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I have a 2010 Gary Fisher Cobia and am happy with the bike, but I am looking to put just a little money into some sort of upgrade ($150 or less). What would be the most beneficial upgrade with the limited resources I currently have? Right now it is stock beside a Titec Hellbent stem and Crank Bros. Cobalt 3 flat handlebar. Drivetrain? Seatpost? Thanks for the help!
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Sounds like a case of upgraditis…welcome to the party.
First off, if you don’t like the current feel of a specific item on your bike, figure out why that is and replace it with something that will feel better. Grips, saddle, and pedals are your connection points to the bike and are all a highly personal choice. If you don’t like one of these areas because it’s causing discomfort, make sure you have the bike fitted properly. If everything is fitted properly and you are still having discomfort it might be time to replace the part with something that fits your body better.
Tires connect you to the trail so they are also very important. The problem with tires is that there are so many models and brands out there that you have to know where, what, and how you will be riding to really make an informed decision rather than just throwing a dart and buying whatever it lands on.
I’d only really worry about bars and stem if your current ones don’t fit you correctly. Sure you can get a stronger and lighter stem or bars that dull some of the trail buzz but that’s not as noticeable of an upgrade as better shifting unless you are totally thrashing your bike to the point of component failure. If that were the case, you’d already know which parts to replace and we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
If you are looking to improve performance of your bike with that $150, rather than just mainly adding "bling" factor, upgrade the drive train. For my money, I’d buy the best rear derailleur I could find for $150. The RD is one of those parts that you’ll really feel a difference in performance between lower end models and upper end stuff. You’ll feel a difference in an upgraded front derailleur as well but not nearly as large of a difference, IMO. If you go this route, you’ll probably want to buy a new cable for the RD instead of trying to reuse your old one and hoping that the lengths will be the same. Make sure the new RD is compatible with your current shifters as well. Some SRAM and Shimano stuff will play nice, others won’t.
The most noticeable upgrades you can make on a bike will normally be the wheels and fork but both of those are also the most expensive and are going to be out of your price range unless you buy lower end stuff. Why spend money to fix something that isn’t broken and doesn’t offer any advantages over the current components?
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What to start with…
The Recon fork is a good one. Not top notch, but solid
The RD is X7 – not bad, the FD Deore – is okay too and so are the shifters.
Alivio crankset…..
Tires – not a big fan of Bontragertires and replaced them rigth away
Breakes, never had those Promax stuffFor myself, I woud upgrade the drivedrain to X7 or higher (or to SLX).
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I think you are looking at 2011 specs for the Cobia rather than the 2010 specs.
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On the 2010 Cobia:
Fork: Rock Shox Tora Solo Air (80mm)
Drivetrain: X-5
Brakes: Avid BB5
Tires have been replaced with Kenda SB8s -
According to Trek, that’s the 2010
http://www.trekbikes.com/de/de/bikes/2010/archive/cobia
and here’s the 2009, with the parts you listed
http://www.trekbikes.com/de/de/bikes/2009/archive/cobiaAnyway, upgrade your drivetrain to X7, stick with the Tora for now and see if it works for you.
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Lol at you guys! If you’re happy with the way it shifts now, I would go with clipless pedals and shoes. If you already have those, I might suggest carbon handle bars or new tires. Check out maxxis, kenda, and continental.
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Best use of $150…gold plated cable ferrules!!!
You’ll ride supa faster and the new shine will blind everyone around you making them ride even slower.
BLING BLING!!!!!!
😼 😼
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😆
Nothing makes you faster than bling bling -
I would add another $35 and buy adjustable seatpost (got KindShock for myself) – that will definitely change the way You ride and boost Your skills and confidence. And for other components on your bike – let ’em wear out and replace with something better then.
Keep riding and have fun 😀 -
I’ll be the deviant one here–how about don’t spend the money. I mean, you’re already satisfied with the bike, so why do you want to change anything about it?
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"Robbieisbobert" wrote
I’ll be the deviant one here–how about don’t spend the money. I mean, you’re already satisfied with the bike, so why do you want to change anything about it?
Not bad advice, then you could use the $150 for a road trip to go riding somewhere! Nothing better than a road trip to check out new trails.
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"dozzerboy" wrote
I would go with clipless pedals and shoes.
+1 – best upgrade you can do. I’ll ride without gears, or suspension, but I gotta have my clipless pedals.
After that, tubeless tire set up.
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I went to clipless pedals this last fall and like it a lot. A lot more powerful and fluid pedal stroke! Also, I am liking that idea of a road trip to go ride somewhere else. I might just have to do that once the weather dries out here in the Midwest.
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