[mcoomer]

Picked up a Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc almost 2 weeks ago and I'm wondering where to beging with upgrades. These are the specs for the bike. My first thought is that I want to upgrade the crank, cassette, and derailleurs to improve rideability. Taking a look at the specs what would you recommend for someone who will be doing a lot of single track XC and moderate downhill?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[robdamanii]

Ahh.

If you want to improve rideability, I'd replace the fork first. Something like a Reba would be an excellent choice. Then, if it were me, I'd swap the brakes for something hydraulic (HFX9s are on sale at JensonUSA I believe), drivetrain for X9 and X0 parts and a SRAM cassette, clipless pedals, new wheels, new cranks and then start with other bits like bars, stem, post...

Depends how far you're willing to take this bike. If you're going to even CONSIDER buying a better bike in the next year or two (possibly full suspension) I'd only replace things you can take to the next bike.

 

[pixelninja]

My 2 cents...

Start with new wheels and tires. You could easily drop off a few pounds without sacrificing strength, and since its rotational weight, you will definitely feel it. Hands down the best way to improve the performance of your bike.

Next would be a new fork. That fork is almost 5 lbs, so once again, you could definitely shave off a lot of weight here while getting noticably better performance.

The next thing I'd replace is the brakes. I see that you live in WA. I know you have mountains around there, so some quality stopping power will make downhills much more enjoyable.

After that, I'd just start replacing things as they break.

 

[135crewchief]

they say that when you a purchasing a new bike the order of importance should be frame, fork, and then brakes. I think that has alot to do with expense. the bike manufacturers can purchase these item alot cheaper than you can. having said that i have a friend that has the 05 version of your bike and his fork sucks. that would be the first thing i would replace. keep your eyes open for some good buys on ebay, i've seen some good prices on forks.

 

[richcreek]

i had a 05 pro disc, i put a Z.1 freeride on it, adrenalyn 2.20 tires on it, sram x.9 shifters and rear der. new crank set[truvative stylo team], thats about it it was sweet. i traded it in for a 2006 stumpjumper FSR. For that fork you will need a new hub, 20mm. that fork at jensonusa.com is only $290. my bike survived 2 trips downhilling at snowshoe and one trip to ray's indoor. they are great bikes once upgraded. i also had specialized shoes and clipless pedals. thoes are a great investement.

 

[mcoomer]

Thank you for the input so far. One common thread has been forks, which was a bit surprising, but since that seems to be the consensus I guess I'll start looking for info. Reba was mentioned earlier but I checked a few sites and those appear to be out of the range of what I'm willing to spend. Any recommendations for good XC shocks are appreciated.

I was also thinking wheels, hubs and brakes, which was mentioned earlier and I'm kind of leaning toward Avid BB7's based on feedback I've been reading. I'm not sure that hydraulics are really necessary for me yet becasue I'm still rather slow. I've also read that mechanicals tend to be easier to maintain and lighter. As for wheels and hubs, I'm going to have to wait for a bargain on those it appears because most of what comes highly recommended is fairly expensive. Again, recommendations for brakes and wheels are appreciated.

What surprises me the most is that nobody really addressed my question about cranksets, derailleurs, and cassetes. Is that stuff that you grind on till it breaks and then worry about replacing it? Having checked the SRAM website I know that the stuff that comes stock on the Hardrock is basic entry level stuff and even though I still suck I can already see the shortcoming in my stuff compared to a couple of other bikes that belong to people in my riding group. If conventional wisdom is beat on it till it breaks I can certainly live with it though.

In any case, keep the suggestions coming. I'm still just trying to ride a lot to develop some technique but I'm also a tinkerer and the thought of wrenching on stuff give me a warm fuzzy feeling.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Picked up a Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc almost 2 weeks ago and I'm wondering where to beging with upgrades.

Any reason you're thinking upgrades already?

My advice - ride bike. Replace things that break. Ride bike more.

 

[pixelninja]

Any reason you're thinking upgrades already?

My advice - ride bike. Replace things that break. Ride bike more.

Stop making so much damn sense. Its getting ridiculous :mumble:

 

[robdamanii]

Thank you for the input so far. One common thread has been forks, which was a bit surprising, but since that seems to be the consensus I guess I'll start looking for info. Reba was mentioned earlier but I checked a few sites and those appear to be out of the range of what I'm willing to spend. Any recommendations for good XC shocks are appreciated.

Ebay my man. I bought a Reba Team U-Turn on there for 250 bucks, brand new in box.

For brakes, BB7s will work just fine, but honestly, you can get a full set of HFX9s for about 175 bucks from Jenson. Believe me, as your skill increases, you'll enjoy the hydros. If you're really on a budget though, you can indeed stick with the BB7s. They're probably the best mechanical disk out there.

Wheels....check around. You can find some pretty decent deals out there if you try. If you're not too concerned about weight, you can pick up a set of Crosslands or Crossrocs on ebay for around 2 bills. If you want to go to about 350 bucks, you can talk to Mike at Oddsandendos.com about building a set of Laser Disc Lite/VXC rims for you. You could also look into building your own by purchasing some components and learning how to lace them up yourself, but that may be a little too advanced if you've never wrenched on a bike to begin with.

My thoughts on the drivetrain were this: I busted my old 8 speed alivio stuff and replaced the whole thing with LX. When I built my Dawg, I stripped off the LX and replaced it with SRAM. I've now got a spare set of shifters, a spare RD....pretty much an entire drivetrain. It's basically up to how much you're willing to spend and how precise you want your shifting to be.

 

[trailblazer]

Picked up a Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc almost 2 weeks ago and I'm wondering where to beging with upgrades. These are the specs for the bike. My first thought is that I want to upgrade the crank, cassette, and derailleurs to improve rideability. Taking a look at the specs what would you recommend for someone who will be doing a lot of single track XC and moderate downhill?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

all due respect....sell it.
buy a real bike. Do not invest in a ride that does not do the job. What next? the entire drive train and susspension?
it is a HUGE mistake investing in a bike that just does not take you to the next level.
I say beat it to death and in a few years buy a descent bike and do it once. Get an intense, santa cruz or any real frame that will suport your riding needs and make sure you buy into fox susspension. Stay away from the big boy labels like specialized, trek etc.

Never buy used or something that needs upgrading.
I buy things one time...like thompson, fox and x-type.

If anything you should convert your ride to tubeless with a 20" tube, some latex sealant and a razor blade and a set of 2.1 nevigals. That would be a great 100 dollar upgrade and would be felt imediately.

if you are interested in the recipee gimme a pm or e-mail.It is basic.
respect....blazer.

 

[AustinM]

It is much cheaper to buy a whole new bike then to replace everything on your bike, plus you would get a new frame with it. As said, learn what you can off the bike, how to ride and how to maintain it. Its better to learn how the do's and don't's maintenance now rather than when you have a high end bike that everything you break will cost you major bucks.

 

[robdamanii]

Interesting how nobody here is looking at the long term picture.

You put an expensive set of wheels/brakes/drivetrain/whatever onto this bike, what is there to say that you can't use it on a future bike? Instead of telling the guy he bought a piece of junk, why not actually help answer his question?

Frankly, there's nothing wrong with building out a bike like that to the specs you want, then swapping it all over to a nicer frame.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Interesting how nobody here is looking at the long term picture.

You put an expensive set of wheels/brakes/drivetrain/whatever onto this bike, what is there to say that you can't use it on a future bike? Instead of telling the guy he bought a piece of junk, why not actually help answer his question?

Frankly, there's nothing wrong with building out a bike like that to the specs you want, then swapping it all over to a nicer frame.

In the long term nothing will fit on a new frame. Unless, I guess, your long term is something like 2 years.

Goddam bike industry. :mumble:

 

[mcoomer]

Any reason you're thinking upgrades already?

My advice - ride bike. Replace things that break. Ride bike more.

I'm simply a person that likes to wrench on stuff. You should see my motorcycle. As soon as I got it I put on exhaust, new computer, suspensions bits, alarm, modded the emissions, different tires, etc. The wife thinks I shoud probably leave it at that but it's a genetic code that was apparently written into my DNA when I was conceived. Must have new stuff!

Other than that I just want a more rideable, reliable, enjoyable bike and if I can make some weight gains at the same time, bonus. I will build this bike over time as I learn to ride it. I will replace what breaks when it breaks and later I will buy a new bike, probably full suspension once I've gained some skill, and start the process over again on that bike. If some of the new stuff carries over to a different frame, great. If not then I'll eventually have two nice bikes.

In the mean time, keep it coming. I'm open to all suggestions but now I must ride before it gets dark.

Later,
Mike

 

[mcoomer]

Reba Team...check!

Wheels...A guy I work with is a fanatic and told me that if I get the components he'll build my wheels. So, I get new wheels and a bit of an education. Now, what would you recommend. I hear about tubeless tires, Mavic, ZTR, alloy v. brass nipples, and on and on and on. If I want a dependable wheel for XC and light downhill what should I be looking for in wheel components? Should I be looking at tube or tubeless tires? What about hubs?

Lemme know what you think.

Thanks again,
Mike

 

[Boomer-61]

I think I would ride the bike for a month or two (a couple hundred miles) at least before I would change anything. After that amount of time things needing change will be obvious. If nothing seems really out of place then ride it until something breaks. It's a new ride, give it time; save your hard earned cash.

 

[robdamanii]

In the long term nothing will fit on a new frame. Unless, I guess, your long term is something like 2 years.

Goddam bike industry. :mumble:

Well, true.

Just means you need to upgrade to a different frame every year and a half.

 

[bjanga]

If you are bent on upgrading, ride for awhile to get a feel for what you think you would like. Then, if you want buy something that you can carry to your next frame.

 

[mcoomer]

Reba Team...check!

Hydro brakes...check!
Clipless pedals...check!

I got a good deal on some Juicy 5's that were being blown out at the local bike shop. Also have some new Shimano PD-M540's on the bike. I'm still learning how to spin them but I can definitely feel the difference. All I need now is a light system and I'm good. The group that I ride with does night rides about every other week and that sounds like a blast. I've been offered a loaner light so that will get me started.

As for the rest of my experience, I've been riding a lot! I've managed to ride pretty much every day and I've recently tackled one of the bigger hills in our area so I feel good about that. My stamina is improving so I'm better in the pedals. I've got some trail experience so I'm not getting thrown around as much by rocks, ruts, and roots. I'm having a blast! I should have gotten this bike a long time ago.

If you've got any other ideas I'd like to hear them.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[JohnE]

Dont know if its been said, but dont bother upgrading until you break or wear out some stuff. Then step up a level and get something cooler. A great place to start is a new wheelset, after you taco yours and fry out the hubs!