What should I replace?
 

Hi, new here. Anyway, I got an older Gary Fisher "Marlin" from my brother inlaw. Not sure of the year..I want to get into biking again, I used to do alot of bmx stuff but I quit and went to skateboarding..now i'm back to biking :) As far as I know it completely stock. I was playing around on it in the street today and bent a rim pretty bad, looked like a car hit the thing, guess its not made for 180's lol. Replaced that rim but now i'm thinking maybe I should upgrade it a bit. What do you guys think? I know it needs a new crank (any suggestions?)

If you're gonna beat(180s,urban,DJ) on it I would say find a new bike.

I wont be doing anymore 180s lol..It should be able to handle a normal jump right? Nothing big just like a 1ft hill or something.

the Marlin is more of an xc bike, not built for bmx stuff.

xc? Yea I just wanna ride some trails with it.

Should be fine.

I would say get some rides in first before you get all excited about upgrading anything. Figure out the more important items first: You may want a different saddle after a sore butt from a couple of rides (arguably the most important upgrade!). You may find that you need a longer or shorter stem depending on how you feel on the bike. You may want any number of things but before you decide on any of it you should get some rides in first. It's way too easy to get excited about buying new parts when you should be focusing on problem areas first.

Why do you say you might need new cranks?

Thanks for the replys, a few teeth on the cranks are chipped. I did notice after a ride today that the chain did lock up and pop off when changing to 1st gear. I was thinking the crank may be the problem.

You're going to get tired of polishing this turd and wish you got a new bike. Even today's trail bikes are better than ever...and worth the dough.

Welcome back to biking!

Yea, I was looking at the specialized hard rock bike if I really get into this. For now I'll stick with the gary fisher.

If you're unfamiliar with bikes have a bike shop look it over. They may find some stuff in need of repair so you can replace it before it breaks on the trail.

I think if you replace the reflectors that should due. Safety First!

A very good choice. No use in dropping cash for something you may, or may not, loose interest in. The hardrock is a good entry level bike; I've got an '05 that I am extremely happy with. Also, with the cranks you may just be able to replace a single chainring instead of the whole crankset. Or it may be a misaligned derailleur, or you may have a worn out cassette. The above suggestion of taking it to a bike shop is a sound choice if you don't have the background. Welcome back.

I will try and play around on the bike this weekend..only thing is I live in Florida so I gotta find some good spots that are not flat lol..

Well, after work I took it down to a field next to my house..its a long hill so I had fun riding down that. I remembered of a little patch of woods that I see kids playing paintball in every now and again, its pretty sweet out there, nice little hills and jumps. The rain ruined my fun. I don't think I'm gonna replace anything mechanical. I want to get a new saddle and a shorter pole that the saddle is mounted to(I think its called a stem?)

EDIT: Heres a pic of the bike, excuse the toilet paper roll lol.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...shermarlin.jpg

actually, the seat post IS adjustable. Loosen up that little collar around the seatpost where it hits the frame, and you can adjust your seat height. You can also adjust how the saddle sits on the seatpost - yours looks like it's slanting way up in front.

This may help you learn some terminology (and fixes):

http://parktool.com/repair/

EDIT: I adjusted the seat, moved it back a little. Its easier to get on now. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks I'll take a look at it.

Ok...well I'm ready to buy a new bike. I can't seem to get the shifting correct on this one. Also the rock shox fork bottoms out easy. I was looking at either a Specialized HardRock or Rockhopper. I did see a really cheap Motobecane bike on ebay but I don't know about the quality. What do you guys think?

I think Motobecanes are fine, I own one. But I think you should buy from a local shop so you get fitted right and can test ride different ones and know what you like. Or you could take the Marlin with you and have a shop get it working correctly.

Well the marlin isn't really mine..my brother inlaw said I could use it. I thought he would let me have it since he never rides it..but he keeps asking if I'm bringing it in at night and is all worried about it..I don't feel like dealing with that crap, I want my own bike now. What kind of Motobecane do you have? Also the shop near my house seems like they only carry Gary Fishers and Treks.

I am looking either
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-ALUMINUM-FUL...ayphotohosting
or
http://cgi.ebay.com/2008-ALUMINUM-MO...QQcmdZViewItem
For motobecane

Check this out
or this

Well after I got home from work I checked craigslist.org for bikes. I found one! It's a perfect starter bike for me. Its a Specialized Hardrock Comp, has an after market fork, seat post and clipless pedals. Payed $250, not a bad deal I think.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...t/hardrock.jpg