magoolc1

I have had my bike a couple weeks now. Its a mountain bike, Trek 820 to be exact. I bought it because it looks strong and im a big guy. Whats some good lube for the chain? Whats a stronger(reading stiffer) then the stock 820 fork. Im 300 lbs. and dont want so much nose dive when i break..I know im a big size for my bike but i wont be doing anythign crasy on it. Whats some good solid pedals to. I dont fell comfortable with the plastic wellglos on there. I want a good sturdy metal pedal. Strong goosenecks(sorry im an old bmxer thats what we called them) Like i said nothing whacko exspensive i just want strong and something that is going to be safe on paved and slight gravel trails. Thank you.

Bikewer

Chain lubes--you'll get a hundred opinions. Any of the decent commercial lubes should be fine. Don't use too much; one drop per link. Let dry and wipe off excess.

What sort of front fork does the Trek have? If it's a suspension of nearly any brand, you can increase spring tension, or buy heavier springs. If it's oil-damped, a heavier grade of oil may help. Check your owner's manual or the LBS to see how adjustable the suspension is.
As for pedals, I wouldn't trust those plastic stockers either. If you want to stay with "rattrap" pedals, you should be able to find a nice pair of aluminum-bodied jobs for 30-40 bucks max. If you decide to try clipless, go for models with chrome-moly axles.

magoolc1

Thanks! The people at the bike shop said there is some rubber stoppers in the fork to make it feel stiff..i know there is oil because i feel it on the sliders. Anyone heard of a fork full of rubbr stoppers? They said like the hard rubber on skateboard truckes? New to me on that one. Yeah i probaly will run the beartrap type like i has on all my bmxers.

magoolc1

https://www2.trekbikes.com/Bikes/Moun.../820/index.php
Heres the specs on the bike. What would you guys beef up first?

Bikewer

The "stoppers" in the fork are not rubber, they are technically an elastomer product. (hehe-elastic polymer) These are available in different amounts of stiffness. This inexpensive fork would not have oil damping, the small amount of oil in there is no doubt just for lubrication. The elastomers themselves have a certain amount of damping.

(damping is what keeps the thing from just bouncing up and down all the time) Here's a link to the RST installation/setup guide, which you can either download or view as an HTML site. It shows the different grades of elastomers available.

https://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache...ient=firefox-a

This is pretty much an "entry-level" bike, heavy but sturdy. Getting a decent set of pedals and upgrading the elastomers in the fork should put you pretty much in the ball park. Rather than spend a lot of money on upgrades (this is, after all, a "High-Ten" frame), you'd do better to ride this one, save your money, and plan on picking up a better bike in the future.
As you ride more, and your fitness/experience increases, you'll get a better idea of what kind of riding you like and what you'll need.

magoolc1

They steered me away from the Gary fisher i wanted they said because im over 6 foot and over 300lbs. It was aluminum. I would love to have a road bike. but ill never be the size for one of them. When i was going to go in the marines 240 was my ideal weight for my size. I think all road bikes or most ive seen like the smaller riders. Ihave always had good bikes. Im 35 and i always as a kid had the Hutches, Cooks Bros., Race Inc. Patterson, Skyway , RL you name it. So i want a good one again. I dont want to have a 1000 dollar trek 820 So just small mods now. Whats a good weight to go to an aluminum frame MTB?