Hey guys,
Well I finally got a new bike. I picked up a 2006 Rockhopper (base model) for $175! Killer deal IMO The bike is in perfect condition, ridden maybe 10 times. Anyways, there are a few things I really like and some that I don't.
The fork seems to be at least decent which I like (more than I expected), and appears to have lockout as well as rebound and preload adjust. How do I use all of these things? I looked at SRAM and Specialized websites and couldn't find any info. The fork is a Rock Shox J3 SL.
The rims also seem to be decent, seeing as how they appear to be made by Sun. On my old Hardrock I bent my wheels riding stairs around town, and upgraded to some Sun's which took a beating.
I HATE the SRAM trigger system. This is my first experience with them and every time I pull up on the bars or get even 1 inch of air I manage to accidentally shift up on the rear side. It's very annoying and I guess it's just because of how I put my hands/fingers. I used to have Shimano rapid fires and I'm just used to them. After looking around it seems that I'm stuck with SRAM though since the rear der. is SRAM. Any thoughts on this? Should I just get a new rear der. and shifters? HELP! The bike is an 8 speed so it seems like Alivio is the highest I can go as far as Shimano goes, which doesn't really bother me. I wonder if I could find someone to possibly trade shifters and rear der. with that has Alivio. Note that it got the SRAM X-7 shifter upgrade from the LBS even though Specialized.com says it is supposed to have SX-4's. The rear der. is SX-5.
Other than that though, the bike seems basically bottom o'the line heh. Tektro brakes, no-name stem, handlebars, and seat post (all of which will be upgraded slowly I'm sure).
As far as the brakes go, I'd like some Avid BB7 mech. discs, but I don't think my hubs support them. Could someone please shed some light on this?
I really don't like the pedals so I'm looking into replacing those, but it's not a huge deal. After buying the bike I'm pretty broke (college student) so it will probably be down the line. I've never ridden clipless so I'm not sure if I would even like them... and a friend told me that 'bearclaw' platforms (which seem to be the only other upgrade besides clipless) can really tear your shins/skin up.
Anyways, any opinions or advice would be much apprecaited! I had planned to just get this bike and keep it stock and save for a new better one this summer, but I don't think I'll be able to fight the mod bug.
Thanks!
John
Well I finally got a new bike. I picked up a 2006 Rockhopper (base model) for $175! Killer deal IMO The bike is in perfect condition, ridden maybe 10 times. Anyways, there are a few things I really like and some that I don't.
The fork seems to be at least decent which I like (more than I expected), and appears to have lockout as well as rebound and preload adjust. How do I use all of these things? I looked at SRAM and Specialized websites and couldn't find any info. The fork is a Rock Shox J3 SL.
The rims also seem to be decent, seeing as how they appear to be made by Sun. On my old Hardrock I bent my wheels riding stairs around town, and upgraded to some Sun's which took a beating.
I HATE the SRAM trigger system. This is my first experience with them and every time I pull up on the bars or get even 1 inch of air I manage to accidentally shift up on the rear side. It's very annoying and I guess it's just because of how I put my hands/fingers. I used to have Shimano rapid fires and I'm just used to them. After looking around it seems that I'm stuck with SRAM though since the rear der. is SRAM. Any thoughts on this? Should I just get a new rear der. and shifters? HELP! The bike is an 8 speed so it seems like Alivio is the highest I can go as far as Shimano goes, which doesn't really bother me. I wonder if I could find someone to possibly trade shifters and rear der. with that has Alivio. Note that it got the SRAM X-7 shifter upgrade from the LBS even though Specialized.com says it is supposed to have SX-4's. The rear der. is SX-5.
Other than that though, the bike seems basically bottom o'the line heh. Tektro brakes, no-name stem, handlebars, and seat post (all of which will be upgraded slowly I'm sure).
As far as the brakes go, I'd like some Avid BB7 mech. discs, but I don't think my hubs support them. Could someone please shed some light on this?
I really don't like the pedals so I'm looking into replacing those, but it's not a huge deal. After buying the bike I'm pretty broke (college student) so it will probably be down the line. I've never ridden clipless so I'm not sure if I would even like them... and a friend told me that 'bearclaw' platforms (which seem to be the only other upgrade besides clipless) can really tear your shins/skin up.
Anyways, any opinions or advice would be much apprecaited! I had planned to just get this bike and keep it stock and save for a new better one this summer, but I don't think I'll be able to fight the mod bug.
Thanks!
John