New bike, how's my spec?

thegreatpoobarr

Decided I fancied a go at this cycling lark, so went bike shopping. I've managed to pick up what I think is a bit of a bargain, regardless if it is or isn't I'm chuffed to bits with it. Being new to all this stuff, and being that it's a previous years model, I thought it might be useful to post up it's specs in the hope that someone who knows more than I do (i.e. all of you) might tell me the weakest links in the chain, as it were. It's very unlikely I'll be upgrading anything until I start to outgrow components, ability wise, and I don't envisage that'll be anytime in the immediate future, but still it'd be nice to get an idea of where I stand currently.

Anyway, it's a Saracen Kili Cromo 2 . . .

Fork : Rockshox Recon Gold TK Coil / 120 mm travel / Turnkey lock-out
Headset : TH-857 A-Headset
Shifters : Shimano SLX M660 Rapid Fire 10x3 speed
Rear derailleur : Shimano Deore XT M773 Shadow Dyna-Sys
Front derailleur : Shimano SLX M661
Chainset : Shimano FCM552 24/32/42T 170-175 mm
Bottom Bracket : Shimano BB-51
Chain : Shimano HG-74
Cassette / Freewheel : Shimano HG81 10-speed cassette 11-36T
Rims : Mavic XM317 32 hole
Hubs : Shimano Deore M595 Black 32 hole Q/R front / rear
Spokes : Double butted stainless steel 14g with alloy nipples
Tyres : Continental Mountain King 26 x 2.2 inch
Brakes : Shimano M575 160/160 mm rotors / custom white
Brake levers : Shimano M575
Handlebars : Saracen 318 Alloy OS 680 mm wide / 15 mm rise / 9 degree bend
Grips / Tape : Saracen Lock-on dual-density grip
Stem : Saracen 318 6061 70-90 mm A-Head / 7 degree rise / 31.8 mm clamp
Saddle : WTB Rocket V Comp Cromo white
Seatpost : Alloy Micro-adjust / 27.2 mm


I'd imagine I'll want to change the bars, for asthetics more than anything else, and the grips. Beyond that, who knows.


Be gentle.

:oops:

rockmonkeysc

Nothing wrong with that. Pretty decent bike with a good, reliable spec.

spacedog

Without knowing the bike in the slightest... I would say the coil forks would be the weak point. Air forks would be lighter and have better adjustment.

If it was my bike, I'd be looking at wider bars and a sorter stem but that is my preference.

davestourbus

Hi thegreatpoobar.

How new to cycling/MTB are you?

Assuming your a total newbie I wouldn't be too worried about changing anything at this early stage. The forks, groupset, brakes etc look adequate for a novice mountain biker. Other important investments include a good fitting helmet and other apparel. Don't forget the contact points of the body, so investment in decent gloves, quality padded shorts and cycling specific shoes will make a big difference to the quality and enjoyment of your cycling. Good kit will last a while but will wear out if used regularly so take this into consideration.
As you get out and ride more and more you will find things you might want to change/upgrade such as tyres, saddle, brakes etc so see how you get on after a few months. The winter is a good testing ground for kit and components but remember to look after them.
A lot of upgrades are also personal choices, and a lot of the time come down to cost, so really consider hard what needs doing before you buy, and of course there is a lot of advice on here.

Enjoy your riding!

Dave

rockmonkeysc

Spacedog wrote:

Without knowing the bike in the slightest... I would say the coil forks would be the weak point. Air forks would be lighter and have better adjustment.

If it was my bike, I'd be looking at wider bars and a sorter stem but that is my preference.

Those coil forks are a lot better than some air forks. Maybe a little heavier than some but still a very good fork.

spacedog

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Spacedog wrote:

Without knowing the bike in the slightest... I would say the coil forks would be the weak point. Air forks would be lighter and have better adjustment.

If it was my bike, I'd be looking at wider bars and a sorter stem but that is my preference.

Those coil forks are a lot better than some air forks. Maybe a little heavier than some but still a very good fork.

I bet you are right....

97th choice

Go ride it as much as you can, when things break or wear out then consider whether you want to upgrade or not.

Seriously, ride it like you stole it, learn how to get better and don't worry about the spec, it's a decent bike which will serve you well.

WindyG

Pretty decent spec, the only thing that really needs improving on is the forks but I wouldn't rush to change them straight away as they are still decent coil forks. Ride it as it is and change/upgrade things as they wear out and as your budget allows.

thegreatpoobarr

Spacedog wrote:

Without knowing the bike in the slightest...

Fair point, it's similar geometrically ( to my untrained eye anyway), to the Kili flyer which I believe was reasonably thoguht of http://www.saracen.co.uk/bikes/2012/trail/kili-cromo-2

davestourbus wrote:

How new to cycling/MTB are you?

Very! Bought it 2 weeks ago, haven't been on a bike before that since I was 17. Which was a road bike and longer ago than I care to think of, let alone tell you.


I haven't ridden it in anger yet, not physically capable yet. The plan is to use it on my daily commute, which is all of 1 mile, and get in as much on top of that as possible to try and get myself bike fit. Hopefully it won't take too long and then it's just a case of getting it off road and see what happens.


It's reassuring to know I haven't bought a complete lemon, but I like I said I already love it so it wouldn't have mattered too much.