Advice on upgrades to 2013 Hardrock disc

impromento

Hi all and cheers for looking at this post..

I wouldn't say im a newbie or anything - more like a long lost friend... as up until a few years ago, I was always on my bike (albeit a claud butler enduro bought in 1994!) - which I deeply regret getting rid of

Anyway, being a new dad (as many of you will undoubtedly know) is absolutely knackering, add that to the fact that im now in my 30's and have a few extra pounds that i need to shift - i need to get fit again -so I decided that it was the perfect time to get back into it and i picked up a 2013 specialized hardrock disc 26 in the sales.

Love the bike, but already finding that most of the components will need upgrading sooner rather than later as the bike gets more use and things start getting a little tougher than canal paths and the local woods!

looking around, the options are endless and the cost of some bits are making my eyes water, so my question is this...

can you guys recommend some upgrades for the brakes, shocks and gears for a guy on a budget...

im not looking for the newest and coolest stuff - i just want descent kit that will do me well for a few years to come.

any thoughts, comments gratefully received

cheers

cooldad

Without knowing the current spec it's hard to say, but probably the forks would be a good start.

phildsmith

Hi,

Depends on your budget. I have an older one (2008 sport) which I was trying to get near the weight of my lightish rockhopper without costing the earth but with what I would call decent components.

personally id look at wheels and forks as a starting point dept on budget - not too sure what forks are on the 2013 Hardrock, Merlin are doing Shimano MT-65 wheelset for 150 Quid which can be built up quite light with tubeless tyres - 2095g for rear and 1472g for front with tubeless rocket rons ex skewers.

I went with a new Suntour Epicon fork which was around 160 on ebay with remote lockout which is around 1665g. I find this as good as my Rebas on other bikes.

For Brakes current Shimano Deore and SLX get good reviews and if you hunt around can be had for a good price.
Just my 2 cents worth - hope it helps.

JayKay3000

I'll just say that I took a m8 out on my local black graded run on some cheap halfords bike with 120mm front fork hard tail and he was not as a quick to be sure, but he completed the route without falling off. Rock gardens with a couple of small drops.

He did blow his front tire as he decided he knew better, took a different line from me and popped his rear tyre while hucking his front end over the thing that would have face planted him into the gravel.

Most important thing is a good set of tyres, the right frame size and the correct shock set up. I guess good brakes too as you can work with an iffy gear set and poor wheels, but I like to stop when I'm at speed.

In my opinion if you start upgrading forks and stuff you might end up wondering if you should have traded in the old for something new.

impromento

cooldad wrote:

Without knowing the current spec it's hard to say, but probably the forks would be a good start.

http://www.totalfitnessbath.co.uk/2013- ... 1-7661.htm

cheers

impromento

apologies if i shouldn't really post links to stores, but it has the full spec.....

impromento

phildsmith wrote:

Hi,

Depends on your budget. I have an older one (2008 sport) which I was trying to get near the weight of my lightish rockhopper without costing the earth but with what I would call decent components.

personally id look at wheels and forks as a starting point dept on budget - not too sure what forks are on the 2013 Hardrock, Merlin are doing Shimano MT-65 wheelset for 150 Quid which can be built up quite light with tubeless tyres - 2095g for rear and 1472g for front with tubeless rocket rons ex skewers.

I went with a new Suntour Epicon fork which was around 160 on ebay with remote lockout which is around 1665g. I find this as good as my Rebas on other bikes.

For Brakes current Shimano Deore and SLX get good reviews and if you hunt around can be had for a good price.
Just my 2 cents worth - hope it helps.

thanks, for the info - much appreciated

i think i'll look at wheels and tyres first, then brakes, then the forks - as i think i'll notice the need for upgrades in that order.

thanks again

impromento

JayKay3000 wrote:

I'll just say that I took a m8 out on my local black graded run on some cheap halfords bike with 120mm front fork hard tail and he was not as a quick to be sure, but he completed the route without falling off. Rock gardens with a couple of small drops.

He did blow his front tire as he decided he knew better, took a different line from me and popped his rear tyre while hucking his front end over the thing that would have face planted him into the gravel.

Most important thing is a good set of tyres, the right frame size and the correct shock set up. I guess good brakes too as you can work with an iffy gear set and poor wheels, but I like to stop when I'm at speed.

In my opinion if you start upgrading forks and stuff you might end up wondering if you should have traded in the old for something new.

thanks for this info, appreciated

and i think your right, definitely the tyres / wheels first - than brakes to start with, as already i can see a slight wheel wobble from a slightly "enthusiastic" ride the last night...

phildsmith

Cassette weight can be a big help as well if its got a low end cassette can be 150g-200g heavier than a mod range one
Didn't believe all this rotational weight stuff but since upgrading two bikes have found it makes a significant difference.

kajjal

I would just ride it until something breaks and save some money. Then you can choose an upgrade or even trade it in for a more expensive bike. It is a better bike than the 1990's GT Outpost I rode in the Peak District in the early 1990's. At least you have front suspension and disc brakes that work on steep down hills ! The GT Outpost had a rigid fork which used to cripple my hands and cantilever brakes which full on meant the bike carried on accelerating down steep drops

impromento

kajjal wrote:

I would just ride it until something breaks and save some money. Then you can choose an upgrade or even trade it in for a more expensive bike. It is a better bike than the 1990's GT Outpost I rode in the Peak District in the early 1990's. At least you have front suspension and disc brakes that work on steep down hills ! The GT Outpost had a rigid fork which used to cripple my hands and cantilever brakes which full on meant the bike carried on accelerating down steep drops

Ha, nearly as bad as the enduro then - the gripshifters used to cripple my wrists, and that too had brakes that i swear made it go quicker when fully hanked on!!

Giraffoto

A change to Rockshox Recon forks will transform the bike - once you've done that you may not think anything else needs to be changed. If the position's anything other than perfect then consider changing the stem, which will also transform the experience for you. After that, tyres perhaps (if you're doing muddy trails) and perhaps Shimano Deore brakes.

By the way, I don't normally pick up on grammar and spelling, but

impromento wrote:

. . . I just want descent kit . . .

might make people think you want a DH bike

wrenny

Swap the RSJ you`re currently using as steering for a cheap alloy bar..will save half a kilo for about £15. I couldn`t believe how heavy that steel bar was when i ditched mine..

impromento

Giraffoto wrote:

A change to Rockshox Recon forks will transform the bike - once you've done that you may not think anything else needs to be changed. If the position's anything other than perfect then consider changing the stem, which will also transform the experience for you. After that, tyres perhaps (if you're doing muddy trails) and perhaps Shimano Deore brakes.

By the way, I don't normally pick up on grammar and spelling, but

impromento wrote:

. . . I just want descent kit . . .

might make people think you want a DH bike

ha, ha well spotted!

cheers for the info, appreciated

Giraffoto

wrenny wrote:

Swap the RSJ you`re currently using as steering for a cheap alloy bar..will save half a kilo for about £15. I couldn`t believe how heavy that steel bar was when i ditched mine..

Good point - if you're changing the stem, and the stock bar is 25.4mm, go for 31.8mm and even a cheap handlebar is likely to save weight over the stock item.