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Hey guys ive biked since i was a little kid but never had skills at it… recently i dropped from 300 lbs to 220lbs and found that everything became easier about a year ago i bought a Specialized HardRock Sport for like 350$ from the local bike shop only cause i knew i wouldent kill it like walmart bikes 😈 lol but now im realizing what i can do with it and want to get better so ill be hitting trails asap when the weather gets nice 😃 well my bikes all stock besides the rear gears or cassete i think its called i want to convert to disc brakes asap… any tips for the newest newb? anything from suggested upgrades to trail gear to carry or trail ride techniques? anything would help!
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Welcome to the sport man, hope you love it as much as we all do.
Anyways, as for things you may want to consider taking with you on the trail,
First Aid Kit, size depending on what you believe would be necessary, a pre-made one from a store usually does the trick.
Munchies! If you are doing some serious riding and plan on being out there for more than I’d say 1 hour, then you should definitely be bringing something to eat. Stupid pointer, but make sure it’s something that is going to give you energy, not huge cramps, so leave that Big Mac at home.
Drinkage. Probably the most important thing you will want, even going on a short 30 min ride, you should always bring water or something that will hydrate you with, without it, you will be sucking wind and ready to pass out.
Portable tools for the bike. Again if you plan on doing something that will take you out into the wild, you will want a patching kit, multi-tool, mini pump, at the very least, I know a lot of people who bring chain links and such in case of a broken chain, this is all preference but always be prepared to say the least.
That’s kinda my list of things that you want to bring along. There’s usually more / less depending on the rider. Help me out guys if there’s more I’m not thinking about, I’m at work so my mind is slightly diverted here.
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Go to your local libary and check out some mt bike books. They will give you some ideas on basic skills, repairs, etc. Also stop by you local bike shops for where to ride, if there are any group rides, skill clinics and info on mt bike clubs. Great way to meet follow riders. Most of all have fun!
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Cell Phone. It may seem incongrous but most trails are not as far out as they used to be. It could save your life (or at least shorten your discomfort) if you are injured, it can summon help for you or your bike, newer smart phones have GPS if you get lost, and some have internet so you can check Singletracks when you stop for lunch…… 😃
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thanks guys what about some suggested upgrades?
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Well as you mentioned before, disc brakes will be nice. Either mechanical (like the BB7) or hydraulic (maybe the juicey3)
Clipless pedals if you are into getting more power from your pedaling.
Tubeless tires might be anothet one. All depends if you want to set the system up for that (not really difficult anyhow).
Sorry if I misspelled anything trying to use my ipod touch and its taking me forever!
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Upgrade the rear derailluer and shifters when you feel ready XT or X.9 are nice and not ridiculously priced. You could also think about carbon handlebars and/or seatpost…
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Welcome ‘freak,
…from a fellow clydesdale. I have come from teetering around that 300# mark to just over 200# and feel great now. Congrats on your recent reduction. Just stay active and you will continue to feel good. Biking is a fantastic way to stay active and thus, fit.The only thing I would add to what the others have said is to make sure you have comfortable riding apparel. Some guys ride comfortably all day in T-shirts and gym shorts. I have always had a problem with "saddle soreness" until recently when I tried padded bike shorts. It made a world of difference in my comfort level especially on extended rides. Don’t know if or not you’ll experience a problem, but if you should, you’ll know that there is something you can try that may help to keep you riding. A sweat wicking jersey is also a "plus" for comfort, if you get tired of the sopping T-shirt thing.
The most important thing is that you get out there and do it, no matter what for a ride or gear you have. As you ride, you’ll discover what upgrades you need or would like. That’s part of the fun. Speaking of FUN; have lots of it!!!!
gw -
First and foremost, welcome aboard brother. I’m almost positive the Specialized Hardrock comes stock with a 100mm RST Gila front fork. One of the first things you’ll want to consider upgrading is the fork. A good fork for a newb would be the Manitou Splice Comp with air assist or the Manitou Minute. these are both great forks for the price and will give you 30mm more travel and make you’re ride ALOT more plush. Depending on what you choose you’ll be looking at anything from $150 to $350 for a decent pair of entry level forks. Other than that ride hard and have fun!!!! 😄
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"NismoFreak69" wrote
Hey guys ive biked since i was a little kid but never had skills at it… recently i dropped from 300 lbs to 220lbs and found that everything became easier about a year ago i bought a Specialized HardRock Sport for like 350$ from the local bike shop only cause i knew i wouldent kill it like walmart bikes 😈 lol but now im realizing what i can do with it and want to get better so ill be hitting trails asap when the weather gets nice 😃 well my bikes all stock besides the rear gears or cassete i think its called i want to convert to disc brakes asap… any tips for the newest newb? anything from suggested upgrades to trail gear to carry or trail ride techniques? anything would help!
Impressive weight loss NismoFreak. Glad to see you are enjoying the sport. I like the idea of clipless pedals and XT shifter after you have gained some skills. Lots of good advice from other riders on this post too. If you really get into it and start hitting up some of the backcountry trails near you in the George Washington National Forest, you may want to think about a full suspension bike in the future. Rocks, rocks and more rocks on the GWNF. I have a FS bike and a Hard Rock Sport too. Ride both quite a bit – but more on the squishy.
Again welcome to the forum and enjoy the ride!
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"Mongoose" wrote
What is the stock fork with this HRS?
That would be 100mm RST Gila front fork
well i hit my first real mtb trail and had alotta fun gotta do it more i want to be better… now my q? is wth do you do when you come up on things you cant ride over or even jump too well… remember im new just bunny hoping things isnt to easy for me
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well, I’d say practice the jumping, if it’s a bunny hop, or J-hop doesn’t matter, whatever will give you air to clear the obstacle.
However, I know a few people who can’t quite do that yet, and just come up to, let’s say a log, at walking pace, than they will do a lunge. Which is pulling up on the front and have the front wheel land on it, than kinda push yourself forward to roll over it (er I’m bad at explaining things)
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deffinately man ive got a 2 mile park 2 blocks away. im hopping speed bumps and other small obstacles to try n get better
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yeah back in the older clydesdale days i thought takign the front brakes off would help my weigh and maybe get some air it was giving me probelms yesterday on the trail but my dog decided the brake pads where4 gonna be lunch a few weeks ago and hvent gotten around to buying new pads i figure f*#% it ill use the rear ones on the frotn now i got a
how does a hydralic brake work… never seen on and does it have a resevoir on the bars like dirt bike brakes? and are they generally more expensive? -
had a local biker explain to me the hydraulics so they do have a smaller but added weigh of a resevoir on my handle bars… ummm he had a mechanical rear disc brake the bb6s to be exact and they wouldent stop me for shit… granted he is alot smaller… soooo id need STRONG stopping power from my discs cause my regular brakes dont do a bad jump as it is…
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ok new Q? is a bigger mm size mean better stopping? and on this link ( http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/ … ke+09.aspx ) is that all i need? i got the rim in the works already but do i need mounts or something else? i havent gotten to check out some hydraulic brakes yet but links would be much appreciated thanks guys youve helped me alot already!!!
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If I might elaborate on the ‘operate cooler’ portion of Mongoose’s response a bit…
Running cooler directly translates into MUCH better stopping power after you’ve been on the brakes for awhile. This is true whether you’re talking about bikes, cars, big-rigs, or trains.
You might find that the smaller rotors work similarly (just slightly worse) than the larger, on first application; but halfway down a scary one, those smaller rotors have heated and faded away to nothing. Especially with mechanical, the force required to even hold your current speed, let alone stop (if you even can if they’re truly faded away), becomes painful at times.As Mongoose said, for downhill the larger rotors are a must. (I have to say, I’d imagine they’re a must – I don’t have the titanium cajones to go balls out down that gnarly stuff)
For XC, perhaps not, unless you anticipate lots of lengthy downs that you have to keep the speed constantly under control. -
I agree, it is quite the rush. Problem is, when you go down that fast because the brakes are shot and you really didn’t feel like it at the time…
(Yes, I have lost them on the hills – BB5’s) (Yes, it’s a freaking rush) (Yes, I’d rather have chosen the situation) (No, I don’t want to do that one again)
Hat’s off to ‘goose and the other dh’ers who choose that as their rush of choice. (not speaking of lost brakes, just the semi-outofcontrol rush)
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First of all I would like to congratulate you on your weight loss coming from a former chubby. I lost 50 lbs. after I started mt biking myself. I currently weigh 240 lbs. but I’m not fat so I would recommend a fork upgrade. That would be your biggest and most noticeable improvement. If you currently have 4" travel I might not upgrade to more than 5" because you may throw your geometry off too much. Just a nicer fork with 5" of travel would be great. You may also have to upgrade your wheelset if you knock it out of true constantly.
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lol ok whats a wheel set im pretty sure its the gears on the back wheel… well theyve been replaced i ripped a set out and i mean broke gears in half… but yesterday i broke the chain anyone got suggestions on buy a new chain?
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how does a hydralic brake work… never seen on and does it have a resevoir on the bars like dirt bike brakes? and are they generally more expensive?
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