Bike upgrades :)

Upgrades, yay! Needed something to take my mind off selling the Clio (sob), so the bike had a fair few quid spent on it.

http://aycu21.webshots.com/image/483...3504556_rs.jpg

http://aycu29.webshots.com/image/483...7842941_rs.jpg

It's the same Cape Wrath d27, but now with added:

Rock Shox Reba Team fork,
Mavic 321s/Deore hubs/Continental Slash tyres,
Hayes Stroker Ryde 180m front and rear brakes,
WTB Speed saddle with ABR post,
Raceface Ride XC ISIS crankset with SKF BXC600 bottom bracket.

Rides like a new bike - but then pretty much only the frame, handlebars and shifters are original! Over the summer I'll probably get a new frame, though I'm itching to get on a trail on this to be honest. I've only really taken it around the local parks and to and from work. :)

How long before you fall off it again? ;)

Haven't fallen off this one yet, kept falling off the old one because it was way too big for XC stuff. Fine for the commute, but that was about it. 18" frame for the win. :)

Really makes me want to get back out on my Marin. I'd taken it in for a service and had disc brakes fitted then in the same week put my back out playing squash :(

Nice job though Lowe.

/goes off to inspect bike and sob

wheres a good place for a service? my bike is very mis aligned/dodgy and im really unsure how to do any repairs on it!

^I'd say look for a specialist bike dealer that's local to you - they're more likely to know their stuff. I neither have the time, space or the tools to perform a full service on mine so it's easier to just whip it in and collect it when it's ready.

What are the Rebas and Strokers like? I run pikes with a rear avid Juicy on my Bottlerocket (hmm, to the uninitiated that must sound rather dodgy). I only wish I had some time to actually go out and ride.

Jack - find a local bike shop (LBS) and see how much a service is. Mine does a complete strip down, clean, re grease and rebuild (inc fork) for about 30 quid.

Clockwork - not really sure what the Reba is like to be honest. I've not got a lot to compare it to apart from the Suntour XCR which was on the bike before, and like I said I've not had a chance to really try it on any kind of hard terrain. Initial impressions are good though, the travel is nice and smooth and the amount of options for adjustment leave me a bit boggled. The handlebar pop lock and compression adjustment is really nice though, stops you having to take your attention away from what's going on in front of you and reaching down.

The brakes are superb - I had the standard Quad QH1's on before, and though they were good, the Strokers are something else. The Strokers are a tad more progressive than the Quads though the final stopping power between the two is about the same - no surprise there I guess since the discs are the same size. Again once I get out on something a bit more testing I'll get a better idea. :)