I can still remember my first mountain bike from Jr. High. A Huffy from Target. It didn't have any suspension, weighed a ton but it was fun and got me interested in the sport.
That’s awesome! Yeah I remember my Huffy very well! Glad yours got you interested in the sport. Was that your bike before the Trek? My Huffy was eventually stolen which then gave my dad a reason to get me a real mountain bike later 😂
Buy older quality bike..luck out with a barely used, upgrade that. I have a bunch of upgraded vintage hard tails and roadbikes... some retailing for thousands a decade ago.
buy up a bunch of parts second hand that make sense for your build, then just spec up a custom steel frame from Marinobikes, even fully decked out as Reynolds 725 tubing they're still cheap considering what you are getting. It's what I've done now, once the frame is finished and arrives in a couple of months, and i get everything transplanted from my current cheap hardtail frame it will be a bike with spec that rivals £2k+ hardtails and will have cost me less than half that. It's already good fun with a 160mm Pike, full XT drivetrain and lightweight wheels on a 29er... be even better when the frames geo is actually designed around the 160 fork.
@@nebnollock5198 NX11 is still a really good groupset, sektors are also a good fork. I've not quite got the setup dialled on the Pikes since upping them to 160 travel from 140, mostly due to this damn virus as I now can't really get out on the bike properly. my XT is 1x10 as it was significantly cheaper due to sales, compared to shimano 11speed stuff.
I bought that same bike & upgraded it with some of the parts you used. It's actually not that bad of a ride. I changed my rims, tires, added hydraulic brakes, shocks, a 1x11 drivetrain and a dropper post. I'm here in Houston near Cypress Creek as well.
Oh no way! That’s cool. Yours does sound better than mine! How long have you had yours? What shocks did you go with? Yeah it was fun on the trail and I’ll have to keep riding it to compare. Maybe I’ll give it some better components later. For now it is a loaner bike for friends. Have fun at the Creek and see you on the trails.
@@BikingRoots I've had my bike almost 2 years. i have the same rear shock as you but my front shock is a SR Suntour Epixon XC MTB Fork 29" 120mm Air Manual 9mm QR Matte Black my seat dropper post is from KS.
Thanks for your compliment and appreciate your encouragement. What keeps it going is you guys and the goal is to try and help people out there have fun on mountain bikes any way we can. Be safe and have fun!
Thanks for your comment and info. Sorry for the lost bolt! I’ve had that happen on a much more expensive bike where I forgot to check the pivot bolts periodically. It was a pain to find a replacement. Have you been able to find a replacement?
Good question man, I think there was a discussion somewhere about it on a site or forum but I think they were just installing higher quality bushings not bearings on their Hyper. I’ll keep looking. It may be pretty difficult but who knows. Maybe someone will chime in to help.
@@JorgeDiaz-zc1pi I have a cheap FS frame as well, mine didn't fall but they worn out after a year or two, they can be made in a lathe if you find the right person and still have the originals, mine work as good as the original ones so far.
Juan Carlos Alpízar so I’ve actually been riding without it and it’s made the rear a lot softer I still haven’t been able to find a bolt that would fit
I’ve always thought (if I had a disposable income) it would be awesome to take like a huffy carnage (it’s very bright and noticeable) and put parts that cost way more than the bike itself on and take it to a busy trail center for reaction. Im sure you could get some priceless reactions.
Ha! Yeah I’m sure some wouldn’t notice and then others would ask why?! I remember a while back a buddy and I showed up with our old 26ers from like 2003 (we were both waiting on new bikes and that’s all we had at the moment) and we got some confused looks from some Santa Cruz and Specialized bros. We still had a great time and in the end you can have fun on anything 😀
I’m guessing you have those bikes to show customers the differences between a Walmart bike and those you carry? If you are new to the sport there is definitely sticker shock. Might be the interesting to take a new customer and film them riding those two and the $1500 bike you carry.
Thanks for your comment Chuck! Yes that was the intention at the beginning when we opened the shop but we ran out of space and the walmart bikes got kicked out to my garage at home. I love the idea though of doing some sort of blindish test to see their thoughts. Unfortunately someone bought the frame for the stock hyper so I’m down to one now but that would be a good test... Stay tuned. Thanks!
I have about $1,500 in to my Mongoose XR PRO and 8 years later it still awesome. Sounds crazy and I wouldn't do in again in this day and age, but at the time it was a good decision. I got it in 2012 when the cheapest specialized double suspension 29er was $1,900. For $1,900 you got a nice aluminum frame and a nice rear shock. Other than that it pretty much have the same components as the $400 Walmart XR Pro. Which is kind of sad. The Next step up was the stunp jumper and that was $3,000 at the time. The XR pro has held up though got thousands of really tough miles on it.
Oh nice, yeah I've seen a few of the XR Pro builds out there and some are pretty sweet. Yeah it does put it into perspective sometimes and if you are willing to accept some trade offs and you have the tools and time to do it, you may be able to save some cash. It's fun too to see the difference certain parts can make to the bike. Thanks for your comment
Hi, Greetings from Michigan. I remember back in the dark ages, all of our mountain bikes were hard tails with actual forks. They worked. Instead of trying to pack in a bunch of features on a sub $200 bike, I'd like to see them build a tough bike with sturdy cranks and good brakes with no suspension. They wouldn't have super tough double wall rims, but it would be possible to build a sturdy generation 1 MTB on the cheap.
Thank you for your comment and hope you are doing well in Michigan! That is a very good point and I like your idea. I totally agree that a lot of the “features” found on the lower end bikes are just added weight that actually hurt the overall bike experience. I too remember my first mountain bike and it was all rigid but didn’t break and I had a blast on it until I could save enough cash to buy my 1st used Rockshox Fork 😀. Maybe someone will make one again
I love the concept of upgrading! I just finished a complete overhaul of an old Trek 820 ridgid frame mtb. Tubeless wheels and Deore XT for under 1k. It went from 31 lbs to 26 and is amazing to ride with soft tire pressures. Skip the cheap gimmicky bikes and recycle!
Thanks for your comment and appreciate it. Yeah, I have some more upgrades planned for it soon. Right now my brother in law is riding it until I fix his bike
I built mine up about a year ago. Bike is tough and with upgrades it is very capable. My only complaint is that the cockpit seems very cramped compared to my Polygon. No regrets building up the HH and now I have a decent loaner when someone wants to ride.
Ok, this is two videos from you today that popped up in my feed. Enjoyed both. Even wrote you an email about the other one (re: cheap forks). Gotta subscribe. Seems like a cool channel with good info.
Great videos man! Good real world scenarios explored and tested. I noticed the handlebar you put on the upgraded bike in this video and i too bought a wake bicycle cheap handlebar. it worked fine until two days ago when it sheared clean off at the stem on the right side. it scared me beyond belief and although the bar was never intended for jumping or drops i just wanted to share my experience with you and any of your viewers for safetys' sake. heres the link to pinkbike where i post my vids from riding. the handlebar break clip should be the first one on the page. enjoy! keep up the good work on your informative videos.
Thanks man for the heads up. Yeah someone else I think commented about their issues with those bars. Not good! The bike has not been ridden in a while and I will be actually doing a pretty good makeover on it soon so bars will be changed! Thank you
Okay so HUGE Marin fan my channel partner has owned them for years I don't ride cheap bikes but I do dig the channel alot of fun seeing what you can do to these kinds of bikes keep up the good work new sub here
I have a decent hard tail for trail riding, but I’ve been thinking of getting a secondary bike to lend to friends or something. Seems like upgrading a cheap Big box bike for that could work, and even be a bit of fun while school is out!
Thanks for your comment. Yeah definitely could be an option to have for a friend which is what I’m doing now. I would say pick a bike and price it out to make sure it isn’t more than a comparable bike from another brand. Also, if you don’t have tools, don’t forget to factor that in or find a buddy that has them. If you have any questions, let me know!
Archie H good question. Looks like they are nearly identical minus some brake differences and derailleur differences. Not sure but the sport version is more expensive and has mechanical disc instead of hydraulic which is kind of strange. Both look like they would be good beginner bikes, I don’t see any major differences. Let me know if you have any other questions
Thanks for the compliment and comment! Unfortunately not that I know of. I know Diamondback and Polygon have some under $1k but have lesser suntour model forks (not air). In the meantime the only way to get a half decent full suspension for that price is an older used bike. We shall see
That sounds like a fun potential project. Yeah it is tough to find bikes or frames right now that are budget friendly. Keep your eyes out though, hopefully something will become available soon
Did you do any tuning first to the stock model? The stock performs a little better than what you've shown. Though the heaviness and single-wall wheels are not at all ideal for anything more than a stroll on a bike path. I have an upgraded Hydro, and it was definitely worth it. Followed the same KevCentral version like you did here, but I added an 1.5 deg Angleset and a dropper post. It's great. I'd definitely purchase a second one for $150.
I did not since I was aiming to simulate what someone would get when they ordered it online and opened it up to go for a ride. I realize that some are better than others out of the box, unfortunately mine wasn’t great (not surprising though). Nice, sounds like a cool build, glad you could do it, hope it treats you well
Appreciate it! I’ll probably do something a little nicer on the next build with the stock Hyper. The fit and finish on the frame isn’t great but hopefully the welds are good! Others in the comments have said they’ve put a good amount of miles on them and so far so good. We shall see 😀
Thank you for your comment and compliment. Yeah, when you try to find a decent new full suspension bike for less than $1k it is very difficult and I imagine it will stay that way for the time being unless some breakthrough is made. No it does not have a tapered headtube. For the next Hyper build I may try a tapered cup conversion (cane creek makes one) to use a tapered fork since that opens up some nicer fork possibilities.
Gonna start biking again after literally 10 years without a proper bike. Went to my local bikeshop, tried out a few things and decided to order a Bergamont RD7 Cyclocross bike going big for a new bike, starting it right.
@@BikingRoots that all already changed, went to a different Bikeshop and ordered a new Stevens Vapor in that sick python green, should arrive in a week, maybe two. Hyped as hell and thanks for the good wishes!
I think considering on the second bike you upgraded the entire groupset you should atleast buy some decent tires, even if not tubeless. Improves handling and bike stability hugely.
Thanks for the comment. I agree tires can make a big difference. I may swap them out but for now it’s just a loan to friends bike. What tires have you had good luck with?
@@BikingRoots I'll be straight honest I've actually never bought tires, since I haven't really got the money to pour onto bikes. However, my bike that I got from a major retailer here in the UK (Halfords) for £280 ($345) came stock with a pair of Kenda K1027 which while not tubeless ready have been incredibly grippy and I believe are folding.
@@BikingRoots i have found that cst rockhawks are pretty decent budget tyres having way more grip and resisting punctures better than the kenda tyres i had on before They are heavy though REALLY heavy
Great vid. I actually suggested the hyper on a forum before the kev central show. That's my suggestion for set up as well. Yes the bike is worth it, and that 6061 frame is as good as any. I suggest sourcing direct from the Alibaba group. There is a company that sells 6061 frame bikes by the name of XCOBRA on Alibaba that makes that Marin deal look pretty bad. They make some serious park bikes if that's what your selling. The best company in the entire industry right now is Shenzhen first technology ltd co on Alibaba, and once you see the catalog You understand. They are selling 12 speed xc based 7005 trail bikes for 780 bucks. These are sub 27 pound bikes that are a absurd deal.
Thank you for your comment and all of the information. I'll have to check out XCOBRA and also Shenzhen first. I'm always open to try different options and see what is out there. Right now I'm a bit put off with generic brands since I bought a cheap carbon frame from BXT and the piece of junk cracked on my 2nd ride and the company has NOT been helpful and I seriously doubt I will get a replacement or money. But maybe I just need to stick with aluminum! So far I do like selling Marin because I feel like I have an established company to back me up in case something does go wrong. I'll look into the ones you mentioned though and thanks again for all the info! Take care
@@BikingRoots Both are the real deal. Shenzhen first i suspect is the major supplier manufacturer for many road bike compsnies. Always look for the T NUMBER when purchasing carbon frames and double check the spec sheet bxt was selling OLD TORAY T700 carbon layups. Always purchase t800 and above. T1000 and T1100 are used in RACING applications for lightweigh xc and road bikes. The frames are noticably stiffer. T800 layups are used for trail bikes mostly that are thicker and actually are not that light. 7005 aluminum is used in lightweigh applications as well. All lightweight xc aluminum frames including cannondale are 7005 frames. Never buy generic frames when the T number is hidden. There are layered makeups below T700 and they are old. Old Trek road bikes and XC frames are CARBON MESH frames that are mesh layered with epoxy resin. They usually are exceptinally light and fragile. Pre preg sheets are used now.
That’s a lot of great info! Thanks for taking the time to list them all out. I’ll have to look into it and see what that BXT frame was. I have 3 cracked carbon bikes sitting now (1 is my bro in law). Scalpel, Trigger, and BXT. Frustrating. Need to get them fixed!
Thats actually a badass fork for the price. You could get a similarly priced rockshox like a judy tk air and its not e even close. They are even travel adjustable which is nice and they seem to cost like 400 to 500 bucks on the suntour site.
Depends which model. Multiple ones I’ve used has similar results and in my opinion didn’t feel as good as Rockshox lower tier forks but maybe they changed them. The didn’t cost 400-500 so yeah at that price they must have changed the internals. I’ll have to research further, thanks
The site shows about 400 last I checked. There was some idea that people were getting the slightly lower QA quality or selling them from the backdoor. But I feel that fork defeats the rockshock that range between 169-349 easy and now the epixons are only 200 bucks. Even judy golds at 349 still have 30mm stanchions. Check this link about 400 original for the epixon. www.srsuntour.us/collections/forks/products/epixon-9-lo-r?variant=29038021251
You can actually convert this bike to tapered, I have a works components 2 degree angled headset for mine, going to put on a dnm usd-6 I got of pinkbike.
Thanks for your comment and question! Do you like to feel more stretched out on a bike or do you like a smaller more playful bike? You are right in the middle of the size charts. I’ve had customers size down and size up according to their preferences. If you’re able to ride one that would be best but I’d probably lean towards recommending a large for you. Good luck!
I feel like some of the problems with the cheap is that he actually put work into the upgrade bike but I bet he just bought the stock one and left it as is. He was saying it felt like the crankset was gonna fall of and the shifting was bad. Both sounds like symptoms of I bike not assembled/adjusted properly. A lot of times the worker who put the bikes together for Walmart forget to tighten things. And they don't know how to adjust shifting indexing properly. I've had a cheap Walmart bike for about a year an a half and I've greased all the barring and lubed everything properly and I haven't had any problems with it and it's perfect for riding around town. And I still go 30+ miles every other day.
Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately I do not have a recommendation at this time. Everything, including wheels, is so difficult to source at this time! I’d probably keep an eye out on ebay for some options or maybe even your local bike shop if they have any takeoffs from people upgrading.
I did the HH upgrade myself (my 1st 29er gateway bike). It was awesome. Some parts I had already but most had to be ordered. After all said and done the total was around $800 give or take $50 and that was over several cold months here in Wi (Dec to June). Could I have dropped a couple grand on a bike, sure but is that really the price you NEED to pay to ride, No. For the common bike riders looking to get back into or just starting out in the sport, spending 2k+ isnt ideal. Especially when life happens, IE: Marriage, kids, Mortgage, Car notes, etc etc. I really applaud you being a small business owner and doing a stock to upgrade video. Most would never do that especially if owning a bike shop is there livelihood. Oh and mine weighed in at 30.25 lbs.
Thanks you David for your comment and insight. I’m happy for you being able to build up your ride and that you are enjoying it. I’m sure you learned a ton in the process which will help you in the future. Good points. Yeah I often meet people who stay out of the sport because they fall in love with all the bells and whistles of the latest bike tech but can’t justify the cost. I encourage them to do their research of course but get out there and ride whatever your budget is while you are able to since you never know how life can change! Thanks for your last comment, I appreciate it. The way people now buy things is a challenge to conventional retailers. I’m trying to do my best to try and adapt and help a variety of riders and make it convenient for them however I can. Take care and stay safe
I bought one . Upgraded it and its fine . 149 $ for a frame and tires is a good price . All you need is a Group set . Of your choise . Some Peddles and a Fork . Get to It . For 500$ you get a nice bike .
Someone/you should make a series with some inexpensive aftermarket parts that are put onto big box bikes like walmart bikes and that. Like stock vs built inexpensively and see if it would be worth investing into the bike if youre gonna upgrade straight away.
I subbed. Good video. You built a Kev Central clone, but I’d like to see what you do with your channel. I’d like to know how you started a bike shop. Thanks
Thanks for comment. Yeah they ended up being similar, may build up my other one, still deciding. Appreciate your interest and I am planning on a video about how I started so stay tuned. A bit crazy and a leap of faith 😀. Take care
Bushings ain't bad (and pretty easy to source), they are actually made for the loads a suspension gets (short rotation, high torque). For 150 bucks, you get about 30% off for the frame and they include a bunch of stuff to try the frame out. Not bad imho.
@@BikingRoots If you get the measurements, every self respecting professional technical parts supplier (the shops where you would get things like a milion different o-rings), should be able to get you in touch with the right bearings :) I've managed to source weirder parts that way, like x-rings with specific non-standardised measurements, made from a specific material)
@@BikingRoots Speaking of cheap stuff with respectable performance: Checkout the DNM RCP-3, harder to come by, but designwise it's, is 80-90% the same as the Marzocchi Bomber CR (with a worse valve), for 100 bucks or so. They are both a simplified Fox design, using basically the same simplifications. With a decent spring, it should be a very interesting purchase to get cheap fullies into something rideable! Proof? This teardown: th-cam.com/video/ri8L_Hf9t9k/w-d-xo.html And the schematics on the Marzocchi website: www.ridefox.com/fox17/help.php?m=bike&id=999
Not every location has a used market to draw from they isn't 'user walmart bikes.' so to everyone saying 'jUsT BUy uSEd' that I sent an option for everyone. Not everyone can plonk $750 up front on a hobby they don't know if they will like or have time for, but would feel more confident putting $150 in up front and over time as they realize they are outgrowing the parts on thwt bike. Upgrade the parts. Plus for some people the process of learning by doing those replacements is part of the fun of the hobby. Example: I have a huffy parkside I was given as a gift because I wanted a bike to do cardio and get some fresh air. I love the frame (I am sure people will sneer at the geometry being all wrong this making it worthless to upgrade) but I am well aware all the other parts are pretty rubbish. I didn't like the 44t chainring and crank arms, so I got an action crank set and went to a 32 tooth so I could more easily ride around the fields around and about. Now that I have confirmed a 1-1/8th headset size I am considering fork options for down the road, along with replacement tires (and an upgrade to cadette for the sake of having a mine speed,) along with better deraileur and shifter. I know it will never be too of the line, but it will suit my needs as I grow. If I get to a point where I want to do things I wouldn't feel comfortable doing on that bike? They is when I will consider getting a better bike, and bybghem ai will have the tools and knowledge to actually make the best of it.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Yeah everyone comes from different avenues into the sport and in the end we get to go have fun on a bike on the trails. Like you said, some people have a very limited budget, others like to build as they go, and some don’t want to mess with it and just ride how it comes. Have fun out there
@@BikingRoots don't get me wrong. Of you have the money and know you're gonna go all in on cycling? Get the better bike. If nothing else that gives you a better starting point and have more room to grow before yu need to do anything past maintinancing.
I honestly feel like anywhere below $2000 dollars you would be better up buying a hard tail. For $750 you would be better off getting a Trek marlin 6 or 7 and getting the bike shop support to go along with it.
Thanks for your comment. Yeah for some people I would agree with that and the Marlin may be a better option for some that don’t need full suspension and need support and warranty from the shop. I sell Marin bikes and their hawk hill and rift zone full suspension models are a great value for $1500 to $1850 depending on the model.
Yup, you should be good to go! With the Altus it doesn’t have a clutch and the spring isn’t super stiff but with lighter riding and a NW chainring you should be fine if you size the chain right.
I wish you would have weighed the frame when it was all stripped down. Seems like a bike that could compete. Here in canada hyper sells the viking trail pro which is exactly the same frame however it has a tapered head tube with a 66 degree angle and a seat post angle of 77. It was released in 2019/2020. 500$ cad at Walmart/ Canadian tire. Used off kijiji or Facebook marketplace 150-200$. 1x9 drivetrain that works. Replace fork and shock with your choice used or new off Amazon for 200 front 50-150 rear. That's 550 cad dollars for a bike you can pedal efficiently and comfortably... maybe throw a seat of your choice on. If you truly want a bike to send off the jumps and trails for cheap, your best option currently is one of the many 26" downhill style used bikes on the market ( 800-1500 range) that doctors have replaced with new 29" enduro bikes. They cost way more than that to build back in the day but seeing that you can get a new 29er full sus for 2-3k now makes it hard to sell a 26er. They are tough though and their brakes and drive trains are likely worth 2k alone lol. You just don't want to pedal those bikes very far. 29 inch wheels are expensive. A cheap set of wheels will cost you more than an entire cheap 29er at Walmart. Just rediculous
Thanks for the detailed comment and info! I wasn't aware of the viking trail pro. Sounds like a higher end frame and probably has bearings instead of bushings? Yeah we did this many years ago and a few years back did another upgrade video on our channel which feels a lot better now. That actually reminds me as I haven't ridden it in so long! I don't see (at least here in Houston) too many 26 er enduro/downhill rigs but I can imagine in Canada they show up. Yeah some of those would be fun! agree about the brakes and drivetrain! Take care and thanks for the comment
I just bought a single speed track bike for 320$ off Ebay, 6ku, its matte color so its 100$ more expensive that regular, what I upgraded is new brakes, new drop bars (they were flat) new $30 pedals, that's it, might need to change the crank because it sometimes makes noises, but since I didn't have money last gear for a specialized mountain bike for $700, I got a road bike, which I ride everywhere, in fact even on rocks, also I bought new Michelin tires on the back because I like drifting from time to time, so the stock tyres just popped on me, good think I wasn't going 40mph over all I spent $150on upgrades, not including cranks, might sell it and buy a normal mountain bike, not that I'm riding on trails, but roads in NyC are really bumpy, and some parts needed to be tightened more that usual
I got a used 27.5 full suspension with air shocks for 600 euros, it's a Giant Stance, 4 year old model, revised the shocks, changed a few bits and pieces, now it's a 700 euro bike with both air shocks and a legit geometry and weight. I'd say this 750 $ is a pretty good upgrade path, but it's the wrong bike to upgrade. I am pretty sure you can find sweet deals in the US, you just have to look for. It may be fine if you slap used parts on these Wallmart bikes, other than that, I can't imagine why you'd do it.
1500 bike more plush and smoother suspension design and components, better geometry (handles turns and inclines better. If you are new to biking you may not notice the differences as much especially if you are coming from a beginner hardtail
Love your channel! I’m getting the whole family into MTB. I’m a disabled veteran so I’m on a budget. I bought a Huffy Outlier…27.5in. The bike looks really cool but performs 3/10….if I invest $400-$500 on Amazon Parts is it worth it? I want a full suspension bike and just can’t afford…
Thanks for the comment! That’s awesome you are getting the whole family into it. It is very rewarding to find something everyone can enjoy together. Good question. I guess it depends on how much you want to invest into the bike and if you can find all the parts these days at a reasonable price. Does the bike fit you well? What’s your approximate weight?
@@BikingRoots I’m 5”10 170lbs. I love the bike, especially the frame. My first upgrades would be hydraulic brakes, and hopefully do a one by shift system but not sure how to do it
Hydraulic brakes would be one good upgrade that wouldn’t require too much effort (unless your bike has integrated shifters and brakes). If that’s the case, you’ll need new shifters as well unfortunately. If you want to go to a 1x, you’ll need a few things unfortunately. It looks like that bike has a freewheel rear (the gears in the back) so there are some bigger freewheels (usually needed to keep the range when you go to a 1x drivetrain) out there that don’t require you to change the wheels but not a lot of options. If you can find a wheelset that has an “HG freehub” that would open up your options and you could do an inexpensive 1x system for around $150 including the crankset and new chain, gears, derailleur, shifter. That would be the Microshift Acolyte drivetrain. That would change the bike a lot. I’d look for a used wheelset honestly but make sure they are “double wall” as your wheels now are most likely single wall and they bend easily. The next thing I’d probably do would be the fork and try and get an air fork or at least a better coil fork that will move through the travel more smoothly. There’s a lot more to it and probably confused you but maybe it will help. Good luck!
3:24 I was wondering about this, most of these big box bikes are too big for me. I'm wondering if I would do a full suspension 24" bike and get away with it.
Sorry for the delayed response. How tall are you? Depending on height, a 24” Marin Rift Zone junior (which can be upgraded to 26” wheels as well) could be an option though much more expensive than these types of bikes.
Great video. I am looking for a project bike to do with my son. I seem to not be able to find this bike on Walmart's website. Is there another bike that would be a similar feature and price point? I REALLY appreciate the component links you provided.
Thanks for your comment and sorry for delayed response. Yeah looks like they may have moved to a new model. How old and tall is your son? Are you wanting full suspension only or also considering a hardtail?
@@BikingRoots Hi! Thanks for the reply. My son is about 5ft and growing (8th grade). I like the option of a full suspension with a lockout feature (like the rear shock you linked below), thus giving you the best of both worlds (a full suspension or a hardtail, with lockout). Assuming I understand the features correctly. Thoughts? My goal is to have a project that my son and I can do together.
Jon Wyant thanks for your response. Ok hmm well the fact that he is young and 5’ I would lean more towards a small frame 27.5” hardtail or full suspension depending on how much you want to spend. The issue is a lot of these big box store bikes will be too big for your son since they are usually a one size fits “most adults”. What I would recommend doing is finding a small frame 27.5 hardtail from many different manufacturers (new or used). Many will probably have a heavy 3x front crankset that you could convert using the crankset in this video. I would make sure to find a bike that has a wheelset with double walls and an 8-10 speed cassette that way you could upgrade it easier without having to buy a new wheelset. Then you can upgrade brakes (if you want) or shock (recommended). You could do a rock shox 30 or new Judy air for like $170 i believe. Lots of other options that I’ll try and do a video on soon so you get some ideas. Let me know if you have other questions.
Oh is that right? Interesting. Yeah it's not bad, I just was not impressed with the rebound on it which is why I have been experimenting with some other air forks in that price range to see what the best bang for your buck is. Rock Shox have an inexpensive Judy air fork that I may give a try for like $170 retail
I bought a K2 Sidewinder for $200 and put about another $500 in to it. I now realize I really should've waited for a good bike to pop up on Craigslist for that money. Yes my bike has better parts on it but these parts are not as good as what would come on a nice, big name brand bike that i could've scooped up used for that price point. My bike is great but I don't recommend upgrading cheap bikes unless it's just what you have already and don't want another bike
Thanks for your comment. Yeah it all depends on what your overall plan is and if it is worth upgrading to you. I agree sometimes it is better to just buy a new bike or if you can find a newish bike for a great deal, you can save cash over upgrading an old bike. As you found out, upgrading can get expensive fast especially if you are not doing it yourself. I always advise people to write it out your build list of upgrades and see if it is worth going down that road or not. Hopefully the bike will give you some good memories or at least help you sell it for more if you decide to get something different. Good luck
I would think youd be better off finding an older 26er full suspension, something from 2004-2006. You can usually find something in the $4-500 range. Then spend $250 on a 1X drivetrain and whatever other small upgrades you might need. Then, at least, youve got a quality frame with bearings in the pivots. Sure, itll have 26 inch wheels but we rode those for decades and didnt know any different. The problem with the $150 hyper is exactly what you pointed out in the video. It has bushings in the pivots and there are no sources for replacements. Ridden like a proper mountain bike, those bushings wont last a year... heck id be surprised if they lasted half a year. Then what do you do? Basically just scrap the frame and start over. But a cheap, older bike and start there. WAY better investment in the long run.
Thanks for your detailed comment and insight. Yes for many I would agree. I sold my brother in law a sweet Trek fuel full suspension 26er for $500 and it had full XT was super light and a sweet beginner bike. I actually have a 26er build coming soon to the channel. Haven’t ridden one on a trail in about a year so im excited to try out. I’ve spent more years on 26er than on 29 or 27.5 😀
Sweet, Jack Brooks area! I need to get down that way soon, it’s been too long. In the North I like to ride Cypresswood, Timberlane, Cypress Creek, Flintridge, and sometimes Sam Houston national forest
the bike is SUPER smooth...was worth upgrading that frame...BUT that heavy spring I kept... it's stiff enough to act as a hardtail at 1000 lbs...also, the wheel set is trash, bought a wheelset on amazon pre-covid when you could find stuff at regular price
Thanks for your comment and glad you have had good luck with it! Coming soon I’m doing a complete upgrade overhaul on this bike so stay tuned for the video
Very interested in how that epixon does in the longer term At the moment i have a xcm 30 on my hardtail and there is pitting on the stanchions and i dont feel like having them re chromed
Yeah, I’ve also seen many start pitting. My buddy had an epixon for a couple years and it seemed fine before he replaced it with a markhor. Depending on the price though, I’d get the Judy or markhor before the epixon based on the feel of the rebound and additional tuning adjustments. If you find an epixon for way cheap though, you’ll still appreciated the difference over your current fork. Good luck!
@@BikingRoots great thanks for the advice Ive had this xcm for 3 years and its mostly only seen road riding from home to school and back approx 10km every day With the occasional pavement to climb Although now im actually getting into the sport coz work=money for my hobbies XD
Biking Roots thank you. I ordered some of the parts and materials and installed it today. Thanks for the info. Btw im still running a stock chain. What do u suggest for replacement?
Excuse me, do you know if Walmart has other colors of the hyper hydroform or just blue? is that I saw an image of a silver color I do not know if it is available at walmart
For $650 I got a solid frame an suspension, scott voltage that retails for like $2800. I got new rubber for my wheels, new brake pads, a new front brake hydrolic cable, learned to bleed brakes, greased everything good. Parts and all I spent $750 on a bike I could probably sell now for 1200-1400. I think this is a better path. Learn as much as you can about bikes and buy a used QUALITY bike. It could use a front/rear suspension rebuild at this point which will be ~200-250? BUT! I was able to put like 20-30 days on it at a downhill park, where rentals are 200/day. SO i think its totally worth.
Thanks for your comment and sharing your experience. That sounds like a great deal and glad it has worked out for you. I think if you’re patient and in a competitive market you can score some sweet deals. I think it depends on the person. I’ve had some great luck as well with used and some that ended up not being a good deal in the end 😀 have fun on it and stay safe! Appreciate your insight
@@BikingRoots True its all about patience. One of the similar priced bikes I looked at and drove 2hrs to look at, was 200$ more, the rims were no where near true and the frame had noticeable wobble I got very lucky with the one I bought that it was being purchased from someone who cares about their bike and it was well taken care of, except a few superficial dings here and there, but thats expected buying a bike from 2015/16 in 2019
Wills Ohrnberger oh wow, that stinks to have driven so far to find it with problems but glad you ended up with a better bike! I’ve bought 3 bikes over the years sight unseen off of ebay and luckily each one was hardly used and were great bikes but I know others have had issues. Take care
I ended up doing some custom car vinyl on it. One of my other videos goes more into it on some other bikes. Get some car vinyl and some 3m knifeless tape.
Pro tip, whenever you do weight, just include metric, because most of us can't divide by 2.2 in our heads on the fly, and others don't even know how heavy pounds are.
It was a normal 5-8 speed chain. Not sure the brand and the links unfortunately sorry. Generally when you get a new chain, you’ll have to measure it and cut it. There are videos on it or a bike shop can help you size it.
Hi. Im a 6"2 and 330lb guy who wanna go into mountain biking. What kind of bike do you advice to me? Full susoension or hardtail? What kind of suspension should i get that could handle my weight? Im ready to buy a bike frame and put specified component on it like you did with the cheap bike. Thank you :)
Thanks for your comment and you totally should get into mountain biking. Usually when I have bigger customers I advise them that they are probably exceeding most of the weight recommendations for the bike unfortunately but most of the time they aren’t riding the bike hard or jumping it so usually we haven’t had too many warranty type issues. That being said, if you can afford a decent full suspension bike, then I’d go that route. At your height, you’d need an XL frame and I’d recommend a 29er. If you are planning on buying a frame, then I’d try to get a frame that can handle trail bike or enduro bike type travel so 130-160 travel (if possible), then I’d get beefier wheelset (enduro type are wider and stronger) and also get a good rear shock that has PSI rating for your weight which you’ll just need to look up. Sorry, it’s a lot of stuff if you’re building up a bike and right now tough to find parts. Good luck
I have a 95 cannondale f1000 that im upgrading on the cheap. I wanna make it a single front spocket but I have no idea if there's a size standard or what when it comes to that shit lol
Cool bike, I love the old Cannondales. Well, it depends if you have a crankset that has 4 bolts that are spaced evenly around (usually 104BCD). Then yes, it an be easy to just remove your chain rings, throw on a narrow wide rind and go single. If you don’t have any chainring bolts, then you’ll have to get a new crankset which isn’t the worst thing but you may also want to upgrade your bottom bracket etc and then you get into a little more complicated things so probably should go talk to your local bike shop for help. Good luck
Thanks, yeah lots of comments on this. Yes we used the same fork and rear shock but actually drivetrain, wheels, and a lot of things were completely different. I used the fork and the shock due to the price point I was trying to stay at. Actually doing a makeover on this bike soon with new parts… stay tuned
Thanks for your question. Yeah that is a good question. If you are a bigger guy I may advise going with a name brand that has more history and a warranty just in case. These Jiankun IXF crankset have not been tested hard by me yet so I don’t know how they will hold up. I have them on a few test bikes now but none have been ridden hard or for and extended time yet. If you decide to give them a try, let me know how they turn out. Hopefully they last just check the pinch bolts often and monitor for wear. Thanks
Yup I agree for most people that would be the way to go although it’s getting tougher to do especially with 750. When we did this video we wanted to see if it was possibly to build a beginner full suspension for $750 which it was ok not great ha. We’ve since modified it again and it is much nicer now
Bike end up looking good but I wouldn't bother. I bought cheap Voodoo bizango 4 years ago. I was updating everything and i bought nukeproof frame and end up with £2700 hard tail
@@BikingRoots o yeah. Dropper post, spank wheels, rockshox pike 2020 xt deore 4 piston brakes carbon handlebars maxxis tyres etc. Very nice bike, very playful to ride
The wheels and tires is where I would start. Now on a budget that can be tough. I don’t know how much my wheels weighed but I know they aren’t light. In addition the tires it came with seem a bit heavy. Going tubeless saves some weight which I did. Generic carbon handlebars would save some weight and aren’t too expensive
Ah rats, sorry. Well maybe you can try the new one they came out with! I just checked the link and apparently a walmart in the area has one in stock for $89! Crazy cheap. Says in store only which is weird because I thought they only had them online. Oh well
What you find realize if you’ve never Ridin a full suspension mtb The hydroform feels great from my experience. I grew up with noo suspension mtb. And we would ride the power lines in Duluth mn. A lot of good hills. And we had a blast. Any suspension feels awesome coming from that. But I would love to ride a expensive mtb Someday !!
Thanks for your comment. That’s awesome. Yeah when you ride a lot of modern bikes now it is easy to get picky and forget how far we have come! It all depends on your goals and dreams of where you want to ride. I’ve seen people kill it on the trail with horrible bikes and people ride terribly on $7k bikes. Take care
I can still remember my first mountain bike from Jr. High. A Huffy from Target. It didn't have any suspension, weighed a ton but it was fun and got me interested in the sport.
That’s awesome! Yeah I remember my Huffy very well! Glad yours got you interested in the sport. Was that your bike before the Trek? My Huffy was eventually stolen which then gave my dad a reason to get me a real mountain bike later 😂
I traded an old Sega Genesis for a Huffy, and took it to Ft Duffield trails on the Ohio river. One time down and the bike was destroyed.
Sr89 Sm153 yes Sega! Hopefully the ride was worth it 🤣
Brett M. I would like but it’s on 69
I think spending your $750 on a really nice second hand hard tail would be the best choice
Benefits Ben that’s what I did... I got a trek roscoe 8 and it’s perfect
Buy older quality bike..luck out with a barely used, upgrade that. I have a bunch of upgraded vintage hard tails and roadbikes... some retailing for thousands a decade ago.
buy up a bunch of parts second hand that make sense for your build, then just spec up a custom steel frame from Marinobikes, even fully decked out as Reynolds 725 tubing they're still cheap considering what you are getting.
It's what I've done now, once the frame is finished and arrives in a couple of months, and i get everything transplanted from my current cheap hardtail frame it will be a bike with spec that rivals £2k+ hardtails and will have cost me less than half that.
It's already good fun with a 160mm Pike, full XT drivetrain and lightweight wheels on a 29er... be even better when the frames geo is actually designed around the 160 fork.
@@thegrumpyscot1865 sounds amazing, my hardtail only has an nx 11 sp and a 130mm sektor, but I've got the perfect tune on the fork and it does the job
@@nebnollock5198 NX11 is still a really good groupset, sektors are also a good fork.
I've not quite got the setup dialled on the Pikes since upping them to 160 travel from 140, mostly due to this damn virus as I now can't really get out on the bike properly.
my XT is 1x10 as it was significantly cheaper due to sales, compared to shimano 11speed stuff.
I bought that same bike & upgraded it with some of the parts you used. It's actually not that bad of a ride. I changed my rims, tires, added hydraulic brakes, shocks, a 1x11 drivetrain and a dropper post. I'm here in Houston near Cypress Creek as well.
Oh no way! That’s cool. Yours does sound better than mine! How long have you had yours? What shocks did you go with? Yeah it was fun on the trail and I’ll have to keep riding it to compare. Maybe I’ll give it some better components later. For now it is a loaner bike for friends. Have fun at the Creek and see you on the trails.
@@BikingRoots I've had my bike almost 2 years. i have the same rear shock as you but my front shock is a SR Suntour Epixon XC MTB Fork 29" 120mm Air Manual 9mm QR Matte Black my seat dropper post is from KS.
Nice that’s a good amount of time. That’s cool you built it up
@@BikingRoots A little trial & error but it was worth it to me! Maybe I'll bump into you on the trail sometime!
Yup that’s how it goes. Yeah definitely! See you out there. Appreciate your comments and support
Home Depot has nylon bushings for the rear suspension pivot points.
Oh thanks! I’ll have to investigate. Thanks for sharing
Very interesting and genuine interview of these two bikes! What a difference these components make!
Thank you for your comment. Yes I was hopeful but also a bit surprised at the difference. Take care
Your channel is awesome! Deserves wayyy more subs. You'll get them soon! Great content
Thanks for your compliment and appreciate your encouragement. What keeps it going is you guys and the goal is to try and help people out there have fun on mountain bikes any way we can. Be safe and have fun!
I’ve been ridding this bike for a year now hard in the desert and I just noticed the pivot point screw fell off it’s a good bike for a beginner
Thanks for your comment and info. Sorry for the lost bolt! I’ve had that happen on a much more expensive bike where I forgot to check the pivot bolts periodically. It was a pain to find a replacement. Have you been able to find a replacement?
Biking Roots thanks I’ve actually haven’t been able to find a replacement do you know of a way of installing bearings instead ?
Good question man, I think there was a discussion somewhere about it on a site or forum but I think they were just installing higher quality bushings not bearings on their Hyper. I’ll keep looking. It may be pretty difficult but who knows. Maybe someone will chime in to help.
@@JorgeDiaz-zc1pi I have a cheap FS frame as well, mine didn't fall but they worn out after a year or two, they can be made in a lathe if you find the right person and still have the originals, mine work as good as the original ones so far.
Juan Carlos Alpízar so I’ve actually been riding without it and it’s made the rear a lot softer I still haven’t been able to find a bolt that would fit
I’ve always thought (if I had a disposable income) it would be awesome to take like a huffy carnage (it’s very bright and noticeable) and put parts that cost way more than the bike itself on and take it to a busy trail center for reaction. Im sure you could get some priceless reactions.
Ha! Yeah I’m sure some wouldn’t notice and then others would ask why?! I remember a while back a buddy and I showed up with our old 26ers from like 2003 (we were both waiting on new bikes and that’s all we had at the moment) and we got some confused looks from some Santa Cruz and Specialized bros. We still had a great time and in the end you can have fun on anything 😀
A friend of mine did that with a steel roadbike that had downtube shifters, he bought the 105
I’m guessing you have those bikes to show customers the differences between a Walmart bike and those you carry? If you are new to the sport there is definitely sticker shock.
Might be the interesting to take a new customer and film them riding those two and the $1500 bike you carry.
Thanks for your comment Chuck! Yes that was the intention at the beginning when we opened the shop but we ran out of space and the walmart bikes got kicked out to my garage at home. I love the idea though of doing some sort of blindish test to see their thoughts. Unfortunately someone bought the frame for the stock hyper so I’m down to one now but that would be a good test... Stay tuned. Thanks!
I have about $1,500 in to my Mongoose XR PRO and 8 years later it still awesome. Sounds crazy and I wouldn't do in again in this day and age, but at the time it was a good decision. I got it in 2012 when the cheapest specialized double suspension 29er was $1,900. For $1,900 you got a nice aluminum frame and a nice rear shock. Other than that it pretty much have the same components as the $400 Walmart XR Pro. Which is kind of sad. The Next step up was the stunp jumper and that was $3,000 at the time. The XR pro has held up though got thousands of really tough miles on it.
Oh nice, yeah I've seen a few of the XR Pro builds out there and some are pretty sweet. Yeah it does put it into perspective sometimes and if you are willing to accept some trade offs and you have the tools and time to do it, you may be able to save some cash. It's fun too to see the difference certain parts can make to the bike. Thanks for your comment
Hi, Greetings from Michigan. I remember back in the dark ages, all of our mountain bikes were hard tails with actual forks. They worked. Instead of trying to pack in a bunch of features on a sub $200 bike, I'd like to see them build a tough bike with sturdy cranks and good brakes with no suspension. They wouldn't have super tough double wall rims, but it would be possible to build a sturdy generation 1 MTB on the cheap.
Thank you for your comment and hope you are doing well in Michigan! That is a very good point and I like your idea. I totally agree that a lot of the “features” found on the lower end bikes are just added weight that actually hurt the overall bike experience. I too remember my first mountain bike and it was all rigid but didn’t break and I had a blast on it until I could save enough cash to buy my 1st used Rockshox Fork 😀. Maybe someone will make one again
I love the concept of upgrading!
I just finished a complete overhaul of an old Trek 820 ridgid frame mtb. Tubeless wheels and Deore XT for under 1k. It went from 31 lbs to 26 and is amazing to ride with soft tire pressures. Skip the cheap gimmicky bikes and recycle!
Cool to see what could be done to a cheap bike . I like this type of comparisons/experiments. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for your comment and appreciate it. Yeah, I have some more upgrades planned for it soon. Right now my brother in law is riding it until I fix his bike
I built mine up about a year ago. Bike is tough and with upgrades it is very capable. My only complaint is that the cockpit seems very cramped compared to my Polygon. No regrets building up the HH and now I have a decent loaner when someone wants to ride.
Oh nice. Cool. Yeah maybe the Polygon has a longer reach making the Hyper feel a bit more cramped. Glad you have an extra bike though. Take care
Ok, this is two videos from you today that popped up in my feed. Enjoyed both. Even wrote you an email about the other one (re: cheap forks). Gotta subscribe. Seems like a cool channel with good info.
Thanks for the support and I’m behind on my emails. If I haven’t respond I will respond very soon. Sorry!
I really enjoyed your video. Please keep the content coming. I look forward to much more in the future.
Thanks! Appreciate it. More coming soon, unfortunately/fortunately it has been super busy at the shop the last 2 months! Take care
Thanks! Appreciate it. More coming soon, unfortunately/fortunately it has been super busy at the shop the last 2 months! Take care
Great videos man! Good real world scenarios explored and tested. I noticed the handlebar you put on the upgraded bike in this video and i too bought a wake bicycle cheap handlebar. it worked fine until two days ago when it sheared clean off at the stem on the right side. it scared me beyond belief and although the bar was never intended for jumping or drops i just wanted to share my experience with you and any of your viewers for safetys' sake. heres the link to pinkbike where i post my vids from riding. the handlebar break clip should be the first one on the page. enjoy! keep up the good work on your informative videos.
Thanks man for the heads up. Yeah someone else I think commented about their issues with those bars. Not good! The bike has not been ridden in a while and I will be actually doing a pretty good makeover on it soon so bars will be changed! Thank you
Okay so HUGE Marin fan my channel partner has owned them for years I don't ride cheap bikes but I do dig the channel alot of fun seeing what you can do to these kinds of bikes keep up the good work new sub here
Thanks for your comment and support! Always nice to see Marin fans. Thanks for the encouragement. Hope you are well and stay safe!
I have a decent hard tail for trail riding, but I’ve been thinking of getting a secondary bike to lend to friends or something. Seems like upgrading a cheap Big box bike for that could work, and even be a bit of fun while school is out!
Thanks for your comment. Yeah definitely could be an option to have for a friend which is what I’m doing now. I would say pick a bike and price it out to make sure it isn’t more than a comparable bike from another brand. Also, if you don’t have tools, don’t forget to factor that in or find a buddy that has them. If you have any questions, let me know!
Biking Roots whats the differnce between the specialised pitch and the sport version
Archie H good question. Looks like they are nearly identical minus some brake differences and derailleur differences. Not sure but the sport version is more expensive and has mechanical disc instead of hydraulic which is kind of strange. Both look like they would be good beginner bikes, I don’t see any major differences. Let me know if you have any other questions
you coppied kev centrals modifications of this bike, same components
TheMctehno exactly
he copied it almost exactly. He didn't even credit him, pretty shitty.
Give kev some credit
Hello from Houston! Glad I stumbled across your channel.
Nice! Appreciate it
Great video, the real question is: Can we get a name brand bike for the same $750 that's better than the upgraded Hydroform?
Thanks for the compliment and comment! Unfortunately not that I know of. I know Diamondback and Polygon have some under $1k but have lesser suntour model forks (not air). In the meantime the only way to get a half decent full suspension for that price is an older used bike. We shall see
Good to see the comparison.
Thanks for your comment, appreciate it
my son and I are looking at getting our first FS bikes and was looking for budget friendly we can build. Wish we could find two of these to build.
That sounds like a fun potential project. Yeah it is tough to find bikes or frames right now that are budget friendly. Keep your eyes out though, hopefully something will become available soon
Did you do any tuning first to the stock model? The stock performs a little better than what you've shown. Though the heaviness and single-wall wheels are not at all ideal for anything more than a stroll on a bike path. I have an upgraded Hydro, and it was definitely worth it. Followed the same KevCentral version like you did here, but I added an 1.5 deg Angleset and a dropper post. It's great. I'd definitely purchase a second one for $150.
I did not since I was aiming to simulate what someone would get when they ordered it online and opened it up to go for a ride. I realize that some are better than others out of the box, unfortunately mine wasn’t great (not surprising though). Nice, sounds like a cool build, glad you could do it, hope it treats you well
Nice video dude,i got one and am happy with it and soon do my small upgrades on it just like you did.
Oh sweet, congrats! Hope you have fun with it and make lots of great memories. Thanks for your comment
Nice upgrades! How do you feel about the quality of the frame?
Appreciate it! I’ll probably do something a little nicer on the next build with the stock Hyper. The fit and finish on the frame isn’t great but hopefully the welds are good! Others in the comments have said they’ve put a good amount of miles on them and so far so good. We shall see 😀
Nice build man. $750 for a decent full suspension is unheard of. This was a nice experiment. Does it have a tapered headtube?
Thank you for your comment and compliment. Yeah, when you try to find a decent new full suspension bike for less than $1k it is very difficult and I imagine it will stay that way for the time being unless some breakthrough is made. No it does not have a tapered headtube. For the next Hyper build I may try a tapered cup conversion (cane creek makes one) to use a tapered fork since that opens up some nicer fork possibilities.
Kevcentral ?
Yep
The brake upgrade is kinda something you can’t avoid when touching the drivetrain due to the combined brake/shifter.
Yeah I wish it didn’t have that but oh well! Thanks for your comment
Gonna start biking again after literally 10 years without a proper bike.
Went to my local bikeshop, tried out a few things and decided to order a Bergamont RD7 Cyclocross bike going big for a new bike, starting it right.
Nice, good for you! Glad you could get back on it and make some memories. Yeah sounds like a good new bike! Stay safe
@@BikingRoots that all already changed, went to a different Bikeshop and ordered a new Stevens Vapor in that sick python green, should arrive in a week, maybe two. Hyped as hell and thanks for the good wishes!
I think considering on the second bike you upgraded the entire groupset you should atleast buy some decent tires, even if not tubeless. Improves handling and bike stability hugely.
Thanks for the comment. I agree tires can make a big difference. I may swap them out but for now it’s just a loan to friends bike. What tires have you had good luck with?
@@BikingRoots I'll be straight honest I've actually never bought tires, since I haven't really got the money to pour onto bikes. However, my bike that I got from a major retailer here in the UK (Halfords) for £280 ($345) came stock with a pair of Kenda K1027 which while not tubeless ready have been incredibly grippy and I believe are folding.
cookizaa oh ok no worries. I always like to ask to see what people like. Thanks for the info on the Kendas. Have fun!
@@BikingRoots i have found that cst rockhawks are pretty decent budget tyres having way more grip and resisting punctures better than the kenda tyres i had on before
They are heavy though
REALLY heavy
Cool, thanks for the info, haven’t tried those
Great vid. I actually suggested the hyper on a forum before the kev central show. That's my suggestion for set up as well. Yes the bike is worth it, and that 6061 frame is as good as any. I suggest sourcing direct from the Alibaba group. There is a company that sells 6061 frame bikes by the name of XCOBRA on Alibaba that makes that Marin deal look pretty bad. They make some serious park bikes if that's what your selling. The best company in the entire industry right now is Shenzhen first technology ltd co on Alibaba, and once you see the catalog You understand. They are selling 12 speed xc based 7005 trail bikes for 780 bucks. These are sub 27 pound bikes that are a absurd deal.
Thank you for your comment and all of the information. I'll have to check out XCOBRA and also Shenzhen first. I'm always open to try different options and see what is out there. Right now I'm a bit put off with generic brands since I bought a cheap carbon frame from BXT and the piece of junk cracked on my 2nd ride and the company has NOT been helpful and I seriously doubt I will get a replacement or money. But maybe I just need to stick with aluminum! So far I do like selling Marin because I feel like I have an established company to back me up in case something does go wrong. I'll look into the ones you mentioned though and thanks again for all the info! Take care
@@BikingRoots Both are the real deal. Shenzhen first i suspect is the major supplier manufacturer for many road bike compsnies. Always look for the T NUMBER when purchasing carbon frames and double check the spec sheet bxt was selling OLD TORAY T700 carbon layups. Always purchase t800 and above. T1000 and T1100 are used in RACING applications for lightweigh xc and road bikes. The frames are noticably stiffer. T800 layups are used for trail bikes mostly that are thicker and actually are not that light. 7005 aluminum is used in lightweigh applications as well. All lightweight xc aluminum frames including cannondale are 7005 frames. Never buy generic frames when the T number is hidden. There are layered makeups below T700 and they are old. Old Trek road bikes and XC frames are CARBON MESH frames that are mesh layered with epoxy resin. They usually are exceptinally light and fragile. Pre preg sheets are used now.
That’s a lot of great info! Thanks for taking the time to list them all out. I’ll have to look into it and see what that BXT frame was. I have 3 cracked carbon bikes sitting now (1 is my bro in law). Scalpel, Trigger, and BXT. Frustrating. Need to get them fixed!
Just wondering if you can do a video showing an upgrade to the freewheel or free hub on one of those cheap Walmart bikes
Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I may be able to hopefully soon. Right now parts are in short supply so it is making it difficult
A new stem is mandatory. Especially since you added wider bars
Yeah thanks, it’s planned for the next round of upgrades
Thats actually a badass fork for the price. You could get a similarly priced rockshox like a judy tk air and its not e even close. They are even travel adjustable which is nice and they seem to cost like 400 to 500 bucks on the suntour site.
Depends which model. Multiple ones I’ve used has similar results and in my opinion didn’t feel as good as Rockshox lower tier forks but maybe they changed them. The didn’t cost 400-500 so yeah at that price they must have changed the internals. I’ll have to research further, thanks
The site shows about 400 last I checked. There was some idea that people were getting the slightly lower QA quality or selling them from the backdoor. But I feel that fork defeats the rockshock that range between 169-349 easy and now the epixons are only 200 bucks. Even judy golds at 349 still have 30mm stanchions. Check this link about 400 original for the epixon.
www.srsuntour.us/collections/forks/products/epixon-9-lo-r?variant=29038021251
Since it’s a non-tapered frame, it would look nice to have a downhill dual/triple crown fork on that bike.
Thanks for the comment. Yeah it’s not tapered so I guess you could potentially, not sure I’d want to. For now it will remain as an XC/trail bike
You can actually convert this bike to tapered, I have a works components 2 degree angled headset for mine, going to put on a dnm usd-6 I got of pinkbike.
Yeah if you want to say goodbye to your head tube maybe haha.
I recently got a bike and noticed the pedals click everytime I pedal
Great video! I'm looking to purchase a Marin Rift Zone 2. I am 5' 10.5" would you recommend medium or large? Thank you
Thanks for your comment and question! Do you like to feel more stretched out on a bike or do you like a smaller more playful bike? You are right in the middle of the size charts. I’ve had customers size down and size up according to their preferences. If you’re able to ride one that would be best but I’d probably lean towards recommending a large for you. Good luck!
I feel like some of the problems with the cheap is that he actually put work into the upgrade bike but I bet he just bought the stock one and left it as is. He was saying it felt like the crankset was gonna fall of and the shifting was bad. Both sounds like symptoms of I bike not assembled/adjusted properly. A lot of times the worker who put the bikes together for Walmart forget to tighten things. And they don't know how to adjust shifting indexing properly. I've had a cheap Walmart bike for about a year an a half and I've greased all the barring and lubed everything properly and I haven't had any problems with it and it's perfect for riding around town. And I still go 30+ miles every other day.
This is around my hometown, my old stomping grounds. I used to ride those trails when I was a kid!! Awesome.
Ha! No way! That’s pretty cool. Yeah the are fun
Nice one, love it.This is my budget
What is tha total weight after upgrades?
Where can I get all.. List.
Thank you much.
Like 33 lbs if I remember right. List should be in the description but I probably need to modify links and info
@@BikingRoots Thank you for getting back.. Looking forward in watching your videos..
Nice review and build . Any suggestions on a set of 27.5 wheels on a budget for a 9 speed conversion? Thanks!
Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately I do not have a recommendation at this time. Everything, including wheels, is so difficult to source at this time! I’d probably keep an eye out on ebay for some options or maybe even your local bike shop if they have any takeoffs from people upgrading.
@@BikingRoots appreciate the reply!
I did the HH upgrade myself (my 1st 29er gateway bike). It was awesome. Some parts I had already but most had to be ordered. After all said and done the total was around $800 give or take $50 and that was over several cold months here in Wi (Dec to June). Could I have dropped a couple grand on a bike, sure but is that really the price you NEED to pay to ride, No. For the common bike riders looking to get back into or just starting out in the sport, spending 2k+ isnt ideal. Especially when life happens, IE: Marriage, kids, Mortgage, Car notes, etc etc.
I really applaud you being a small business owner and doing a stock to upgrade video. Most would never do that especially if owning a bike shop is there livelihood. Oh and mine weighed in at 30.25 lbs.
Thanks you David for your comment and insight. I’m happy for you being able to build up your ride and that you are enjoying it. I’m sure you learned a ton in the process which will help you in the future. Good points. Yeah I often meet people who stay out of the sport because they fall in love with all the bells and whistles of the latest bike tech but can’t justify the cost. I encourage them to do their research of course but get out there and ride whatever your budget is while you are able to since you never know how life can change! Thanks for your last comment, I appreciate it. The way people now buy things is a challenge to conventional retailers. I’m trying to do my best to try and adapt and help a variety of riders and make it convenient for them however I can. Take care and stay safe
I bought one . Upgraded it and its fine . 149 $ for a frame and tires is a good price . All you need is a Group set . Of your choise . Some Peddles and a Fork . Get to It . For 500$ you get a nice bike .
Someone/you should make a series with some inexpensive aftermarket parts that are put onto big box bikes like walmart bikes and that.
Like stock vs built inexpensively and see if it would be worth investing into the bike if youre gonna upgrade straight away.
Thanks for the comment and suggestion. Ok yeah that could be good and possibly help some people improve their experience. Stay tuned
I subbed. Good video. You built a Kev Central clone, but I’d like to see what you do with your channel. I’d like to know how you started a bike shop. Thanks
Thanks for comment. Yeah they ended up being similar, may build up my other one, still deciding. Appreciate your interest and I am planning on a video about how I started so stay tuned. A bit crazy and a leap of faith 😀. Take care
Bushings ain't bad (and pretty easy to source), they are actually made for the loads a suspension gets (short rotation, high torque).
For 150 bucks, you get about 30% off for the frame and they include a bunch of stuff to try the frame out. Not bad imho.
Cool, thanks for sharing. Yeah, I guess if you know where to get them, and don’t mind servicing them occasionally. Thanks for the info
@@BikingRoots If you get the measurements, every self respecting professional technical parts supplier (the shops where you would get things like a milion different o-rings), should be able to get you in touch with the right bearings :)
I've managed to source weirder parts that way, like x-rings with specific non-standardised measurements, made from a specific material)
Awesome, thanks man
@@BikingRoots Speaking of cheap stuff with respectable performance:
Checkout the DNM RCP-3, harder to come by, but designwise it's, is 80-90% the same as the Marzocchi Bomber CR (with a worse valve), for 100 bucks or so.
They are both a simplified Fox design, using basically the same simplifications. With a decent spring, it should be a very interesting purchase to get cheap fullies into something rideable!
Proof?
This teardown:
th-cam.com/video/ri8L_Hf9t9k/w-d-xo.html
And the schematics on the Marzocchi website:
www.ridefox.com/fox17/help.php?m=bike&id=999
Awesome, thanks for the info. I’ll have to check that one out sometime soon. Appreciate all the info
by the time you have all the tools to diy upgrade You already have a decent trail worthy bike. .
But it's fun watching.
Yup it’s true, you have to price it out and see if it’s worth it to you. For some maybe, others no. Thanks
I took a Walmart bike and turned it into a killer hardtail! The video is up on my channel
The bike is a Giordano Valor
cool thanks, will have to check it out
Not every location has a used market to draw from they isn't 'user walmart bikes.' so to everyone saying 'jUsT BUy uSEd' that I sent an option for everyone. Not everyone can plonk $750 up front on a hobby they don't know if they will like or have time for, but would feel more confident putting $150 in up front and over time as they realize they are outgrowing the parts on thwt bike. Upgrade the parts.
Plus for some people the process of learning by doing those replacements is part of the fun of the hobby.
Example: I have a huffy parkside I was given as a gift because I wanted a bike to do cardio and get some fresh air. I love the frame (I am sure people will sneer at the geometry being all wrong this making it worthless to upgrade) but I am well aware all the other parts are pretty rubbish. I didn't like the 44t chainring and crank arms, so I got an action crank set and went to a 32 tooth so I could more easily ride around the fields around and about. Now that I have confirmed a 1-1/8th headset size I am considering fork options for down the road, along with replacement tires (and an upgrade to cadette for the sake of having a mine speed,) along with better deraileur and shifter. I know it will never be too of the line, but it will suit my needs as I grow. If I get to a point where I want to do things I wouldn't feel comfortable doing on that bike? They is when I will consider getting a better bike, and bybghem ai will have the tools and knowledge to actually make the best of it.
Thanks for sharing your experience! Yeah everyone comes from different avenues into the sport and in the end we get to go have fun on a bike on the trails. Like you said, some people have a very limited budget, others like to build as they go, and some don’t want to mess with it and just ride how it comes. Have fun out there
@@BikingRoots don't get me wrong. Of you have the money and know you're gonna go all in on cycling? Get the better bike. If nothing else that gives you a better starting point and have more room to grow before yu need to do anything past maintinancing.
I honestly feel like anywhere below $2000 dollars you would be better up buying a hard tail. For $750 you would be better off getting a Trek marlin 6 or 7 and getting the bike shop support to go along with it.
Thanks for your comment. Yeah for some people I would agree with that and the Marlin may be a better option for some that don’t need full suspension and need support and warranty from the shop. I sell Marin bikes and their hawk hill and rift zone full suspension models are a great value for $1500 to $1850 depending on the model.
I currently have a 3x9 setup with a shimano Altus casket and derailleur. Could I just get a new chain ring and cranks to make it a 1x
Yup, you should be good to go! With the Altus it doesn’t have a clutch and the spring isn’t super stiff but with lighter riding and a NW chainring you should be fine if you size the chain right.
I wish you would have weighed the frame when it was all stripped down. Seems like a bike that could compete. Here in canada hyper sells the viking trail pro which is exactly the same frame however it has a tapered head tube with a 66 degree angle and a seat post angle of 77. It was released in 2019/2020. 500$ cad at Walmart/ Canadian tire. Used off kijiji or Facebook marketplace 150-200$. 1x9 drivetrain that works. Replace fork and shock with your choice used or new off Amazon for 200 front 50-150 rear. That's 550 cad dollars for a bike you can pedal efficiently and comfortably... maybe throw a seat of your choice on. If you truly want a bike to send off the jumps and trails for cheap, your best option currently is one of the many 26" downhill style used bikes on the market ( 800-1500 range) that doctors have replaced with new 29" enduro bikes. They cost way more than that to build back in the day but seeing that you can get a new 29er full sus for 2-3k now makes it hard to sell a 26er. They are tough though and their brakes and drive trains are likely worth 2k alone lol. You just don't want to pedal those bikes very far. 29 inch wheels are expensive. A cheap set of wheels will cost you more than an entire cheap 29er at Walmart. Just rediculous
Thanks for the detailed comment and info! I wasn't aware of the viking trail pro. Sounds like a higher end frame and probably has bearings instead of bushings? Yeah we did this many years ago and a few years back did another upgrade video on our channel which feels a lot better now. That actually reminds me as I haven't ridden it in so long! I don't see (at least here in Houston) too many 26 er enduro/downhill rigs but I can imagine in Canada they show up. Yeah some of those would be fun! agree about the brakes and drivetrain! Take care and thanks for the comment
I just bought a single speed track bike for 320$ off Ebay, 6ku, its matte color so its 100$ more expensive that regular, what I upgraded is new brakes, new drop bars (they were flat) new $30 pedals, that's it, might need to change the crank because it sometimes makes noises, but since I didn't have money last gear for a specialized mountain bike for $700, I got a road bike, which I ride everywhere, in fact even on rocks, also I bought new Michelin tires on the back because I like drifting from time to time, so the stock tyres just popped on me, good think I wasn't going 40mph over all I spent $150on upgrades, not including cranks, might sell it and buy a normal mountain bike, not that I'm riding on trails, but roads in NyC are really bumpy, and some parts needed to be tightened more that usual
Nice rides, have fun. Thanks for sharing
I got a used 27.5 full suspension with air shocks for 600 euros, it's a Giant Stance, 4 year old model, revised the shocks, changed a few bits and pieces, now it's a 700 euro bike with both air shocks and a legit geometry and weight. I'd say this 750 $ is a pretty good upgrade path, but it's the wrong bike to upgrade.
I am pretty sure you can find sweet deals in the US, you just have to look for.
It may be fine if you slap used parts on these Wallmart bikes, other than that, I can't imagine why you'd do it.
How does the 750 bike compare to the 1500 bike? Could you share on the similarities and differences?
1500 bike more plush and smoother suspension design and components, better geometry (handles turns and inclines better. If you are new to biking you may not notice the differences as much especially if you are coming from a beginner hardtail
Love your channel! I’m getting the whole family into MTB. I’m a disabled veteran so I’m on a budget. I bought a Huffy Outlier…27.5in. The bike looks really cool but performs 3/10….if I invest $400-$500 on Amazon Parts is it worth it? I want a full suspension bike and just can’t afford…
Thanks for the comment! That’s awesome you are getting the whole family into it. It is very rewarding to find something everyone can enjoy together. Good question. I guess it depends on how much you want to invest into the bike and if you can find all the parts these days at a reasonable price. Does the bike fit you well? What’s your approximate weight?
@@BikingRoots I’m 5”10 170lbs. I love the bike, especially the frame. My first upgrades would be hydraulic brakes, and hopefully do a one by shift system but not sure how to do it
Hydraulic brakes would be one good upgrade that wouldn’t require too much effort (unless your bike has integrated shifters and brakes). If that’s the case, you’ll need new shifters as well unfortunately. If you want to go to a 1x, you’ll need a few things unfortunately. It looks like that bike has a freewheel rear (the gears in the back) so there are some bigger freewheels (usually needed to keep the range when you go to a 1x drivetrain) out there that don’t require you to change the wheels but not a lot of options. If you can find a wheelset that has an “HG freehub” that would open up your options and you could do an inexpensive 1x system for around $150 including the crankset and new chain, gears, derailleur, shifter. That would be the Microshift Acolyte drivetrain. That would change the bike a lot. I’d look for a used wheelset honestly but make sure they are “double wall” as your wheels now are most likely single wall and they bend easily. The next thing I’d probably do would be the fork and try and get an air fork or at least a better coil fork that will move through the travel more smoothly. There’s a lot more to it and probably confused you but maybe it will help. Good luck!
3:24 I was wondering about this, most of these big box bikes are too big for me. I'm wondering if I would do a full suspension 24" bike and get away with it.
Sorry for the delayed response. How tall are you? Depending on height, a 24” Marin Rift Zone junior (which can be upgraded to 26” wheels as well) could be an option though much more expensive than these types of bikes.
@@BikingRoots 5'7"
Great video. I am looking for a project bike to do with my son. I seem to not be able to find this bike on Walmart's website. Is there another bike that would be a similar feature and price point? I REALLY appreciate the component links you provided.
Thanks for your comment and sorry for delayed response. Yeah looks like they may have moved to a new model. How old and tall is your son? Are you wanting full suspension only or also considering a hardtail?
@@BikingRoots Hi! Thanks for the reply. My son is about 5ft and growing (8th grade). I like the option of a full suspension with a lockout feature (like the rear shock you linked below), thus giving you the best of both worlds (a full suspension or a hardtail, with lockout). Assuming I understand the features correctly. Thoughts? My goal is to have a project that my son and I can do together.
Jon Wyant thanks for your response. Ok hmm well the fact that he is young and 5’ I would lean more towards a small frame 27.5” hardtail or full suspension depending on how much you want to spend. The issue is a lot of these big box store bikes will be too big for your son since they are usually a one size fits “most adults”. What I would recommend doing is finding a small frame 27.5 hardtail from many different manufacturers (new or used). Many will probably have a heavy 3x front crankset that you could convert using the crankset in this video. I would make sure to find a bike that has a wheelset with double walls and an 8-10 speed cassette that way you could upgrade it easier without having to buy a new wheelset. Then you can upgrade brakes (if you want) or shock (recommended). You could do a rock shox 30 or new Judy air for like $170 i believe. Lots of other options that I’ll try and do a video on soon so you get some ideas. Let me know if you have other questions.
Epixon is actually one of the most preferred fork or can call it high end here in the Philippines
Oh is that right? Interesting. Yeah it's not bad, I just was not impressed with the rebound on it which is why I have been experimenting with some other air forks in that price range to see what the best bang for your buck is. Rock Shox have an inexpensive Judy air fork that I may give a try for like $170 retail
@@BikingRoots usually if somebody see's you using a epixon fork sone will call you rich
I bought a K2 Sidewinder for $200 and put about another $500 in to it. I now realize I really should've waited for a good bike to pop up on Craigslist for that money. Yes my bike has better parts on it but these parts are not as good as what would come on a nice, big name brand bike that i could've scooped up used for that price point. My bike is great but I don't recommend upgrading cheap bikes unless it's just what you have already and don't want another bike
Thanks for your comment. Yeah it all depends on what your overall plan is and if it is worth upgrading to you. I agree sometimes it is better to just buy a new bike or if you can find a newish bike for a great deal, you can save cash over upgrading an old bike. As you found out, upgrading can get expensive fast especially if you are not doing it yourself. I always advise people to write it out your build list of upgrades and see if it is worth going down that road or not. Hopefully the bike will give you some good memories or at least help you sell it for more if you decide to get something different. Good luck
I bought this bike for 69 dollars on clearance at walmart. Didnt care for it so gave it to my dad which got him back into biking.
Dang that’s way cheap! Glad your dad is getting some use on it. I think I’ll plan on upgrading the stock one I still have soon for fun
I would think youd be better off finding an older 26er full suspension, something from 2004-2006. You can usually find something in the $4-500 range. Then spend $250 on a 1X drivetrain and whatever other small upgrades you might need. Then, at least, youve got a quality frame with bearings in the pivots. Sure, itll have 26 inch wheels but we rode those for decades and didnt know any different. The problem with the $150 hyper is exactly what you pointed out in the video. It has bushings in the pivots and there are no sources for replacements. Ridden like a proper mountain bike, those bushings wont last a year... heck id be surprised if they lasted half a year. Then what do you do? Basically just scrap the frame and start over. But a cheap, older bike and start there. WAY better investment in the long run.
Thanks for your detailed comment and insight. Yes for many I would agree. I sold my brother in law a sweet Trek fuel full suspension 26er for $500 and it had full XT was super light and a sweet beginner bike. I actually have a 26er build coming soon to the channel. Haven’t ridden one on a trail in about a year so im excited to try out. I’ve spent more years on 26er than on 29 or 27.5 😀
This guy should watch me and my friends ride our crappy Walmart bikes jumping 30 foot gaps lmao
excuse me and then in walmar there is no silver hydroform bike? is that I saw a video where they had a silver color
Haven’t seen one personally but maybe there is one?
If you've already got a good hard trail why not just but a frame with a rear shock? Seems to me that would cost less and still have a sweet bike
Thanks, yup and option for some if they can find a frame and rear shock at a decent price.
Hello where those trails located?
In the video I tested the Hyper out at the Cypresswood trail in North Houston, TX. You in Houston?
I’m in Texas city
Sweet, Jack Brooks area! I need to get down that way soon, it’s been too long. In the North I like to ride Cypresswood, Timberlane, Cypress Creek, Flintridge, and sometimes Sam Houston national forest
the bike is SUPER smooth...was worth upgrading that frame...BUT that heavy spring I kept... it's stiff enough to act as a hardtail at 1000 lbs...also, the wheel set is trash, bought a wheelset on amazon pre-covid when you could find stuff at regular price
Thanks for your comment and glad you have had good luck with it! Coming soon I’m doing a complete upgrade overhaul on this bike so stay tuned for the video
Very interested in how that epixon does in the longer term
At the moment i have a xcm 30 on my hardtail and there is pitting on the stanchions and i dont feel like having them re chromed
Yeah, I’ve also seen many start pitting. My buddy had an epixon for a couple years and it seemed fine before he replaced it with a markhor. Depending on the price though, I’d get the Judy or markhor before the epixon based on the feel of the rebound and additional tuning adjustments. If you find an epixon for way cheap though, you’ll still appreciated the difference over your current fork. Good luck!
@@BikingRoots great thanks for the advice
Ive had this xcm for 3 years and its mostly only seen road riding from home to school and back approx 10km every day
With the occasional pavement to climb
Although now im actually getting into the sport coz work=money for my hobbies XD
Where did u het the black vinyl wrap?
I made it using some matte vinyl and 3m knife less tape to cut it in the design I wanted
Biking Roots thank you
No problem!
Biking Roots thank you. I ordered some of the parts and materials and installed it today. Thanks for the info. Btw im still running a stock chain. What do u suggest for replacement?
Can you do a tutorial on the vinyl?
Excuse me, do you know if Walmart has other colors of the hyper hydroform or just blue? is that I saw an image of a silver color I do not know if it is available at walmart
I don’t believe they do, though now nothing shows up so not sure
For $650 I got a solid frame an suspension, scott voltage that retails for like $2800. I got new rubber for my wheels, new brake pads, a new front brake hydrolic cable, learned to bleed brakes, greased everything good. Parts and all I spent $750 on a bike I could probably sell now for 1200-1400. I think this is a better path. Learn as much as you can about bikes and buy a used QUALITY bike. It could use a front/rear suspension rebuild at this point which will be ~200-250? BUT! I was able to put like 20-30 days on it at a downhill park, where rentals are 200/day. SO i think its totally worth.
Thanks for your comment and sharing your experience. That sounds like a great deal and glad it has worked out for you. I think if you’re patient and in a competitive market you can score some sweet deals. I think it depends on the person. I’ve had some great luck as well with used and some that ended up not being a good deal in the end 😀 have fun on it and stay safe! Appreciate your insight
@@BikingRoots True its all about patience. One of the similar priced bikes I looked at and drove 2hrs to look at, was 200$ more, the rims were no where near true and the frame had noticeable wobble
I got very lucky with the one I bought that it was being purchased from someone who cares about their bike and it was well taken care of, except a few superficial dings here and there, but thats expected buying a bike from 2015/16 in 2019
Wills Ohrnberger oh wow, that stinks to have driven so far to find it with problems but glad you ended up with a better bike! I’ve bought 3 bikes over the years sight unseen off of ebay and luckily each one was hardly used and were great bikes but I know others have had issues. Take care
I just bought the Hyper Explorer - I'm digging it so far, much lighter than that awful Kent Genesis... with it's exploding sprocket issue.
Nice, congrats! Glad you are liking it. Hopefully it will do what you need it to do and make some nice memories on it!
I’m pretty sure I’m gonna end up upgrading the rims to something lighter and probably upgrading the front fork because it seems to be a little stiff
@@KitBasher1 Nice, yeah those would be some good things that will make a big difference on handling and overall comfort on the bike. Good luck!
You guys have a cool bike shop - maybe I’ll hit you up for some upgrades or at least for recommendations.
@@KitBasher1 Thanks! Sure, let us know if we can help
Where'd you get the black graphics?
I ended up doing some custom car vinyl on it. One of my other videos goes more into it on some other bikes. Get some car vinyl and some 3m knifeless tape.
Whats the differnce between the specialised pitch and the sport version
Pro tip, whenever you do weight, just include metric, because most of us can't divide by 2.2 in our heads on the fly, and others don't even know how heavy pounds are.
Thanks for the tip. Sometimes I forget there are people all over watching! Take care
is there a kit you can make this a single speed?
Yeah there are kits you can get with a chain tensioner and convert it to a single speed if wanted
What is the specs of the stock chain? How many links? Tia.
It was a normal 5-8 speed chain. Not sure the brand and the links unfortunately sorry. Generally when you get a new chain, you’ll have to measure it and cut it. There are videos on it or a bike shop can help you size it.
@@BikingRoots thank you for the info!
For the plastic bushings just replace them with brass or bronze bushings been doing it for years with Walmart bikes works great
Thanks for the tip. Do you have any info on where to buy and sizes? Another person was asking about it. Thanks!
Generally speaking you can find brass or bronze bushings at a hardware store in the nut and bolt aisle
E l Spears Lowe's Home Depot that's usually where I go for all that stuff
Harvey Jones woodsman thanks! Easy enough. Appreciate it
Is the back triangle steel or Aluminum?
Aluminum on mine but there may be some version with steel unfortunately but can’t guarantee
Hi. Im a 6"2 and 330lb guy who wanna go into mountain biking. What kind of bike do you advice to me? Full susoension or hardtail? What kind of suspension should i get that could handle my weight? Im ready to buy a bike frame and put specified component on it like you did with the cheap bike. Thank you :)
Thanks for your comment and you totally should get into mountain biking. Usually when I have bigger customers I advise them that they are probably exceeding most of the weight recommendations for the bike unfortunately but most of the time they aren’t riding the bike hard or jumping it so usually we haven’t had too many warranty type issues. That being said, if you can afford a decent full suspension bike, then I’d go that route. At your height, you’d need an XL frame and I’d recommend a 29er. If you are planning on buying a frame, then I’d try to get a frame that can handle trail bike or enduro bike type travel so 130-160 travel (if possible), then I’d get beefier wheelset (enduro type are wider and stronger) and also get a good rear shock that has PSI rating for your weight which you’ll just need to look up. Sorry, it’s a lot of stuff if you’re building up a bike and right now tough to find parts. Good luck
Did you upgrade the headset? The plastic headset makes me kinda nervous lol..
Ha! No 😟 but need to! Maybe on the next upgrade project
The hydroform frame is on ali express under the brand name 'kalosse'
Good to know. Thanks for sharing! Probably pricey to ship though!
Ty, been looking for that frame
what size is the rear shock 190 or 200mm
That is a good question. I think 190 but I’ll have to double check
What rear shock you used: 165mm, 190mm or 200mm.?
190
Been trying to get one but seems imposible
Sorry, yeah everything is tough to get especially anything under $1k. Keep watching your local classifieds. Good luck!
What is the black tape on the frame?
A simple matte vinyl wrap I did to tone down the bright blue a bit, just expermenting
@@BikingRoots my two fave colours man looks perfect
what wheelset did u put on for upgrade?
Mavic XM119. They are discontinued and haven’t see any in a while unfortunately. Sorry, wheelsets are tough to source right now!
I have a 95 cannondale f1000 that im upgrading on the cheap. I wanna make it a single front spocket but I have no idea if there's a size standard or what when it comes to that shit lol
Cool bike, I love the old Cannondales. Well, it depends if you have a crankset that has 4 bolts that are spaced evenly around (usually 104BCD). Then yes, it an be easy to just remove your chain rings, throw on a narrow wide rind and go single. If you don’t have any chainring bolts, then you’ll have to get a new crankset which isn’t the worst thing but you may also want to upgrade your bottom bracket etc and then you get into a little more complicated things so probably should go talk to your local bike shop for help. Good luck
This is almost exactly same build as what KevCentral did ! Wonder if it’s just coincidence 🤔
Thanks, yeah lots of comments on this. Yes we used the same fork and rear shock but actually drivetrain, wheels, and a lot of things were completely different. I used the fork and the shock due to the price point I was trying to stay at. Actually doing a makeover on this bike soon with new parts… stay tuned
I am still wondering about those cranks that you have. Is it good for rough riding?
Thanks for your question. Yeah that is a good question. If you are a bigger guy I may advise going with a name brand that has more history and a warranty just in case. These Jiankun IXF crankset have not been tested hard by me yet so I don’t know how they will hold up. I have them on a few test bikes now but none have been ridden hard or for and extended time yet. If you decide to give them a try, let me know how they turn out. Hopefully they last just check the pinch bolts often and monitor for wear. Thanks
@@BikingRoots ah man that is a bummer, oh well thanks for your response anyway
No problem, sorry. At that price it could be worth a try though and see what happens but that is up to you 😀
@@BikingRoots oh well rip my pocket money😂😂
For 750 dollars I would recommend a nice hardtail with a good reliable airfork.
Yup I agree for most people that would be the way to go although it’s getting tougher to do especially with 750. When we did this video we wanted to see if it was possibly to build a beginner full suspension for $750 which it was ok not great ha. We’ve since modified it again and it is much nicer now
Bike end up looking good but I wouldn't bother.
I bought cheap Voodoo bizango 4 years ago. I was updating everything and i bought nukeproof frame and end up with £2700 hard tail
Thanks for sharing, sounds like a sweet hardtail
@@BikingRoots o yeah. Dropper post, spank wheels, rockshox pike 2020 xt deore 4 piston brakes carbon handlebars maxxis tyres etc. Very nice bike, very playful to ride
Did you sell the stock one already? If not, I'll buy it from you
Sorry, sold the frame a few months back
If you wanted to get it under 30 pounds for XC riding, how would you best do it on a budget?
The wheels and tires is where I would start. Now on a budget that can be tough. I don’t know how much my wheels weighed but I know they aren’t light. In addition the tires it came with seem a bit heavy. Going tubeless saves some weight which I did. Generic carbon handlebars would save some weight and aren’t too expensive
Hardtail
Go look up Kev central. He has a lot of videos on walmart bikes',and specifically the hyper hydroform.
I always wanted to buy a Hyper Hydroform to upgrade but never get the chance to find Walmart with Stock!
Ah rats, sorry. Well maybe you can try the new one they came out with! I just checked the link and apparently a walmart in the area has one in stock for $89! Crazy cheap. Says in store only which is weird because I thought they only had them online. Oh well
How much it weight after all these upgrades
31.95 w/out pedals. Weighed 36.4 lbs before upgrades
I was gonna get one until I found a loaded gem on Craigslist!
Oh sweet! Congrats
What you find realize if you’ve never Ridin a full suspension mtb The hydroform feels great from my experience. I grew up with noo suspension mtb. And we would ride the power lines in Duluth mn. A lot of good hills. And we had a blast. Any suspension feels awesome coming from that. But I would love to ride a expensive mtb Someday !!
Thanks for your comment. That’s awesome. Yeah when you ride a lot of modern bikes now it is easy to get picky and forget how far we have come! It all depends on your goals and dreams of where you want to ride. I’ve seen people kill it on the trail with horrible bikes and people ride terribly on $7k bikes. Take care
hehe heh heh hu hu he he
Nas nab tru hehe
Hihi huhu heh hehe