I'm looking at changing a few components on my hardtail, I currently have a Marin Palisades Trail with the following bits;
XTR brakes & icetech discs
XT crankset
Deore shifters
SLX front and rear derailleurs
XTR spd's
Novatech hubs
DMR 26x2.2 MOTO RT tyres
ROCKSHOX Tora TK
I've just added nicer bits as the original components have worn out, I'm not a hard rider, I just like nice looking & hard wearing components, however, after recently getting stung by my LBS here in Bangkok, Thailand with an apparently counterfeit XT crankset I'm looking at taking a slightly more radical step than before - changing over to SRAM... along with some other changes too, any help would be greatly appreciated!
I was recommended by a REAL bike shop here(the main Cervelo & Marin dstributor in Thailand) to take a look at SRAM's XX1 or X01 groupset, or at least the crankset.
I currently run a 9-speed XT crankset with the largest chainring having 48 teeth, I requested this size as I like to ride fast, initially I didn't mind the higher weight to a 44 tooth crankset but it seemed my bike was just getting heavier and heavier(Icetech discs didn't help, nor did the DMR tyres), so I'm looking at changing almost everything despite the frame & tyres(despite their weight, they look good!).
My thoughts so far are these;
SRAM
X01 or XX1 Groupset 11s with a 38 tooth chainring - please excuse my ignorance, I'm not very knowledgeable with regards to the terminology of this stuff! Would the 1x11-speed produce much lower speeds than my current setup? A small different would be ok.
I'm thinking about keeping the XTR levers but changing my discs to something less substantial - I don't go XC very often and I never ride DH so I could go to something much lighter, I've read about several different light discs, what is currently being touted as the lightest? And nearly as importantly, the nicest looking??
Whilst the XTR SPD's I have seem to be bullet-proof, I also think they're pretty hefty, and I could do well to find something a little lighter, I'm thinking perhaps Crank Brothers Egg Beater 11, titanium is quite enticing...
I'll also be looking at forks, whilst the Rockshox I have now feel very nice, they also weigh 2.2kg's and I was hoping to bring that down to about 1.5kg's, I've found some things I like the look of, mostly older carbon PACE forks, but does anybody know of some other carbon forks that don't have bright decals all over them??
I'll leave it at that for the time-being, other components such as seatpost, seat, risers, rims & spokes etc can wait, big things first!
So, what are your opinions? You can tell I'm not a serious rider, but I do like nice looking things, and things that work well too! That's why I plan on stripping the paint off my Marin and going back to my 1994 Marin Rocky Ridge retro aluminium look, along with retro decals(which have been put back on the bikes for 2014 I see!)
XTR brakes & icetech discs
XT crankset
Deore shifters
SLX front and rear derailleurs
XTR spd's
Novatech hubs
DMR 26x2.2 MOTO RT tyres
ROCKSHOX Tora TK
I've just added nicer bits as the original components have worn out, I'm not a hard rider, I just like nice looking & hard wearing components, however, after recently getting stung by my LBS here in Bangkok, Thailand with an apparently counterfeit XT crankset I'm looking at taking a slightly more radical step than before - changing over to SRAM... along with some other changes too, any help would be greatly appreciated!
I was recommended by a REAL bike shop here(the main Cervelo & Marin dstributor in Thailand) to take a look at SRAM's XX1 or X01 groupset, or at least the crankset.
I currently run a 9-speed XT crankset with the largest chainring having 48 teeth, I requested this size as I like to ride fast, initially I didn't mind the higher weight to a 44 tooth crankset but it seemed my bike was just getting heavier and heavier(Icetech discs didn't help, nor did the DMR tyres), so I'm looking at changing almost everything despite the frame & tyres(despite their weight, they look good!).
My thoughts so far are these;
SRAM
X01 or XX1 Groupset 11s with a 38 tooth chainring - please excuse my ignorance, I'm not very knowledgeable with regards to the terminology of this stuff! Would the 1x11-speed produce much lower speeds than my current setup? A small different would be ok.
I'm thinking about keeping the XTR levers but changing my discs to something less substantial - I don't go XC very often and I never ride DH so I could go to something much lighter, I've read about several different light discs, what is currently being touted as the lightest? And nearly as importantly, the nicest looking??
Whilst the XTR SPD's I have seem to be bullet-proof, I also think they're pretty hefty, and I could do well to find something a little lighter, I'm thinking perhaps Crank Brothers Egg Beater 11, titanium is quite enticing...
I'll also be looking at forks, whilst the Rockshox I have now feel very nice, they also weigh 2.2kg's and I was hoping to bring that down to about 1.5kg's, I've found some things I like the look of, mostly older carbon PACE forks, but does anybody know of some other carbon forks that don't have bright decals all over them??
I'll leave it at that for the time-being, other components such as seatpost, seat, risers, rims & spokes etc can wait, big things first!
So, what are your opinions? You can tell I'm not a serious rider, but I do like nice looking things, and things that work well too! That's why I plan on stripping the paint off my Marin and going back to my 1994 Marin Rocky Ridge retro aluminium look, along with retro decals(which have been put back on the bikes for 2014 I see!)