specialized rockhopper 2009 comp disc

pmjsheridan

I've had this bike for a three years now and i am starting to get more adventurous with where i am going biking these days, ive been to coed y brenin, ridden most of the seven stanes and now i am going back this year to do it all over again! What i am asking is... is is worth my while upgrading parts on my current bike, or should i suck it up and buy a new one?

if i do upgrade first thing would be to change the front forks (currently rockshox recon sl)

Ta

Paul

MarkRB

Will be following this with interest. I have the same bike - but the 2008 version and wonder what are the best options for the forks.

NatoED

your forks are fine . wheels would be a better upgrade . what brakes are you running?

pmjsheridan

the brakes are avid juicy 3s

diy

Service the forks - if its had three years of riding, the fork oil might look more like melted margerine than oil.

apart from that - upgrade things as they fail - waste of money throwing good xc wheels in the bin if they are straight and true.

To make a real difference you are going to need to spend quite a bit of cash. If you do replace the fork a reba dual air is a good upgrade.

pmjsheridan

thanks DIY, am still pondering the upgrade as i know it will cost me, and as you say it would be silly to waste cash just for the sake of it, i'm just waiting for the right deal to come along...

have been looking at these forks...

http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/forks- ... 011-p83506

but for £500 it's a lot of money. Are they as good as the rockshox rebas? i've seen them on wiggle for around the same amount of money

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/rockshox-reba-r ... sion-fork/

are there better ones out there for the same amount (or less)?

supersonic

The forks would both be a nice upgrade, but if you don't want to splash out that much, but get a big slice of the same performance, install this to your fork:

http://www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk//product ... =tora+moco

Sad Boy

I have a Rockhopper Comp 08 with a few upgrades. The crank and cassette are now XT which was worth every penny because the original creaked from new and drove me insane. I gave up on replacing spokes and have just bought some new wheels.

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop ... ir_465.htm

I didn't relise that the wheels would make such a difference, they took 4 minutes of my 10mile commute to work. Ive been assured I wont be able to break these and they sound great.

My forks Tora SL seem to be doing ok. When i wear them out id prolly go for some Rebas they are alot lighter not sure how much that will affect performance but be very happy if they came close to the time the wheels saved me

diy

supersonic wrote:

The forks would both be a nice upgrade, but if you don't want to splash out that much, but get a big slice of the same performance, install this to your fork:

http://www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk//product ... =tora+moco

A friend of mine has the coil recons in his 'hopper is there a solo air upgrade for the other side also ?

blablablacksheep

i watching this also very closely,

have a rockhopper basic 08 bought in 09 and starting to think about replacing some stuff as they wear out

Can you get quality wheels like those for V brake bikes out of interest?

The crank and cassette are now XT which was worth every penny because the original creaked from new and drove me insane.

I been wondering what that noise was all week :roll:

how much did it cost to get the XT crank as i think mine might need replacing soon, DIY job?

Sad Boy

Im sure you can get quality wheels for V brakes give the chaps at Merlin a call they know there stuff...

Cant remember what the XT crank cost but it stopped the creaking so was worth it Im sure there are cheaper ways to stop the creaking but it looks good!

blablablacksheep

il give them a call, as i not sure how long they going to hold up given that they arent "true", and im sure no matter how many times i pray to the mountain gods they going to buckel again on me

i heard that SLX crank is as good as the XT as it is on other SLX gear ie cassetts ect, any truth in this? as price gaps are quite big

beverick

From my limited knowledge of these things, but what now seem endless discussions with several LBSs, I've had the forks you recommended as a fair mid-range upgrade to the 'entry level' Darts on my Scott MTB.

I'd be tempred to spend the money upgrading the running gear to 10 speed XT or even XTR.

Bob

blablablacksheep

whats so special about 10 speed?

by the way XTR +XT +SLX very little differance i have heard, and from the reviews it just about weight.

couple of mags did a review on stuff like sram x0,x9,x8,x7 ect and the same for XT/XTR

summery was XT and XTR very little in it, apart from XTR tended to break quicker due to weight and sram x7 came out top for best for price and wear+tear. MTB mag i belive

mac_man

Sad Boy wrote:

Im sure you can get quality wheels for V brakes give the chaps at Merlin a call they know there stuff...

Cant remember what the XT crank cost but it stopped the creaking so was worth it Im sure there are cheaper ways to stop the creaking but it looks good!

LOL... creaking cranks are sometimes a dead simple fix. Most times they just need regreasing. But the powerful lure of the upgrade is ever present.

I have an 08 Hopper that's now got Hope Pro 2 hubs and Mavic 717 wheels. I took a 289 Tora U-Turn fork off another bike of mine to replace the original Dart 3, which was pretty cack.

It's running pretty well at the moment although I sometimes wish it had a plusher (and lighter) fork on the front.

Am also thinking of changing the brakes from the original Tektro Auriga Comps. They stop ok but need a fair bit of pull. Single finger braking makes my wrists/forearms hurt... so I'd like something a bit easier and more powerful.

Other than that I love the bike.

Oh yes... and bigger 2.3 tyres are more comfortable. I run them about 35psi and have had no probs with pinch flats.

blablablacksheep

ingle finger braking makes my wrists/forearms hurt... so I'd like something a bit easier and more powerful.

get some NUTS!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkT_d2OTgv0

by the way which tyres you running the spez ones are pretty bad in anysort of weather other than pure sunshine..

supersonic

diy wrote:

supersonic wrote:

The forks would both be a nice upgrade, but if you don't want to splash out that much, but get a big slice of the same performance, install this to your fork:

http://www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk//product ... =tora+moco

A friend of mine has the coil recons in his 'hopper is there a solo air upgrade for the other side also ?

Yeah, solo air carts are available. Just have to get the right one!

mac_man

blablablacksheep wrote:

ingle finger braking makes my wrists/forearms hurt... so I'd like something a bit easier and more powerful.

get some NUTS!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkT_d2OTgv0

by the way which tyres you running the spez ones are pretty bad in anysort of weather other than pure sunshine..

I'm an old fecker so need all the assistance I can get.

Ditched the fastrack tyres yonks ago. Running a mixed bag at the moment... with a 2.4 Mountain King on the front and a WTB Wolverine on the rear. I have some supertacky Minnions that I'll be putting on this weekend.