Hey all.. I already know what my next bike will be, a Pinarello Dogma FS 29'er. But that's a year or two off. In the meantime i thought i'd make some upgrades to my current 2012 Cube Ltd CC hardtail 26'er. I'm looking to reduce weight, increase performance and add comfort. Not easy to do on a 26" ht i know. I'm not going to go too far down the weight weeney route. I'm not interested in replacing every liitle screw or bolt just to save a gram. I'm mainly looking at wheels/tyres, bar/stem/seatpost and saddle and peddles. Bar and Stem - I'm leaning towards the Loaded Precision X-Lite Napalm carbon bar and stem. My frame is Alunium, but to my knowledge there shouldn't be an issue using a carbon bar and stem. If i'm wrong please let me know. Any othe suggestions for bar and stem are also welcome. Seatpost - Considering two options at the moment, Loaded carbon seatpost and Syntace P6 Hi-Flex carbon. This is one i really want to get right. I'm looking for maximum comfort. Some people are saying not to use a carbon seatpost in an aluminium frame, some say there's no problem. Any advice here would be a huge help. Also suggestions for comfortable yet light seatposts would be welcome. Hubs - Are DT SWISS 240's better than Shimano XT's? What are the best hubs for xc and all day rides? Don't want Chris King, they're too loud for my liking. Told they're heavy too. Suggestions for light and comfy saddles and peddles (flats) needed too. Thanks.
Upgrades
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How about a Whyte T129 or 129S.
T129 > 2013 Models > Bike Category > Home > ATB Sales Ltd
Whyte T-129 ? first ride review - BikeRadar
Use that upgrade money to go directly to the finish.
T129 > 2013 Models > Bike Category > Home > ATB Sales Ltd
Whyte T-129 ? first ride review - BikeRadar
Use that upgrade money to go directly to the finish.
That looks great for under 2k, i'm quite surprised as i was lead to believe that Whyte's are expensive and not good bang for your buck. I'v already decided on my next bike though, which is a fs 29'er called the Dogma by Pinarello. I'm really just looking to make my ht 26'er as good i can, without going too ott.. I'm almost sold on Stan's crest wheels with DT Swiss 240 hubs, but i need to know if the hubs are better than XT's before i commit. But thanks for the suggestion, much appreciated.
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So why exactly are you waiting a year or two to get that Dogma? Cuz I think eb1888's answer was to just use the money that you're going to use on the upgrade to pick up a bike now and I agree with him to a certain extent. When you're talking about doing over $1000 in upgrades, it gets into that gray area on why not just buy a new bike. But maybe you want to keep a nice HT as well as have a FS bike as well. If thats the case, then absolutely upgrade your HT to the way you want it.
I'd like both a 26'er ht and a 29'er fs, which is is why i'm just making upgrades at the moment. As it is, my current ht remains exactly as when i bought it, so there's some heavy parts on there (stock). The wheels and finishing kit especially are both heavy and harsh. i can save a fair amount of weight on these and make it a little more comfortable at the same time.
There's a few reasons why i'm waiting a year or two before i get the Dogma. Firstly, i want to see one in the flesh and ideally try one before i commit. This means i'm probably going to need to travel abroad to do it, as there's nowhere selling them in the uk, at least not that i can find. This is ok though, as i can combine this with a holiday. Secondly, it's a matter of cost. The cheapest i'll get one for is around 6,500 pounds. Not sure what that is in US dollars, around 10k maybe? As i have other commitments at the moment, i don't have the coin to drop on it right now, at least not justifiably. Lastly, the industry. They may not even be making a 29'er in 2 years time. It may be only 650b's they make in this model. Giant for example, have already stated that there main focus is 650b, as they see this as the dominant size in the fairly near future. They say they will still make some 29'ers for the time being, but don't feel confidant in the future of 29'ers. 26'ers are already becoming increasing rare, for XC at least. A year or two ago, for example, German brands like Cube and Radon were prodominately 26'ers. Now they barely do 26'ers at all. So the industry in general appears to be in transition, so it can't hurt to wait a year or so and see what happens. Maybe 29'ers will end up like 26'ers, quite rare?
There's a few reasons why i'm waiting a year or two before i get the Dogma. Firstly, i want to see one in the flesh and ideally try one before i commit. This means i'm probably going to need to travel abroad to do it, as there's nowhere selling them in the uk, at least not that i can find. This is ok though, as i can combine this with a holiday. Secondly, it's a matter of cost. The cheapest i'll get one for is around 6,500 pounds. Not sure what that is in US dollars, around 10k maybe? As i have other commitments at the moment, i don't have the coin to drop on it right now, at least not justifiably. Lastly, the industry. They may not even be making a 29'er in 2 years time. It may be only 650b's they make in this model. Giant for example, have already stated that there main focus is 650b, as they see this as the dominant size in the fairly near future. They say they will still make some 29'ers for the time being, but don't feel confidant in the future of 29'ers. 26'ers are already becoming increasing rare, for XC at least. A year or two ago, for example, German brands like Cube and Radon were prodominately 26'ers. Now they barely do 26'ers at all. So the industry in general appears to be in transition, so it can't hurt to wait a year or so and see what happens. Maybe 29'ers will end up like 26'ers, quite rare?
I was wondering why you were so set on the Dogma without even having tried it, so I looked it up: Video: Details on the Pinarello Dogma XM Full Suspension MTB
Very beautiful! I now understand
Very beautiful! I now understand
Yeah, i must admit it does look nice. When i first became aware of the Dogma, they only had ht's and nothing else. I was a bit sceptical of it at first to be honest. They had all this tech and science to boast about that i thought would be just typical bs company's come out with and people fall for. They've probably just found a way to polish a tird was my 1st impression.
But the more i kept looking on the net, checking independent reviews and such, my opinion changed. It seems that there's substance to there tech. Appears to be the real deal. Not just marketing bs. Time will tell, can't wait to try it.
But the more i kept looking on the net, checking independent reviews and such, my opinion changed. It seems that there's substance to there tech. Appears to be the real deal. Not just marketing bs. Time will tell, can't wait to try it.
Cheers! I'v been looking for something like that but found nothing. I'm the other end of the country, but it's definitely easier to get to london than Italy, lol. I have to try before i buy, especially for that kind of money, and your right about trying others out too. I'm open minded in that respect.
I'm even considering a build as i'v just came across a FS 29'er Frame for 650 pound. It's Cubes top of the line XC Carbon frame. The way they buil that particular model comes in at under 9.9kg, and options to upgrade the bike to save weight are said to be zero, it's as light as it can be.
By buying just the frame for sale price, i can buy the other parts on sale too and save a fair bit. My concern is that i'v never done anything like that before, so i could make an expensive mess of the whole thing. My maintenance knowledge is limited to puncture repair at present, lol.
To go off topic, i'v came across two wheelsets for my 26". Both are around 50% off. Easton EA90 XC's for 365 pound and E.thirteen xcx+ for around 450 pound. I know some Easton wheels have had dodgy rear hub issues, but i'm not worried about that, they now offer a free upgrade kit to solve that issue.
Anyone have any knowledge of these sets. Which is best? Other recommendations also welcome. Thanks.
I'm even considering a build as i'v just came across a FS 29'er Frame for 650 pound. It's Cubes top of the line XC Carbon frame. The way they buil that particular model comes in at under 9.9kg, and options to upgrade the bike to save weight are said to be zero, it's as light as it can be.
By buying just the frame for sale price, i can buy the other parts on sale too and save a fair bit. My concern is that i'v never done anything like that before, so i could make an expensive mess of the whole thing. My maintenance knowledge is limited to puncture repair at present, lol.
To go off topic, i'v came across two wheelsets for my 26". Both are around 50% off. Easton EA90 XC's for 365 pound and E.thirteen xcx+ for around 450 pound. I know some Easton wheels have had dodgy rear hub issues, but i'm not worried about that, they now offer a free upgrade kit to solve that issue.
Anyone have any knowledge of these sets. Which is best? Other recommendations also welcome. Thanks.
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