Mountain Biking - What are some recommendations for upgrading my '09 Giant Rincon??

I've had my Rincon for almost a year and I've loved it. It's been through nearly everything the great state of Texas can throw at it. However I feel as my skills are increasing my bike is starting to hold me back a little bit. I'm looking to spend under $500 on the upgrades, anymore than that would surpass the cost/worth of the bike.

what do you want out of the bike, if you wanna go as fast as possible than prolly look at new wheels, if you wanna do more gnarly stuff look at a new fork and better brakes, good tires are always nice

Yeah im still trying to decide which direction to go in. Whats a good Wheelset for not a lot of dough?

I've had my Rincon for almost a year and I've loved it. It's been through nearly everything the great state of Texas can throw at it. However I feel as my skills are increasing my bike is starting to hold me back a little bit. I'm looking to spend under $500 on the upgrades, anymore than that would surpass the cost/worth of the bike.

What are the current specs on your bike? I have an 06 Giant Rainier which I think is similar. I'm also is upgrade mode, thinking maybe wheels and BB7's (up from the BB5's). Wheels might be Mavic717 or Kinlins on some DT Swiss MTB hubs/spokes.

i'd say what ever is broken or most likely to break.

i always make sure my brakes and drivetrain are in good working order, that's the area i am usually most concerned about.

squishy forks are fun too

everything is stock right now go to http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/mountain/2280/32123/ to see the full list ...

I'd say fork, or new brakes. I'm partial to IRD dual bangers. Like 70 each, and you'll be able to use your current levers. The ders are lower end, but decent, and as long as they work and shift fine....

If you got a better fork, it'll like be riding a new bike.

yeah im definately leaning towards a new fork first and foremost ... any ideas for a decent one around $300 - $350 .... air or spring as long is it wont eff up

I went (am going through) an upgrade process on my 2005 Giant Yukon, and here are my observations:

1. First things that were upgraded were the seat, stem, and bars. This was all about getting the fit right, and took a couple of iterations to find happiness.

2. With the fit corrected, I got more confidence on the bike and started hitting gnarlier trails. This very quickly revealed the limits of the undamped stock SR Suntour springer fork, so I switched to a RockShox Recon 351 Solo Air with the lockout. This transformed the bike from a pogo stick to a trail bike.

3. I started doing longer and gnarlier rides, and I was having trouble keeping my feet planted over some of the crazier stuff, so I switched out the platform pedals I was using for CrankBros Acid clip-ins. This also transformed the bike, because the change in the amount of power you can put down with clip-ins is amazing. Mud, sand, bumpy hills... you just power through because your feet are not going to slip off. There are some learning curve issues - I'm still perfecting the slow-speed bailout - but converting to clipless is HUGE.

4. The response of the driveline was starting to get annoying. No matter how I tweaked it, there was always a heartbeat of hesitation in rear cog changes. So I upgraded the rear mech to SRAM X-9 (along with the cassette, shifter, and chain) and now gearchanges are instant. Plus there is now an extra rear gear, which helps a bit on hills as the transition to the bailout gear is a little smoother.

Next on the upgrade list is probably wheels, but that is only a weight issue. The stock wheels are perfectly fine, just a little heavy.

My advice is to get your fit right, then look at the weakest link on the bike. If you have a damped fork, do the clipless pedals first. If you have an undamped fork, or if you do a lot of technical gnarl, do a good fork first.

DG

Alright a little update I found a sick deal for some avid BB7s ... I was wondering if they will work with my current shifters and brakes. They are the cheap shimano ones that came on my bike EF-50 I think ...

i've yet to encounter a mechanical disc brake that didnt work with a conventional Vbrake lever.

okay ... I think I narrowed the forks down to either the Manitou minute elite absolute '08, or the marz XC 700 TST2. a little feedback would be helpful. there are limited reviews on each of these

I would stay away from Manipoo!
always a headache with those.

Marzocchi used to make great forks then they had a bit of trouble - it seems they are revamping their line up now
I also would Recommend any Rock Shox fork - they have caught up with and passed all the other fork makers in the past couple of years.
someone mentioned a recon shock
or check out the Tora or Reba
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/FK293A04-Rockshox+Tora+Race+Fork+09.aspx

any fork is going to be a huge upgrade over what you have now.
I would then look to upgrade:

Tires - huge difference for not much money - look for some good Maxxis tires like the Ignitor or ADvantage or Ardent.
Handlebars - pick some to help your fit on the bike.
Grips- I like oury
Brakes - avid BB7 and some half decent levers
Brake levers - Avid speed dial 7 at jenson for $19 -
http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/BL306E01-Avid+Speed+Dial+7+Levers+08.aspx

next save up for :

New shifters, rear Derailler and cassette and new chain.
I personally like SRAM some people swear by Shimano - its is personal preference.
anything from X-7 or LX and up will be a GREAT improvement for you.

sweeeet .... I understand that if I buy new brake levers I'm going to have to buy new shirfters since mine are the shifter/lever combo. When I get new shifters do they HAVE to be 8 speed shifters?

Tora is alwas a good choice.