FInally, the money to upgrade forks and brakes....

Ransaka · June 2010

...but since I only have a very strict budget of £310 I have limited options. I am currently having to live with a Dart 1 and mechanical discs (Kona Firemountain, entry level but the frame is sturdy for my bulk and that's what counts) so any upgrade will be an improvement but I reckon this is about the best I can do with the money:

2010 Marzocchi 44 RLO

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/marzocchi ... -2010.html

Avid Elixir 5s (which I have been coveting for months)

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/mountain- ... r-set.html

£306, leaving me £4 for a couple of clif bars/powerbars for the breaking in ride

I ride 17-18 miles a day to work and back, 75% off road on the South Downs so I'm thinking that the fork will be smoother on the chalky bumps and small drops and the brakes will allow me a shade more confidence and controlled braking on the sharp but short downhills.
For the amount of money I have to spend on it (this weekend no less, rather excited

) I don't think I can do any better or is there a dissenting voice that knows better?

nickfrog · June 2010

I would seriously consider a second hand REBAs at around £140 and a set of new SLX brakes at £170 including rotors from Merlin, possibly a bit cheaper if you shop around.

peter413 · June 2010

I would go for the Elixir 5's, yes, they are absolutely amazing brakes for the money and I would pay way more for them if I had to.

Forks, I would do what nickfrog has said, go for some second hand Reba's.

nickfrog · June 2010

...which actually would give you £20 more to go towards the REBA if u include the cost of the rotors, so actually Peter is quite right.

cavegiant · June 2010

The reba is a stunning fork.

warpcow · June 2010

Weren't (aren't?) Ribble doing front and rear SLX for £85 without rotors? That and a couple of 'new-2nd-hand' rotors would leave you enough to get a new Reba if you're lucky.

peter413 · June 2010

It is now just over 100 quid for a pair from ribble.

So that would be about 120 quid if you get some Superstar rotors as well plus the cost of adaptors if you need them.

So it would come to the same cost as Elixirs and they are both great brakes so which one do you like the look of better basically

Kiblams · June 2010

You guys realise that Rebas go for £200ish second hand right? how will £110 be enough for 2 brakes that are £130 RRP each!?! :shock:

peter413 · June 2010

If you are meaning the SLX, I don't think they are the newest version but they aren't that old and I just checked the pricing out.

The Elixirs are 135 for a pair including a pair of 160mm rotors so yes, it is perfectly possibly

The Rookie · June 2010

Bikehut brakes are Formula in drag and they are £60 an end and are rated 4.5* on here......

Simon

Ransaka · June 2010

My only issue with getting a second hand fork is the steerer length as the steerer is quite long on my bike at the moment and can't really be more than an inch and half shorter than that due to the headtube length. Most second hand forks seem to have quite short steerers by comparison (and more than a few are more than 100mm travel which I had assumed was a bad idea as my bike is built around 100mm from). Any specific reason to go for second hand rebas? I'm a tubby guy so don't want to fork out (no pun intended) for something that's going to flex horribly cos I'm lardy.
I'm happy to take advice from people who know more than me just after rationalised advice before I splash out the cash

nickfrog · June 2010

Most second hands REBAs are 100mm.
I bought one last week for £110 delivered on ebay.
The REBA is known for being VERY stiff and flex free.
Steerer lenght : it either fits or not. Just establish how much length you need and how long the steerer is on the second hand fork is.
I have bought 2 second hand REBAs this year and they were perfect BUT that does not mean you'll be as lucky. But they're so good for so little money...

spongtastic · June 2010

be aware that the price of a new reba is going up, the equivalent of the race for 2011 is now £330 at Merlin so second hand prices will creep up.

Look at the Merlin disc brake clearance for the Avids, I picked up a pair of elixir CR carbons for £150 and a pair of avid rotors from here for £10.

If you don't want to risk the used Reba, go for a Tora 318 Solo Air, they're £149 brand new at Merlin, only weigh a bit more.

Ransaka · July 2010

Okay, well I have my eye on some second hand rebas on ebay that should do the trick. Now, my current steerer is 256mm, fork I'm looking at 225mm. The stack of spacers on my bike will let me fit the fork by dropping all but one of the spacers or a couple of the smaller ones. I presume there is no requirement to have a certain number of spacers and it's purely personal taste/comfort?

The Rookie · July 2010

As long as it fits there is no need for any spacers at all.....and some peopl run the spacers above the stem to drop the bars anyway.

See what you mean by long, some new forks only have 210mm steerers, which was 'just' long enough for my old frame.

Simon

pastey_boy · July 2010

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/QUAD-DIME-PRO-RA- ... 53e20c2d50
and
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Marzocchi-XC-500- ... 27a9257352

FInally, the money to upgrade forks and brakes....

Comments

Categories