TheIndiePlaylis

I just bought this Hybrid Motobecane

TheIndiePlaylis

No troll. Just a newbie asking questions.

RonH

Its a fairly decent entry level hybrid. Just ride it and when things wear out you can replace them.

TheIndiePlaylis

Thanks Ron! I think I am at the point where I have this insatiable itch to ride more and more frequently and over more distance. I love trail riding and being able to ride longer distances in the privacy of nature is about as good as it gets for me. There's something special about this sort of quiet time challenging yourself in nature. The bike I had been riding was so long in need of replacement but I found the challenge of finding which one to purchase to replace it almost overwhelming. Everyone here has been awesome! It's a wealth of knowledge that I cannot wait to dig more deeply into.

andr0id

Parts come on a new bike?

Damn, I must be doing it wrong.

The first thing I have to do is install the headset.

Cyclist0084

Was my saddle. Felt fine during the test ride I did at the LBS, but after a couple hundred miles, I just couldn't be comfortable on it. It had to go. Didn't buy a new one however, just took the saddle off the hybrid my Fuji replaced. When I sold it (a Diamondback), it had a Fuji seat on it. LOL!!

deapee

I get it...because I went down that route. It's really hard to buy your first "real bike" not knowing what you want...even after doing a lot of research, it's tough because things creep up on you as you get more and more saddle time. I'd be willing to bet everyone's second bike fit their bill much more than their first, unless they got really lucky.

Now if I wanted to make my first bike not need replaced, I would have had to change the frame to carbon (lighter weight), replace 50/39/30 with a 50/34 and the cassette with an 11-spd, replace tires and wheels to save a bit of weight, changing the frame to carbon fixes the issues I had with too relaxed of geometry and the fact that it was a bit on the big side, since I'm replacing everything it might as well be upgraded to at least 105 and toss the Sora or Claris (can't remember) in the trash, and finally I would have to get rid of the disc brakes and put caliper brakes on...that's literally everything I hated about my first bike. Since I already knew all that going into my second bike, I haven't had to look back.

Schrup

My first concern was to get my wife & kid squared away with new bikes so they can't complain about mine. I have been lusting for a lightweight carbon bike & finally preordered a 2016 Motobecane Le Champion CF Di2. I'll get some carbon Ultegra pedals & a couple of light cages. I really hope I don't need anything else for the Summer.

SkyDog75

I generally don't buy new. I'd rather buy a used bike at a fraction of the price, tear it down, clean it up, and rebuild good as new. Along the way, consumables like brake pads, tires, chain, bar tape, and cables/housings will typically be replaced. And I might change a few things for fit or comfort like the stem or saddle.

TheIndiePlaylis

Precisely. I had some issues with the caliper brakes on old bike stopping me like I wanted at times. This new Hybrid has disc breaks. I think I agree with you that in a couple years when it's time to buy my next bike I will know a lot more about what I like and don't like and can go from there.

Garfield Cat

The bottle cages. Didn't come with one and while at the shop, bought it. It matches the color.

JonathanGennick 

These days I usually do frame-up builds. I did recently buy a flat-bar road bike though. First upgrades were about bling. The frame is a nice shade of grey, and I've been having fun with adding purple accents -- bottle cage and bolts, seatpost clamp, stem cap, those sorts of things. I'll be doing purple pedals this weekend.

Comfort items are high on my mind too. Came close to swapping the seat, but then found a comfortable position for it. I might still swap the seatpost in order to get one that is continuously-variable as opposed to having those little notches in it. Definitely plan to swap the bars for some that are wider and with a slightly higher rise. Will put on some wider grips as part of doing that. Probably will go to a shorter stem when I get around to it.

Just have fun with your bike. Don't worry about justifying every little thing. If a new part grabs your eye and you like it and can afford it, then buy it. Give your old parts to someone who can use them. I gave my stock pedals to a neighborhood BMXer. He loves 'em. They are black BMX-style pedals with metal pins, and are perfect on his BMX bike. He gets an upgrade from his plastic pedals, and I get my purple. A win all around.

The TL/DR version: Focus on comfort items, then on anything else that bothers you, and treat yourself to a bit-o-the-bling

one4smoke

WHY... are reflectors, kickstands and "dork" discs such a no-no to apparently so many??

Cougrrcj

No factory bike is built exactly to my specs or preferences, so I have to make changes right from the get-go. Most are subjective and vary with every buyer. Tires, saddle, pedals, bar tape, gearing, shifters...

Roadwanderer

Wow. What's it like to find exactly what you want on the market?

Velocivixen

Saddle and wheels. I'd build my own wheels using components I choose.

canklecat

Replace? As in, perfectly usable stuff that's already on the bike?

Probably tires. I prefer puncture resistant tires, even if they're a little heavier. The puncture resistant tires that come with most bikes are a bit on the low end of puncture resistance, like the Specialized Hemispheres that came with mine. After four flats in one month I replaced 'em with Michelin's heaviest dutiest no-flat rubber. No problems since then with goathead grass burrs, metal shards, broken glass, roofing nails, etc. -- all the stuff that flatted my original tires.

But if the question is adding stuff that wasn't included on the bike... probably a rear rack and water bottle cage.

I'm not yet at the point of considering lights permanent additions, so I use clip-on lights that attach/detach easily to the handlebar and rear rack. My lights and pump go with me when I lock up the bike.

DustDriver

for me was a proper saddle, and a Quad lock.

Crewchief911

Just wondering...if you're buying a new bike, from the LBS, why not just tell them what you want and have them do a frame-up build? Then you'd have no need for upgrades...

andr0id

Because it's a zen thing. There should be nothing on the bike that doesn't need to be on the bike.

If you ride at night, you do need reflectors, but I have a different bike for that.

Kickstands are just stupid. A bike on a kickstand is just waiting to fall over. It should be leaned against something very solid like a wall or laid on it's left side on the grass. A bike laying on the ground will not fall over.

Spoke protector is yet another item that is not worth it. I've been riding 40 years and never run my chain into my spokes. But if that's a problem for you, then put one on.

Phil_gretz

If I buy a drop shipped bike from, say BikesDirect, then I know that I'll have to change a few things:
- stem
- saddle
- pedals

With my commuter, I also changed:
- wheels, tires, tubes
- smaller large chainring
- add rack, rear light
- add fenders
- add bottle cages
- add forward light mount

On my mountain bike:
- crankset
- front fork
- saddle
- pedals
- grips

But, I normally sell the take-offs, so...

SpeshulEd 

While plausible if you're particular about every little bit of the bike, but I've discovered that most times, its cheaper to buy the complete, swap parts, and sell the takeoffs.

For my bikepacking bike I just bought. A complete with good (not great, not the best, but fine for everyday) components was $1600. The frame was $500. Add the same quality suspension fork that comes with it standard, and you're up another $500. Tires, $100...wheels, even cheap ones are going to set you back at least $200. Crankset, $100. FD/RD, $100. That puts you at $1500 and you still need to buy handlebars, grips, stem, brakes, saddle, seatpost, bottom bracket, rotors (for the brakes), cassette, chain, etc.

Crewchief911

Ahh okay. I see your point, speshulEd.

sadisticnoob

On my road bike i replaced the following

Chainrings from a 50t to a 52t
saddle from some prologo stuff to a fizik antares
tires changed to continental gp 4000s2
and handlebar/stem which i changed to a 3t egrnova /3t arx as the stock bike handlebar was too small and the stock stem was too short

one4smoke

I have two bikes. A hybrid w/ kickstand, and a road bike without (cause it's "not cool" to have one on a RB). I can tell you, for this amateur, it's such a pain in the a** with the one without. I find myself needing (wanting?) one many more times than not. Honestly, I just don't get the disdain for them.