I will put XT Hubs into my wheels. All Shimano QR Hubs beneath XT have 9 mm Front axles and 10 mm rear axles, with a 5 mm hole in the axle for the QR. If you go too wild you can break these axles, this happened to me just weeks ago. QR XT Hubs have a much thicker axle and just a thin end for the dropout. They don't break.
Upgrades I’ve already done on both my bikes: New suspension Forks, New Grips, New tires, New handlebars, New saddles, new Pedals, New stems… you get the point😅
One of the best and cheapest ways to upgrade your suspension that most people don't seem to consider is to change the damper oil weight, for example my rockshox revelation didn't handle fast braking bumps very well, it couldn't respond fast enough and would packed down and feel very harsh, so I changed from the stock 5 weight to a 2.5 weight and the problem was fixed, now it performs just as well as the lyrik with the charger damper I had on my 2017 slash.
I did this with a Suntour Aion fork which was just a bit harsh on small bumps. I changed out the damper oil for 5wt (I think). Result was a much smoother ride on small bumps. I’ve had 2 different Suntour forks of good quality as me I did this with great results
I've upgraded my 130mm 2017 Pike air spring to the 2019/20 Debonair and raised it to 140mm (68 degree HA, every little helps but now have ordered a -6 degree stem 10mm longer (original is 0 degrees) to get the bars back down to where they were)...I was tempted to go 150mm but glad I haven't!
@@bikeradar It's an integrated headset so unfortunately a no go...If I'd been able to do that and go to 67 I'd have gone 150mm on the forks too for another degree off and 66!!
cockpit, cranks and tyres are my go too if i feel they need to be upgraded. Not a massive fan of high rise bars so i tend to stick to 10 to 20mm bars might get away with a 25mm. Stem length also important for as well depending on the bike because there's no worse feeling of feeling cramped on the bike. i am very picky on grips and crank length is important. I can't decide whether to go 165mm cranks or 170mm, i love the feel of the 165mm crank length as i can move my hips better in the turns which helps me with confidence and to help steer the bike way better than a 175mm cranks which for me are way to long.... and good set of tyres will help with confidence. once those are sorted i can look at the rest of the bike and make a better judgement on the costly upgrades.
So just replace the brakes, rotors, handlebar, stem (don't forget grips), fork, dropper post, wheels and tires? How about my worn out drivetrain? Can I leave that alone? Yea, that sounds way cheaper than a new bike.
If your drivetrain is worn out, we'd recommend replacing it, but not upgrading it if it's already a decent spec. This isn't a guide to what to replace when worn out, but to upgrade a functioning bike
Great point, can still be done if you change the CSU as well though. We have seen people do this with Marzocchi's Z1. Fit a 36 performance CSU and GRIP2 damper
I have a 2012 model Giant MTB with good geometry. The frame is good but everything around it is showing it's age, and it has v-brake rim brakes. I been trying to decide if it's worth restoring, with new components. Or saving up a bit more and getting a new bike with disc brakes.
I would recommend you guys upgrade that jaw droppingly lame set your filming in. Really, a couple of cheapo IKEA shelves with some random crap chucked on. 😂😂😂
What's the one upgrade you'd make to your mountain bike? 👇
I will put XT Hubs into my wheels. All Shimano QR Hubs beneath XT have 9 mm Front axles and 10 mm rear axles, with a 5 mm hole in the axle for the QR.
If you go too wild you can break these axles, this happened to me just weeks ago.
QR XT Hubs have a much thicker axle and just a thin end for the dropout. They don't break.
Handlebar grip and pedal
Proper pedals versus OEM ones can really help!
Colored bolts.... Makes it "look" faster😂
Upgrades I’ve already done on both my bikes: New suspension Forks, New Grips, New tires, New handlebars, New saddles, new Pedals, New stems… you get the point😅
One of the best and cheapest ways to upgrade your suspension that most people don't seem to consider is to change the damper oil weight, for example my rockshox revelation didn't handle fast braking bumps very well, it couldn't respond fast enough and would packed down and feel very harsh, so I changed from the stock 5 weight to a 2.5 weight and the problem was fixed, now it performs just as well as the lyrik with the charger damper I had on my 2017 slash.
I did this with a Suntour Aion fork which was just a bit harsh on small bumps. I changed out the damper oil for 5wt (I think). Result was a much smoother ride on small bumps. I’ve had 2 different Suntour forks of good quality as me I did this with great results
@@robhargraves3805 Yep, its cheap and a great way to upgrade your damper without having to spend an arm and a leg on a high end damper.
Great tip! Will likely void your warranty on a new fork though, so be careful!
Baseball cards in the spokes..best upgrade I ever did.
i upgraded the tyres, rotors, brakes, copper free brake pads, front and rear suspension and groupset. makes the bike so much more reliable and fun.
I've upgraded my 130mm 2017 Pike air spring to the 2019/20 Debonair and raised it to 140mm (68 degree HA, every little helps but now have ordered a -6 degree stem 10mm longer (original is 0 degrees) to get the bars back down to where they were)...I was tempted to go 150mm but glad I haven't!
Sounds like some nice upgrades! Be a prime candidate for an angleset to slack it out further if possible!
@@bikeradar It's an integrated headset so unfortunately a no go...If I'd been able to do that and go to 67 I'd have gone 150mm on the forks too for another degree off and 66!!
cockpit, cranks and tyres are my go too if i feel they need to be upgraded. Not a massive fan of high rise bars so i tend to stick to 10 to 20mm bars might get away with a 25mm. Stem length also important for as well depending on the bike because there's no worse feeling of feeling cramped on the bike. i am very picky on grips and crank length is important. I can't decide whether to go 165mm cranks or 170mm, i love the feel of the 165mm crank length as i can move my hips better in the turns which helps me with confidence and to help steer the bike way better than a 175mm cranks which for me are way to long.... and good set of tyres will help with confidence. once those are sorted i can look at the rest of the bike and make a better judgement on the costly upgrades.
So just replace the brakes, rotors, handlebar, stem (don't forget grips), fork, dropper post, wheels and tires? How about my worn out drivetrain? Can I leave that alone? Yea, that sounds way cheaper than a new bike.
If your drivetrain is worn out, we'd recommend replacing it, but not upgrading it if it's already a decent spec. This isn't a guide to what to replace when worn out, but to upgrade a functioning bike
grip damper on a rhythm cannot be swapped for a grip 2. only performance level forks can do that...
Great point, can still be done if you change the CSU as well though. We have seen people do this with Marzocchi's Z1. Fit a 36 performance CSU and GRIP2 damper
Thanks for the new information
But…what about new bike day?! 😂
Well, if you absolutely have to have new bike day, who are we to stop you!
I have a 2012 model Giant MTB with good geometry. The frame is good but everything around it is showing it's age, and it has v-brake rim brakes. I been trying to decide if it's worth restoring, with new components. Or saving up a bit more and getting a new bike with disc brakes.
Just upgradet new rim with same hubs, shorter stem, shorter cranks, mtrx bb, air fork,
I would recommend you guys upgrade that jaw droppingly lame set your filming in. Really, a couple of cheapo IKEA shelves with some random crap chucked on. 😂😂😂
Just shows how versatile hardtails can be!
i got a £180 hardtail lmfao
PNW Loam Grips.
i almost got the loams but went with the Sdg thrice 31's Gotta say after a season of riding i wasn't disappointed.
Grips are a great cheap upgrade to boost comfort for sure, and we do like the loam grips!