Which bits are worth upgrading

scoi

New here so sorry if this has been done to death. So i'm selling the car, getting a bike for the odd trip round town but thought i'd get something for the mountain while i'm there, havent been on a mountain in about 10 years and that was on a £100 bike.

I've looked around the shops and spoke to the staff and looked at websites and reviews and arnt getting anywhere closer to seeing what i need as opinions are varying dramatically.

Main question is what parts are worth upgrading from the standard entry level kit on a sub £300 bike have up to £500 to spend.

Main points i've been told to watch is the front shocks (no need for Shox but something upgraded will be worth it) and hydraulic brakes are a must (are mech discs really that bad?). I have 2 bikes in mind so would be interesting to see if they get recommended.

My preferences are durability, reliability, brakes, weight, fun.

.blitz

I may have misinterpreted your post but never, ever plan to upgrade. Bike manufacturer's buying power is way better than ours and when you compare the retail price of that spangly bit of kit in the glass case to how much it would cost if it was already on a bike, there's really no decision to make.

Buy absolutely the best bike you can afford and only 'upgrade' when something breaks.

And don't let anyone tell you that mechanical brakes are no good.

scoi

ok there was some misinterpretation/bad explanation.

I wouldnt be upgrading but say a brand has 3 bikes between 300 and 500 which parts would you like to see of a better quality than the entry level version.

Eg Hardrock Pro/Comp/Sport models.

So the question is really: which parts have a noticeable diffence between the bog standard level and the mid range, so i need to make sure i get an off the shelf set-up with those bits already there.

llamafarmer

At £500 you'll always have to compromise somewhere, but the thing you'll notice most are the forks, so worth getting the best you can up front. A basic Shimano groupset will still be very decent, it's a little heavier than the higher end stuff, but very reliable.

Check out the Boardmans at that price!

iajo

Usually it is always worth paying the extra for the upgrade/higher model from a purely financial point of view. For example if its an extra 50 quid for a model with disc brakes over the model without then you couldnt buy and fit them for that making it a good deal.

Its the same with forks why pay for a bike with crap forks as you will have to pay 150+ to upgrade them when if you added the £150 to your budget in the first place you would get better forks and loads of other upgraded parts again making more financial sense.

The only drawback is that you may not be gaining any actual advantage from better parts. V brakes would stop you just aswell round town as hydraulic disks, it all depends on what you would do with them.

As for order of importance i purchased my bike as it was one of the few sub £500 bikes using the rockshox tora fork. That was the most important bit for me.

.blitz

scoi wrote:

So the question is really: which parts have a noticeable diffence between the bog standard level and the mid range

£300 will get you a reasonable bike but £500 will get one with better forks, brakes, gears, wheels, tyres, everything. At this price point manufacturers are very competitive and there's no way you would be able to convert the £300 bike into the £500 bike by spending £200 on it.

If you can afford it, the £500 bike is much better VFM.

batch78

Forks, wheels, groupset, finishing kit, in that order in my opinion.

The first two are expensive to upgrade so let the manufacturer take the cost, groupset can be done bit by bit as and when required, finishing kit is very personal so usually gets changed at some point anyway.

Toras, Mavics and LX would be great if you can find it on a bike for the money!

Frames tend to be the same across the range until you jump up to £800ish area.

scoi

Thanks for the input all, my main priorities have become forks, brakes and weight. Obviously dont want anything that will fall apart or limit me. My 2 options are the Specialized hardrock pro disc and the Trek 6000 '08, both similar prices, just need to see how they feel (and maybe how cool they look )

The Spiderman

If you are spending £500 also check the spec on these.Both have Tora forks,hydraulic discs,9 speed drivetrain,but also good frames worthy of future upgrades.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b7s2p1552

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b4s2p1265

The Kona in particular has a very rounded spec,mainly Deore drivetrain with XT rear mech,100mm Tora forks,decent Hayes Stroker brakes,you even get a pair of SPD pedals,included.

Even better,Its sized in 1" increments so bike fit should be spot on.

-liam-

.blitz wrote:

I may have misinterpreted your post but never, ever plan to upgrade. Bike manufacturer's buying power is way better than ours and when you compare the retail price of that spangly bit of kit in the glass case to how much it would cost if it was already on a bike, there's really no decision to make.

Buy absolutely the best bike you can afford and only 'upgrade' when something breaks.

And don't let anyone tell you that mechanical brakes are no good.

I'd take issue with that, merely based on the fact that "Upgrading & Modifying" are all part of the fun. Its interesting and also increases your knowledge base especially if you do any of the fitting yourself. With regards buying power, yes you are correct but then you don't have to go to your LBS and pay 50 quid for a deore spec rear mech for instance, when you can buy an XT one of T'interweb for 25 quid.

I've bought a Kona of similar cost to the budget being looked at and I've self taught myself everything (with help from the tech guys on here) as worked through replacing everything that could be seen as a weak link. I'd consider the bike to now have a spec similar to some bikes priced as around 1K but it is unique and mine and I've done all the hard work on it. Infact, all that is left from the original bike is the wheels and frame

Btw. Mechanical disk brakes are rubbish

smartbiker

Yes I think part of the fun of owning a bike is upgrading and putting it together but it can be costly so it is wise to buy a bike at a good price that has the core components. My XTC 2 was a bike that has a great frame, shocks and wheels etc but at a reasonable price and any upgrades will only be done if something breaks.

mea00csf

mech disk brakes are really pretty bad. They need constant adjustment to keep them running properly, ie stopping you, or not rubbing. If you go out doing xc for an afternoon, expect to have to adjust them next time you use your bike. They're not easy to adjust either (or the ones i had weren't) and getting that sweet spot of no brake rub while not having to pull levers all the way to the bars was a real hassle. If you get them they're fine in the short term until you upgrade, but not a lot else.

-liam-

They are a piece of cake to adjust ?...

They do need a fair bit adjustment though and I got fed up with crapped up cables.

supersonic

I think mech brakes can be really good! Maybe lack the ultimate power of a hydraulic, but less to go wrong, no fluids, and generally more adjustable on a budget to get a certain feel.

Specialized27

I agree - The Avid BB5's and BB7's are really great breaks, however if you do have a little more money, say £90, try Juicy 3's!

therealboyjones

Don't waste your money on a £300 bike if you have £500 to spend. Spend £500 on a bike now and upgrade that in a year or two or when parts wear out. Upgrading a £300 bike is a false economy if you have the cash to get something better in the first instance.

scoi

well i ended up with the cannondale 2008 disc at the knockdown price of 360, and it has Juicy 3's, only thing its really missing is lockout on the forks but i was told this isnt to big an issue at my standard and will teach me to ride properly, i have no idea what it does anyway, thanks for all the input guys. Nothing beats sitting on one

therealboyjones

Sounds like you got a bargain there, the Juicy 3s are ace. Good work.