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Hi, guys. I thought I 'd share what I've done to my cheap bike to make it ride better. It started its life as a shimano tourney 3×7 drivetrain with the worst tyres ever. The shifts were so violent that I often slipped off the pedals. And the tyres started ripping from the side. I got a lot of wrist pain from the unresposive fork, but the esi grips took that away and gave me too much confidence🤣 I had to buy a rear wheel with a HG freehub, since the previous wheel was only compatible with freewheels. Not to mention the fact that the axle had to be replaced like 3 times due to snapping. Yes I abused the bike a lot. I used to be a student at NWU in Potchefstroom and I liked riding like a hooligan😅 Used it for all my transport needs. The new rear wheel has proven to be reliable and still true, albeit some unknown Chinese brand naned Shunfeng🤣. I had to upgrade the mech brakes and drivetrain simultaneously because the brake lever and shifter were one piece. I had to buy a basic bike toolkit first and learn from youtube how to install a drivetrain. So I bought a 1×10 shimano deore from the previous gen with the onboard derailleur hanger. But the cassette was too large for the derailleur to accommodate so a long screw had to be used to make it work. Which lived bending. Not to mention the chain moving to a smaller gear from the biggest when back pedaling. I took the single chainring crankset off and installed an overkill shimano slx crankset. Which made it pop. But I didnt want such a great cimponent to not enjoy its full potential. Eventually sold the slx and bought a 1×11 sram nx groupset. Which has been great so far. I love the locking mechanism on the derailleur. And it shifts much better. There are more upgrades needed when funds becime available. I'll update when that happens. Any suggestions?

Apologies if this thread exists elsewhere but I haven't found it. I recently got into cycling again and decided not to splurge on a new bike and picked up a decentish 2nd hand bike. I am loving the sport and am in a constant love hate relationship with my bike, possibly bike envy and the love for something new/ more upgraded. I have a 29er hard tail, I love the look of my bike all the angles are great and aggressive but it has a Shimano Altus 3 x 9 drive train which I am not so happy with. So my questions are: is it possible to convert it to a 1 x 10/11/12? Is this a conversion that I could do? Or would it be better / more cost effective to simply buy something newer?

Hi guys Currently have Shimano 2300 (8spd) on my Specialized Secteur. Been riding for about 2 years now and feel like it's time for an upgrade. Have got no issues with the brakes or crank (compact), but the shifting is starting to bug me. Also would like to get a wider range cassette, maybe something like a 11-26 (13-26 current). Don't have a fortune to spend, so my question is is it worth it to upgrade to Tiagra components, or should I hold out and replace with 105's? Thanks

Being new to mtb I recently got a 2014 Anthem X29er 1 which I absolutely love . I intend getting the Giant dropper post for it but what would be other worthwhile upgrades for it if any. It's SLX throughout with XT rd. Would any upgrades be noticeable to me with my limited experience in mtb ? Your commets will be greatly appreciated

Hi guys. I am posed with a bit of a problem. I am looking at buying a entry level MTB. The plan is to ride once during the week and then over the weekends. Then doing at least one fun ride (about 10km) every 2 months. I am about 1.7 tall. (Read short). I have been looking at the Axis A60 (26'') hydraulic disc brakes or the Trek Marlin (29'') with mechanical disc brakes. The issue now is... do i go for a 26'' with better specs or for a 29'' and maybe look to upgrade components later. Alternatively the secondhand market is a entirely different prospect, but it does come down to the same question 29'' / 650b small frame (not too common for a good price) or a 26'' with reasonable specs (because everyone seems to be selling them to upgrade to 29'')? Please help?

Hi there. I need advice on my upgrade. I recently bought a 12 speed upgrade for my 11 speed. I first double checked that the hub doesn't have to change and from what I saw, I was good to go. I thought, 'heck let's try to do this myself'. So I fit the 12 speed GX eagle and everything seem to fit, but when I place my wheel on the bike and tighten it, the cassette doesn't seem to move freely backwards. Forwards it's free though. What am I doing wrong