Anybody ride?

[SeaSalt]

Anybody do any bike (MTB) riding?

Getting a nice used Kona bike for a project and was wondering if anybody had tips... I know components get expensive and just wondering what are the essentials...

[surf rat]

I think that is a triathalon bike. I use to road bike race and I did a little mountain bike raceing.The York River duathalon was a real killer on a mountain bike. I did the mountains of misery a couple times on a road bike and the mountain mama. I would get components from E-bay. what does the Kona have? Is it just a frame?

[RiverOtter]

I used to do more when I lived up in the northeast...here in the not so mountainous coast of Virginia Beach I've been relegated to more road riding. Components are one of those things that you can spend a lot on, or not a lot. The difference is usually how long those parts last if you're hard on them. If you're building from frame up, go with a decent headset, as those you'll have to have pressed in by a shop, and it's easier to do right the first time (chris king is the way to go here). After that, the rest of the parts are more easily replaced. I don't care for gripshift, I prefer the rapidfire style, so shimano is what I've got. If you've got the $$, go ahead and get the XTR lineup. If not, don't feel that you need it. It's more expensive and lighter than XT, but it's really no more durable. I don't know if the LX lineup has gotten any better, but my bike started with full LX, and I think the only parts I have left on it that are still LX are the crankshafts and the front derailleur. I have Avid brakes, but shimano parts are a little easier to come by. Clipless pedals are a must. I really prefer the Time ATACs. They don't get mudded up as easily, they're easy to get into, and they hold up well. Wheels are another big ticket item. Try not to cheap out on these...cheap ones can make your life miserable. I started off with a set of cheap Mavics, and the rim was so soft that I was having to true them after almost every ride. I scored a pair of Spinergy Spox for a decent price, and they've held up MUCH better. If at some point I decide to start over again with a new frame, they're probably the one thing that I'll carry over. Shocks can be pretty spendy too...but I can't offer much advice on them. Depending on your style of riding, you shouldn't really need a fork with more than 80mm of travel. Anyway, have fun with it...don't worry, even if you buy good parts, you'll get a chance to replace them after a good crash or two (all parts break!). Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

[Fisheadgib]

I've got several bikes and the wife and I ride quite a bit. She's down to one but I rotate between five different bikes. They're kinda like fishing rods, different bikes for different applications. Kona's are a well made bike and even the lower end models come with decent components. What model are you getting and whats on it?

[SeaSalt]

thanks for the info guys... I'm not sure what model it is but the frame is yellow/gold... its a light frame compared to my gary fisher...

from what riverotter, looks like the most important components are headset, clipless pedal, and wheels...

[Fisheadgib]

I'm gonna have to disagree with that. I think brakes and drivetrain are the most important components on a bike. Wheel selection is based on your weight and riding style, and tires are based on the type of terrain you'll be doing most of your riding on. Pedals are a matter of preference. I have a Chris King headset on my Santa Cruz just because I spared no expense when I built the bike but I can't say it works better than the cheap Cane Creek on my commuter. The Chris King cost 5 times as much and has more of a bling factor, but it's not a critical element. You never did mention if you have a hardtail or a full suspension.

[SeaSalt]

have a hardtail...

[Fisheadgib]

MTBR.com is a good website for finding info about mountain bikes and components. Bear in mind that it's usually cheaper to buy a complete bike than to build one unless you keep your eyes open for clearances and closeouts. Right now is the best time of year to find deals on last years stuff.

[SeaSalt]

any recommendation on a 3 or 4 hitch mount bike racks?

[Fisheadgib]

I've got a Thule that I'm really happy with as it will carry about any shape of bike. The web site I pointed out has reviews on pretty well anything you can think of thats bike related, including racks.

[SeaSalt]

Okay, just got the project bike. Going to need new pedal, rear derailer and front fork replaced. It has Shimano LX components for now...

any suggestions on the items i need to replace, don't need really high end performance stuff, just decent compenents for avg. price... I don't ride too hard...

Fisheadgib, which model Thule rack did you get? does your bikes hit each other in transport?

[RiverOtter]

I did say that wheels are important as they are one of the significant sources of weight on the bike...but realistically as long as they are not the cheapest things out there, they should hold up better than the ones that I started off with on my bike. It just gets really frustrating when halfway through a ride you bang them good and immediately recognize that the wheel is rubbing the brakes because it came out of true. I started carrying a shop-style spoke wrench with me even on short rides when I had those wheels. Cane Creek makes some decent headsets too...but after blowing up the stock headset on my bike I decided that if I was going to have another headset pressed into the bike, I was only going to do it once, and I found a good price on the Chris King headset online. Pedals are very important, as they are your most solid connection to the bike besides your hands...you really don't want to be coming out of them at an inopportune time. Likewise, you don't want them to be mudded up or difficult to get back into when you do come out.

I agree that brakes and driveline are important, but anything that LX and above will be fine. Unless you do a lot of downhill riding, you're really only looking at low speed control. I replaced the LX that came on my bike with Avids, but that was just to go to a parallel braking design, which the current LX already has. Driveline...you're going to see most of your wear in these components...better components usually fit up better and have better materials and so wear less. They also tend to have cleaner shifts, but you can compensate for that with lesser components by just keeping them as clean as possible and lubed. It's nice to have a good rear derailleur and shifter, but honestly I think the most important piece is a high quality chain. Cheap chains will tend to pop when you put a strong stress on them, which you are bound to do at some point.



Okay, just got the project bike. Going to need new pedal, rear derailer and front fork replaced. It has Shimano LX components for now...

any suggestions on the items i need to replace, don't need really high end performance stuff, just decent compenents for avg. price... I don't ride too hard...

Fisheadgib, which model Thule rack did you get? does your bikes hit each other in transport?




Pedals: Time ATAC XS (I've also known several riders who really like the Speedplay Frog as well).
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT
Front Fork: Take your pick. Rock Shox, Manitou, and Marzocchi all make good ones...they all have different characteristics and none of them are real cheap. Depending on age, condition, and quality of your current fork, you may be better off getting it rebuilt (much less expensive). You also might find a used one on ebay, but with something like that it's anybody's guess on what's considered "lightly used."

Also since you already have to set up your new derailleur, you may as well put new cables on. I like the teflon coated, as they seam not to rust as easily and wear better.

I have a Yakima rack for my car, but it's not one of the hitch mounted ones. They also make one of those...I do like the way it holds the bikes. One thing I also do is tie off the crank to the frame so it doesn't spin at all, and also keeps it from banging into other bikes on the rack. Mine is a 3 bike rack...had up to 2 bikes on it so far with them in mounting points next to each other with no banging. If anything, you should be better off on a hitch mount because there is more clearance from the vehicle. Go with any of the Thule or Yakima racks and you'll be fine. Saris also makes some that are ok, but I don't have any experience with them.