Mountain Biking - ok i need yalls help...

wow it took me 5 minutes to find the start new thread link... anyway heres what i need help on. i have a 2004 trek 4300 w/ everything stock. i want to make some upgrades but i dont know where to start. kinda like paintball. you upgrade barrel first then hopper, etc. what should come first on my bike? i basically ride my bike on pavement, and some trails. nothin big. however im looking into going to palo duro canyon by canyon, tx. and doing some trails tehre. any help is appreciated. oh and whast the best website for MTB stuff/prices?

thanks,
BG

woohoo a paintballer!

back on topic:
http://www.geocities.com/mdwsr/
scroll down a bit and there are a few links to on-line stores.

I would upgrade the derailleurs to XT and then get a new fork.

Regarding your signature first...be proud of your ride!! don't think that you need the best bike to have the most fun!

Now the question...i would say start by getting more efficient pedals. Ditch the platforms, and go for some nice toe clips and straps or clipless. Makes a world of difference, trust me. Then go to work on your derailluers, then move to fork. Avoid RockSh*t forks at all costs. start with the bigger items, like fork, pedals, drive train, brakes, then move to the little details like stems, bars etc.

Start with the fork, you can get a Rockshox Psylo xc or Sid or a duke with rockshox, other forks Manitou Black or skareb, Marzocchi Z1 SL, MX Pro, Marathon S or SL, or a Fox Fork.

I'm w/ Danka...swap out the fork. You'll notice a BIG difference there. I'd swing by the LBS and talk to them about what is best for you...things like your weight, adjustability and the like will need to be figured out so that you have a fork that will work for a long while...

Next step would be clipless pedals...takes some gettin' used to, but once you're there, you'll feel naked without em'...

Until you start breakin' stuff, I'd not worry anymore except for the wheels...some lighter/stronger rims will INSTANTLY feel better after you've been riding a while...

As Trekkie said, I would start with the drivetran although I would upgrade the derailers first then cranks and pedals, then shifters. The reason for doing the drivetran first, I would much rather deal with a blown fork then have to ride with an out of wack drivetran.

May be also get some Avid mech. stopers if the bike does not already have them. Also think about a nice light weight wheel set if you got the cash. A good light wheel set makes a huge differance. If you can not upgrade the wheels be sure the ones you have are true and the spokes tightened properly.

I would not worry to much about the fork if you are just doing some easy trail riding. If you are not doing jumps or drops, riding supper technical sections or dh then you shold be fine.

:beer:

whast the best website for MTB stuff/prices?


Try pricepoint (http://www.pricepoint.com). They have some really good prices and their sette line is pretty good. I've gotten some really good deals there.

good luck with upgrading as well.

Jeff

I have that exact same bike as you. The fist thing to go on it was the derrailuer, but I got that as a gift. The first thing I actually bought was a new crankset, the stock one broke 2 times. I would have gone for the fork if it weren't for the crankset breaking though. So here's a simple comparision:

Upgrade Order:
Derrailuer
Crankset
Cassette
Shifters
Chain
Brakes
Clipless pedals/shoes
Still a stock fork :(

Order I WISH I went in:
Derailuer
Crankset
Fork
Clipless pedals/shoes
Cassette
Brakes

Hope this helps. :)

The best upgrade you can make is to a better quality set of wheels and tyres. Lighter wheels and tyres will make the bike roll better, faster and easier. No need to go mad. LX hubs on a Mavic rim,Choose the type from freeride, Xc or even Downhill. Another point is to get them from a known quality builder aswell.
When it comes to upgrades, I would only do them as the parts wear out. This way will be more economic, and leaves more money for a better upgrade on the first place. When it comes to forks, stay off the cheapies. Rockshox, marzochi, Manitou make some good forks, without costing an arm and a leg. They also make some low grade stuff too, so choose carefully.

The best upgrade you can make is to a better quality set of wheels and tyres. Lighter wheels and tyres will make the bike roll better, faster and easier. No need to go mad. LX hubs on a Mavic rim,Choose the type from freeride, Xc or even Downhill. Another point is to get them from a known quality builder aswell.

Agreed. Reduction in rotational weight makes a very noticable improvement. Upgrading derailleurs or shifters might make for snappier shifting, but won't make your ride that much more enjoyable.

Clipless pedals can make a huge difference to your pedaling efficiency. I wouldn't be without them, but some folks can't stand them for mountain biking.

wow it took me 5 minutes to find the start new thread link... anyway heres what i need help on. i have a 2004 trek 4300 w/ everything stock. i want to make some upgrades but i dont know where to start. kinda like paintball. you upgrade barrel first then hopper, etc. what should come first on my bike? i basically ride my bike on pavement, and some trails. nothin big. however im looking into going to palo duro canyon by canyon, tx. and doing some trails tehre. any help is appreciated. oh and whast the best website for MTB stuff/prices?

thanks,
BG

brandon.. thanks to you.. now i'm looking into trek bikes as well! ;) i really like the trek 4500/4300/4100. they seem to be around my price range... ok ok.. i'm now bumping my budget from $200-$400 now to $500. hehe :p so can anyone tell me how they like their trek and what's the main difference between these 3 models? and how are trek bike compared to the rockhopper or the hardrock sport?

brandon.. thanks to you.. now i'm looking into trek bikes as well! ;) i really like the trek 4500/4300/4100. they seem to be around my price range... ok ok.. i'm now bumping my budget from $200-$400 now to $500. hehe :p so can anyone tell me how they like their trek and what's the main difference between these 3 models? and how are trek bike compared to the rockhopper or the hardrock sport?

ok....thanks......you arent trying to highjack my thread are you? *loads magazine*





btw, thanks for the comments. i got my tax return in today and i can buy some stuff now.

what should come first on my bike? i basically ride my bike on pavement, and some trails. nothin big. however im looking into going to palo duro canyon by canyon, tx. and doing some trails tehre. any help is appreciated.


I think the first part that should be upgraded is the first part to break, wear out, or hold you back. I guess the last category is the one most frequently observed. Sure, there's plenty of room for improvement, but will you notice the improvement much? I know when I got my first decent bike, I couldn't have noticed the difference between the $400 ride I bought and a $1500 bike. Even after only a few serious rides, I started to notice what things I should consider. The main thing was my heavy wheels (still haven't changed that, but I will soon). The other was geometry, so I bought a different stem and played with steer tube spaces to get the ride feel I wanted. I've got a lot planned now, but in the meantime, I got my money's worth out of my original investment, instead of buying the whole bike and tossing half of it in a box of spare parts. The other part is, now I know exactly what I want.

Don't think I'm saying you shouldn't upgrade though. If something seems lacking right now, and you have the means to fix it, do it and enjoy it.

ok....thanks......you arent trying to highjack my thread are you? *loads magazine*

btw, thanks for the comments. i got my tax return in today and i can buy some stuff now.

lol.. i use to paintball as well. hijack ur thread... humm.. nah.. just bandwaging it.. hehe. i got my tax return too... that's why me looking for a bike as well. :p