I ride what was formerly a 2011 Specialized Rockhopper Expert. Cracked the frame, and Specialized kindly replaced it with a 2012 Carve Pro frame. I love the new frame, but it is outfitted with a mediocre drive train as follows:
Crank: Shimano FC-M430-8 Octalink (44/32/22)
Cassette: Shimano HG30 11-34
Rear mech: Shimano Deore Shadow Long Cage
Front Mech: Shimano Alivio Top Swing, Dual Pull
Shifters: Shimano Deore SL-M590
I ride this bike daily as a commuter (about 14 miles per day) and then swap to my tubeless wheelset for weekend singletrack fun (using the same cassette). I live in an apartment while I am finishing my PhD (one year to go), so I dont have room for a second bike. In 2.5 years, I have put at least 7000 miles on this drive train, off and on-road combined. I have never replaced anything, except for the chain. Since I commute with it on the road, I am in the large 44 chainring and the same 2 or 3 gears on the cassette for most of the miles I ride. These gears are all badly worn, and the 44 chainring is also beat to hell from getting bashed when I am off-road. When on the trails, I am exclusively in the 32 chainring. I am noticing some skipping when cranking hard, which I believe is mostly due to a few worn rings on the cassette. Its obviously about time to replace some things.
I am really not sure how to go about replacing these drive train components in a way that maintains the versatility that I need and makes sense from a dollar standpoint. Sticking with the 9 speed setup in either a 2x (with the proper chainring selection) or 3x crank setup would probably be fine, but I worry about parts availability in the coming years. A 2x10 setup with proper chainring selection and 11-36 cassette would do everything I want, but is expensive since Ill have to replace shifters and derailleurs as well. I would like replacement parts to be at the slx or xt level. Also, I think the crankset should be replaced since a new 44 chainring alone costs a good fraction of a new crankset. The Shimano Octalink setup is also quite heavy.
Anybody have any advice or suggestions for me? I should also note that my wife and I are hoping to move to the Colorado Front Range in about a year, so Ill probably be doing lots of climbing. Additionally, this bike probably will only be used as a commuter for another year until I finish my Ph.D. and get out into the real world. It will eventually be a trail bike exclusively. Thanks for your help ahead of time!
Crank: Shimano FC-M430-8 Octalink (44/32/22)
Cassette: Shimano HG30 11-34
Rear mech: Shimano Deore Shadow Long Cage
Front Mech: Shimano Alivio Top Swing, Dual Pull
Shifters: Shimano Deore SL-M590
I ride this bike daily as a commuter (about 14 miles per day) and then swap to my tubeless wheelset for weekend singletrack fun (using the same cassette). I live in an apartment while I am finishing my PhD (one year to go), so I dont have room for a second bike. In 2.5 years, I have put at least 7000 miles on this drive train, off and on-road combined. I have never replaced anything, except for the chain. Since I commute with it on the road, I am in the large 44 chainring and the same 2 or 3 gears on the cassette for most of the miles I ride. These gears are all badly worn, and the 44 chainring is also beat to hell from getting bashed when I am off-road. When on the trails, I am exclusively in the 32 chainring. I am noticing some skipping when cranking hard, which I believe is mostly due to a few worn rings on the cassette. Its obviously about time to replace some things.
I am really not sure how to go about replacing these drive train components in a way that maintains the versatility that I need and makes sense from a dollar standpoint. Sticking with the 9 speed setup in either a 2x (with the proper chainring selection) or 3x crank setup would probably be fine, but I worry about parts availability in the coming years. A 2x10 setup with proper chainring selection and 11-36 cassette would do everything I want, but is expensive since Ill have to replace shifters and derailleurs as well. I would like replacement parts to be at the slx or xt level. Also, I think the crankset should be replaced since a new 44 chainring alone costs a good fraction of a new crankset. The Shimano Octalink setup is also quite heavy.
Anybody have any advice or suggestions for me? I should also note that my wife and I are hoping to move to the Colorado Front Range in about a year, so Ill probably be doing lots of climbing. Additionally, this bike probably will only be used as a commuter for another year until I finish my Ph.D. and get out into the real world. It will eventually be a trail bike exclusively. Thanks for your help ahead of time!