windhchaser

this is my bike i like it a lot but i have upgradeidist https://mountain-bikes.findthebest.co...Felt-Nine-Flow

531phile 

Tires

windhchaser

got these on the way i just wanted to be faster on pavement https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ls_o01_s00_i00

I-Like-To-Bike

Recommend that you spend less time looking for advice and approval from strangers about "upgrades", and spend more time riding your bike. You might find that riding is more fun than "upgrading."

KonAaron Snake 

I think it depends on how you're using it - off road? Commuting? Both?

As a commuter I'd want a rigid front fork, slick tires, a rack, a bell and lighting. The fork and tires aren't necessarily upgrades, just different purpose equipment.

fietsbob

If you ride on the street you should add a set of street tires.
if it rains where you live you should have mudguards.
if you want to carry stuff in panniers you need a rear rack.

It's not so much upgrading , but, accessorizing..

If you did that at point-of-sale you would have gotten a 10% discount on all of those parts.

canyoneagle

For road use, those tires will be better than the stock knobbies.
Your fork has a mechanical "lock out". Use it unless you are going off of paved surfaces.

For tweaks, I'd start with a good quality saddle and ergo grips. Not to imply that the stock saddle is bad, but most folks find that this is an area of "customization" that provides a tangible benefit for their riding comfort. Expect to spend $60-100, and measure your sit bone width to get an idea of the saddle width that will suit you. I can personally recommend ergonomic saddles (with the cutout in the middle), as they really do help to eliminate perineal pressure.

For grips, I like Ergon. The GP3 would be a nice choice for that bike, as the integrated bar ends offer an alternate hand position.

The other thing in my opinion would be pedals. If you are content with platform pedals, then a set like this will offer a nice platform with better quality than the stock pedals.

Next up in my opinion would be brakes. The stock brakes are good, but Avid BB7's with Speed Dial brake levers would make a noticeable improvement. I've used the Tektro Novella, and consider them to be equivalent to Avid BB5, which are okay, but not great.

windhchaser

are there any parts that fail a lot on my bike? the weak links i mean them are what i want to upgrade

10 Wheels

Good move.

windhchaser

yeah i should get them tomorow fed ex is briging them got the tubes friday

canyoneagle

The bike you have is of decent enough quality that you should be fine. What prevents "failures" is periodic maintenance and tune-ups (preventative maintenance). If you bought the bike at a LBS, you should get a free tune-up period. Use it. You had a run of bad luck with your old bike, but as you are discovering, there is a difference between your old K-mart special and your new bike.

In the mean time, I'd highly recommend getting to know your bike by learning some bicycle mechanics. If I recall correctly, you are mechanically adept, so this should come easily. Invest in some basic tools (if you don't already have them) and work on your old Denali or more recent mountain bike (if you still have either) - give that sucker a re-build and learn in the process.

When maintaining your bike, one of the first things I'd recommend upgrading when doing a maintenance interval would be the cables and housings. The stock cables are fine for now, but are of "basic" quality - stock on any bike under $1500 - and are not the same quality as aftermarket housings. I like Jagwire, but others are out there. (Gore, Delta).

You did a great job in choosing that bike, IMO. It is a really good platform for upgrading here and there to suit your needs.

windhchaser

cool i have been geting some tools will order a stand next

Burton

All of these are good suggestions.

Point to keep in mind is that this is a city bike with mtb styling and should be perfect for commuting. All the suggestions mentioned will just make it better for that. Don't waste your time trying to make it into something it was never intended to be.

wolfchild

You just bought a brand new bike. I recommend that you leave it alone and don't do anything to it. Ride your bike for a few months and get a feel for it..and by then you'll know if anything needs upgrading or changing.

cyccommute 

Yep. For road use, they'll be adequate. For off-road use, they'll just plain suck. Let's not forget, windchaser, what the Felt Nine-Flow is designed and made for. Sure you can replace the fork, replace the tires, replace all the parts and you'll make it into a commuter bike but why? There are lots and lots of bikes out there that have the right fork, the right tires, the right shifters, rack mounts, fender mounts, etc. at a pretty good price without a whole lot of parts swapping. You can keep the Nine Flow as a mountain bike that is great fun to ride off-road...you can even look for trails to ride it off-road on the way to work...while using the other bike for commuting and/or riding fast.

Upgrading can get costly. Upgrade to make the bike do what it was built to do better. Don't 'upgrade' to make it into something it isn't.

KonAaron Snake 

I'm really curious about what he bought this for because, as you suggest, there were likely better options as a commuter than transforming this over to being one. Usually that's something I'd do with a used (cheap) MTB to get a lot of bang for my buck. If he bought this as a commuter, I would change the tires at minimum and gradually add a rack. Maybe he wants a bike capable of both...for a long time I only had one bike; a Cannondale f500 that I put slicks and a rack on. When I went off trail, I'd change tires.

I-Like-To-Bike

"upgradeidist" in combination with BF posters' encouragement/stimulation of N+1 itis for bikes and components.

Should there be a contest set up to pick the dates for the next new bike purchase and queries on what new stuff should be bought for it?

windhchaser

i went to store to buy another bike a used trek higher end trek but teh trek just looked like it wouldnt be to strong so i asked what would be good for street rideing and the felt came up it was 30 percent off since it was a 2012.

jettore

Are you using this bike for commuting? If so how far.

KonAaron Snake 

I'd win/lose. I have the silly fever, as dumb as it is, and often do both. I think I can legitimately justify two bikes and the tandem, but the rest is pretty silly. Yet it makes me happy.

cyccommute 

I don't use that bike for commuting but I do have mountain bikes that I use for commuting. Three to them to be exact. The white Stumpjumper is my "main" commuter mountain bike. In winter, I outfit it with fenders as can be seen in the second picture. I even took it for a 20 mile ride yesterday and a 20 mile ride today and will use it for another 20 tomorrow...trying to fill out the year's mileage




The other two are a Moots YBB and a S-Works Epic. I have a mountain behind my work that I can ride up and over whenever I like.




All three use the tires you see on them (some components have been changed around). Full off-road knobby tires. Yes, it is slower than my other commuter bikes (I have 4 more) but speed isn't the point. The point is to use them to either break up the monotony of commuting or to enjoy a little bombing down the local trails.

I have, in the past, ridden up to 100 miles (mostly off-road) on a knobby equipped mountain bike. It takes a lot of effort but it's really not all that difficult.

KonAaron Snake 

Ok - someone explain the fenders in winter to me; when I tried it, it sucked. The fenders became snow/ice catchers and I still got crap in my chain.

canyoneagle

On hardpack, I tend to agree - I minimize the packing by setting the gap closest at the rear of the fender, then slightly wider past that. If it is hardpack and ice, the fenders really don't help.
Where they do help, though is when it is slushy.
Since I run an IGH, my drive train isn't affected that much by muck, and the fenders don't make it any better or worse.

cyccommute 

I don't really like them any time of year but there are times when it's nice to keep most of the water and slush off. I would suggest that you look at the fenders on my second picture above. These keep most of the crap off but don't pack up as badly as closer fitting fenders.

sirtirithon

Ride the heck out of it and replace what breaks with a higher end replacement. Odds are that will take a long time!