[jfall]

I started biking last year and immediately fell in love with it, I soon realized that my cheap hard tail wasn't cutting it anymore. I came across a 2009 SJ FSR Expert Carbon at the end of the summer for a really good price that I just couldn't pass up. Anyway, this is my first specialized bike and I got out on 20 or so good rides at the end of last year and absolutely loved it, but I'm wondering what upgrades/tuning I can do to get the most out of it this upcoming summer. Last year I spent most of my time just playing with the suspension setup and component placement etc but I didn't add or change any parts.

Any recommendations or tips for a newbie specialized rider or things I should look out for? I've read that some people have problems with the avid elixirs, is there any concern there or preventative maintenance I can do? Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Lambdamaster]

it looks like you've got a pretty nice setup as it. I wouldn't worry about the elixirs
unless you are looking to throw money at it, the only things I would recommend are new tires if you aren't happy with your current ones, and ghetto tubeless. also I'd look into a nice thin saddle like a selle italia SLR

 

[jfall]

it looks like you've got a pretty nice setup as it. I wouldn't worry about the elixirs
unless you are looking to throw money at it, the only things I would recommend are new tires if you aren't happy with your current ones, and ghetto tubeless. also I'd look into a nice thin saddle like a selle italia SLR

Actually it did come with a nice seat but I find the thin ones too uncomfortable. Maybe it just takes getting used to? I swapped it out for the one pictured which was taken from my older cheaper bike

 

[Lambdamaster]

if you haven't already, invest in a couple pairs of nice cycling-specific shorts. Pearl Izumi are the most comfortable in my opinion. Also yes, thin saddles do sometimes take a little bit to get used to.

 

[jfall]

if you haven't already, invest in a couple pairs of nice cycling-specific shorts. Pearl Izumi are the most comfortable in my opinion. Also yes, thin saddles do sometimes take a little bit to get used to.

No, I normally just wear regular shorts. What advantage does a thin saddle offer? Just better aerodynamics?

 

[Lambdamaster]

Weight, aesthetics, and blimb-like plushy saddles often create pressure points and restrict blood flow which causes pain/numbness.

 

[Hawgzilla]

Unless you are trying to lighten your bike's weight, I wouldn't change anything...it looks bullet proof.

But, if you want to lighten it up some.....

 

[skyliner1004]

nice bike, just upgrade what you find as the next bottleneck in the bike.

elixirs: i have the elixir 4's on my bike and they howled, until my mechanic trued the rotors. now its kinda gone, but i still get squealing. if you're are fine no need to touch them

 

[mtbswindler]

rear shock.. thats all i can see...

 

[jut8]

Carbon bars are always a nice upgrade that you can feel right away. Specialized just came out with some new ones this year too that offer a bunch of different widths and rises. It looks like you have a pretty solid setup there though, its hard to pick it apart.

But if your not wearing padded shorts, you want to buy a set of those before you do anything else. The specialized body geometry offerings have always worked great for me.

 

[TiCain]

Very sweet bike, for comfort, bike shorts are a must. I've had very good luck with WTB saddles, with a smaller saddle you can shift your weight around on your bike much easier.
Take care, that's a great bike, you'll enjoy it for years.

 

[dstdub]

you can actually just get stans and their tubeless valves. my wife's bike has the exact same wheels/tires and they came out of the factory tubeless ready(including tape inside). if you bought this from a dealer, they should have given you matching tubeless vales as well. if yif you have that, then you just need stans sealant. but it is a great setup as is.

 

[rosborn]

Yes, saddles do take some getting used to. Just like a new pair of shoes, they need to be broken in. If you like the saddle you have put on your bike stick with it. However, part of the problem with a saddle like that is the padding will move from your sit bone areas toward the center of your contact areas which will increase the pressure in the most sensitve areas of your contact points. The harder saddles don't have as much padding and, therefore, greatly reduce the movement of the padding. Cycling shorts have chamois (padding) in them that absorb a great deal of the stiffness/hardness of the saddle. Pearl Izumi (~ $100) are my favorites too.

By the way, very nice bike!

 

[mcmurv]

1. Get some decent cranks. I love my S-Work carbon cranks.
2. Egg Beaters
3. Carbon Bars
4. Sworks Saddle
5. Get a professional bike fit.
6. Pearl Izumi shorts

The points above about blood flow and pain are all valid. If you have soreness from a smaller saddle most likely, it isn't positioned properly or isn't the right size.

There are some good baggies out there, but some good bike shorts really do save your butt.

Happy Trails!

 

[mcmurv]

Oh and you have a gorgeous bike. I love that nude carbon Speci did that year. I was in my LBS this morning and saw a Roubais from the same year with the same lay up. It was hot, like your bike.

 

[Foxman11]

Nice ride man! I agree with all the guys up above about the seat and shorts. Get the Specialized phenom or phenom SL. Sick looking seat and doesn't affect blood flow to the boys.
New XTR M960 or M970 crank would be a nice upgrade with M970 XTR pedals. Get rid of the rear shock and switch to a Fox.
Other than that, don't change a thing!!

 

[madbomber89]

Sweet ride. I would get a different saddle. I agrre with the phenom sl. Also with the carbon fiber bar. I would switch out the headset to a Chris king. Depending what hub you have I would throw on a king or a hadley. I have the 08 stumpy expert. Love the bike. Rear shock not my favorite. Would take out the brain shock and put on an rp23.

 

[NeverFree]

Dont spend money on your bike just for the sake of spending money.

This will be your second year of riding. Nothing on that bike will hold you back. Maybe the saddle... But everyone has their own idea of comfort...

You mentioned you don't have any bike shorts (padded). A good place to spend some bike related money this year would be getting some nice shorts and if you don't already some nice jerseys.

The jerseys dont have to be like what the pros wear you can get t-shirt style jerseys as well. As far as shorts go, go to your LBS and try some on see whats comfy. Don't cheap out on shorts either. get something mid-high end and you'll appreciate them.

If you want to change that saddle hopefully your lbs has a tool for measuring the width of your sit bones and a good saddle test program. sit on the gauge to see what width should be ideal then pick a saddle from there. The more you ride the more you'll get used to less padded saddles but you don't have to get one like that right away, just be a good idea to step away from the one you have now.


This year though if I were in your shoes, I would focus on getting some nice riding clothing.

Whats your helmet like? Do you know how to change a flat? and if so do you carry along a spare tube on your rides?

 

[tonyxcom]

I've got the same bike. Although mine is heavily upgraded I would upgrade the cassette to XT and down the line think about a lighter wheelset.

I weighed the wheels and this is what I got. Nothing wrong with them, but if you really wanted to upgrade something I think a wheelset would give you the best bang for your buck.

2009 DT X420SL w/ DT 370 Rear Hub 32H 1056g with rim tape
2009 DT X420SL w/ Stout Front Hub 28H 802g with rim tape
Front RWS Skewer 10mm 52g
Rear RWS Skewer 9mm 52g