[kolelt]

Hello everyone. New rider. Purchased a demo Stache 9.8 from local trek store. Week later purchased a brand new trexk remedy 9.8. Both are completely different animals. But with that said. I have some money to play. And I was thinking about upgrading the brakes, gear shifter and maybe different stem on the Remedy 9.8. I’m 240lb. I feel like the bike struggles to stop me lol. I was eyeing out the SRAM XX1 gear shifter. Along with Shimano XTR brakes. My concerns are. Would I be able to run Shimano brake lever with the SRAM gear shifter as one ? Would it benefit to upgrade the gear shifter or should you upgrade the derailleur also? What are your thoughts on these parts? Or should I just go with high end SRAM brake set up ? Also what do you recommend. 2 or 4piston brake calipers?

 

[MudderNutter]

You should absolutely get some 4 piston brakes... Zee's/Saints are a good bang for your buck. So many good brakes in this category.

As far as other good places to put money...

Get some wheels bruh! Radically changes your ride. Much more so than other upgrades... and you get to take them with ya to your next bike!

Being able to stop is probably more important. So, brakes/wheels would be awesome.

 

[RS VR6]

Unless you're looking for some bling or some very minor weight reduction...switching out the shifter and derailleur won't really gain you much or any extra performance.

If you feel like the current brakes can't stop you quick enough...get the aforementioned 4 pot brakes. I think the 9.8 might already come with some four pot calipers in the Guide brakes. If that's the case...you can always try some more aggressive pads. You might have to replace multiple parts of the headset if you want to replace the stem. Trek uses their proprietary Knock Block headset, spacers, and stem.

 

[sgltrak]

If your brakes are not stopping you, you might want to consider larger rotors if your bike can run them.

 

[grubetown]

Did you be in the brakes?

Wolftooth makes an adapter to integrate SRAM and Shimano.
Sounds like your situation warrants new brakes. Another great first upgrade is tubeless.
I would wait on the other upgrades until you have ridden for a while and see what you like. A wheel set and/or tires should be on your short list.

 

[kolelt]

So I'm looking more so for a great quality performance product. Not so much weight reduction and looks. So the specs of trek remedy 9.8 are https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/...kes/remedy/remedy-9-8/p/24477/?colorCode=teal it's SRAM guide brakes. So not sure how good they are compared to what I mentioned. For tires. What would you recommend. I ride In area that has roots , small amount of rocks and good amount of dirt. Lots of tight turns though. The remedy comes with carbon fiber wheels so not sure if I need to upgrade those. But tires, I could probably use better ones.

 

[kolelt]

Did you be in the brakes?

Wolftooth makes an adapter to integrate SRAM and Shimano.
Sounds like your situation warrants new brakes. Another great first upgrade is tubeless.
I would wait on the other upgrades until you have ridden for a while and see what you like. A wheel set and/or tires should be on your short list.

What do you mean by warrants new brakes ?

 

[mik_git]

warrants; alternative word for needs, in this context.

 

[grubetown]

Before spending money on brakes, did you bed them in?

 

[grubetown]

Also, I should have looked at the specs. You can ride that bike for a long time without any upgrades, especially if you are new.

 

[kolelt]

Before spending money on brakes, did you bed them in?

I guess not. Kinda just took the bike into trails and that's it.

 

[kolelt]

So what you all are saying. Is keep the current set up. Possibly upgrade the pads, and some tires. As far as the stem goes. I’d like something little taller! As far as Shimano brakes. Using the brake lever with SRAM shifter. Would that work together ? Do you need the problem solver or the matchmaker or something ?

 

[sgltrak]

So what you all are saying. Is keep the current set up. Possibly upgrade the pads, and some tires. As far as the stem goes. I'd like something little taller! As far as Shimano brakes. Using the brake lever with SRAM shifter. Would that work together ? Do you need the problem solver or the matchmaker or something ?

You can use a Shimano brake lever and a SRAM shifter. Each will require its own clamp. It will not look as clean on the handlebar, but will work fine. I have that setup on one bike with no issues whatsoever.

Here is a photo of one of my bikes using that setup. The shifter is an older SRAM X9 and the brakes are Shimano M8000.

 

[kevin_sbay]

So I'm looking more so for a great quality performance product. Not so much weight reduction and looks. So the specs of trek remedy 9.8 are https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/...kes/remedy/remedy-9-8/p/24477/?colorCode=teal it's SRAM guide brakes. So not sure how good they are compared to what I mentioned. For tires. What would you recommend. I ride In area that has roots , small amount of rocks and good amount of dirt. Lots of tight turns though. The remedy comes with carbon fiber wheels so not sure if I need to upgrade those. But tires, I could probably use better ones.

For tires, I highly recommend Specialized Purgatory. Great reviews, ride them myself (front + rear), good price, and right now until end of May is Buy One Get One 50% off on Specialized website.

 

[HowMaybesGo]

I am also 240lbs and I don't feel like the brakes on my Remedy 8 struggle to stop me at all. They have a great bite and will lock up if I grab a handful. Maybe see if the shop can take a look at your pads to see if any contaminants have gotten into them.

I like the XR4 tires..... I like the round profile and I never really find myself not having enough traction unless it is wet. I ran these on my Scratch Air, Remedy 29er and the new bike.

If you want to swap the stem there is an adapter (Trek Knock Block Lockring Spacer) you will need. Trek sells it for $40 but I was able to find it online for $19 from ALS.com