Walmart MTB Upgrades! Will it explode or improve?
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 19. 08. 2022
- You guys wanted me to upgrade the Kent Trouvaille, and so that's what we're doing. We started with a brand new Walmart Mountain bike that LOOKED like it had a lot of potential. After fixing some serious problems with the assembly, we took the Kent Trouvaille for a ride only to blow the bottom bracket bearings. We also dropped a chain or two, and found out that the brakes aren't all that great.
Today, we install a new crankset, bottom bracket, and front chainring. This will obviously solve the blown bottom bracket, but also improve chain retention with a machined aluminum front chainring. Yes, a derailleur with a clutch would be nice, but in my experience the chain will still drop unless you have a proper chainring up front.
Next, we installed Zoom hydraulic disc brakes off Amazon so we'd have a fighting chance on a long descent. All in all, the bike and the upgrades now cost $521. For a bike with a 1x9, hydraulic disc brakes, and a Suntour fork with a lockout, that's a pretty impressive price. Will the bike perform impressively?
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Keep in mind I have not long-term tested these hydraulic disc brakes. Also I had to swap the levers because they were set up with the front and rear swapped. If you live in Britain or a lot of other places this will be fine right out of the box.
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This is a crankset, external BB, and machined aluminum chainring. As long as you keep your expectations realistic for $55, this is pretty darn impressive.
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Iâm also attempting to buy a set of Shimano MT200âs from a âquestionableâ seller for a really good price. I placed the order and should have them by October! Historically I have been able to get these super cheap, but lately there are a lot of scams. From Jenson you can get the front and rear separate for a bit more than the Zooms, but you need to wait a few months. Iâd love it if this seller comes through with them because Shimano is a lot more reputable!
I'm actually upgrading my brakes on my FX5, I've got a like-new set of MT201 levers and both UR300 calipers/pads you can just have. if you want 'em, just reach out.
Hey Seth, I started mountain biking because of you. I recently got a new bike (ccm slope 26 inch hard tail). But I want to know before I take it out in the trail itâs good and safe. I donât know anyone else to ask, so can you test the bike for me?
M315 and MT200 is almost the same right? The only difference is M315 has aluminum alloy levers
I bought a 2nd hand unused trek marlin 5 for dirt cheap off Craigslist a number of years ago and wanted hydraulic brakes. The t5 has brakes and shifters in the same controls, so had to buy new shifters too.
Took a risk and bought some Shimano hydraulic brakes off aliexpress for $43 shipped. Was shocked when they actually arrived, even more surprised they felt really good quality and work quite well!
Hi Seth, there are lots of very good bike parts from Lazada for example and I was wondering If you would buy an air fork from Lazada even maybe Alibaba. A brand that is very popular is Balony and Modeng can you test one of those thanks.
I rode a DH trail yesterday on mechanical cable brakes. The amount of arm pump and wrist pain by the end of the ride was unbearable. Definitely hydraulic brakes!
2 solutions, hydraulic brakes, no brakes and hit into a tree or wash out on a turn
Yeah, a flick of a finger on the lever and instant stop
@@nzo_6543 especially 4 piston
This trail is 1300â of descending and will wreck your forearms without a good set of brakes, just like you experienced. These frigginâ
Amazon brakes were PLEASANT to descend with. I was blown away.
@@yourfatson8262 indeed! Or maybe good bleeding in it,
Seth just sending everything on a walmart bike while i wouldn't try half of the features on a 10k dollar bike. Pure skill
He's riding so fast that he crashes because of his bike
I wouldn't try half of those trails that fast with a 10k bike, 5k in crash gear, and a full med crew on standby.
@@jmyoung513 give me a $1k bike and my helmet and Iâm sending it. I live for that kind of trail. If only I had disposable income for a buke
@@WestonNey I've got enough body damage from mountain biking and 4wheelers that I don't need anymore. I noped out of a fairly simple trail on a quad at work yesterday because it was raining, and going in probably wouldn't be an issue. Coming out, on the other hand, if it kept raining for 3 or 4 more hours (it rained about 2 more) would have been much harder, and the other ways out were not just a steep grade and some rocks.
I mean that trail is a thing of beauty, literally as good as it gets for the entire east coastâŠ.
your driving skills and no fear of crashing are more evident than ever on this one.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16, 17.
Itâd be so cool to see a whole series on the premise of âbest bang for your buckâ⊠Move over âFlip Bikeâ, here comes âCheap Bikeâ! Love what you all are doing. Keep it up!
No. Flip bike is better.
You can ride super bike you want, but this experiment really speaks to a huge group of folks. Congrats for not losing touch with the community. And just a really well produced video. So entertaining. Beers on me if you ever get to Bentonville again đ
Hey Seth, if you want to upgrade the derailer, microshift makes that same advent nine speed derailer but with a clutch. Iâm running it right now, and the clutch is damn good for $60!
Same here, gotta love me my Microshift stuff like they are legit so underrated from where I bike at, and they are so rare to come by
You saw that too huh, is it the long derailer
@@lewislopez8610 The clutched version is in the medium cage(42t) and long cage(46t)
*The long cage will work on both cassettes, but the medium cage will only work with the 42t cassette, which is what I believe this Kent has
I agree. I found it for $55 on Amazon and already ordered it. That could very well be the best 9 speed derailleur for the price and the best drivetrain for the money. Weâre still under $600 with that!
@@BermPeakExpress thanks I called the bike shop my trouville is at and they said it was the long cage but I think your more of an expert so which is best, medium or long
Just a heads up, Suntour has a trade in program for their forks. Your XCM forks would be good for that. You can get higher tier forks for a pretty substantial discount (need proof of purchase ofc). Cheapest set they would have is around $200 so a little more than the $150 Amazon ones but i really dig the program. It's a great way to help people on a budget. I bought my bike years ago and wish i still had the receipt otherwise i probably would take advantage of it. If i had the budget though... Right now i would be buying the SR Suntour AXON WERX F RL-RC 15QLC-TI sitting at a cool $1000 discount on their site.
I would be interested to see how that bike would compare to an entry level trek or giant!
I was thinking that because you can buy new Kona lava dome ÂŁ450.better bike and cheaper than that Walmart bike.
@@ianstubley9388 I am not sure where you got that price, but Kona Lava Dome in the US is $875
Yes! I was wondering the same thing! If someone had an older bike, it would probably be a good idea to use this hack to upgrade the brakes and maybe the bottom bracket, but a new rider looking for a budget bike would probably have more luck with an entry level. For the same (or just a little more) on the price point, you would get a 1x, hydraulic brakes, an ok-ish coil fork AND warranty/tune-ups with an LBS. (edit: also, I think even entry levels usually come with a de-railer clutch)
Also bikes direct, bicycles online, have good deals along with chain reaction, I like voodoo bikes, they were only through Halfords, but now I think you can get them online now international.
@@Anotherfunnyword What Entry level bike that is the same style as this one is better? I'm looking to buy one that i can take in the dirt and on street, BUT iv never owned a bike with gears xD BMX only. So don't wanna get the wrong type, considering I'm very broke so price is a BIG selling point.
I would be curious to see how the suntour fork upgrade program compares to a cheap Amazon air fork
I looked into it and itâs a close call. Iâd say Suntour would be safer and easier to service, but still more expensive with the discount. When their entry level air forks are back in stock I may try!
@@BermPeakExpress i firsthand witnessed those air forks snap off at the crown. the two stanchions just came off the top, welds snapped straight. Forks werent bent or anything, just straight snapped
Wolftick nation did test a lot of these cheapo forks. Some of them actually work good, but not all of them.
@@BermPeakExpress what is the travel of the fork? You need
@@harrymcgill6291 it probably is 80 or 100 mm here, for riding trails as the ones in the video, you probably want something more like 120-140 mm
I would absolutely love to see the 180$ Amazon air fork! Great video as always Seth, cant wait for the new updates đđ
Yes
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16, 17.
@@spicydramarama852
Nah god knows that every imagination of man is evil continually and it repented god that he had made man.
yes!!!!!!!!
Yes! Some sub $200 air forks, and a set of tubeless rubber should bring this bike up to the next level.
Glad to see someone actually showing these new Walmart bikes and cheaper amazon parts actually being installed correctly and taking on a real trail at speed not just throwing the parts on purposely wrong wanting them to fail for the video or just babying it down a dirt path
I rode an upgrade Walmart bike with some of these same parts for few years till I could get exactly what I wanted and it served me very well
I think that buying second hand still beats out this. I bought my boardman mtr 8.6 (with a fork upgrade) for ÂŁ550
Yeah I found a 2017 Saracen myst pro for only 950 and that's with a boxxer and a fox dhx
yep, i only buy second hand and just wait for good deals.
Itâs extremely hard to beat second hand, especially if you have the mechanical know-how to do these upgrades in the first place
@@BermPeakExpress i often say to friends to buy second hand and let me have a look over the bikes before they purchase, just so they know its safe or if things needs to be fixed first
Buying second hand isn't necessarily safe either. You run the risk of getting a bad or damaged bike unknowingly.
At least with this, you knowingly accept that it may be a bad bike, so expectations can be tempered
Another great vid. As far as I'm concerned, this is better than anything on regular TV.
What's regular TV?
People still watch regular TV?
This guyâs channel is so good. TV networks could buy his content and sit back and enjoy the ratings bump.
Sethâs personality is so cool and heâs such a natural on camera.
I donât know how many hours Iâve spent on this wonderful channel.
Wouldn't work
@@bhuuthesecond Nah wouldn't work, because most people only like to watch dumb shit.
This is great. I really appreciate you giving this price point a fair test. I'm always broke so I need to shop in this range and it's good to see that it's possible to make something worthwhile with upgrades.
So proud to see how far this channel has come still remember watching you ride around florida with no plan just a go pro some tricks an commentary glad to see youâve became a full on pro!!!
You should find one of those chain guides you talked about in your old videos. That might be a good solution. For the next upgrades, I'd look at touch points. Those pedals look barely good enough. It would be interesting to see some budget minded grips and pedals and if it would be worth it.
Breaks are life or death on mountain bikes!
Of all the things to upgrade I'm glad you emphasized breaks...
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Iâve run those zoom brakes for years. I eventually upgraded to hope 2 pots, which, was an upgrade for sure, but they still perform, and I still rate them highly. Especially as a lightweight cross country brake.
This is great content! Thank you for your honesty. Look forward to watching more on this series!
literally just installed these brakes last week on my entry level hardtail. Definitely an upgrade from the mechanical ones i had before.
Your technique is so good.
Interesting experiment, fun video!
Thanks so much, I just bought a second version of those frames for about 200 each. That design scheme you chose became very popular... its always 150 to 200 more than the plain ones. cant wait to upgrades these..love it...Tx
Wow - Great video. I love this series. Been out of biking for a while and things have changed so much. I have been looking for a MT. bike to get into the woods (probably nothing like the down hills you do as I can not recover from a bad fall), but even 10 year old bikes are selling for about as much as these and are nothing special.
I loved this series! I took an old Schwinn BOX store MTB and swapped BB, crank, made it a SS, changed seat and to this day, 10 years later it still rocks! Albeit still a crappy bike, it is still one of my favs. Thanks man!
I had a RockShox Judy Silver TK on a similar build, really nice fork for under 200. Tires would also massively improve it. Iâm so stoked for this build.
For my daughter I got a Manitou Markhor fork. They make it in straight steerer tubes still (which you still find on older entry level bikes) and it weighs a heck of a lot less than a Judy for about the same price. Stanchions are 30mm which isn't great if you're a heavy rider doing really gnarly stuff, bit for my daughter that weighs 100lbs and riding blue trails on a hard tail, it was a perfect upgrade.
they are excellent forks
Love the burst of episodes Seth, my favorite thing ever to watch.
Your videos are extremely addictive. Your narration is great, the music clips are fantastic- like after you hit the tree with this bike, in the previous video⊠and you certainly know bikes! Thanks!
I would really love to see how one of those Amazon air forks holds up. Iâm delaying getting one for my budget hardtail.
Hey Seth keep up the good work I love your channel
Great series! Iâm definitely interested in seeing you upgrade to a cheap airfork like a Bucklos (with rebound!) and how it performs
Nice Ride! Glad you see you back at 100% after your injury. For some reason this video made me realize your back at it again and its cool to see. Happy for you
I love your videos you are the reason I started MTBing
Always fun stuff, Seth! I think that an interesting continuation of this video - at least for people looking to get into mountain biking - would be to compare it to an entry level mtb from Trek, Giant, Specialized, etc etc. For instance a Marlin 4 is about $625 and a Talon is $600. Is it worth spending the extra $75-100, or is purchasing the Kent and doing some minor upgrades a better option? Either way, you're a had working man and we appreciate the great content!
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16, 17.
This was a great video. Love what you did to the bike on a tight budget and the trails that you rode were great!
Thanks for taking all those spills. Saves me from getting all those bumps and bruises!! Found my new favorite channel!
I want to see a cheap fork upgrade plus new tires! Keep up the awesome work Seth!
Please!!!
And maybe comparing it to a Recon RL wich I think is still one of the best cheap options...
Maybe even throw in an advent clutch derailleur?
I would avoid cheap amazon forks at all costs. If you want to see what wrong on them (which is everything), Evan's MTB Saga did a video on it.
I'd rather ride a Suntour coil over a cheap amazon fork. The cheapest air fork I can recommend and would ride would be the Rockshox Judy Silver.
@@brnevs The Recon RL is great, I put one on one of my bikes. The Judy Silver is also great it's just got smaller stanchions. I would highly recommend them.
Amazon forks on the other hand... AVOID! Everything that can be wrong with them is wrong with them. Evan's MTB Saga did a video showing everything that is wrong with them.
Decent upgrades Seth! You are correct, the fork needs to be changed to an air fork and probably change to a decent set of tires meant for the type of ride you have done or you are about to do when there is reasonable wear and tear on the tires. However, it might be better to get a $1,000.00 built bike that may have all the upgrades that you are looking for since the additional upgrades may be close to the $1,000.00 price tag. I don't live in the US and I may be wrong with my estimate price wise. Nevertheless, great content! Cheers!
I just commented on the tires, I actually would love him to do a tire upgrade next before the fork and overlap the current bike with exact same setup but correct tires for the terrain he's riding.
I think it has some educational value, lots of people run the wrong tires trust me I see it all the time, and it would be kinda fun to see him take those same corners he found tricky ( and crashed at ) with tires which actually give him good contact/grip.
A cheap air fork won't be much of an upgrade I feel, in my exprience they are better at small impacts then a good coil fork but when you get bigger impacts those cheaper air forks can run into problems quickly with sloppy tolerances and very high wear and tear because of that. I would rather get a really good coil fork then one of those cheap air forks. Servicability I think is zero as well because the air damper being a single fixed assembly.
Unless you got a specific cheap fork in mind?
not even worth waiting for tires. upgrade the front tire for safety and keep it as a spare fast rolling replacement rear tire. not worth crashing :P
@@MarvinWestmaas manitou markhour
I used them exact same breaks but on a electric scooter and it always stopped without a problem! Surprisingly they held out very well on my time using them!
You good Sir got yourself a new subscriber! Iâve been binge watching your videos all this afternoon đ
I also have a history of a bike for the best price, but my budget was about $1,000. I was able to buy a brand new Trek marlin 7 for just 720$, and then +50$ for a new Air Rockshox Judy (in addition to amount from selling stock fork) and +$60 for good tires. As a result I got my dream bike, and I still have some money to upgrade)
I have a Marlin 6 and I'm also planning to upgrade to an air fork. But the prices of air fork is quite high in India. I was thinking of Judy. Is it good or should I go with other fork?
@@_anindith_ Judy Silver TK is a pretty good fork. It cost me 190$. Rebound adjustment works well, it has 5 positions. it weighs less than I expected - 2160 gr. But be sure to disassemble and service it before installing it on the bike, because it worked very poorly out of the box, but after proper maintenance, it runs very smoothly.
It's indeed mostly the rider not the bike. That's a black diamond tech trail in the wet. That pucker factor on that ride is quite high. đ
That's a great though Seth, taking an entry level bicycle and updating step by step to see how far it can improve. Looking forward for next updates đ
I think it would be cool to see you put a complete build to together from all of the good parts that you have come across on Amazon. Like the brakes and the forks. I love all of your videos.
Hey Seth, awesome content as always!! Love the flip bike series especially, which inspires me to do my own repairs and tune ups. Since you're reviewing big box bikes, I was curious if Nishiki Colorado Comp 275 could be a future review? đ It's a Dick's sporting goods bike, usually retails for 800, but is occasionally discounted down to < 400... would be really interested to know your analysis if you ever get your hands on that one. Cheers and safe riding!
I'd second this. Would love to see the Colorado Comp reviewed since it's not just a 27.5 bike but a 27.5+ bike, which can fit 2.8 rear & think 3.0 front if I remember correctly.
Looks a lot like what I ride around here, and I had to change out to a decent air fork because as a heavier rider the cheap coil fork was killing my arms.
I think a cheaper bike with a light or small rider is a very different proposition to a heavier rider (or a hard rider).
I've learned a lot watching these videos. Keep it up, I love them.
iv been think about purchasing this bike and doing these upgrades myself since I'm a beginner. these videos have really confirmed my decision.
You should check out the Scwinn Axum from Walmart, I've been riding it for a year and it's been good fun! Not to mention it has a dropper post!
Without the dropper they are the same price. It is the better bike for upgrading.
I think what holds the Kent back is the seat tube diameter. It really limits what external droppers you can put in there and the lack of internal routing for a dropper is disappointing to say the least.
Definitely swap on a Shimano internal-cam skewer. I've had open-cam skewers do exactly what you saw on rugged terrain.
This is how I got into the sport. Bought a Nishiki Colorado Comp from DSG. Swapped out the bottom bracket and crank set. Swapped handlebars, stem, grips, and pedals for comfort. Added an inexpensive external dropper. It turned into a pretty capable trail bike. I upgraded to a new bike once I realized it was something I wanted to get into more but I never would have really started if it wasnât for the big box store bike.
Seth! This is great content. Having said that, I would true up the wheels, upgrade the derailleur to a clutched rendition and upgrade to a budget air fork.
Amazing video always good to see. However I think its important to remember that Seth has all the tools and facilities for brake bleeds crank swaps etc so the $521 fee would be more for most entry level riders looking to purchase it.
Even if you did the work yourself, there are specialized tools required for these swap-outs. Yes, it is a one time thing, but additional costs.
I don't think that any mechanic will charge a lot for that work. In my country it will cost about 30$
@@valentinkarachun7490 This very much depends on where you live. Many countries have high labour costs. Where I live, this would cost up to $110USD in terms of labour for everything Seth has done. It may be less depending on a few factors. Good mechanics are generally expensive and always spend time doing a job properly.
This is definitely more viable for someone that is willing to do the mechanics themselves.
@@gizzmicbob in my city there is a bicycle collective with 2 shops and all the tools, you can rent time in the shop and they have volunteer bike mechanics that can help you fix and upgrade your bike. It's really great. I think it's like $5/hr for members and $10/hr for non members. Volunteer staffed and funded with donations.
@@Nikko780 Wow, I've never heard of anything like that. Is it used by a lot of people?
You can usually get tektro brakes online in the $60us range. More "trustworthy" if people don't like the idea of no name brakes. That said, those basically look like deore copies, which is not a bad thing at all. Will be interesting to see how the seals hold up over a few years if you keep the bike that long.
They wonât hold up unfortunately, see my comment âŹïžđ
I've got the trouaville too..just got it last week and I'm impressed by it..you can't go wrong with this bike đ..maybe that's why it flies off the shelf..I had to wait almost 3 weeks to get mine
Seth,
I currently have the cable-actuated hydraulic brakes from Zoom and it is actually very good even on descents.
Happy to see you tried Zoom brakes! I kinda helps me feel a bit more confident with my brakes.
Iâve got those âAmazonâ forks on my partners bike and they so far have done pretty decent flow trails and jumps
put a FOX sticker on them, heard it adds like +10 cool points
@@ukrarex I knew it!
Wow, that trail looked steep even on the gopro!
This video helps a lot for me thank you Seth for another amazing video at perfect timing. I have a hyper bear mountain 27.5 from Walmart I bought to ride with my girlfriend. But now my friends want to go downhill mtb and that's the only mtb I have. Thanks again for the tips
I like these types of videos because they are more in my bike budget zone.
I was thinking that my entry level bike would never make it on the trails, now with some reasonably priced modifications it could. Thanks
Man every video I watch on a cheap bike I fell better with my abilities, sending tech and jumps on a 26" 2013 hardtail with 80mm travel and 3x8 no clutch
This raises and interesting question, your âcheap â upgrades were far ahead of Walmart and price comparable. Using these dodgy brands on Amazon could you construct and entire bicycle and beat Walmart in quality? Considering many is the faults are in construction I think even Walmarts economy of scale wonât save them
Look up Francis case on CZcams. He has videos using Ali express bike parts from china and building a whole bike without known name brands in the west.
Same question. I have a friend who bought an entire bike from Ali Express, including the carbon frame he started with and top of the line everything. He still had some serious coin in it but not $5k+. More like $2k
Kevcentral and Wolftick videos both build bikes with mostly no name parts
This is somehow really helpful for us who doesnt have enough budget, I am currently riding a $900 HT bike. If Seth can use and make those low budget components work then thats enough for me to trust what I have right now. Using my bike on trails, rock gardens and small jumps. No complain or failure at the moment.
The algorithm keeps bringing me to this video series with the Walmart bike. And I keep watching them even though my bike never leaves a paved trail and I only ride it like twice a year.
Hey seth
You got first comment good job
The problem with the zoom brakes is that you either get ones that work perfectly fine or you get ones that send you to your death and it's kind of a toss-up
How would you know lol youâre alive so it must of not been that bad
I haven't had issues with zoom brakes and I've had a few cheap brakes (zoom, cnc, meroca). My other cheap hydros required bleeding since they were spongy from the factory, but no leakage or issues after the bleed. I find Zoom makes decent products but they are a bit heavier compared to others.
Looks like everything you have done so far has made major improvements. At the moment only weakness I see is the fork and has a lot of chain slap and as you know chain still jumps.
I finally got a mountain bike after about three and a half years of watching your channel. So far Iâve had a bunch of fun on it, so much so that I already messed up the derailleur hanger in the first week.
With my Suntour XCM fork on my 26" Raliegh Talus 5.0, I've had the same issue of my front wheel coming loose. Granted I was riding really really rough bike park trails, but still not ideal.
Edit: Watched the whole video now. DO NOT BUY A CHEAP AMAZON FORK. I purchased one for my other bike, also out of curiosity. It has leaked from day one, and is genuinely terrifying how poorly built it is.
I am at the point of replacing the quick release axle in the front wheel of my bike with the older style threaded rod with nuts either side to hopefully stop it coming loose (cup and cone bearings). Time will tell if that is any better behaved I suppose. Previously I had no idea why people were bothering with through axles :).
@@jg374 If I could afford a bike with thru axles, I would have switched long ago. I've bent and broken rear axles, had the front come undone, etc and if you need a new axle they're shockingly difficult to come buy unless you'd like to buy a whole new hub and take the axle from that.
@@smileyguyz a few months ago I replaced the cones and ball bearings as they were fairly beaten up. The local bike shop had generic quick release axles and cones that worked sitting on the shelf. I would have thought what seems like the many different through axle standards would be harder to find
Those Zoom brakes are honestly sick. I work for an Electric Integrated Beach Cruiser Company and they work beautifully! Even at the 30+ mph that the bikes can handle. I jump and hoon these bikes and those brakes are definitely worth it for anyone needing an upgrade to Hydrolics!
extreme technical trail for a walmart bike your amazing to do that. great job seth
Also bought the Zoom breaks, half a year they were working ok. First day below zero degrees C°, both levers were leaking at the seals. So I switched them out with Deore levers which have much better breaking force with the Zoom calipers now and still work fine.
Awesome video Seth, thanks as always!I just started riding this summer. Bought a new salsa ridgeline (entry level mtb) for about 1000$ and it came with the same fork.. seems pretty worthless and not worth servicing. Mine is leaking oil out the the top seals and Iâm a newb⊠Iâm sure a more capable rider would have totally destroyed it by now.
Anyway, would love to see a reasonable fork upgrade on your Kent so I can replicate on my salsa. Just to get me through the learning curve and to the time i upgrade.
So glad to see the Zoom brakes get a fair shake with a proper bleed.
I put a set of those brakes on a street trials bike I made for my kids early last year and they are still going strong! I did change the pads to sintered right out of the box for more bite though!
I'm new to mountain biking and bought a brand new Jamis X A2 trail for ÂŁ300. Love the bike! It already has hydraulic disk brakes but I'm deffo gonna upgrade to the single speed chain ring after watching this!
Great video Seth, my son has a GT from chain sporting goods store and the quality just isnt the same as the old GT's i remember. he loves his bike but the bottom bracket and derailer (sp?) was the first things to break on it. not knowing much about them, this video is great for others that may have the same issues.
Hi Seth, You've inspired me to get back on the bike. Thank You!! What about a $250-300 Manitou Markhor jacked to 120mm?? Yes more expensive but def a step up in quality/safety. Cheers
Thanks Seth for the video. At the end of the day, if this new "big-box store" content puts more riders out there enjoying the outdoors, you're doing a great service. Not everyone has the skill and experience to buy second hand and know they're getting their money's worth. Everyone has their own approach to the hobby/sport based on their financial situation. These videos def expands your audience and reaches a demographic that would otherwise be repelled by the post-covid prices at local bike shops.
did the same thing a few years ago (2016).. when i was still in college, budget was limited so i bought a department store bike(chinese alloy bike) with tourney parts for a few bucks. a year later bought a shimano slx drivetrain and a chinese wheelset. still using the fork and brakes that came stock with the bike sr suntour xct and a shimano mt200. did improve alot that it made me very happy. it still runs like new to this date and i couldn't ask for more.
I donât even mountain bike but these videos are extremely well made and so fun thank you for the videos
It was amazing to see you ride would like to see it more
Love this series!
Canât wait for more upgrades on this bike. Letâs see how far it can go.
This brought back riding wirh seth vibes with all the talking to the gopro. I love it!
that trail looks amazing...
The Zoom hydrolic brakes are pretty good, despite an important play on the levers. Everything is solid and brakes really well. I've been using them for a good year without a single issue.
I just wanted to say again. I donât even ride bikes. Well I did when I was a child. But I donât even own one. And I really like these videos! I like the main host guy, I like the fun content, I like the filming. You guys make really good stuff. Now Iâm emotionally invested in the âKent Travailâ. Heâs the underdog that I want to succeed. Please keep making great stuff.
Seth I've been riding for years. Watching you rally that Wal-Mart beast, only confirms your very impressive skills. Hope your new viewers recognize that just doing those upgrades is gonna give 'em what they need to ride like that.... Personally, nope for me on THAT bike on THAT trail. đ€
Honest reviews like always...takes responsibility for crashes can't ask for more. The bike as it sits now would be perfect for me. I'm not advanced enough for those trails but I would be interested how far upgrading would you go to the point where you're reaching lower tear higher end bikes if that makes sense. Like you suggested new forks? How's the peddles too? Hope you keep going in this build. Awesome as always
Feel like we need to see more of these Amazon cheap/legit parts. I'm intrigued!
Just picked one up for $148 at Walmart this past weekend. Ordering all your upgrades.
props to you for sheading on that thing. I would probably be to scared to really open it up on that bike.
i also have a set of those cranks and they really are a bang for your buck!
Please keep up with the upgrades, i kinda relate to this đ
Awesome content...glad i subscribed đŻđŻ
As someone who occasionally still rides an old hardtail with some similar specs to this:
-The front skewer coming loose is a thing that happens. It doesn't matter how tight you put it on, 5 minutes later it will probably be sloppy. Usually I retighten it once and it's good until the next time I take it off.
-The crud on the fork stanchions tells me there is not enough grease in there and it's eating the bushings. That would also explain the play it has developed. That said, if that's one of those pogo stick-level Suntour forks, just replace it. With no damping you'll never make that thing feel good. They're also incredibly heavy.
It does feel satisfying to be surprised that such bikes could hold up. Would love to see a pimp my ride kind of concept. Making retro to moderno.
That's pretty cool that you can take a bike at that price point and get it to that ability! I feel like a chain guide would help with the chain drops
Please video the fork test. Iâm looking to upgrade but not a big budget. Love your stuff!