Most Important Upgrades For My Bike? Can I Get A List Of Things I Should Upgrade (as Well As Models/maker)?

I have started to upgrade a somewhat beginner hard tail mountain bike. I have just added some really nice rock shox, pedals, not much else. I would like to upgrade to some shimano deore xt derailleurs for front and back, as well as some new wheels. IDK. What do you think of the xts? Are they really good? Thanks!

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5 Comments »

John O said:

You really can’t go wrong with Shimano Deore XT. There are other options out there, but XT will always be an excellent option. As for what I think…
I simply upgrade parts as they wear out. You did the pedals, which should be first. Second should be a saddle. I have a Selle Italia SLR XC Gel, however saddle selection is very personal. I sit “on” the saddle (rather than “in”), have narrow sit bones, and prefer a narrow, firm saddle with a long nose, but I have a tendency to fall of the back of the saddle. So the SLR is perfect for me. My friends have all dubbed it THE *** hatchet…
Next on your list are wheels. My daily wheels are WTB LaserDisks. They work great and are easily serviced. I also have a pair of Easton XC Ones for hitting the trails. If you can find them, SunRingle Black Flag Ceramics are very nice.
I use an XT front derailleur and a SRAM X-0 on the rear. The combination is absolutely bomber. I have twist-shift, but you may want trigger shifters. I like both, but the twisters were free for a case of good beer. XTR is really nice stuff, but extremely expensive and not as durable as XT.
My brakes are Avid BB7s. I ride in Winter and have had hydraulics sludge-up on me. Otherwise, I really liked the Elixirs.
If you use a Rock Shox remote, SRAM trigger shifters, and Avid brakes, you may want to look into a MatchMaker kit from SRAM, which will make your whole control package much neater.
Switching from aluminum bars to a carbon Eason MonkeyLite XC was a godsend. It slightly improved my bike handling, but also absorbed lots of little bumps that used to make my wrists feel like they were bleeding hot lava. Just make sure to use fiber paste to mount your gear. You’ll also want to invest in a torque wrench to ensure you put everything on right.
I’m a stronger rider, so BB performance has always been an issue. I moved from old XT cranks to RaceFace Deus XC with an external BB. As they aren’t serviceable (well, they are for 2010, but not what I have), I still go through bottom brackets. Chris King BBs are the best on the market, but I can buy 3 RaceFace BBs for one Chris King. If you get a Truvativ crank, just keep in mind that you are stuck with a proprietary BB format, which can be tough if you get a BB problem on the trail.
Cables are SRAM Flak Jackets and brake pads are Aztec. I keep several different kinds of brake rotors for different conditions.

# 20 February 2010 at 4:26 am

motormou said:

shimano XTR would be a lot better but really expensive,bontrager carbon bars,stem and seat pin for more comfort and weight saving and for your wheels you can’t go wrong with a set of MAVIC CROSSRIDE wheels that come in both v-brake and disc brake versions,they cost between £150 to £200,they have 24 bladed spokes front and rear with fully adjustable hubs and weigh less than 2 kg,they come in black or silver,hope this helps you…..ride safe!
TO SKATER- i don’t think makers like BONTRAGER,FSA and ITM would make carbon bars,stems and seat pins if they broke all the time,with a name like skater,WTF would you know about biking.makers like TREK,GT,SCOTT ETC ETC would not make full carbon frames if they break,don’t you think DOH!!

# 20 February 2010 at 9:04 am

mtrlbike said:

Before you go too much farther with upgrades, make sure that your frame is good enough to make the money spent worthwhile. You could end up spending as much money as you would for a really good bike and end up with a mediocre one. One area where money is almost always well spent is wheels, the second most important part of any bike, and the easiest to move over to a better bike you may end up buying anyway.

# 20 February 2010 at 11:14 am

skater said:

Get parts that will suit your riding style. If you ride really hard, then carbon parts besides a seat would not be a good idea. It would snap really easily. You could upgrade your cranks, rims, brakes, and handlebars. Mabey a fork to if its weak.

# 20 February 2010 at 11:31 am

a.s. roma said:

Deore xt is a great step up. Change both though.If your rims are old get new ones. Get the whole deal, hubs cogs and all. Xt is great. My brothe has some on his mtb. They are exceptionally strong.

# 20 February 2010 at 3:14 pm