elcyc

Upon purchasing my Absolute 2.0 brand new in July 2010 (it was on sale at a local Performance Bikes shop: MSRP $1000 --> inhouse sale $730), I added the following upgrades:

• Cheap Schwinn (WalMart) kickstand
• CatEye computer
• Various LED lights from Performance (Cateye, etc)
• Gel seat
• SKS Plastics (Germany) fenders

I probably have 4-500 total miles on the odometer, and very gently used miles at that, with regular cleaning lubrication and tires always at max. press before ride. So the bike is still in excellent cond. (the below image from June 2018; the other image is the stock catalog photo).
Specs from official Fuji product page:
https://archive.fujibikes.com/2010/Fuji/absolute-20-usa

I use the 2.0 mostly as a 2-3x/week exercise rider, on well-paved Los Angeles streets and bike paths, carrying a light backpack only. Total load weight is about 135 lbs (I'm light!).
Issues/Problems: The steering feels somewhat light and over-responsive (esp. compared to my Gary Fisher hybrid commuter, with 26x1.75" Conti tires). And I just (a week ago) had my first flat due to rear tire slightly splitting.

Suggest some upgrades (tires, chain, etc).
Thanks!!

Jicafold

How can you ride 2 - 3 x per week and only get 50 miles per year? Why do you feel a need to upgrade the chain?

elcyc

Should've noted:
Lately I've been riding 2 - 3 x per week. There have been period when I had not ridden the 2.0 in several months.

Another spot for improvement may be in comfort. I orig. upgraded the seat. But a seat shock may be an option. Also fatter tires (28 --> 32???)

alcjphil

I fail to see how replacing a chain with only 500 miles on it could constitute an upgrade. Even the highest end chain available would not make a noticeable difference. As for tires, according to your linked post, one of your tires is badly ripped and should not be repaired. Better tires would be a noticeable upgrade. If you have been riding at maximum rated tire pressure for someone at your light weight you are doing it wrong. According to the bike specs, you have 700 x 28 tires. For someone your weight, I would not inflate to more than 70 psi. You could upgrade to a more flat resistant tire with a more supple ride and enjoy immediate benefits. An upgrade has to be an improvement, going to a better tire than your current low end ones would be an improvement

elcyc

Not sure I agree with you on the chain ... on my Gary Fisher, when I switched from an $18 Shimano to a $30 SRAM, I noted improved smoothness in pedaling and and shifting. And the SRAM has proved more durable/longer lasting (so proab. an overall $$ savings, over the years).
Agreed on reducing tire pressure -- a person's weight is something to definitely add to the calculation.
Better, wider tire ... I have an active BF thread just for that

alcjphil

How much use had the chain on your Gary Fisher seen when you replaced it? Worn chains do become rough both for pedalling and shifting. Also, your Gary Fisher is much older, How many cogs? By the time 9 speed cassettes came around, overall chain quality had become much better. Back when I started serious cycling back in the 1970's, the Regina Oro was one of the most coveted chains. One of my friends referred to it as a "golden snake", both for its colour and for its incredible smoothness as you pedalled. A few years later, despite their undeniable initial quality there were numerous equally good chains on the market, at much better prices

elcyc

Dollar for dollar, I think that chain technology has improved. For my 21-spd G. Fisher, I switched from a SRAM PC 890 P-Link -- no longer made -- to a KMC X8.99/X8 (1/2 x 3/32-Inch, 116L) which is about half the price of the SRAM. The KMC has been running smoothly for about 3K miles, with very little wear or slop. But, too many variables for any real conclusions: I do clean and lube quite religiously, and I don't bike in wet weather, and I ride gently in urban/city (non-dusty) areas, and, ....

Nyah

Go forth and get thee a new pair of tires. Just make sure that your frame/fork can handle the new width, if that's the kind of change you want (I'd strive for 35mm, personally, or at least 32mm).

MRT2

I would replace that saddle, but the question is, with what? Saddles are personal and you sometimes only figure out what works for you through trial and error. I use the Brooks B17, and I wear bike shorts or tights when I ride. Whether a traditional leather saddle works for you is not clear. But that saddle you have on the bike looks pretty bad.

As far as the chain goes, while a chain might make a slight difference, unless you can identify a problem with your current chain, I would just clean it, lube it and ride it for another 2,000 miles or so.

Yes, tires do wear out both with mileage and age. The rubber does tend to degrade time. So get some new tires. Are you after performance, flat protection or durability? For something durable, try the Specialized Armadillo, Continental Gatorskins, or the Panaracer Ribmo. Or the Panaracer Gravel King (smooth version, not the semi knobby). Or for more performance tire, I have had good experience with the Continental GP4000.

veganbikes

I would upgrade touch points first. Get some Ergon grips, some high quality pedals maybe with a larger platform (or at least one that fits the feet well and has replaceable and adjustable pins and sealed bearings) and saddle that fits well and gives you good support. I might add the widest tires I can fit and ideally something nice a supple because supple tires feel good but if you are riding in an area that you might be more prone to flats something with some puncture protection might help. If I wanted to dump silly money into the bike I would upgrade the brakes to hydraulic (probably Shimano or Magura). If I really liked the bike and wanted to keep it around I would certainly bring it in for an overhaul (not just a tune up) and replace any bearings and cables and housing and other wear items.

Otherwise I might keep the bike as is and get an upgraded bike. Get something real nice, maybe splurge on a nice titanium frame with a carbon fork. Put a nice 1x11 drivetrain on it with some fun bars (Surly Moloko or VO Crazy Bars or my favorite Koga Denham) and some nice brakes, maybe something like the Metrea brakes from Shimano if the frame is flat mount (makes it easier as they are flat bar and flat mount native) and build up some nice 650b wheels with nice wide tires and have a blast. You could build up a road bike or mountain bike or something else entirely Having more bikes in the stable is not a bad thing and certainly is a great upgrade.

elcyc

Thx for the good suggestions, all!

veganbikes: Good call on the pedals! Yeah, the stocks are small. I use machined-aluminum platform pedals on my Gary Fisher. Like those a lot.
The stock grips are just fine.
About the saddle: the stock Fuji was awful. The Memoflex replacement (top photo) is much better.

Yes, will definitely fatten the replacement tires (probably to 32). I use Conti Touring Plus on my Gary Fisher, and that has been a very good, durable tire. (Prev. on that bike, I used Conti 2000s, and those lasted >11k miles). But the replacement Conti's aren't nearly so durable, as i noted in another thread. $25/each is my budget.
I might add a seatpost shock. That made a big difference on my Gary Fisher.
And I also want a better kickstand

MRT2

I would remove the kickstand. the easiest way to lighten your bike.

Ironfish653

Tires, pedals and Saddle are some of the most personal changes you can make to a bike, They all make a difference you can feel, and what works for one person, won't necessarily work for another. That's why they make so many different kinds.

That being said, you are in need of tires, and you have specified a budget. I'll offer my two favorites, both of them available in your preferred 700x32mm: The Panaracer Pasela and the Conti UltraSport III.

The Pasela is a classic all-arounder, I have them in 27"x1-1/4" on my vintage Bridgestone 'path bike' and they are both easy rolling, and smooth riding, on all kinds of surfaces. I have the regular version, not the PT flat resistant, as flat tires are a rare occurance for me. MSRP is $30~$35, but you can find them online for $25, with a little bit of searching.

The UltraSport is Conti's budget 'sport' tire,($20-$25) and I feel it's a tire that 'punches above it's weight' ride and handling are way better than your typical $20 tire. It's not as tough as something like the TourRide / Plus, but faster, and not as long wearing as something like the Gatorback, but it's a really nice ride. I have them in 28mm on my road bike.

Either way, you should look at running a lower pressure than you do now, particularly given your light weight.. My Ultra IIs are rated to 115psi, but I normally run 80 psi, and I typically dress out at about 200#. The 32mm Paselas? usually 70-75psi.

For Pedals, I like the plastic-bodied BMX pedals on my townie bikes; Odessy 'Twisted' and Animal 'Hamilton' are good combination of light-ish weight, decent grip and reasonable cost, usually ~$20, but you can find them as low as $10 for the really funky colors.

You may find that once you upgrade the tires, and get your air pressure under control, you don't feel the need for a suspension seatpost any more. IMHO, those things are for beach cruisers and 'grandma' trikes, where the typical rider can't use handling techniques to make the ride smoother.
Same goes for the big padded saddle. I can't stand big bulky saddles, and I find that it's more about the shape then how much padding it's got. The saddle on my long-distance bike, is also the most minimal, a Specialized Romin Evo Comp.
Butt, saddles are one thing that only you can decide what works best.

Flip Flop Rider

would add bar ends for different hand positions. Other than that, buy some good tires as big as will fit on there without rubbing. Then add a mirror and go ride

Don't worry about replacing individual components or parts. That bike will ride just fine. Save your cash and when you get the urge to ride different components and parts, just buy a new and better bike

also, find out what saddle and pedals work for your style of riding

elcyc

All handy suggestions. Thx!
About the saddle/tire and ride, one thing I should've mentioned is my dislike for road noise. I almost always listen to music (via. IEM earphones) when riding -- please save the safety lecture as I've done so since the early days of Sony cassette Walkmans , and would consider listening+biking a main reason for cycling.
Anyway, road seems to get "bone conducted" unless one uses the proper tires (incl. pressure), seat shock, saddle.
Feel free to suggest on this issue.

BTW: Wind noise is major ear sore, too. Even if you don't listen to audio/earphones. I use a special head band:

elcyc

Okay time to update this thread and re-ask for some suggestions.

UPDATED since my last post:

Seat/saddle (the Memoflex wore away so I replaced it with some Italian brand from WalMart, $20. It is a very common sports style these days, Schwinn, etc have similar, which I use on my Gary Fisher)

Pedals: WalMart, $10

Tires: Conti's Ride Rour EXTRA (same size as orig kenda)

Kickstand: German-made (eBay), mounts on chainstay.

Seat post: Japanese SATORI shock-absorber type (took forever for Amazon to deliver because of COVID)

-----

Now I'm ready for drivetrain: chain, cassette, crank chainrings (esp. middle), maybe rear derail. and pulleys

What's on currently are still STOCK (from new bike in July 2010):

CASSETTE

Sunrace 11-32T 9-speed

CHAIN

KMC Z-9000, 9-Speed

CRANKSET

Truvativ Isoflow C3.0 26/36/48T Chainring

Please suggest UPGRADES for the 'train. Keep $100 as min. budget. But up to $200 max is possible

More info on OEM bike here:

https://archive.fujibikes.com/2009/Fuji/absolute-20-us2


Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!

CAT7RDR

Honestly, just ride the hell out of it until you have to replace consumables. Then, think of getting better parts to replace the originals.

I did not upgrade my first carbon road bike until 20K miles after a crash. I was able to upgrade to Ultegra 6800 grupo from the original 105/Oval mix through Performance for about $400 installed because of points accrued. Transformed the bike completely.

elcyc

Okay ... start with a simple one: which chain? ...

SRAM PC 971 P-Link Bicycle Chain, 9-Speed ($22)
KMC X9.99 Bicycle Chain (9-27 Speed, 1/2" x 11/128"- 116L, Silver) ($32)
SHIMANO CN-HG93 Ultegra/XT 9-Speed Chain ($33.50)

Leisesturm

Above 12mph the only force significantly affecting your energy output is wind resistance! A well maintained drivetrain feels nice, so why not, but not even premium tires at high pressure can help you with a 15mph headwind! This thread was new to me and I did not realize it was bumped. The o.p. was in anguish about chains a year ago and time has not proved to be a remedy. How many more miles were put on the bike since last year? Is this bike WORTH a $32 chain? Only the o.p. can know for sure but from way over here it sure doesn't look like it.

Wider tires are heavier, slower tires. ALWAYS. Even when it seems like they are faster they aren't faster, it's just that you would be even slower on a thinner tire because you are ALWAYS on gravel, off-road, or otherwise sub-par pavement when the wider tire makes sense. If you do not ride on sub-par pavement you do not need 'wider' tires. The o.p. seems to prefer the budget option when choosing components. Components can be light and they can be cheap but they can never be both light and cheap.

The Absolute is one of the more successful bike models in the marketplace. I remember considering one back in 2004. They are hard to "upgrade" because they are so well spec'd. You have gotten very good advice all through this thread o.p. take some of it and upgrade only what NEEDS it. Then you won't have to ask us. What brand chainlube do you use? How often do you lube the chain? Buying a $32 chain doesn't make that much sense if you are hit and miss about its care and feeding. I'm not judging! I'm terrible about staying on schedule with lubing. But I don't buy premium chains! I do try to keep good lube around. If you can even find a tire for sale, buy it!

elcyc

The replacement tires I purchased june 2020 are exactly the same size as originals.
Pretty religious about cleaning and lubing... and riding gently . So bike has been trouble free for 2000 miles --since 2010.
Paid about $740.00 new for the bike, on sale at Performance locally. That ain't high end by any means . But it's definitely not as solid as my 1993 Gary Fisher Advance mtb, that was around $350.

livedarklions

Unless your current chain is worn out, none of the above. I'm pretty sure you're the only one on this thread who thinks that replacing a perfectly good chain would have any noticeable impact on your ride. You said last whenever it was there were only 500 miles on the current chain. How much more have you ridden on it?

TBH, this whole question isn't sensibly answered by people who don't know how you're using the bike and what, if any, shortcomings you're sensing from it. $200 in upgrades on the drivetrain isn't likely to improve your drivetrain much if at all unless you happen to fall into some too good to believe deal. So what on your drivetrain needs to be improved that might be practical within your budget? Maybe a tune-up would help more.


BTW, I think your most likely next expense on the bike is going to be replacing the Walmart $10 pedals when they break if you're actually riding the bike.

Kapusta

Unless something in your drivetrain as actually worn out or broken, upgrading your drivetrain including the chain) is a complete waste of money.

Want more bang for your buck? Toss whatever $10 walmart pedals you bought in the bin and get some decent ones. Many excellent options for $60 or less. My favs are Deity Deftraps. Another great one is Kona Wha Wha 2. Race Face Chesters are also good and have been a popular go-to for some time, though I think better options in the affordable composite pedal market have come out since (such as the two I mentioned).

Iride01 

Try to fix and modify the motor. It seems to me it doesn't work long enough to wear out anything on the bike and is instead infatuated with fiddling with and changing the bikes components. <grin>

elcyc

Confused… isn’t the point of preventive maintenance to replace components near the end of their lifespan? So, for example, safety issues are mitigated BEFORE they are ever even acute issues?
As reported on BF about a year and a half ago, on the same bike, then with about 700 miles, the orig Kona tires had dry rotted, despite inside storage and very gentle riding. I got multiple flats, so I replaced the pair.

livedarklions

What makes you think any of the drive train components are anywhere near to being near the end of their lifespan? How many more miles have you put on this bike? It was only 500 miles at the beginning of this thread, and that's practically unused for most components.