First bike! Tips please

[jack smith]

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/rockhopper-29er-2014-mountain-bike-ec052284

Picking one of these up on thursday hopefully in red for £260 mint condition first off have i got a good bike for the money? I personally think i have.

Id like to get some mtb shoes and pedals and maybe a few other small bits to get me going on the trails properly, i do have a knockabout mtb but its VERY basic and i run my look keo road pedals on it. But im wanting proper spd's.

Is there anything else i should get such as tyres ect. If anyone has a link for cheap shoes and pedals please let me know too!

 

[jack smith]

Also i dont like the novice sort of look shoukd i go with standard spd pedals or the ones with the flat part around them?

 

[Cycleops]

But not as nice as the original:

 

[Jody]

Looks like a great deal for the money.

Is there anything else i should get such as tyres ect. If anyone has a link for cheap shoes and pedals please let me know too!
View attachment 62607

Tyres look reasonable. Personally I wouldn't change them unless you want something more specific (faster rolling, lighter etc). Ride them first and see how you go

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/m520-spd-pedals-oe--ec050919 M520 OE spec (no fancy package) but you can't get much cheaper than this. Cages round SPD's seem a personal preference.

There are lots of cheap shoes available from £40 upwards (or even £15 if you go to Aldi) but I would advise going into a shop to try them. I wanted a pair in the summer and had decided on one of two models. Went to Evans to try them and thought they were really uncomfortable.

 

[tjones]

I love my Specialized Hardrock (this is the model down from yours) Have done a few 7 hour off road rides on it this year.

My advice would be to get out and ride it first before spending money on modifications.

As for foot ware I use a good pair of walking boots as some of terrain on my rides especially this time of year can involve walking. It is also nice to make it home with dry feet.

 

[Haitch]

As for foot ware I use a good pair of walking boots as some of terrain on my rides especially this time of year can involve walking. It is also nice to make it home with dry feet.

Not having SPDs on at least the first couple of rides will also help you get a feel for the bike and understand when you need to put your foot down or not. It will also save you the embarrassment of clipless moments.

 

[Motozulu]

I think it's best to ride being able to go either clipped or flat - best of both worlds. Some people swear by one or the other - I thought to myself 'learn both!' so I did. best of both worlds.

XC rides - clipped in, on the full suss on the gnarlier stuff - flats.

 

[Spartak]

Bought a Spesh Rockhopper last year
Absolutely love it - really enjoy riding trails but nothing too technical.

 

[jack smith]

Took it out for the forst time on sunday it was REALLY wet and muddy really thick slimey mud and managed a 50th place on strave out of a few thousand so very happy! Think i might be onto somrthing here with mtb, got a Set of mtb shoes and pedals from a recycle place im hoping to voulenteer for and someone had ordered me a full face for christmas as i dont trust my giro road helmet protecting me agaisnt a tree/rocks to the face.

 

[jack smith]

Really want to upgrade this and make it abit lighter/better to ride, whats the best place to start, wheels/ forks? Is it worth going for carbon seatpost stem and bars or will this save hardly anything?

Can someone also also reccomend some cheap light wheels/ best second hand forks and are second hand forks okay?

 

[Cubist]

Check On One for cheap carbon bars...they were doing Knuckleballs for less than 40quid last month. That said, they don't weigh much less than some decent alu bars. Secondhand forks are a bit of a gamble, but stick with something like Rockshox and they are user serviceable/ rebuildable. You can swap the internals around and replace seals with kits available online, but never buy a used fork with damage on the stanchions.

Reba are good light forks for the money, or Xfusion for value. Sector or Recon Air versions may be a bit cheaper.

Superstar components wheels are great value for money, you should be able to get some from their current clearance deals, and if you get their Pacenti rims on switch hubs you'll have a2kg wheelset for peanuts. Going tubeless will save some weight. Check classifieds on Singletrackworld and Pinkbike for used XT or SLX Hollowtech cranks, you should be able to pick some up for £40. I'd save weight on wheels, tyres and cranks before I bought carbon seatpostss or stems. on one CNC stems weight about 140g so aren't a massive penalty.

 

[PaulSecteur]

An off the wall idea...

Instead of spending your money making it lighter, why not spend it on some training?

When I got my Epic I could physically ride it around Cannock chase, but to be honest it felt like it was taking me for a ride.

I did a beginners course with one of the skill schools (chase skills with Alex Brown) and felt a lot better about riding it. I practiced for a while and all was good, I then did another more advanced course and all was better.

Im still no expert, but I do feel more in control, and most importantly for me... I really enjoy riding it.
There does seem to be some stigma attached to getting training "You need someone to teach you to ride a bike?!?!?!" but MTB is sooo much more dynamic than road bikes. Most trail centres have a school, or maybe just organised rides out where you can pick up tips and watch riders with correct techniques.

Just my 2 pence worth...

 

[jack smith]

Im one for picking up stuff as i go along and learning from mistakes really but i dont think id pay to learn skills ect ive got some really good locals around here who have offered help ect, ive even got danny heart just up the rode who i saw riding at the weekend... WOW. got a full face off the family for christmas to boost confidence abit so might run the bike hard and see what i feel needs improving although it will probably be summer when i can afford it

 

[jack smith]

But not as nice as the original:

View attachment 62620

Bloody hell its came on alot!

 

[Levo-Lon]

My advice would be ,rag the wheels off that for a few month ,dont waste money on it..
get a good bike nxt yr ,by good bike I mean a higher spec quality fork drivetrain lighter bike..
that bike is perfect for learning and crashing on.

oh and ger the seat set at the right height for efficient pedling , it will improve yor riding no end

as for the old version posted ? Thank heavens for progress, id never have got back into mtb if they still looked like that or rode like em ...I dont get the rose tint nostalgia thing with push bikes..old bikes are just ....bad memories to me.