Which Mountain BIke Accessories First?

Question

About a month ago I purchased a Fuji Nevada 2.0. I am now ready to spend some money on making a better bike. Give me your thoughts on what I should start with. Fork, Disc Brakes & Rims, Clipless Pedals and Shoes, Etc.

I ride mainly ride rough and hilly deep wood and dirt trails. I also throw in the occasional dirt jumps too.

Answer 1

Change what breaks.  I don't know much about the Fuji line.  The deal with upgrading a below 500 bucks bike is that if you buy a new fork or wheels, you have already spent almost as much as what you paid for the whole bike.

Disc brakes are pretty cool, but if your bike doesn't come with the wheels hubs ready for disc, then it's an expensive upgrade.  Consider around 60-80 bucks per disc for the brakes alone if you want mechanicals, hydros come above the 100 bucks mark.  If your wheelset isn't ready for disc, consider another 150-200 bucks for it.  So, it's like 300-350 for upgrading to discs and wheels.  Forks, well, you could sometimes find nice forks around 200-300 if you search around.  

Maybe some smart upgrades could be clipless (some people can't get used to them, others love them, I really like them!), and depending on where you ride, some tires.

Answer 2

Wesley----read www.bicycling.com,www.mbaction.com.com, www.mtbr.com. And also check Price Point (www.pricepoint.com) Blue Sky Cycling (www.blueskycycling.com ) for the lowest priced accessories.( Select ANY with reputable brands ).

Answer 3

One of the easiest upgrades is to get rid of the stock tires and get some wider/more aggressive meats.  Then, upgrade your brake pads.  Clipless pedals are now quite cheap, but make sure you can use them w/o killing yourself.