[WulfgarX]

im sorry if something was posted like this.. its 3:40am here in cali and im delirious.. hahaha.
so hello...

getting back in after about 7 years out. sold my "bik" and "merlin" with full campangolo gear years ago... and all my gear... so anyway

got a free! giant upland. yes its a beginner bike.. but when its free.. its awesome.
it rides pretty smooth, was sitting in friends garage and was used as a daily flat land commuter. shifts pretty smooth and is purty light, not no carbon or ti-light, but decent.

so...

got about 200$ to upgrade. looking at older rockshox or manitou forks , and putting new handlebar/ends and seat.... replace to some new rims(lighter)hmm...

of course imma pick up a new helmet from the local shop, and get it one of the "45$ tune up specials" (get things lubbed, cleaned, tightened.. etc...)

what do folks suggest(?) for that price from your local and/or ebay, that i can do to this basic bike. when i got out of mtn bikes, they V-brakes were just coming into play..eesh. shows i've been out of it.

please dont say trade it or buy a newer bike. im on a budget, and want some suspension up front.

=)

welcome back wulfgar.. heheh *pats self on back*

 

[RonSonic]

I say get some shoes, pedals, helmet as suits you and go ride the snot out of it until something breaks or proves deficient. Don't just go upgrading things not knowing what you're upgrading them for. Are you riding on roads? Hardpack? Open trails? winding singletrack? Until you figure that out, you don't know what tires, handlebar or fork would be an improvement. Saddles are important only get a replacement if that one is uncomfortable. When you find one you like, STOP. No saddle saves enough money or weight or has enough bling to justify discomfort of the fundamental parts.

Adding suspension to a rigid bike can only be done in small doses. You'll be limited to something like 63 - 75mm without screwing up your handling. I don't know the bike or whether it makes sense to upgrade, but I'd go ahead and ride and learn and think on it before buying a fork. I'm seeing extremely serviceable cross country bikes going on ebay in the 300-350 range, which is where you'll end up by the time you've upgraded everything a notch.

Ron

 

[WulfgarX]

oh i know what each portion does, i forgot to mention i used to work at a bike shop. its just that i have out of touch for about 10 years and everythings seems a bit different now.
i know i have shoes and clips still (sidi's) in a box somewhere, and i probably can find my old scott mtn bars and grips in a box.

its just, i dont have the money to spend on bikes like I did when I was 18 years old with mass credit ~ hahahah...

i'll mostly be doing street, and light single-track riding.
its seems this bike is a bit back-end heavy compared to bikes that i've owned in the past.

anyhoo... thanks for the reply.

wulf.

 

[jeffj]

Avoid "upgraditis" and the "money pit"

Take your $200 and start saving for a better bike.

If you start upgrading this rig, you will spend way too much to do so and be that much further away from getting what you really want.

Upgrading an old bike is a money pit and there will likely be compatibility problems with things like the fork steerer size being something other than 1 - 1/8". The fork with it's likely increased travel (if it even had a suspension fork to begin with) will throw off the steering geometry (not good). Then there is the brakes. Unless the frame came with v-brakes (and I am pretty sure it didn't) you will not likely be happy with installing them because your frame was not designed with them in mind. You will see the seat stays bow easily when the brakes are applied and that is if you are lucky enough to get the bike stopped. Then there is the drivetrain. I am trying to be brief, but trust me, this may be the biggest can of worms in the whole process.

If you want to build your own bike for not too much money, start with a $150 frame from Supergo and knock yourself out. At least that frame will not be giving you compatability issues and will actually be a decent rig when you finish, not to mention have a warranty.

I know you didn't want to hear about getting a different bike, but still you asked the question. Seriously, a new $350 Giant would be light years ahead of your current rig.

 

[WulfgarX]

I know you didn't want to hear about getting a different bike, but still you asked the question. Seriously, a new $350 Giant would be light years ahead of your current rig.

Nod. I completely agree. I am a computer guy, I tell the exact same thing to people who try and resurrect old computers with new hard drives etc... So why shouldn't I follow the same advice on this right?

If this had been a "kmart" type bike, i wouldnt even THINK, but since it was a "GIANT", I thought maybe it could have some life. Thanks... I thought maybe I could penny pinch, but I think i'll keep this bike as a cheapo commuter.. clean it up.. and use it to get to the beach and back

I already took the bike apart, and have cleaned everything. Runs much better. I guess you don't really forget how to work on these things...

Before I read this, I was thinking the same thing driving into work.... get a frame and build up just like back in the day.... oh joy.

Look what im getting back into

wULF

 

[WulfgarX]

Unless the frame came with v-brakes (and I am pretty sure it didn't)

oh v-brakes came out like in 1996/97 huh, i got out of the mtn biking scene before i saw those come out.

and yes.. actually this bike has shimano v-brakes... looks exactly like this :

 

[spanishguy]

Freeride? All Mountain? Wha . . ?

I am also getting back in after about 7 or 8 years of not following anything about mountain biking. I have an old Univega Alpina cro mo frame that I stopped updating because I figured I'd let everything wear out at once and then get a new bike.

It's 7 years later now, and I am ready to get back into the swing of things, but now I have no idea what people are talking about. When I left the scene, you had Cross Country and you had Downhill. Bikes were generally tailored to one or the other. If you threw money towards XC, your bike got lighter. If you threw money towards Downhill, it got heavier but the suspension got longer.

Now they have "Freeride" and "All-Mountain" and "Enduro" and who knows what other categories. They all look like downhill bikes to me. I need something that I can ride uphill and is relativey lightweight. I will sacrifice an inch of suspension travel for a pound of weight, but at the same time I don't want something that will break when I ride it down a rocky hill.

Can someone please fill me in?

 

[jeffj]

oh v-brakes came out like in 1996/97 huh, i got out of the mtn biking scene before i saw those come out.

and yes.. actually this bike has shimano v-brakes... looks exactly like this :

Still need to check out the steerer tube diameter and the drivetrain (7 or 8 speed?). There is still one choice for a 1" steerer tube, but I think it is a 100mm or 105mm travel fork which would throw the steering angle into the crapper IMHO. If you have 7 speed, you could find 8 speed shifters and still use it as a seven speed. If you look at places like Cambria, you may even still find some decent 7 speed shifters or at worst get some new SRAM 7 speed twisters. If you have 8 speed, you could convert it all to 9 speed with an entirely new drivetrain. If your current setup is integrated shift/brake levers, buy separate shifters and brake levers But now you are still back to the fork situation. On the whole, not as bad as I presumed, but still not advised unless you could find an older 80mm or 63mm travel fork with the right size steerer tube in excellent condition.

Still, the new frame build up would give more options and be more fun. JMHO.

Regards

 

[RonSonic]

I think you're still looking at a XC bike there.
Endurance racing is the latest fad in xc riding, same thing but 12 and 24 hour races for the lunatics who don't hurt themselves badly enough in three. Think xc bike with more suspension (better when you're exhausted). Freeride is just goofing on ramps, jumps and anything described with the adjective "sick."

XC bike is still a riding bike, light, nimble and rugged enough for most craziness. Of course all things come in degrees and some are more rugged and some are lighter. Enjoy.

Ron

 

[jkish]

The Giant Upland cost around $200 new back in 1999-2000 and is not worth upgrading. Spend the money on things that you might need like a helmet, shoes, clothes, hydration pack, bike rack, etc. and save the rest toward a new bike. Unless you can get parts super cheap, upgrading costs WAY more than purchasing a complete bike. In the mean time you'll have time to decide on what type of riding you will be doing.

If your set on upgrading, I would look into picking up a cheap set of V-brakes and a good used fork. Upgrading those two components will make a big difference over cantilever brakes and a straight fork. For the fork, take a look at something like a Rock Shox Judy. Avoid cheap elastomer forks found on dept. store bikes. As far as brakes, just about any V-brake will do. Don't spend more than around $100 for both.