Mountain Biking - Newbie Questions..

Hi, very new too the forums. Currently have a specialized hardrock 2010 disc bike. Just wondering if anyone can recommend and essential upgrades? I was thinking shockers and drive train as some of the parts are SR suntour which i hear are a bit cheap. The bigest problem when sourcing parts is i dont know what a lot of the terms mean and i dont know what will fit on my bike?! Is there any sort of guide on here that could get me started, or could anyone give me any tips?

Thanks.

I'm sure I could find a couple thousand worth of "essential upgrades" for you, but for now...fix what breaks. Replace what you don't like. If you need somebody to tell you what's inferior on the bike...I think you should get used to riding it first. If you can't tell if a product is inferior...get some experience on the trail. Pay attention to how it shifts. Do you want it to shift better? When you roll over bumps...is it too harsh? Does it feel like it bottoms out? Do the brakes stop the bike?


Just get some trail time.

The breaks stop the bike yeah, its the shifting thats in-accurate, and an un-comfortable ride.

Bit of info on the bike...

Fork: SR Suntour SF8-XCT-V2, 80mm, One piece. alloy lower, 28mm Hi-Ten stanchions
Front Derailleur: Shimano Altus
Rear Derailleur: SRAM X-4, mid cage
Shifters: SRAM X-3, 7-speed trigger
Chainset: SR SunTour, square taper spline
Chainrings: 42t x 32t x 22t chainrings
Bottom Bracket: Sealed cartridge, square taper
Cassette: SRAM PG-730, 7-speed, 11-32t
Chain:KMC Z7 with reusable Missing Link

if you bought it from a shop take it to them and tell them it doesn't shift right. Even with lower end components they should work properly when new.

+1 to CraigX3

It should shift fine. Brand new low end stuff should shift dang nice...where the high-end components shine is that they work properly for a long time. More durable.

I would venture to say that you're experiencing cable stretch with your new'ish ride. Your LBS should have given you a 100mile'ish tune-up with the bike purchase. When you take it to them, ask them to show you how to operate the barrel adjusters.

Go out and ride. If you want something new, go get it. If you don't like them, new grips. On my '07 Hardrock i CANNOT stand the braking. It sucks. If it's the same for you, go order some new disc brakes. If it shifts wierd, go to the shop and get it serviced, or ask them to fix it. My local shop just serviced my bike today.