My Progress and moving on too a better ride

creamsodauk
creamsodauk Posts: 63
edited July 2011 in MTB beginners
So i got my specialised hardrock disc model only 2 months ago, its my first bike in a long long time but i really am enjoying myself out there!

Me and the family recently got back from Ireland where i took the bike and got some decent mileage in! plenty of long rides on road with a few off road bits round headlands and such likes. heres a pic of the bike with some lovely backing scenery

IMG_20110703_181841.jpg

Now i dont know if its my weight plus the amount of use im getting from it but the bikes starting to show why you guys with the big wallet denting bikes call these budget lol

My crank bearings sound pretty clicky and un happy. can i upgrade these? im happy to splash the cash i have in upgrades for a decent reelable bike.

Secondly my breaks are the standard cable discs. Fantastic when new but after the use its had they feel grindy and worn allready and certainly dont give the stopping omph id like on road and down hill. I assume a hydro front is the way too go and i have seen avid breaks for around £40 for a complete front break and rotor i think. i will do both front and back but for moneys sack front first would suit me.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=47543

Will the 200+rotor fit on my bike and is that everything ready too bolt on?

Forks, i want more travel off road and the option too lock out the forks on road as i do a few miles (today was a 28.8 mile ride according to my cateye computer :)
I saw these on evans and for the price they seem good. im around 15.5 stones and i do like to jump off curbs and over bumps on down hill paths and i have been practicing wheelies so they have too be pretty sturdy. any good for the money?

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sr- ... --ec029116


sorry about the long post, i hope everyone else is out enjoying their bikes, im still researching bikes. its all new too me so upgrades etc are gaining my interest but knowing whats what is a mine field, if anyone reads this and uses the worth way in Crawley give me a shout!

Comments

  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Noises can be a variety of things - check out Park Tools website for a great diagnostic page.

    Your fork (or the one you link to) is not designed for such a big rotor - 185mm max. Are you brake levers attached to your gear levers? 185 should be lenty anyway.

    There are better forks for the money, if you look around might get a Rockshox Tora Solo Air.
  • http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... e-ec024136

    Thats a link too my bike, i belie the gear shifters and break levers are separate. im sure thats part of the sales talk i remember anyway.

    stock rotors are 160mm and the shocks are 80mm travel with preload adjust, which if im honest doesn't do alot lol.

    thanks for the link to the site i will look into the noise more, it got better after the first service as it was very noticeable before it went in and came out much quieter but still clicking under load (up jills when standing etc)

    il also look for the forks you mentioned, (edit as far as i can tell they retail at 150 plus wheras the linked ones from me are merely 79! will they be that much better?)

    Another question for you guys, On the journey my bars met a height restriction on the roof of the astra. not damage other then nasty scratches as far as i can tell but im pretty sure the hit must have bent them slightly. so id like to swap out the bar for a white one too match the bike. the stock bars are a 35mm rise, and i see their are even taller risers. Whats the benefit of this extra height?
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Ah, I didn't see that they were reduced lower down the page! If £80 is all you have, you will find no better fork.
  • I dont have a big budget but i parts that will last so im happy to spend the extra. just wasnt sure if they matched the quality of most £150 forks.

    My problem is my local bike shop is evans and they can be so busy you cant just chat about bikes and parts.

    For example id like to know about the whole crank assembly, and how i can up its strengh with beefier bearings and such

    what i need is too find some local bikers who know their stuff and begin the steep learning curve!

    thanks for your help bud
  • thesim1990
    thesim1990 Posts: 95
    Easiest way to test for crank bearing noises is to lift the chain off the chainring and spin the arms, should sound gritty and be clicking.

    Before splashing out on new brakes try a different set of pads and see if they help the braking power.

    Tora or Reba are both good forks (having experienced both), but Reba is more expensive, however it is the better fork. If you can live with your current forks I would put some money aside instead of splashing out on what you have at the moment, because you'll be wanting to upgrade the fork yet again, and end up paying twice as much as you would've liked.
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    They are decent enough forks.

    But this is worth considering:

    http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/rockshox ... 60988.html

    Is better built.
  • good point on the forks, as i say budgets not big but if i find the right forks i could pay around £200 as it is.

    I will try the chain idea see how they sound, i notice the issue under load mainly so i may not notice an issue with no load on them but il try. the biek chain and gears all need a good scrub and grease as it is. i need to get into and around the bike more so i know whats what and become comfortable working on it :D
  • thesim1990
    thesim1990 Posts: 95
    Looks like your BB (Bottom Bracket) is a square taper design, and I've had a few disintergrate on me before.

    Saying that though the external BB on my Rockhopper was complaining only after about 200 miles (all off road), so whipped off the seals and saw one side rusted and the other perfectly fine.

    Square taper BB's are usually an inexpensive item.
  • Bottom Bracket:Sealed cartridge, square taper, 118mm

    the specs aggree with your beady eyes. can parts around this area be upgraded for more strengh. I have done 220+ miles in the time i have owned my cat eye computer and around 100-200 before this so its seen a few miles and will continue too do so i hope so id like to get the weak points out the way quickly!

    il do some reading up on what tools i need for removing the crank and such so i can have a closer look :)
  • andrewjoseph
    andrewjoseph Posts: 2,165
    Check that it's not the pedals that are clicking. spin each movable part on the bike to make sure its moving freely and easily: cranks (take chain off as mentioned above), no play when moving cranks laterally. no play, noise or grittyness when rotating.

    Check wheels in the same manner, ditto pedals.

    check seat post and saddle, sometimes a bit of grit gets into places and clicks when weight/force is put through them.

    Check headset, I had a clicking that I couldn't isolate the other day, cleaned the headset and found a some grit in the lower parts of the headset. Cleaned and greased and the noise stopped.

    I'd only replace parts when they are worn out. Unless you are bottoming out the fork when riding or you can feel it twisting, then probably no need to change yet. Same with cranks, unless you can feel them bending when putting power down, no need to change.

    The bottom bracket change may be all that is needed, IF, that is the problem.
    --
    Burls Ti Tourer for Tarmac, Saracen aluminium full suss for trails
  • bwfc4eva868
    bwfc4eva868 Posts: 717
    supersonic wrote:
    They are decent enough forks.

    But this is worth considering:

    http://www.jejamescycles.co.uk/rockshox ... 60988.html

    Is better built.

    +1 on the Tora SL's. I replaced the Original Suntour Jobbies on my Carrera Vulcan to these. And its the best £95 i have spent. So controlled over the bumps now, and they have enabled me to ride more confidently without fear of being rebounded into space by the suntours.

    Only Negative point i have about them, is their noisy buggers :lol:
  • he thanks for the tips guys. The pedals are new (v8 something or other?) and they spin freely, this was my first upgrade over the stock plastic pedals as i was told they do click and my feet also slipped off them alot.

    Il test the front crank today with the chain off, i plan to grab a chain splitter so i can remove and clean it better as some of my rides are through sandy type floor witch builds a gritty paste pretty quickly.

    was really looking forward too some time on the bike today dragging my dad and possibly brother along but the weathers mucking up my plans!! grr :(
  • right, i put the chain too one side at the front and spun the pedals but didn't feel anything grindy altho it was hard to stop the chain rubbing i must say . so im not sure its the bearings? but it certainly makes alot of clicking and cracking whilst pedalling standing up uphills or under load. could that be gear alignment?

    I also spent an age with the bike upside down cleaning out the gears and chain with cloths and de greaser back to a much cleaner and smoother feel. i will have to grab a chain splitter at some point and a work stand.


    Out of interest i have a few places where the cable have already rubbed through at least the laquer and top layer of paint. is their something i can do to help prevent this further?
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Helicopter tape, loads on Ebay,
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • cheers bud il get ebaying now :D
  • _Lizz_
    _Lizz_ Posts: 17
    Try taking the pedals off and then putting them back on making sure they're not too tight, there are so many things that can cause clicking noises but for me it's usually the pedals (or my creaking seatpost, but I think that one is just me!).
  • when you say pedals too tight, can you over tighten them then? i have jmc v8 pedals which spin nice and freely, but the pedals are done up tight with a spanner to the crank arms, is this not correct?
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    It could be the bottom bracket - sometimes removing and greasing the threads helps. But is a process of elimination.
  • ok thanks, rather then start another topic il ask here, tools seem varied in the market and im after a decent but not overally costly tool kit too do simple things like crank removal, chain removal and so on too aid cleaning and maintenance

    im going to grab a Park stand from merlins i think for around £70 and id like some tools in the order too get me started. Which tools do i need for my bike to work on it? is a kit of tools best or tools brought singly of better quality?

    thanks for the help so far guys most appreciate it!


    Stand choices, both stands with vip are £71 so is their a better value choice?

    http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop ... K-PCS9.htm

    http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/Bike+Shop ... 690DW1.htm
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    Try this:

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

    You get all the tools you reasonably need to get going. Decent quality too.
  • what a cracking deal! the reviews seem good too around the web. only thing i dont see is a chain splitter? can i check with you if ones included or if i should grab one separate?

    Box contains:
    New hollowtech 11 bottom bracket tools
    Crank extractor
    Pedal spanner
    Rivet extractor
    1.5 - 6mm allen keys
    8mm long allen key
    Spoke key
    2 x Srewdrivers
    Cone spanners
    T-25 torx
    Puncture kit & tyre levers
    Chainring bolt spanner
    ISIS/Shimano bottom bracket tool.
    Chainwhip
    Shimano cassette tool


    thanks for that il stick in my order when i know about the chain remover!
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    There will be a chain splitter in there.

    I use the stand - not bad at all. And a few of those tools, as are generic across many ranges.
  • thanks fella il get mine ordered up :D
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    'Rivet extractor' is a chain tool.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • cheers guys, i spotted the extracor after posting :roll:

    All ordered so i shall await my lovely parcel!

    i have a sheared off bottle cage bolt in my lower tube that i have noticed after my bikes clash with a hight restriction on a car doh! hopefully with the bottom bracket out i can get the dam bolt end out haha