Upgrading 2010 Specialized Hardrock

absv

Fancy upgrading some parts on the bike, no real need but I enjoy tinkering! Forks are highish on my list but I can't quite afford some yet. Looking at spending about £150 at the moment, so thinking brakes, crankset or Stem/bars???

Cheers,
Andy

MountainMonster

What type of riding do you do? Are you looking for light things? More blingy things? More functional things?

supersonic

Which Hardrock, just the basic one?

cooldad

If you have too much money just send it to me.

sdas777

if you've got 150 i'd say look at possibly saving for forks if thats what you want most, always seem to be the weak point on the rock, if youre looking burly marchozi dj3's, or more xc orientated rockshox darts?

absv

I've got the Sport Disc. Mostly trail riding and some light XC stuff too. Want a bit more light weight if possible but mostly upgrade my current kit to better stuff, bit of bling wouldn't go amiss 8)

absv

Is it 'OK' to fit a DH stem to the bike? I think I'll go for Stem/Bars but onl;y like the lok of the Dh stems.

Been looking at Easton Havoc DH stem with Easton EA70 Monkey bars in a mid rise.....possibly?

Bars: http://www.extrauk.co.uk/product/detail/Easton/Handlebars_MTB/4200/

Stem: http://www.rutlandcycling.com/24347/Easton-Havoc---Downhill-Stem.html

Any other dieas, both ideally in White cos I'm a tart

rockmonkeysc

Buy a set of Rockshox Tora forks.
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop ... 0_1532.htm
I fitted a set to my 2010 Hardrock & it made a HUGE difference to the feel of the bike, it handles so much better now & they are much lighter than the original Suntours. I also ditched the original pedals, a quality set of pedals will help you ride better.
I also fitted Avid Juicy 3 brakes, bit of a waste of money as they aren't really any better than the original cable discs.
A Shimano Deore crankset is worth fitting as well, really improves the shifting up front & some how seems to feel better peddling.
Don't bother with lthings like stem & bars etc, go for the big improvements first £136 for a set of Tora's is money well spent.
You could screw up the nice steering by fitting a short stem & make it uncomfortable.

absv

Edit: I've had a think and I'm going to wait until next month when I'll have a lump sum coming in to get some beter forks so for this month it's bars/stem:

Going for the Easton EA70 monkey bar mid rise and either of the below:

http://www.rutlandcycling.com/24347/Easton-Havoc---Downhill-Stem.html

Or

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=53393

Any advice on stem length, I know it's hard to tell

PS Already got decent pedals.

Dan Dare

I've upgraded quite a few bits on mine, click the link below to have a look...

matt-

without meaning to hijack your thread, i'm after some upgrade advice on a specialised bike too. i've got the 2010 rockhopper comp in white and i'm going to change a few bits round at the end of the month...

tyres are still stock, therefore my first purchase is going to be a pair of maxxis highrollers.

being a bit of a tart i really want to get some spank lounge bars in white, which i'll get at the same time (with the stem)

the main reason for me coming to this thread is for forks, which i dont know the slightest thing about... my bike has the rockshox tora 302's - i've been looking at dj3's for quite a while, would they be an upgrade?

thanks,
matt

mac_man

matt- wrote:

without meaning to hijack your thread, i'm after some upgrade advice on a specialised bike too. i've got the 2010 rockhopper comp in white and i'm going to change a few bits round at the end of the month...

tyres are still stock, therefore my first purchase is going to be a pair of maxxis highrollers.

being a bit of a tart i really want to get some spank lounge bars in white, which i'll get at the same time (with the stem)

the main reason for me coming to this thread is for forks, which i dont know the slightest thing about... my bike has the rockshox tora 302's - i've been looking at dj3's for quite a while, would they be an upgrade?

thanks,
matt

Wouldn't have thought so.... they're not that much different in price to the Toras. Best bet would be something like a set of Rebas.

supersonic

The fork is definitely the thing to upgrade first. For bars and stems, look at Exotic kit from carbon cycles. Cheap and good.

DH stem, why bother? You want to lose weight right?! Expesnive waste I am afraid!

mac_man

Main thing to upgrade on mine are the wheels/tyres.

If you're looking for a better ride then (IMO) upgrade Forks and wheels over just about anything else. Stiffer/lighter wheels will make a big difference as will a new fork. I'm not too fussed about swapping transmission... so long as it all changes gear ok and doesn't weight too much I'll stick with Deore or SLX at a pinch

absv

Ok guys I'm hearing you loud and clear! New forks 1st. Are the toras a worthwhile upgrade or should I wait a while longer and go for rebas?

Thanks for all the good advice.

Resin42

Toras are a good upgrade, I stuck a pair on my Hardrock, replacing the Darts. The difference it made to the ride was staggering.

That said, Rebas are better forks so if waiting is an option...

I'm also thinking of replacing the Auriga Comps. Stopping power's not bad but they need bled a little too often for my liking. The levers aren't great either.

absv

Ok I need a bit of a favour. Could anyone post some links of suitable forks as I've just moved house and I'm trying to do this on a phone. Looking to spend 200-250 and they need to be in white with is mounts. Thanks to anyone who can do anything.

mac_man

Rebas at On-One

£287... so a little outside your budget.

http://www.on-one.co.uk/c/q/forks

But half price!!

Farno

Definately go for Rebas if you can wait a bit, upgraded to them recently myself and they really are that good.

absv

Would the forks in this post fit?http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12727390

Resin42

I don't think so, assuming you're steerer is the same as mine, you'll probably need it to be at least 180mm. Measure your steerer from the bottom of the crown race to the topcap and subtract the spacers to be sure.

A couple of things to consider, if you keep the same travel but have a shorter steerer your bars will be lower, this will affect the feel of your cockpit. While better travel is the main issue, more travel is a hell of a lot of fun. As little as 20mm will slacken up your head angle and let you descend more aggressively. I don't even notice it on the climbs tbh.

More travel is a calculated risk as it will invalidate the warranty on your frame. In the unlikely event you bork it you can always put the old forks back on though.

rockmonkeysc

I checked the warranty before fitting 100mm Tora's to my Hardrock & it is not affected.
Hardrock frame is pretty tough. I have seen mine bounce down a trail and hit a tree, hit the down tube hard on a rock and hit a tree stump fast stopping the bike dead and sending me in to a river. After all that abuse & more it is still like new, not a mark on it.

Peakylaad

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Buy a set of Rockshox Tora forks.
http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop ... 0_1532.htm
I fitted a set to my 2010 Hardrock & it made a HUGE difference to the feel of the bike, it handles so much better now & they are much lighter than the original Suntours. I also ditched the original pedals, a quality set of pedals will help you ride better.
I also fitted Avid Juicy 3 brakes, bit of a waste of money as they aren't really any better than the original cable discs.
A Shimano Deore crankset is worth fitting as well, really improves the shifting up front & some how seems to feel better peddling.
Don't bother with lthings like stem & bars etc, go for the big improvements first £136 for a set of Tora's is money well spent.
You could screw up the nice steering by fitting a short stem & make it uncomfortable.

Checked this link, but what does "disc only" mean in the item's title; and
what's the difference between post mount (the black ones) and IS mount (the white ones)?

supersonic

Disc only means it has no mounts for rim brakes.

See FAQ.

Peakylaad

Thanks 'sonic

rockmonkeysc

You can use either. I have the post mount which just means that I needed too loose the original IS adapter off the brakes, makes no difference at all.
If you buy the IS mount then you need too re-use the IS mount adapter.
The forks will come with a new headset so if your not too confident get someone else to fit it rather than have a go and ruin the bearings.

tsenior

i have a 2008 hardrock, the wheels are pretty good so after changing the tyres and peddles i saved up and got £200 quid together for some better forks

ended up spending 280 on some rebas.....franky its like a new bike, knocked a kilo off the front and the difference in performance is staggering.

Paul 8v

Another vote for the reba's here, the ones form on-one are a bargain, they're a fantastic fork, so smoothe and a good weight

Resin42

RockmonkeySC wrote:

I checked the warranty before fitting 100mm Tora's to my Hardrock & it is not affected.

The frame's designed for up to 100mm AFAIK. My Toras are 120mm. TBH I haven't looked at the warranty, I was "reliably informed". I wasn't concerned enough to check, as you said, it's a tough frame. Just thought it was worth mentioning.

gordo29

i ve just upgraded to a set of reba race forks i like them so thumbs up for rebas and treated myself to a set of hope pro ll wheel set and that was money well spent

Shaggy_Dog

Tora's are great forks if you get the motion control versions. Most people will only notice the weight savings of a Reba, not the performance.

Some flashy new folding tyres will shed a load of weight, roll faster and give you more grip than the plasticky ones that come with the bike.

Converting to clipless pedals is a big upgrade for a lot of people.

Avoid spending money on stuff that's going to get bashed about. I.E rear derailleurs, cranks etc, they may look shiny and nice but not for long!