Newbie E-Bike Upgrade Question
08-20-23, 06:29 PM
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Newbie E-Bike Upgrade Question
Hello All,
I'm a biking newbie and have really enjoyed my entry-level Gen3 Flex and have almost 100 miles on it. I recently took it on a "newbie" downhill trail here in South Orange County and it was great! I'm trying to be realistic in my future riding and before I look to drop a lot of cash on a true Full Suspension E-MTB, I wanted to see what I realistically could get out of this bike for maybe a $500 investment to get me some better braking and handling,
I'm 50 so I don't see myself doing any seriously crazy trails or down hills, but who knows?
I guess my question is, could I realistically upgrade the mechanical disc brakes to say a 200/180 setup (currently 160mm front/rear), maybe 27.5" wheels/tires (Currently 26"), and maybe some better pedals, etc. I think a new fork would put me way over the $500 with the other items. I think the stock fork has 100mm travel.
Thanks for any suggestions!
I'm a biking newbie and have really enjoyed my entry-level Gen3 Flex and have almost 100 miles on it. I recently took it on a "newbie" downhill trail here in South Orange County and it was great! I'm trying to be realistic in my future riding and before I look to drop a lot of cash on a true Full Suspension E-MTB, I wanted to see what I realistically could get out of this bike for maybe a $500 investment to get me some better braking and handling,
I'm 50 so I don't see myself doing any seriously crazy trails or down hills, but who knows?
I guess my question is, could I realistically upgrade the mechanical disc brakes to say a 200/180 setup (currently 160mm front/rear), maybe 27.5" wheels/tires (Currently 26"), and maybe some better pedals, etc. I think a new fork would put me way over the $500 with the other items. I think the stock fork has 100mm travel.
Thanks for any suggestions!
08-20-23, 08:26 PM
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You can buy adapters for $10 and a rotor isn't much more on ebay to go to bigger rotors.
I have put 26" front wheel on a 700cc fork, but the opposite is probably not possible, You would have to check the clearance,
Bouncing around on a inexpensive bike, spokes will break,.
I have put 26" front wheel on a 700cc fork, but the opposite is probably not possible, You would have to check the clearance,
Bouncing around on a inexpensive bike, spokes will break,.
08-20-23, 11:04 PM
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I could put 100 miles on a new e-bike in one afternoon's worth of riding. If upgrades are being considered at 100mi. the wrong bike was purchased. Cut your losses and do not spend a single dollar more on the Gen 3 and trade up OR spend reasonable amounts of money on things that might make it easier to live with (saddle, grips, pedals, etc.) $10 brake rotors won't be better than OEM. It would take a huge investment in wheels/tires to be better than OEM! Bigger brake rotors than OEM might not fit anyway. A 50y.o. shouldn't be hanging it out so far that 160mm rotors are inadequate. As I understand it, disc brakes require breaking in before they reach full effectiveness. I have no idea how long this takes. Just putting it out there.
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08-21-23, 09:02 AM
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You should be able to get your disc brakes to operate properly by adjusting them and maybe replacing the front (where most of the braking is) with Kool Stop pads. If that doesn't work, Amazon has Shimano 200 pairs for $60 (I purchased them and they're excellent for me). Do not put a 27.5 wheel on the front without first insuring that it won't "lock up" when compressed fully. Going over the bars was never a healthful thing to do. You can get a good Rock Shox Recon fork for about $200 or so (maybe less), but the brakes and front fork would be where to stop since I think parts are going to start falling off in anything more severe than mild off road riding. BTW, my wife is a bit older than you and bombs trails sometimes at 30.
08-21-23, 07:02 PM
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From what I’ve read your Gen3 is a good starting point. It was setup as a hybrid bike for road and low-key off-road riding. You kinda need to decide which environment you’re going to ride in most before changing it up.
As a hybrid bike it has a front-end rake that is steeper than what you’d find on a full offroad bike. In a road bike this steeper rake works fine, but it tends to quicken steering a bit when offroad. Also, because of this rake, offroad handling might become twitchier with a longer travel fork at its full compression. So a longer travel fork may not be worthwhile for this bike.
You can’t change this bike’s rake but you can effectively increase fork trail by going to larger tires. Increased trail would slow down steering a bit. Larger tires also give you larger contact patches. Specs say your bike came with 26x1.95 mini-knobby tires. Looking at photos it appears that 26x2.25 or 26x2.5 full-knobby tires would fit. That sizing would get you closer to larger wheel assemblies without the expense of replacement wheel assemblies. When deciding on tires you’d have to decide where you’d ride, full-knobby tires are less fun on the street. Do NOT go to 26x4 tires, they probably won’t fit.
As said before, try 180mm discs front and rear, with 160-180 caliper adapters. You do not need a 203mm disc setup up front, the increased braking power would not be useful offroad…you might lock-up, skid and wash out the front. Do go to better caliper pads on both front and rear brakes.
The pedals on your bike have sealed bearings like most others out there, so you may not gain anything by changing out the pedals. Maybe wait until the stock ones wear out. Then figure you’re going to replace these again and again.
Suggest for now: 26x2.25 or 26x2.5 tires & tubes, 180mm discs, adapters and pads…probably less than a couple hundred bucks.
As a hybrid bike it has a front-end rake that is steeper than what you’d find on a full offroad bike. In a road bike this steeper rake works fine, but it tends to quicken steering a bit when offroad. Also, because of this rake, offroad handling might become twitchier with a longer travel fork at its full compression. So a longer travel fork may not be worthwhile for this bike.
You can’t change this bike’s rake but you can effectively increase fork trail by going to larger tires. Increased trail would slow down steering a bit. Larger tires also give you larger contact patches. Specs say your bike came with 26x1.95 mini-knobby tires. Looking at photos it appears that 26x2.25 or 26x2.5 full-knobby tires would fit. That sizing would get you closer to larger wheel assemblies without the expense of replacement wheel assemblies. When deciding on tires you’d have to decide where you’d ride, full-knobby tires are less fun on the street. Do NOT go to 26x4 tires, they probably won’t fit.
As said before, try 180mm discs front and rear, with 160-180 caliper adapters. You do not need a 203mm disc setup up front, the increased braking power would not be useful offroad…you might lock-up, skid and wash out the front. Do go to better caliper pads on both front and rear brakes.
The pedals on your bike have sealed bearings like most others out there, so you may not gain anything by changing out the pedals. Maybe wait until the stock ones wear out. Then figure you’re going to replace these again and again.
Suggest for now: 26x2.25 or 26x2.5 tires & tubes, 180mm discs, adapters and pads…probably less than a couple hundred bucks.
08-21-23, 08:31 PM
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From what I’ve read your Gen3 is a good starting point. It was setup as a hybrid bike for road and low-key off-road riding. You kinda need to decide which environment you’re going to ride in most before changing it up.
As a hybrid bike it has a front-end rake that is steeper than what you’d find on a full offroad bike. In a road bike this steeper rake works fine, but it tends to quicken steering a bit when offroad. Also, because of this rake, offroad handling might become twitchier with a longer travel fork at its full compression. So a longer travel fork may not be worthwhile for this bike.
You can’t change this bike’s rake but you can effectively increase fork trail by going to larger tires. Increased trail would slow down steering a bit. Larger tires also give you larger contact patches. Specs say your bike came with 26x1.95 mini-knobby tires. Looking at photos it appears that 26x2.25 or 26x2.5 full-knobby tires would fit. That sizing would get you closer to larger wheel assemblies without the expense of replacement wheel assemblies. When deciding on tires you’d have to decide where you’d ride, full-knobby tires are less fun on the street. Do NOT go to 26x4 tires, they probably won’t fit.
As said before, try 180mm discs front and rear, with 160-180 caliper adapters. You do not need a 203mm disc setup up front, the increased braking power would not be useful offroad…you might lock-up, skid and wash out the front. Do go to better caliper pads on both front and rear brakes.
The pedals on your bike have sealed bearings like most others out there, so you may not gain anything by changing out the pedals. Maybe wait until the stock ones wear out. Then figure you’re going to replace these again and again.
Suggest for now: 26x2.25 or 26x2.5 tires & tubes, 180mm discs, adapters and pads…probably less than a couple hundred bucks.
As a hybrid bike it has a front-end rake that is steeper than what you’d find on a full offroad bike. In a road bike this steeper rake works fine, but it tends to quicken steering a bit when offroad. Also, because of this rake, offroad handling might become twitchier with a longer travel fork at its full compression. So a longer travel fork may not be worthwhile for this bike.
You can’t change this bike’s rake but you can effectively increase fork trail by going to larger tires. Increased trail would slow down steering a bit. Larger tires also give you larger contact patches. Specs say your bike came with 26x1.95 mini-knobby tires. Looking at photos it appears that 26x2.25 or 26x2.5 full-knobby tires would fit. That sizing would get you closer to larger wheel assemblies without the expense of replacement wheel assemblies. When deciding on tires you’d have to decide where you’d ride, full-knobby tires are less fun on the street. Do NOT go to 26x4 tires, they probably won’t fit.
As said before, try 180mm discs front and rear, with 160-180 caliper adapters. You do not need a 203mm disc setup up front, the increased braking power would not be useful offroad…you might lock-up, skid and wash out the front. Do go to better caliper pads on both front and rear brakes.
The pedals on your bike have sealed bearings like most others out there, so you may not gain anything by changing out the pedals. Maybe wait until the stock ones wear out. Then figure you’re going to replace these again and again.
Suggest for now: 26x2.25 or 26x2.5 tires & tubes, 180mm discs, adapters and pads…probably less than a couple hundred bucks.
