Mountain Biking

[Matt]

^^ thats very similar to my friends 96 hookooekoo that im fixing up. His forks shot so we're putting a cheap rigid one on instead.

I just rebuilt my Fox F29 fork this morning. I waited too long to do maintenance on it so it was in pretty bad shape.
All new seals and fluid now... as long as it holds fluid ill be good otherwise I may need new uppers.

[Matt]

So my son needed a "bigger" bike. Not because he's too big.... but because we went for a 5+ mile bike ride and it became clear that his skill level was beyond the 12" bike that fit him.

Lets just say it was a fun family biking weekend

[jjt250]

So I've been riding a lot more lately and trying to get my friend in on it too. He had a good time last time we went. Anyways, I'm realizing more than ever that I need a few upgrades. Here's my current set up, completely stock as of now:

http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...rchive/fuelex5

Here's what I have planned in terms of upgrades (most likely in this order):

1. http://www.mtbr.com/cat/tires-and-wh...1_1508crx.aspx

2. http://www.mtbr.com/cat/tires-and-wh...33_151crx.aspx

3. http://www.mtbr.com/cat/brakes/disc-...4_1507crx.aspx

4. http://www.sram.com/rockshox/products/reba-rl

Do any of you have any experience with a tubeless tire set up? I'm very uneducated about that stuff and would love some advice. I know some people say that there is hardly any weight savings, but I'm really just doing it because I'm sick of pinch flats all the time. Do I need a tubeless-specific tire? What else would I need besides number 1 on the list?

Pretty set on those brakes, they have great reviews.

Could use some recommendations on forks. I currently have a Rockshox Recon Silver TK, but have always been a big fan of Fox products. Unfortunately, they're a bit out of price range (I'd like to keep it around $500-600), but the Reba RL looks like great bang for your buck and gets pretty good reviews. Also, I prefer air spring vs. coil. I like adjustability.

I'd probably sell or just gift all of my parts I'm swapping to my buddy because that would make a huge difference for him. What do you guys think of that set up? Would you change anything?

[Matt]

Tubeless is 100% worth it. Weight wise you'll save between .3-.6 lb, which isn't bad.... but the performance is really the big improvement.

I personally prefer to stick with tubeless or tubeless ready tires. Non-tubeless tires don't really have any benefit... they'll soak up so much sealant that they're the same weight as a tubeless tire, but dont have the right bead.

for the Fork... keep your eye on eBay and mtbr classifieds. Should be able to find a nice/quality Fox Float for $300-$400.

What kind of trails do you ride?

[jjt250]

I was considering this tire for tubeless: http://www.mtbr.com/cat/tires-and-wh...9_1508crx.aspx

What else would I need besides those tires and that Stans Tubeless Sealing kit?

This is a link to my favorite and one of the most difficult in the area: http://trails.mtbr.com/cat/united-st...4_4561crx.aspx
It's got a lot of steep, fast drops and a lot climbing too. When you're not climbing, you're flying. Other trails I ride are similar, but not as fast or difficult.

Do you have a specific recommendation for which Fox fork? There's so many models it seems like haha. I'm looking for 120mm travel with a 9mm QR, preferable.

[Matt]

Hey man i didn't forget about ya. Just had a busy two days and wanted to do some research because i'm pretty sure our riding terrain is very different. I basically do XC type riding, lots of dirt & roots, not a lot of rocks.

[jjt250]

It's all good man, been pretty busy myself! Actually, our trails are very similar, I would describe ours exactly like yours! I looked into used Fox forks and found some for a decent price. My only problem now is that they're hard to find with 9m QR (what I currently have), but I can find a lot of Rockshox Reba RLs in 9m.

[Matt]

For tires i'm running Specialized The Captain- Control (2Bliss) up front and Geax Saguaro in the back. I really like this combo... the aggressive square tread of The Captain digs my front tires in for great cornering, and the rounded profile of the Saguaro makes for a great "trailing" tire; doesn't hinder the front tire from doing its job, especially on leaning turns.

I'm pretty sure there's a 26" version of both tires.

Have you thought about finding a used 29er hardtail? I always see nicely built bikes for sale. For what you're looking to spend, couldn't hurt adding a 2nd bike to the stable

[Matt]

I know you said you're trying to keep the fork in the 500-600 price range.... add $50?
http://www.pricepoint.com/Brand/Fox-...-Fork-2013.axd

[jjt250]

Thanks for the tire suggestions, I'll look in to them. So are my stock rims fine for a conversion to tubeless?

And no I have not thought about adding another bike haha. I really like the way my fuel ex rides, just looking for some upgraded brakes and fork mostly

That fork looks almost exactly what I'm looking for and at a good price too! Two things: 1) it's white and my bike is black/blue, not a big deal but I'd prefer black. 2) I currently have 120mm fork. Could I reduce the travel from 140mm?