[Miguel4u2]

Hey guys, i am new here and research had led me to join this forum. I recently acquired a DiamondBack Response from 2009 with a few extras for $200 which is a steal in my book. Being a low-end bike, i would like to know what parts should i upgrade and to what. I have somewhat of an idea of what i want to upgrade like the fork and crankset. If you have any suggestions of what to upgrade please tell me what i should replace it with that is compatible.Also i am looking to get some new rims already built with hubs that have quick release and are disc brake friendly but for not too much. I am planning to put on some bb7's.

Heres the bike:

Came with shimano spd clipless and shoes

Also came with a 3 bike car rack

Thanks

 

[Dagair002]

hey miguel,

To get a better idea of what we can recommend to upgrade on the bike, let me ask a few questions.

A.) What style of riding do you (or would you like to) follow the most?
B.) What would you say is a rough budget of what you'd like to put in on the bike?
C.) What area do you live in? And what's the terrain like there (if it's out of Ohio)?

With these few questions answered, we can help you further.

Also, for what you paid, that is a great deal!

 

[UEDan]

hey miguel,

To get a better idea of what we can recommend to upgrade on the bike, let me ask a few questions.

A.) What style of riding do you (or would you like to) follow the most?
B.) What would you say is a rough budget of what you'd like to put in on the bike?
C.) What area do you live in? And what's the terrain like there (if it's out of Ohio)?

With these few questions answered, we can help you further.

Also, for what you paid, that is a great deal!

Great deal indeed. I'm fairly jealous. Love the color.

But that stem, I don't care what kind what kind of riding you do. That stem is too damn long!

 

[Rehuel]

That looks like a 2010 DB Response to me.....

 

[Miguel4u2]

hey miguel,

To get a better idea of what we can recommend to upgrade on the bike, let me ask a few questions.

A.) What style of riding do you (or would you like to) follow the most?
B.) What would you say is a rough budget of what you'd like to put in on the bike?
C.) What area do you live in? And what's the terrain like there (if it's out of Ohio)?

With these few questions answered, we can help you further.

Also, for what you paid, that is a great deal!

A.) I use the bike to commute to work and ride some paved trails
B.) Budget is not a problem
C.) I live in Bronx,NY. Trails have a lot of rocks and bumps and so do streets

Thanks for the help

 

[Miguel4u2]

You are correct, he bought it in fall of 2009 but the 2010 early.

 

[Miguel4u2]

Great deal indeed. I'm fairly jealous. Love the color.

But that stem, I don't care what kind what kind of riding you do. That stem is too damn long!

I know, thats the first thing i am replacing. looking for a 60mm one for sharper turns and so that i can bend my elbows a little more to my liking

 

[Dagair002]

Well, if that's all that you're using it for, you shouldn't need to upgrade a whole lot.

You can stick with the V-Brakes if you'd like. Disc brakes will be more reliable in wet weather conditions though. I'd recommend the Avid BB7's with the Avid Cleansweep G2 or G3 rotors. If you do this, you'll need new hubs as well. You can usually find some Shimano Deore hubs for a good price (not deore xt, just regular deore).

The fork should do fine since you're not doing any aggressive riding (right?)

Definitely change the stem as noted.

You may want to look into going to a different shifter + derailleur setup if the Sram X4 gives you any problems. It seems to be a hit or miss drivetrain.

Maybe go with a more comfortable seat? Like a WTB sport level saddle.

Go get some Kenda K-Rad tires on there too for your city riding. Much much smoother tire, and will make it easier on you.

Upgrade your cables! I own the 2010 DB Response Comp, and the cables ARE NOT sealed... granted every cable system is not perfectly sealed, it took me one really wet ride to get all sorts of crap inside the housing, which affected the whole bike. Go with Jagwire, or Avid Flak Jacket cables.

If you'd prefer, get some lock on grips.

You could get a lighter seat post, and handlebars if preferred. As well as some lock on grips.

If you do upgrade your fork, you don't need anything heavy duty. I'd go with a Rock Shox Tora. I own the Tora 302 U-Coil and I love it. Very good suspension at 120mm travel. I have yet to see the limits of it as far as bottoming out, and that's with some heavier all mountain riding.

That's just about all that I can think of that would/could need upgrading on that bike for your use. But overall, as is, the bike will do fine for city riding. I would just move to a smoother tire.

Hope this helps.

 

[Miguel4u2]

Well, if that's all that you're using it for, you shouldn't need to upgrade a whole lot.

You can stick with the V-Brakes if you'd like. Disc brakes will be more reliable in wet weather conditions though. I'd recommend the Avid BB7's with the Avid Cleansweep G2 or G3 rotors. If you do this, you'll need new hubs as well. You can usually find some Shimano Deore hubs for a good price (not deore xt, just regular deore).

The fork should do fine since you're not doing any aggressive riding (right?)

Definitely change the stem as noted.

You may want to look into going to a different shifter + derailleur setup if the Sram X4 gives you any problems. It seems to be a hit or miss drivetrain.

Maybe go with a more comfortable seat? Like a WTB sport level saddle.

Go get some Kenda K-Rad tires on there too for your city riding. Much much smoother tire, and will make it easier on you.

Upgrade your cables! I own the 2010 DB Response Comp, and the cables ARE NOT sealed... granted every cable system is not perfectly sealed, it took me one really wet ride to get all sorts of crap inside the housing, which affected the whole bike. Go with Jagwire, or Avid Flak Jacket cables.

If you'd prefer, get some lock on grips.

You could get a lighter seat post, and handlebars if preferred. As well as some lock on grips.

If you do upgrade your fork, you don't need anything heavy duty. I'd go with a Rock Shox Tora. I own the Tora 302 U-Coil and I love it. Very good suspension at 120mm travel. I have yet to see the limits of it as far as bottoming out, and that's with some heavier all mountain riding.

That's just about all that I can think of that would/could need upgrading on that bike for your use. But overall, as is, the bike will do fine for city riding. I would just move to a smoother tire.

Hope this helps.

Thanks a lot. Its like you know what i need, i was already planning to order those exact tires.I will do the tires, seat,cables,stem and possibly the fork(not aggressive riding but i would love to be able to lock out the suspension). So far the front and back dérailleur are doing good so i won't change them unless i get problems. But what i am worried about is the crankset..i have seen a lot off people that have had to replace it because it keeps getting loose. Also would you reccomend buying wheels with disc compatible hubs or the hubs alone? because i asked my lbs and they said it would be around $100 to switch out the hubs!:eekster: thanks for your help

 

[Punkeyboozter]

For now just get a comfortable seat. Smooth rolling tires and helmet. If you commute in low light conditions you should get a light for front and back as well. Then buy a spare tube and patch kit. A rain shell and fenders are nice for commuting in wet conditions as well.

 

[Dagair002]

It's usually easier to purchase a whole wheel set that is disc brake compatible. It's usually a lot more value for the money spent. Look at the Sun Ringle "Rhyno Lite" wheel set with Shimano Deore hubs.

If the Truvativ X-Fire crankset is installed properly, you shouldn't have any problems. Take it into your LBS tech if you experience any problems and they should be able to get you squared away.

I do agree with Punkeyboozter though. Get a spare tube and patch kit, as well as a good multi-tool that includes tire levers, and keep it with you in case you need to do an "on-the-go" repair.

Also, to agree with Punkeyboozter, overall for a city bike what you "need" is smooth tires, a helmet, a repair kit, fenders, and a light set.

Note: If you do switch to a wheel set that is disc brake compatible, make sure that the rims are v-brake compatible if you're not upgrading your brakes and wheel set at the same time.

 

[Miguel4u2]

Thanks a lot for the suggestion guys. I will do as you guys say and upgrade parts for commuting.

 

[icecube89]

yea the 09 came wth the putty or the black soot.. Late 09 came with sram shifters as the earliers ones down to 06 had es 50 shifters from shimano