Mountain Biking - quick - Haro Extreme X3 upgrades to ask for while new in shop

Hey guys, I think I'm going later this afternoon and getting a Haro Extreme X3. Supposedly I can swap out stuff like the derailleurs and pay the difference in retail price, so can anybody recommend some things? It's beefy as hell, so strength isn't an issue, but weight may be. I think first thing I'm requesting is some eggbeaters. Basically I want cross-country components with a freeride frame and suspension. Any other recommendations? I wanted to swap out the brakes for some Hayes, but the only comparison review I saw said that those worked better than the Hayes. Anyway, advice is appreciated.

Comes with the following:

EXTREME X3
Model Description: 27 SPEED FULL SUSPENSION PERFORMANCE MTB
Frame: Haro Extreme LFP Full Suspension 7005 Alloy with Sealed Bearing Pivot
Forks: Rock Shox Psylo XC with U-turn 80-125mm Travel
Gears: Shimano XT Rear/ Deore Front, Deore SL
Cranks: Truvativ Hussefelt 22/32/44 with 1515 Spline
Hubs: Formula Disc Front Hub/formula 8 Speed Cassette Rear
Rims: WTB Dual Duty Double Wall Black with CNC Wall 32 Hole
Tyres: Maxxis Ignitor 26" x 2.35"
Brakes : Shimano Hydraulic Disc Brakes Front and Rear
Colors: Anthracite
Features: Black Stainless Spokes Integrated Aheadset 1515 Spline Cartridge BB Dual Density Grips
Sizes: 17.5"(46cm),19.5"(51cm)

Ick....never liked those haro's. The seattube/top tube junction looks so weak, and i've seen some pictures online of them being broken. But since your going to get it....what would you need to upgrade? The rear derailleur is xt already so no swappin that.....people have their own opinions on brakes, I have heard that people think shimano are better than hayes, and people that think hayes are better than shimano. I guess you havent used either of them so why dont you just leave the brakes it has on the bike, I have a pair of 555's and I like them. Good luck...

How much is it anyway?

I say don't upgrade till ya need to....the parts on there are pretty good already, most of you weight is coming from the frame, so I saw wait till ya break something, no use in payin for stuff that is only gonna take a few ounces off and work about the same as what you already have. I like the haro, but from what it sounds like you would be better of going with the specialized, but if you really like the haro get it! Better to get what you really like than something that someone told you was better for ya!!! Hey go get that bike now and call in sick tomorrow for work and go ride!!! :beer:

I'm just sick of worrying about it. I've tried to research everything I could on both. Basically I've heard lots more whining about the Enduro, while I've yet to hear anything bad being said about the X3. The reality is that I'm not that great of a rider, just a weekend warrior, plus we need a new refrigerator, so I guess I need something cheaper but very reliable. A mountain bike magazine recently did a review on both, and the $1,300 Haro X3 "kept up with the competition in nearly every aspect". The competition being the $3,000 Specialized Enduro. I feel like I'm paying for the name, although what a great name it is, as I've got 4 Specialized bikes and lots of Specialized equipment. Anyway, I'm getting at least a 10% discount, so it will be $1,170 or less. As far as that area looking weak... my other choice was the Enduro, and it's just hanging out there in space... don't see how it can be any stronger.

ok don't upgrade anything, save the cash for your fridge...buy the bike tonight, then call in sick tomorrow....buy the fridge, get some bear....go for a ride then go home stair at your new bike, open the fridge get a cold beer and sit back and enjoy!!! Have fun man! you'll like the haro! :beer:

Well, I agreed to buy the Haro at lunchtime Friday. I'm having a different seat swapped in - the Specialized Telluride. I'll probably throw a front fender on, and order some eggbeaters separately. I'm just worried about smashing those eggbeater wires into a rock and bending thm. I may just use my old red Shimano 636 pedals for awhile. I love the feel of that bike. The bike shop says that it could be the end of February before they get any 2003 Enduro bikes in anyway. The tires seem way to wide at something like 2.35", but I've never had fat tires, never had discs, never had full suspension, and never had travel past 80mm, so I'm sure it'll be one crazy ride for awhile.

Dude,

There's no reason to change anything on that bike unless you find it really bothers you, or you destroy it. People whine, moan and complain all day about titanium springs and carbon fiber seat posts, but in the end none of it really matters. A few ounces here or there isnt going to do much of anything. Besides, i can almost guarantee with that bike, you'll soon be wanting to go bigger, and the light XC stuff wont cut it anyway.

I say buy a bash guard and lose the 44, but thats just me.

A couple comments:

The things I would change, are the Haro in-house generic items, like the seatpost and the stem/handlebars. But that's just if it were MY bike. I agree with the others and say "Get it, Ride it, love it!"

The other thing I would recommend for what you've described as your level/style of riding is perhaps a different tire. Even though the Maxxis is a good tire and well spec'd for this bike. It may be more than you need. If you switched to a smaller tire, the bike will "feel" faster. I would however, suggest buying a second set of tires instead of swapping out.

Are you planning on riding strickly "off-road" or on/off combination? If "off-road" only, take BurlySurly's advice and swap out the 44 ring for a bash guard. If on/off, you may want to keep the 44 for long road sections. I rarely use mine, but it's there!

L8R

Well the handlebars are already Azonic Hellbent. I thought those were pretty good. I wouldn't know the difference on the seatpost. I just started this thread because some of the things, like the Deore front derailleur, I don't know much about, so if I could have swapped it for an XTR or something that's much better for cheap, I would have done it. Looks like fenders, seat, and pedals will be my only mods for now.

But, I'm wondering if my choice of eggbeaters is the best for this bike. Seems like you could bend those wires easily if they hit a rock. It seems like a great design, yet vulnerable to the kind of stuff that the bike itself was made for. Any suggestions in that category?

I wouldn't be too concerned with the egg beater's. They seem to hold up very well despite their "fragile" look. Plus, they are completely rebuildable if you do happen to damage something.

Personally, I would stick with more of a platform pedal for a bike like this. You'll quickly gain some confidence on this bike due to the amount of mistakes the suspension will save you from. I prefer a pedal that is still there if and when I'm not clipped in. I own a pair of 646's and 545's, both o.k. I do more agressive XC than Drops, so I prefer to be able to clip in.

I'm considering getting the new TIME platform pedal. I love my Time A.T.A.C's and the new Z's seem like a very good possibility for me!

BTW, the Hellbent is a good bar, but the seatpost and stem are generic. If you've got money burning a hole, then get a Thomson Elite seatpost. You'll never use a different one after. They're that nice. I had a lot of problems stipping out the single nut type posts. I could never get the seat "just-right". With the double bolt system on the Thomson, you can micro-adjust and it never moves. Plus, it's lightweight and strong! I now have Thomson posts on all my bikes and all my wife's as well!

L8R

I haven't seen the eggbeaters bend yet. There maybe others out there that have though. Are you sure you want eggbeaters? They don't have adjustable tension....it's set at one tension and that's it. I'm not a huge shimano fan, but I do like their pedals. They aren't anything unbeblievable...but they work....and I have beat the crap outa mine for at least 5 seasons now. I do know that people that got eggbeaters did like them...so give em a shot, tell us all what you think about em, or just stick with your shimanos, it's all good either way, you'll be out ridin soon!

Yeah I like the 646. That's the ones I got, but I thought they were 636. I've got the old red ones. You actually stay on top of the pedals when you're clippped in, but my shoes has rubber hanging down like half an inch around the perimeter, so that part does rest on the platform. The problem I've found is that when I've got my biking shoes on while not clipped in, the hard plastic on the sole is actually resting on the top of the clips in a very small area, and the metal to plastic contact area makes it very slick. When I'm not clipped in I can't really tell that I've got a big platform there. If I am clipped in, I don't think the platform is really doing anything for me except for protection. Between how they feel and the fact that you're supposed to lighten the moving parts of your bike such as pedals and wheels before you lighten non-moving parts, I thought it would be best if I moved away from the platform style.

Originally posted by corndogggy
Azonic Hellbent

Titec....Not Azonic.

Originally posted by KleinMp99


Titec....Not Azonic.


Picky picky......you woman :rolleyes:

Cool. It's in my truck right now. :beer:

got the fridge and the beer? ha ha ha..... cool man, glad to hear ya got it!

So, did you upgrade anything? What pedals did you end up getting?

Pic?????

L8R

I didn't swap the pedals yet. The price after trade in was still going to be $65, and I can order them off the web for $50, so I kept them. I'll just stick them on my wife's bike as she hates the sharp teeth on hers. I'll take pics tonight or tomorrow morning, I had to come back to work. All I swapped was the seat for the Telluride, which I think looks even better, as it just happens to match the bike really good. It's softer and split, while the other one was hard and round. I guess I'm about to order a T.H.E. fender. Anybody know anything about the downhill style? I'm assuming it's a frame mount that doesn't move as you turn the handlebars? I can't really tell much about it in the pictures in the PricePoint catalog. I'm tired of stuff hitting me in the face!

Originally posted by fubar5



Picky picky......you woman :rolleyes:


Yea, gotta love the:

-Santa Cruz Bighit Comp
-Specialized V10
-Intense Epic
-Foes Bullit
-Giant Stinky Deelux

Ok I think you get it...:D

Not sure if I should laugh or feel insulted, but screw it, I gots a new bike. Here's some pictures I took after a ride yesterday. Definitely need some fenders. I hate those platform pedals too. I can't get them off for some reason. I was even standing on my wrench and it wouldn't budge. Also, I'm getting severe hand fatigue. It's the feeling you get after you hammer a bunch of nails in. Your hand feels fine as long as you keep your grip, but as soon as you try to open your fingers, it's a real effort, and it hurts really bad. I'm not sure if I'll adjust or if my riding position isn't right for me or what. Also, those wide tires seem really slow. I can fly on the downhills just because I'm not hitting the brakes, but the rolling resistance is greater.

http://www.digiville.com/cory/bike/side.jpg


http://www.digiville.com/cory/bike/front.jpg

http://www.digiville.com/cory/bike/back.jpg

http://www.digiville.com/cory/bike/suspension.jpg

Whoa whoa whoa hold it. You've got this bada$$ muddy MTB and you left the reflectors ON???:roflmao: :roflmao: The one's on the wheels were obvious but you left the red one in the back on too! (Not even the mud could hide that one!





Yes I'm just picking on you. :D It's a nice bike it just needs to be undorkafied, just pack it in a box and ship it to me and it'll all be OK:roflmao:

I hope you enjoy it. I'm done now Congrats!

Originally posted by corndogggy
Not sure if I should laugh or feel insulted, but screw it, I gots a new bike.


Lookin good!!

That is how a bike SHOULD look!

So besides the forearm pump, and the pedals, how did it ride?

L8R

Not only did I leave the reflectors on, but I left the price tag on too! You can see it in this picture, on the stem:

http://www.digiville.com/cory/bike/back.jpg

Just couldn't wait to go play on the trails. It felt great really. With downhill sections that I used to ride the brakes on, I was actually trying to go faster on now. I couldn't believe how awesome the disc brakes worked. Maybe more expensive ones last longer or are lighter, but for power, they were everything I was wanting. The rear suspension performed a little different than I had expected, but that's just because yesterday was the first time ever that I had a full suspension bike on any type of trail. It was still great though. Little bumps that used to just be a nuisance and cause an uncomfortable vibration were just totally absorbed. Medium size stuff that used to actually hurt just felt like a thud. Large stuff that used to either stop me in my tracks or throw me up in the air was still more than noticable, but I was still in control. The downhill performance was just awesome. Uphills sucked but I think it will improve once I swap pedals. I had no choice but to stand up and push-push, so it bobbed alot. However, when standing up in higher gears, it hardly bobbed at all. Anyway, I'm not the best in describing how a bike felt, especially since this style is so new to me, but I think it will be just what I wanted when I can get back to spinning with some clipless pedals. I'm still undecided in that department. Oh yeah, the tire traction in mud was awesome. Everybody told me that those tires will be bad, but they weren't. It wasn't deep mud, just muddy on the surface. I think the way the knobbies were spaced out so much helped alot. The mud fell off as I went over it, and was cleaned out for another bite by the time it rotated over. This caused an unreal amount of mud slinging. I mean, crap was flying everywhere. I'll keep everybody updated.