Can you guy's help me here

[seanzzo]

Hi there, I bought an 855 from the original owner about 3 years ago it's my first mountain bike I know little or nothing about mtb's except that there a blast I'm 5'10" 245lb's and this thing does take a beating and keep's on ticking BUT as I said I know almost nothing about bicycles (harley type bikes are a diferant story I build my own) and I would like to upgrade my components crank,bottem bracket,DISC BRAKEScassette You get my drift. any help would be greatly apreciated
sean
southern maine. USA

[kneedowndean]

Well I can tell you what I did too my bike which has transformed it. Firstly I put some Riser handlebars on,not too high, cross country types. The best thing I did was fit NR2 Shocks front and rear, it made such a difference.

If your gear compnents are worn, change them first.  It will make the bike so much more enjoyable to ride if it changes gear when you want and doesn't jump out of gear when you stand. I have a mix of XT and SRAM Gripshift components. Remember, if the gears are worn you have to change them as a group, ie you will need a new chain,new cassette and maybe new chainrings or it wont work.

As long as your components are ok I would think about some lighter wheels. Its the same as on Motorbikes, cos its a rotating mass its worth a lot more to save a bit of weight on the wheels than on the frame. I went for XT Hub Mavic X517 Rear rim, and XTR Hub Mavic X517 Ceramic rim up front. The ceramic coating makes the brakes work better in the rain. I changed the brakes from Magura hydraulic rim brakes to Shimano XTR V brakes. In my opinion these are some of the best stoppers out there and I saw no need to go to the expense of fitting Discs. The rest of my components are standard stuff, a mix of LX,XT and XTR with Gripshift Shifters.

Of course it all depends on how much you want to spend, I've slowly upgraded my bike since I had it. Rest assured you have a top notch frame,even though your components are tired.I wouldn't even think of changing my Frame for anything else.

Hope this helps, if you need anymore info just let me know.

Steve

[Frankd3000]

Here here! (applauds)

Sean, it might help if we know what type of riding you do. Is it a mix, just one type, maybe a bit of everything? This will hlep for giving better (accurate) suggestion. CrossLink forks aren't really a DH fork, if you know what I mean. Conversly, XC bikes that weigh 35 pounds usually leave you winded pretty quick. You've given a good description of yourself, but this would help also.

[seanzzo]

now what do you think about this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=42330&item=7149248089&rd=1
or this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=56193&item=7149770001&rd=1

[Swissnic]

Hi,

I just bought something similar to what your thinking about...  

SRAM X.9 Triggers: $80.00
SRAM X.0 Rear:  $128.00
RaceFace Evolve XC II Crankset + integrated X-Type BB: $160.00
ConnexWipperman Chain: $45.00
SRAM PG990 cassette: $80.00

Thats nearly $500 plus S&H!!!  Okay, so I hand-picked each of my items, and got maybe slightly higher spec than your second auction - but I'm not sure the extra quality was worth the extra $200 or so!!!  [smiley=depressed.gif]

Make sure everything will fit okay - I had problems with SRAM X-Gen Front Mech's on my OZ  [smiley=worry.gif], ended up having to use Shimano (spit) XTR, but other than that - if you happy with the X.9 instead of X.0, then go for it!!!  The SRAM drive is ultra ultra excellent!!!!  I love it!

Hope this helps!  Any other info - just ask!  

Nic.

[seanzzo]

what's the diferance between the x9 and the x0 Nic

[seanzzo]

Oh and I'll just be riding xc and trail mostly at my age and the beating my body has taken over 15 years in the army that's about all I can take [smiley=laughing.gif] LOL

[Frankd3000]

Well, given the tired look of your components, i'd certainly say the Buy It Now price of $267 is money well spent, Shimano or otherwise. Get that old beaten stuff outta there. New components can certainly help make an old bike feel new - call it a face lift, kinda.

I think kneedowndean has a great suggestion with the shock and wheels, but it depends also on how much money you have to spend. Sometimes just new rubber will make a difference.

Something to keep in mind with the Race Face Evolve crank link - watch the bottom bracket size! Measure twice - purchase once. Is 108 mm gonna clear???

[seanzzo]

Could explain what it mean's the bottom bracket mesurement

[Frankd3000]

No problem.

With a (conventional standard) bottom bracket there are TWO measurements you MUST consider before purchasing.

One is the shell size. This is either 68 mm or 73 mm wide. This is usually the actual size of the tube on the frame where it mounts into.

The other is the overall length. This varies in size, ranging from 108mm (or less?) up to 118 mm (or more?). This is what creates your chainstay clearance.

In most cases you can simply measure your old bottom bracket and use those sizes. If the bottom bracket was ever changed and an incorrect size was used you may or may not have a problem, so be sure to take a few minutes to double check these. If your crank arms turn without hitting the chainstays at all, then you know the overall length should be okay.

I'm not sure if K2/ProFlex ever kept a common standard, but you should check this out before you buy ANYTHING. On my 3000 frame the bottom bracket measures 73 x 113. You need to know what your's is.

One other thing to look into is the clamp diameter of the front derailleur. This also varies. Again, measure it so you know what you need and if it's an available option. (both of your links show options, but if they're correct or not is another story)

I don't think you need to worry about the hubs, as they haven't changed much over the years and still use the standard 100 mm front, 130 mm rear widths.

Can't think of anything else right now. I'll speak up if I do.

[Swissnic]

what's the diferance between the x9 and the x0 Nic

Hi Sean,

Well X.9 and X.0 are just different levels of kit.  Just like shimano have XTR, then XT, then Deore (or whatever), its the same with SRAM.  X.0 is their Race Linup - high tech, exotic materials, amazing funcionality and gorgeous looks.

X.9 (9sp) and X.7 (7sp) which are slightly less high-tech (materials, engineering etc) and probably uses a previous years X.0 design in normal materials and are much cheaper.  Then there are the normal systems SRAM 5.0, 4.0 and 3.0, as used on normal bikes.

To see what I mean, go to the SRAM website (http://www.sram.com) and look at the current lineup!  The just launched some X.0 Trigger Shifters which look amazing.

Hoep this helps!

Nic.

[kiwi]

the bottom bracket on a 756 is 68 by 110 i am pretty certain the 855 is the same....

[seanzzo]

Thanks for all the input, you guy's are great!