direction, but your point about too much stiffness is valid as well, horses for courses, buy, but think about what you buy, overconsumption has to stop.
SRAM just hates this video very much, indeed.
I can't wait to upgrade my rear shock on my xc carbon hardtail.
Currently building my 26inch full sus and this video is very helpful for me.
Just upgraded my pedals, it was worth it! 😉👍
My skill level doesn't warrant any of these.
While dreaming about having the best bike for X of the year is nice, I always enjoy advice about getting the best bang for the buck.
Nothing beats $5-$7k mountain bikes with mid level components. Get lowest priced geometry you are happy with and go from there.
Wireless IMO is just extra headache because that’s one more thing to remember to keep charged. Sure the charge lasts a long time....until its time for the climb and your battery is dead.
This is one of the reasons I just bought a YT Izzy Comp. Completely upgradeable to all the kit in the Pro, Pro Race, and Limited Editions....you get the top of the line frame and geometry with the Comp, without paying the huge premiums on all the upgraded components (but still have the upgrade path clearly defined if so desired). Those upgrades can almost double the price of the bike.
Top video! Got one question though. Back when I bought my first fully it had a RS Monarch shock. Soon I felt that it wasn’t quite cutting it, not enough compression, so I had to increase the pressure to compensate, not ideal. Then I got a superb deal on a Cane Creek DBair CS, thought that with all the settings it has I can’t go wrong. Would you have still recommended to let the Monarch get a tune or was it a good move to get a shock that has more external settings? I‘m quite happy with it now after two years of riding it. But I‘m thinking about getting the coil version as well...
Awesome vid. It's always best to be practical. Can you do a vid on other lesser known drivetrain brands like Micro Shift and Box Components?
Thank you for this! Fantastic!
I have a 23 yr old xtr marin mount vision only ever replaced the chain. Done thousands off road miles was v expensive in its day certainly had value for money but going to get e bike so eill be forced to buy low/ mid range so great useful vid. Thanks
True spirit of mountain biking. Thank you for being true to the average riders.
Just ride til it fails. I'd never upgrade a component if it was still functional and got the job done. Only exception is tires because they're inexpensive and they make the biggest difference of any component.
So true! After 4 years riding the same 2x10 on my fuel I finally upgraded to Shimano slx 1x12 and I found Everything on sale, my 2x10 slx drive train worked great, but now it's on its last legs, so it was time to change it.
Only problem is that tires are not inexpensive. The sidewalls on MTB tires suck. Especially for the price we pay.
HAHAHAH TIRES INEXPENSIVE................lol wtf bro.....They cost more than stem, mecanichal brakes, shifters, rear derailleur, crankset........
Totally agree on the 35mm bars. Great thing about them is that you can find some great deals on the 31.8mm ones.
They dont seem to snap as much in crashes though
1:48 "Carbon is cool" - and always coal!
I upgraded my chainring to a 30t the only thing I need and that brought so much joy to my mtn biking.
I upgraded to carbon stem and bars to dampen the vibration through my hands and arms , I'm glad I did. A year later from fox 34 to 32 SC . that upticked my credit card a bit , 2 reasons it cost me more #1 13 percent sales tax and import fees because I retired to Costa Rica from 🇺🇸. I'm damn glad I live here now!!!
I wish there was an available upgrade for biking skills.
It's called training and is paid for with time.
@@seven9766 and some blood lol
Always appreciate honesty and with information to back it up..
Been looking at spending money on things I thought I needed after being away from the sport for 10y... now I'm back and cancer free looking to get fit again but with a body that chemo has kind of messed up so need light weight and easy to use kit.... like full sus but 10y has truly changed the game...
No more bomber 888 or hope big un's lol...
I'm lost....
I'm from the kona stinky dayz and the missy era lol.... she was a bad ass down hill rider... running duel crank the first of her kind... lol
I am a 20 year+ mountain biker. I just got a new bike. Out of the box I changed brakes, shifting, bars, grips, hub freewheel, saddle and installed frame wrap and tyre inserts. It was still the cheapest way to get everything wanted. On my last bike I did all that plus a rear shock and fork damper. When I try to cheap out I just end up irritated by the limitations of certain parts.
Finally a bike channel and entitly that has called out the bullshit gimmicks pushed by the industry to make money. I am happy with my non boosted old standards 2015 whip. No issues with keeping up or out ridging riders with new top of the line kits 👌
Great info, thanks guys.
Funny that this came out around the same time as when I purchased my new hardtail. I am already making my upgrade wishlist for when things need, key word, NEED replacement. I am not looking to spend a fortune on any upgrades because if they cost a fortune, they'll just make you cry harder when you trash them.
I always use seatpost, stem and handlebars in alloy. It is just for safety I've seen carbon break without warning.
What an excellent video, I agree with every word to be honest. In fact as someone who's only recently experienced the benefits of a dropper post on a 2008 Stumpjumper I rebuilt over the winter, I think there's a market for electric dropper posts in all seatpost sizes so people with older bikes (without internal dropper cable routing) can have one
Word! Cannot more agree. For years i rode xtr and xt and must say that it more expensive and lighter it gets it gets also more maintenance intensive and needs to be more replaced.
Hardtail + carbon frame = win win. Sure it depends where you ride. But you can save a lot.
You can get a really solid AL full suspension with that price tho.
@@ryndym No, a FS usually costs twice that of a HT.
rndm those are for wimps
Depends on the bike but upgrading my shock, which had always been to avalanche, was a huge improvement b
TBH the biking world is way bigger and more complex than I thought so I thank you for making this video. I joined with a school raffle offering a kids bike with the offer of trading it in to a local Walmart for a gift card. I got a schwinn mountain bike (don't know the model, I think it's 24 inch). I'm loving it but I want to take it to the next level and knowing that some upgrades aren't needed really helps out :)
Love it!
Finally some common sense 👍
I just brought a shimano zee groupset not a big rider but do a little bit of jumps here and there and it’s honestly very good feeling
Enjoyed this video and I'm a mech. engineer. I love my road bike from 2003 and had been considering 12spd Ultagra STI then 1X comes out and marketing says 12 total gears is great. That makes me know that my 1992 Ultegra 8 STI rear 2X is real fine. The chains and gear teeth might last longer too.
I'm no longer a racer, I can run my 50-34x12-28, I don't need to use luggage. Road disk brakes come out and turns out many squeal in the wet, a no-go for me. My carbon Ouzo Pro slack fork is still great and has the 1" steerer, which is fine. The frame is Ti and wonderful. Key parts are King, DT, Dura Ace, Thompson and Phil Wood sq. BB. I 'm glad I upgraded to Ultegra Road pedals and retired my 1990 Time Racing ones last summer, so I could stand around with others on less intense group rides without my feet tipping out so uncomfortably.
Wheels are 3 cross and can do duty as cyclocross/gravel on my other bike as well with 28 Gatorskins, 32 can fit but the threads tick so no-go. I weigh 220# and ride hilly 30-80 mile routes at 13-18 mph avg. I'm a very happy "late adopter." P.S. Felt bad one cold day when I couldn't help an e-shifting rider get going again, she needed a charged battery. Cables for me.
I have 1x10 setup on my ebike - SLX derailleur, Sram cassette and Saint shifter.. Works perfect! All bought from ebay on good deals.
Yeah that's about right. My pal had a 4 grand santacruz and I had a grand kona and I'm sure I had more fun and was faster. I think he polished it every night too... I mean the bike.
Me feels good polishing mah bike... a little obsession u know
El Salvador 😂😂😂
you boys are doing gods work 🙏🏽
Yes you were spot on!!!
I’m a big fan of the Deore and SLX drive line parts. Most often it’s year old tech for half the money, and a heavy bike (with in reason) is just a good up hill work out.
Good advice guys ! The gear on my bike is perfect for what I need and use it for ! I’m no professional just love getting out on my e bike .... wheels are another silly thing to needlessly upgrade imo!
Gaz Bro Wheels actually have a really big impact on your ride quality. Lighter wheels accelerate a lot better, while laterally stiffer wheels steer and track tighter. Expensive carbon wheels can also have vertical compliance, which is like extra suspension.
Not surprised an e-biker thinks wheels are a needless upgrade, lol.
Used Carbon would different wheels make you any faster tho? Doubtful .... can u even wheelie bro😝
Loved this segment! Also very curious as to where the background footage during the electronic shifting/dropper posts were being discussed...the scenery brought me right back to my former stomping grounds in Tucson, AZ. Looked ALOT like the Sweetwater trail system...am I close??
This was spot on. As a college student at 18 living with parents at home making no more than 500 a week, I feel this list is perfect. I agree all these fancy schmancy parts can hold off till when they are considered "the norm" and I'll pick em up then. Till then though, I'm happy with my Cannondale f600 mountain bike and will be for years to come I assume. Unless "electronic" parts become readily available or cheapish I ain't into it. I've been working on bikes since the age of 9 and know mechanical stuff quite well. Just two days ago actually I rebuilt a Cannondale second hand frame. Since I'm in Maine Cannondale had a deal with LL BEAN (a huge business in Maine) and they supplied them with frames for a certain period. I've recently picker up a 1988 "LL bean" bicycle which was indeed a Cannondale undercover, at my local dump for free of course and have rebuilt it. I spent days rebuilding it as when I finished I realized even with extended brake calipers, 700c was not going to work. (Which I think is weird for a Cannondale. Shouldn't all frames be able to convert to 700c? I know this is an 88 model. Tho it could have been numbered after production since it was a "LL bean" bicycle. I'm guessing it's either an 86 or 87 that was sold to LL bean for cheap since it was either backstock or just extra from there balance sheet. But if I'm being honest, I have a 2015 Fuji sportif 2015 1.0 LE which is the best you can get cause after 1.0 it goes 1.1 than 1.3 and so on which are much less expensive. For the time which is only 4 years ago as of this comment. But my cannondale is 2lbs lighter than my Fuji which is about 30 years newer. But clearly Cannondale has the advantage. They must be the "panasonic" of bikes cause panaconic is way ahead in the camera world and clearly in bike frames, Cannondale is way ahead weight wize which is all you look at generally for a frame so id recommend any Cannondale frame. Even if you aren't satisfied with weight (which I know you will be) their welds on there frames are immaculate. Even for this shitty LL bean I got for free, Cannondale is way ahead of the game on bikes. So please please let me know if you have any questions. Not tryna brag but I know my shit I'll help you anyway I can even if it's just over text or call and I don't get paid. I'll do it for free bikes are my hobby so please hit me up
I'm in the Maine area
My number is 2072529939
I'll likely answer a call and will definitely reply to a text.
Thank you for your time and service.
Sincerely,
Curtis
cool story bro
Okay, so now I need them :)
On bars: I would agree w/ sticking to aluminum for DH / Enduro style riding. However a good set of carbon bars are invaluable when racing XC / Marathon or for endurance riders in general. The benefit isn't stiffness, but ability to absorb additional chatter mitigating some fatigue.
Shocks: Use the money you didn't spend on a new shock and buy a Quarq Shock Wiz. That will get you to 99% of an optimal setup w/ only a few minor tweaks for personal preference, and will be 1000% better that what most of our own blind adjustments gets us.
Given you can often rent a Shock Wiz, that is possibly even better advice....
I think that 35mm bars work well exclusively on E-mtb which are heavier than their analogue counterparts. I personally cannot think of a single area or component on my bike where I would feel secure with it being carbon and I don’t particularly give my bike an hard time unlike most of my riding buddies here in Shropshire. It’s just that I’ve seen carbon fail once too often (for my liking) while out on the trails. Call my ole Skool but for me, I prefer the security and feel of alloy over and above that of carbon.
Spot on!
I'm waiting for the 1x13 to come out and the new 28er wheels and the carbotanium combination frame. Until then, I'll stick with my trusty steed
Great suggestions!
Carbon frames are a complete worth-it upgrade. Have been rocking my carbon hardtail for 5 years and it is much more confortable than alluminium, lighter and stronger (contrary to what most people believe)
Do you crash a lot? Because carbon should break faster the alloy in a crash ... Right?
Carbon is strong, but it's also more sensitive if it gets impact forces, because carbon can't bend, if the forces are too big it breaks. Alloy can deform a little bit, before it breaks.
Alloy has the same strength in all directions, but a fiber composite material like carbon fiber has different strengths in different directions, it depends how the fiber is oriented, it's similar to wood, which is really stable if you pull at the fibers, but much less if you pull at a 90 ° direction to the fibers.
Personally I use aluminum frames, but I'm not a pro, it's my hobby, and not for competition, there's no carbon in the price class of my relatively simple bikes.
Funny video, I was doing USCF racing forty plus years ago and everyone thought he needed to buy Campy stuff. It's no worse today, just different. Wireless is the New Campagnolo.
And here I am with my hard tail 26er with a 3x8 gear but am still having the same amount of fun as those guys riding bikes that are more expensive than the cars they ride. it's the man that makes the ride fun and the bike perform well and not the other way around
I bought a relatively expensive bike because it was the only one available during the shortage. It's a great bike, but its actually harder to have fun with it because I'm constantly paranoid that i will fall and break or damage or bend something. I'm also always thinking it will get stolen.
I also have that kind o fear when I bought my first mtb out of my own money. You either maintain constantly vigilant with your bike through the years or you just get used to it.
Excellent commentary: If there are more masses to ride, owning brilliant tech at reasonable capital becomes more realistic. Then it is about the sport, not the gear. “Ride up grades, don’t buy upgrades” - Eddy Mercx
Groupset..
SRAM: Stick with GX derailleur (virtually identical to the X01 derailleur) and pony up for the X01 cassette over the NX. It saves you 250g (0.55 lbs) in unsprung mass. That's a huge benefit to the responsiveness of your suspension.
That was my thoughts what shifter do you think is best?
@@edensgardenshed9622 Thumb shift I'd grab XO1 for adjustability. You can adjust the swing location of the thumb lever. GX is perfectly fine if you don't need the adjustability.
I was a grip-shift weirdo myself. Used the GX grip shift.
I run AXS on my primary bike now.
I know I’ll probably sound stupid one day when every part on a bike is electronic but what was wrong with mechanical? Their easier to repair, reliable, and in some cases, lighter. I know that their making things slimmer and sleeker all the time but at the end of the day, your only saving a couple grams on a bike that 30 pounds. The only thing I can truly get behind is the electric dropper post. If it works, the it’s actually pretty nice
Good call on the X01 derailleur on the GX groupset upgrade. Probably cheaper to go Shimano XT for the cost of the X01 derailleur. SRAM is not budget friendly and their sub X01 derailleurs are made of cheese.
Rockshox rear shock upgrade - MegNeg - works wonders. Main thing is to keep your components well maintained and clean. Then have fun - oh and tyres are a great upgrade but think of what you do with your bike as you don't want Super Gravity Casing tyres if you have to pedal a lot just like you don't want XC fast rolling tyres if all you do is shuttle and bomb.
I think your right overall especially about the high end transmission but about carbon I think it's valuable if all your bike is designed to be lighter, in XC the weight is very important and the stiffness of carbon help for the climbing so if think it's valuable when you are on a hardtail otherwise I'm not sure it's such valuable but it's a cool upgrade
Sorry for the poor English
everything is spot on, I would also add carbon parts not just the frame itself. I for myself, bought once the Raceface Next CF crank, of course it was gorgeous, but to be perfectly honest I never could sense any difference from neither prespective when it came down to comparing it to my XT crankset ;) It was just a tremendously pointless spending (about 500 EUR).
Lol amazing! I thought that I was the only one saying plastic parts are not superior at all.
I sent my rear shock off my old K2 team into a rebuilder (can't remember who) and let them do performance upgrades. Best $140 ever. Feels almost as good as my new Scott Spark 700.
A lot of bike channels pressure you into thinking you need all these expensive components that arent found on a bike cheaper than $800. Just know that a $200 bike still works and you can still have fun on it. Apply that to parts as well.
you can have fun for about 1 ride on trails before the brake lever and handlebars, etc. are busted while you rattle all over the mountains. There’s a reason the midrange parts are more money. They last. The high end are overpriced though.
What could be the best upgrade for a cannondale 2012 sl1 hardtail? Thank you.
god I feel old, 26” wheels,straight fork steerer,square drive bottom bracket, and azonic double wall handlebars,...and a 2 x 9 on both my bikes,
I think some of the upgrades are dependent on weight of rider and terrain. 35mm carbon bars and a carbon wheel set made my bike feel soooooo much better. But I’m 200lbs and downhill mostly. So the stock aluminum wheels were too wobbly and they are a high end. Plus I found carbon bars cut the chop down on brake bumps.
At the moment i have got a 3×8 shimano deore lx drivetrain 2005 model, and it has started to skip the chain and drop it on the front cassette- Im thinking of changing to a 1× drive chain, but dont want to spend all of the money changing the rear cassette and shifter and derailier
I think im going to change to a 1× 8 to avoid spending too much money, but i will then have limited cadence to distane ratios, any advice?
Nice picks! carbon and groupsets are the worst! Many dealers are aggressively pushing the latest groupset or overselling ”higher quality” part sets for begingera specially and always trying to make them choose on model up.. specially when starting the frame and cockpit + saddle are the things that matter for many years to come..