Whats best to use on my mountain bike?

Question

whats best to use on my mountain bike? i want to start upgrading my bike parts i have two a carrera 2008 model & a kona hahanna 1998, they both have the same spec as standard eg: tektro brake levers, i was wanting to upgrade but im not 100% whats better lx, xc, deore, any info would be great also what bike would be best to upgrade the 10yr kona or brand new carrera? also what inprovements would i gain from changing the spram x4 front and back gears? if you'd like you can email me on [e-mail] please only genuine replys thank you.

Answer 1

Its generally not a good idea to dump a lot of money into a 10 yr old bike.   But a few upgrades to your Kona couldnt hurt if you really want to do it.   I'd look into trading your 2008 to a better bike instead of trying to upgrade it as a complete bike will be a better value in most cases.

Shimano mountain bike components go up in grade as follows:  Deore(entry level), LX, XT, XTR .   XT is great stuff;  XTR is generally for racers.   Lots of bikes come with LX front derailluer and XT rear D.   LX crank is fine for most people as an XT crank is around $250.  I have XT shifters and v-brakes/levers and they are great;  definitely an upgrade over the ones you have.

Answer 2

u want to get avid brakes if u go for v-brakes, or avid/hayes hydraulics if u get discs. shimano stuff is good quality, getting better in this order, deore, deore lx, deore xt, xtr. xtr is really expensive and only the reacers use it for its low weight/high strength.

lx or xt are  good upgrades and most kona level bikes come with that range of equipment. its up to you which bike u feel needs upgrading the most. altho i'm a big kona fan and would say the hahanna.

gear upgrades tend to be just weight reduction. if its the shifters, again, weight reduction and smoother shifting

a good site for parts in the uk is www.chainreactioncycles.com  i've used it loads. its loads cheaper for better quality kit