Newbie - Upgrade advice please

kidloco46

Hi All,

as you can tell by my post count im very new to this MTB thing, after a few track tumbles on my R1 iv taken a year off from motorbikes in aid regain some fitness and build up my leg a bit (couldn't put weight on it for 6 months after breaking it)

I went to a local shop and picked up a Giant Rincon, I know its not as posh as most of the bike I see on here but I didn't want to spend big money on a bike that at the most would see Delamere forest, the rest of the time I just use it for 10-20 bike trips ranging from roads to light off road.

here is the bike
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-GB/bik ... 448/32672/

Now I know its a pretty basic model and was just wondering on what basic upgrades I could do to get the most out of it. So far iv changed the tires for something a bit quicker on roads and light gravel tracks.

Other Issues I have with te bike are;

Saddle - could do with something more comfy for the longer rides out. becuase of my leg I tend to ride sat down all the time, and push from there rather than standing up. I was think along the line of the Charge Spoon, will that just fit on my bike or is there something better?

Brakes - Is it a big job adding disc brakes, and if so wjhat would I need. I didnt think I would need them, but in the wet there not that great.

Forks - obviously with a bike of this price the forks are how can i put it, a bit carp. are there any bargain upgrades around and if so, is it just a case of buying the forks and it being a straight swap?

Thanks in advance

djvagabon

It depends how much you want to spend. It might be worth going to a local bikeshop and seeing if you can pick up a 2008 bargain.

supersonic

Yes, I agree, a new bike could well work out cheapr and easier than upgrading ie a Carrera Kraken.

kidloco46

hmm really, I didnt want to chop the whole bike in really, only had it 2 months and other than the points I mentioned I really like it.

supersonic

Well, to fit discs you would need a new wheel set (start from about 70 quid), then the hydros themsleves (from about 100 quid). You would also need new shifters (as they are attatched to your brake levers).

Good fork upgrade would be from 100 quid, ie a RS Tora. Saddle is a good buy!

Realistically looking at 300 quid for what you want.

kidloco46

ouch! Ill guess ill just buy the saddle for now then upgrade later this year if I get stuck into it.

really like the look of this, I think it would be a nice stup up from my rincon

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stor ... yId_165499

supersonic

Oh yes! The Rincon is a nice budget bike - the Boardman is a slice of top end equipment at a bargain price.

djvagabon

That boardman is a nice looking bike. Shop around first. If you dont know much about bikes ask people on here before you buy. It might be worth joining a club and riding a few different bikes. See which 1 you like best. You cant really test a bike at a shop by riding it up the road and back. I always like to take something for a spin offroad before i buy it. If you join a club you will get free impartial advice from people who know what theyre talking about, plus its great fun.

djvagabon

1 of my friends is a manager at Halfords. If you buy a boardman, ill see if i can get it a bit cheaper for you.

kidloco46

djvagabon wrote:

1 of my friends is a manager at Halfords. If you buy a boardman, ill see if i can get it a bit cheaper for you.

Cheers, Ill be sure to let you know when I chose to upgrade

Joe_Pineapples

I wouldn't bother upgrading anything at all until something breaks or falls off.

Give yourself a big chunk of 2009 to see if mountain bikes really float your boat as much as your R1 (I have a ZX6-R too so I know what I'm talking about) because you can only ride one bike at a time and it's sh*te having to decide which one to ride on a sunny Sunday morning.

If after summer you still get a buzz out of your Giant THEN upgrade to a new bike, something a bit more fruity.

Ride the Giant like you've stolen it in the meantime though.

Joe

kidloco46

Wise words I think. I'll hang fire for this summer. I know it's not going to give me the rush my r1 did (new Ktm RC8 will do that in autum :-p)

I can still see myself keeping it up when I get a new motorbike. Really enjoying the fresh air and exorcise.

Joe_Pineapples

You might be surprised.

Just wait till you fly down Spooky Wood at Glentress or something similar and then we'll talk about a rush!

Joe

llamafarmer

If you do decide you want a new saddle, I'd recommend an SDG Bel AIr, but they're not especially cheap.

Edit - Scratch that, you could have one for £20


http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&productId=29&categoryId=41

kidloco46

llamafarmer wrote:

If you do decide you want a new saddle, I'd recommend an SDG Bel AIr, but they're not especially cheap.

Edit - Scratch that, you could have one for £20


http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&productId=29&categoryId=41

I'm definatly getting a saddle still and a decent set of pedles. The ones on it are rubbish. Seen some v8 copies for £12 I think they should do.

Is that saddle you mentioned more comfy then the spoon. And where have you found it for £20 please.

llamafarmer

kidloco46 wrote:

llamafarmer wrote:

If you do decide you want a new saddle, I'd recommend an SDG Bel AIr, but they're not especially cheap.

Edit - Scratch that, you could have one for £20


http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&productId=29&categoryId=41

I'm definatly getting a saddle still and a decent set of pedles. The ones on it are rubbish. Seen some v8 copies for £12 I think they should do.

Is that saddle you mentioned more comfy then the spoon. And where have you found it for £20 please.

No idea how comfy the spoon is, but it looks pretty minimal, so I'd imagine the SDG is your better option. I put a link to the £20 deal in the earlier post:

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/?fn=product&productId=29&categoryId=41