I was helping a friend clean out a shed the other day, and I found his old bicycle, I asked him what he was planning on doing with it and he said I could have it.
Its a 2000 or 2001 Mongoose MGX DXR (yes I know all about how I shouldn't use *-mart bikes but its free), it has been sitting in his garage for the better part of a decade because he rode it once like 2 miles and realized he was way to out of shape to ride it and parked it (The stringy tips are still on the tops of the tires). The bike is mechanically sound new save for the chain being rusty but not bound up. I aired up the tires and rode it for about 25 minutes without any issue other than realizing i don't care much for the grip shifters and the adjustment of the RD is off probably due to cable strech.
My question is can I upgrade the shifters to trigger shifters (Ok shifter I can deal with a grip shifter for the FD), and if links would be great. I know the Shimano shifters do not have the same ratio.
It has 7 speed SRAM ESP RD. I am not looking to take this bike and jump it off rocks (so please save me the quality of the bike posts) just ride around town in and occasional ride on gravel roads.
for example would this
http://www.amazon.com/SRAM-Index-Fro...ef=pd_sbs_sg_4 be compaible?
Thanks for all your help.
Also_if_ I need to replace the chain would it be easier just putting a new RD and shifter on then. I'd like to not have to replace the RD if I can get away with keeping the current one.