[markland]

Right i have a Diamondback M:05 about 2 years old, the spec on the dealers website is

Lightweight strong 20" aluminium frame (seems decent and is quite light)

Front suspension fork for a smoother ride (this is a crap RST fork that has a Zoom sticker also on it which is strange

21 speed gears with Shimano rear derailleur (its an Tourney rear derailleur)

SRAM grip shifter gear changer (quite crap tbh and doesnt leave much room for hands)

Front disc brake for optimum braking (promax and crap, rear v brake is better and also crappy promax)

Lightweight aluminium deep-V rims ( never had any problems with them over the 2 years)

Rugged off-road tyres (Kenda and never had a puncture)

What im asking is whether its worth spending money on this bike on parts like some new shocks (maybe rock shox dart 2), new handlebars and stem, new seat and post and some nice pedals.

I would change the derailleur's to shimano deore but the bike is only 21 speed and so im stuck with the tourney .
Can i put a 8/9 speed derailleur on a 7 speed bike?

 

[markland]

anyone?

 

[Quo Fan]

If you are serious into mountain biking, you should save your money for a better bike. This looks like a lower end bike that was not designed for serious off-roading.

BUT, if you want to upgrade, then to put 8-9 speed on the bike, you would have to get a cassette, shifters and derailer. Putting on a different fork could possibly change the head angle, unless you get the same axle to crown distance.

To change the fork, you will also need to buy a threadless headset, as that headset is not compatible with higher end forks.

 

[markland]

Im thinking of converting to single speed for 2 reasons, one because its alot easier and cheaper to maintain and 2 because i rented a singlespeed mtb on holiday for a few hours to see what its like and i loved it but not so good on roads having to pedal alot.

Ill have to wait till my bike comes back from the bike shop getting repaired so i can measure the axel to crown length and then look at some forks, my current headset confuses me and its crap i know.

Anyone got any ideas on how id go about changing the headset?

 

[MTBracer]

i would bring it to your shop with the new fork you wanted, and ask them to order you a new headset and to replace your old one with it. Because, unless you know what size you need and if you have to face the headtube or whatever, it's a lot easier to have the shop do it. you should talk to your shop about upgrading your bike too. They'll be able to help you find what you need.

 

[sanjuro]

You should probably buy a better quality used bike. It will be a better investment of your money.

 

[shocktower]

Money pit ,as far as the RS Dart I took a brand new one off my Giant ,I have 44 miles on it ,I got a better lighter fork ,if you want the dart ,I`ll make you a deal ,I hated it PM me ,but as an Honest guy I think the fork is a very low end product ,save you money and buy another bike

 

[stoner53]

diamond back blows. its that simple. for a good fullbore mtb ur lookin at about $6-700. thats just to start if ur lookin for a hardtail. if u want full suspension ur lookin at no less than $1k. its not cheap but if ur gonna kick the s*** out of a bike u need to get something that isnt gonna explode out in the middle of the woods

 

[ultraNoob]

diamond back blows. its that simple.

... easy there tiger....

http://www.ridemonkey.com/reviews/showproduct.php/product/144/cat/4

 

[silentfoe]

Enjoy what you have, don't get sucked into the envy of the mountain bike world. Your should ride that bike until it blows up and self destructs. That, or donate it to a friend. You will never get out of that bike what it is worth to you and you will only be throwing money at it if you upgrade. Remember it is the rider and how much fun you have that matters.

 

[margam_man]

i would get a better set of wheels for it to. i had the same bike and idea as you and left the stock wheels on. not a good idea on my part. i changed the whole gearing system to a deore. pretty simple job realy. to chang the head set you just knock out the old bearing seats and put a new headset in which is the same diameter.

 

[zahgurim]

Upgrading parts to more decent gear is not a bad idea, as you can always swap your new parts along to the next frame when and if you upgrade.