Top 10 Hardtail Set Up and Upgrades | GMBN Hardtail Week
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 19. 05. 2024
- Neil gives us his top 10 upgrades for your Hardtail and some set up hints.
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Upgrading your Hardtail can change it from an all mountain charger to a Cross Country whippet. Neil gives his top upgrades and set up tips.
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Leave us a comment below! - Sport
Only one week out of 50 in a year on hardtails?? Considering that so many people have hardtails id expect at least a month. Maybe you guys will feature more hardtails after this.
Sasu KirvesmÀki Well you live in a super first world country, and probably have a very idealistic view of this world. I live in South Africa, people buy bikes on loans, and most of the rest buy hardtails. But ok I guess GCN and GMBN are more aimed at first world countries so fair enough.
It's not a matter of an idealistic view. In most contries, a proper fullsus bike costs more than vast majority of people are willing to put into a bike. If you look at tech channels, they're mostly covering stuff that's in the performance and high-end segment. It's the same thing here.
That said, FS vs. HT isn't necessarily a matter budget, but rather a riding stile. There are HT bikes which are mighty expensive.
A hardtail is mostly synonymous with XC, and GMBN doesn't really do much coverage on XC (which is a shame, really), so they don't pay much attention to hardtails.
Martin W i
50 weeks lol what planet are you from?
Ikr. These guys are awesome and all but they think the only actual mtb is an expensive full suspension. They need to understand that hardtails are really fun and almost indestructible bikes that a lot of riders prefer. Every rider I know shreds on a hardtail, and I shred on a hardtail myself
So I bought a $1200 Hardtail a year or two ago, and then proceeded to upgrade it. I bought a new wheelset, disc brakes, and drive chain. After all that, it would have been better to have just bought a higher end bike in the first place as it would have been cheaper in total. So I guess the lesson I have learned is only upgrade a component when it is worn out or damaged and not because you went too cheap in the first place.
Try only being able to afford a $400.00 Walmart Genisis and upgrading that. Least it came with great pedals, disk break and a good frame.
@RR_Productions it did surprisingly :) the frame is solid and great to build off. I'm still getting new pedals and changing the tires off, but keeping the disk.
At least you werent broke to the point of needing to buy a full rigid mtb and buying a suspension fork just to ride trails better
I paid 300 for a well taken care of gary Fisher tassajara. Grips,saddle,tires,pedals,stem, stem riser and boom perfect rail trail bike for under $400. All deore components. I'll live with v brakes since they're good enough for now.
ragalyisp
What year is this bike
in other words: UPGRADE EVERYTHING!!!!!
every payday, UPGRADE EVERYTHING!!!
Caio Fern That's all I heard
Yep... I will say though that going that route is fun. I bought a lower end HT (good frame, okay components) and slowly upgraded the components. Enjoyed doing it and learned a lot.
Chris Hanson I can agree to that. I have an older Full Suspension that I've been upgrading, but since I'm only 14 and have no job it is very hard. It's a pain because the back brake and shifter are linked into a dual control lever I have to upgrade it at once, and I don't have the money for that...It's awesome to be able to work on my bike though..
Chris i did it last year and don't regret. the bike got wonderful, i rode it a lot and in August sold it for a really good price being able to buy a even better hardtail.
upgrading is fun ( when you have the money) and it is part of being a mountain biker.
most people need to spend more time riding and less time worrying about up grading stuff .
Kyle reece 100% true
I believe in you Kyle, you will stop Skynet
Kyle reece đ
yes thats for sure but people may ride alot and think they deserve a new set of whatever
Kyle reece yeah man, I do work on my bike but I upgrade it rarely
Loving this "Hardtail" week!!!
thumb's up!
I love hardtails!
Rigid 4 life bruh
Tyres
Got myself a Whyte 905 last week. So far absolutely loving it. Been on a couple of shorter rides on it and canât wait to take it out properly - the 2.8 inch tyres at lower pressure make a huge difference! Tubeless ready so thatâs my next job đ
Most hardtails come with a suspension fork? C'mon now Neil! :P
What's wrong with that statement?
Ruben Williams yea... Most do. Some are full rigid though. But most have a front suspension fork
Well I know, that's what I meant. if doesn't have a fork upfront it's labelled fully rigid.
Sid Sloth no then it's a hardtails and a rigid bike
I think he meant to say âadjustable â fork. He said this in relation to setting up proper sag
Loving this hard tail week! Great job fellas!
bloody good content mate... even 4 yrs after originally posted.
i have to say,very good job with the sound of the video.i can see it was a windy day and i couldnt even hear the wind,your voice was so clear.excellent job!
you got my like!
Stergioss13 tyres
I'm glad to see someone else has a Zaskar đ I've got the GT Zaskar 29er and I love it
I have a 100 mm travel hardtail, just went from XC semi slicks to a nice enduro tire and couldnât be more pleased! Makes it ride like a am/ enduro hardtail! :D
There is always a way to upgrade my skills.
That's the most important part :)
Thank you for hardtail week! This is very cool idea and take many useful things for me.
You guys should so single speeds some time. Yeah, I know it's a dirty word, especially where Shimano and SRAM are wanting to sell their products, but they are loads of fun.
I have recently revamped my old Voodoo Bizango hardtail after having relegated it to 'shed bike' status about a year ago. 1by10, new wheels, tubeless, serviced brakes, short stem, 800mm bars, new (cut down) seat post, better saddle and serviced the pedals, headset and bb. I also painted over the silly yellow decals with hammerite (other brands of hammer paint are available). Almost all the parts came from ebay/off other bikes. Loving it - climbs like a mountain goat and puts a massive smile on my face on decents. Easy to service and clean during winter and people say it looks like a weapon. Great for a quick blast up the hills and round the local trails straight from the house. Thanks GMBN for the inspiration.
Love my hard tail, this, despite costing me a fortune this last 4 months new wheels tyres and gears all worn out at the same time. ( bike us now 4 years old and had no trouble til now)
Watching this, video was great, how young does Neil look, then realised clip was over 3 years old!
More vids on hard tails please, I've a calibre two two and love it
I would watch a Saturday morning gmbm hour long tv slot each week. it's what sports on tv is missing. great job guys. love your channel.
years ago I had a '97 Specialized Rockhopper Comp fs. Within a couple years I had changed almost everything,
shimano XT gearset
Mavic Ceramic rims
Ritchey hubs
Eaton stem/bar/seat post
Selle Italia Flute saddle
Shimano spd's
Great bike, went like the clappers XC!
Very good video. Thank you so much. Audio was clear through all the windy weather.
I recently bought a Giant ATX Hardtail from the lower price range so i could upgrade myself overtime... im really enjoying looking at what equipment there is and fitting them. I recently upgraded the pedals to Nukeproof Evo,s, white, nice and flat and just upgraded the handlebar and grips from the raceface range... good fun
love ya vids, thankyou!!!
I ride a hardtail Giant 27.5
cheers from Australia
Here from Queens, NY. As a novice rider since '92, I love the info on this page because you mix up the info all riders can use, thanks mates
Any suggestion for stronger upgrades to breaks, I have a Cannondale SL4 I got in 2012, thanks for the advice.
Why do all videos about mtn bikes say the same thing. "Replace everything except the frame"..........by the way, love the GT mtn bikes.
GT bikes are insane, have one since 2007 :D
You're watching a video specifically titled upgrades, what were you expecting?
Haha true
MichaĆ GT was my first, I had a 90s retro bike in orange.
GT Trash all components need change. $500 bike with dead components and suntour suspension
I've been subscribed to these guys here for a while! they've inspired me to get better at MTB and I started my own channel now due to these channels! I want take everything I've learned from these channels and incorporate it into my own! keep it up guys I love your channels! thanks for inspiring me! I just need some support to get my journey started đ
That GT Zaskar has several upgrades... They definitely do not come like that from GT. Looks great!
I use spd clipless pedals for my hardtail. The best choice I've made!
Enjoy the dark side my friend...
you guys are blessed with your beautiful hardtails. wish i have 1 of those. your videos are really inspiring. keep it up. i'll have mine soon. hopefully
do you have it already?
Looks similar to the Kilpatrick Hills in the background near where i live , nice video , got a GT Chucker XS1 yesterday and already looking for drive-chain recommendations for cycling up those steep hills
i checked all my bolt man they where so tight so i loos them all great upgrade ever
Did those Crank Bros pedals survive the scene where you touched them, or are they done now?
Are they bad? Ive only heard good things of crank bros but Ill know to stay away if so. I love my nukeproof evo flats
Probably one bad piece of product and he thinks a great brand is shit
I've been happy with my 5050s.
ThunderStruckCoach they are sponsored by crank bros
Crank brothers make the worst pedals,I've seen so many broken ones at the shop.We always recommend time pedals to anyone who doesn't like being disappointed.
Two letters plus four letters equals awesome...
GT + GMBN !
cheers helped lots on my hardtail
I have Orange RockBros pedals on my GT aggressor now. And as I have new mountain bike trainers the pedals have fantastic grips on them. What a difference they make to ur ride đ€đ»đŽđ»ââïž
Dropper seat post and plus size, heavy duty tyres was the game changer for trail hardtails.
Keep up the great videos! -Canada
Thanks Canada!
Nice bike,
My first half decent machine was a 1991/2 Emmelle aluminium with Shimano LX group set and BioPace crank set in the exact same coulour as your machine.
I have a Carrera Vulcan pedelec these day's.
Love my Trek Stache 9.8 hardtail. Such a fun bike. Just upgraded to trek carbon wheels with maxxis tires and tubeless.
Just got a new 2019 trek roscoe 8 wayyyyyy better than my trek malin
This really helped !
I have to say, as an Orange five owner the thought of a hard tail is appealing in some situation, I love big jumps so Iâll always keep my Five but the idea of a second bike bike a hard tail for those mountain rides in the Lake District and Scotland a hardtail is going to be a lot better than my single pivot 160mm full sus.
Awesome audio guys. I see the wind whipping in the background and not a peep of it heard. Cheers boys!
Building a Nukeproof Scout 290...cant wait to go back to HT. Because I have realised that most of my riding is climbing and short distance decent. Dont want to be bouncing around going up hills any more
I made my grips stay in on place and not spin around by locking them with zip ties, in each end of the grip and it works perfectly !
New hardtail, made sure it had a lockout on the bars, last years model but with 50% off, add good spare wheels from eBay (stans crest) with good tyres and run with lightweight inner tubes or tubeless (furious Fred's for dry, easy conditions), keep original ones for mud, rocks. Weight saving - very good for the money
Xt pedals
Fsa carbon handlebars from eBay, risky but turned out fine
2nd hand MTB fizik saddle
I was hoping to see a set of Santa Cruz reserve carbon wheels on that sick setup though đđŒđ
HOW DID I MISS THIS?!
Love my rockhopper comp hardtail
I have soo many parts to buy for my Specialized Pitch 650b. Basically everything .
It's amazing people used to do all of this without all $$this$$ gear. 60mm suspension at most, cantilevers and tubes(which i never had a pinch flat with).
Super nice Hardtail :)
You should test the diamondback syncer pro
Can you guys to a video on how to install new brakes?
Or brakes..
Search for it... their friends over at GCN have got you covered.
Thats easy dude
TAKE IT TO A BIKE SHOP
What about a chainstay protector?
love it amazing thanks really good tips đđđ
I have a Specialized Pitch 650b. Had a terrible Shimano altus groupset, and a stout crankset paired with a really cheap Suntour 120mm fork. Now the bike is upgraded to a shimano Deore groupset with SLX rear derraileur, 1x9 conversion with stock chainrings from the Deore crankset :D. And the most expensive upgrade would be the SR Suntour Aion 160mm Fork with some Maaaad Wheels.
What exact bike is that, Neil? Also, could you do a budget full suspension mtb video? You could include bikes like the commencal meta v4 origin, the canyon neuron 6.0, the Marin hawk hill, boardman fs team, and the calibre bossnut. A video like that would be really helpful. Thanks
im in love with your bike
more hardtail vids please đ
I haven't checked my hard tail for 3 years still good only thing wrong is tires shifter and the suspension is hard for some reason
A good upgrade tip is if you are going for wider i.e. 750mm bars then you should look around for 2nd hand bars from riders who have decided to upgrade to carbon. You will get some great bargains and its not a component you have to worry about in terms of longevity.
Biggest upgrade I made were the tires and pedals . Other than that, itâs been fun.
Excellent video mate! I just bought a 2020 TREK Roscoe 7. I am an absolute novice rider. The only upgrade I got for my bike was a pair of Bontrager pedals. They aren't really high end but a bit better than the stock standard pedals the Roscoe 7 comes with here in Oz.
In addition to what you have pointed out in your video, is there anything else you or anyone else reading this would change in the TREK Roscoe 7?
Cheers and thanks again for doing a great video!
Just got a secondhand cannondale, I'll ride until component's break, which i will then replace with good stuff.
Love riding hard tails mtb there the best đ€
Nice video.Like your GTs color..From The Philippines đ”đđ
Upgrade everything in short đ„
For saddles I keep my original saddle but wash it frequently with boiling water to soften it
would like you guys to do a review on the pantera elite
I havenât seen a dropper seat post for less than ÂŁ130 but I wannnnntttttt one
Having a longer stem on a bike with a steeper head angle, will make OTB more likely, especially when the stem faces upwards. Also don't apply pressure on the front wheel via the handlebars. Heavy feet, light hands, is the key to MTB ridiing.
Saddle was the first upgrade on my Giant Fathom 29er
I have upgraded my tyres and pedals my next step is to get a dropper post.
Nathan Wright you and me both, tho I also moved to a single race face narrow wide in the front and some other small bits and pieces
that may be an upgrade for me in the future as well
I never really used my front gears and got tired of adjusting them so ye was a easy choice (and rather cheap)
Dream bikeđđi'll have my own somedayđâđđ
Do a 360 to celebrate 360K subs!
Matt That is to easy for them!
A 360 on a MTB
Good luck
Now do a 1270đ
I just bought my first full suspension today
Yes the tyres really make big difference. My old tyres, that had a big gap were quite better on the road, after i bought new ones i feel it different when i ride my bike o.o
good stuff
Buying a Trek Rosco 8 hard tail can't wait.
Tiger25NYC Brooklyn That bike is so nice, I built one when I was working at my local shop for work experience week
Tiger25NYC Brooklyn I just got the 6
Dat Zaskar thođđđđ
Hard tail all the way!
First thing I did to mine was upgrade the seat, the stock seat was awful. Next upgrade is dropper post, then better tires, beyond that, it will likely serve me well until I decide to upgrade to a full suspension bike.
Any suggestions on a hard tail for trails and some dirt jumps? I would like it to be reasonably priced. Would Neil's pump track bike work or is that too much for trails?
When it comes to peddles and shoes, could you recommend entry level options for beginners like myself?
I have âvintageâ 1997 Trek 800 with 26in wheels. I just found out that I might be able to fit a 27 and a half. Can I? Should I? Is it a bad idea?
Additionally, to make it happen, Iâll need to covert v-brakes to disk including a converter for it in the rear brakes.
Awesome video! I am about to get new tires and I definitely think about Maxxis brand. My mountain bike is Diamondback Overdrive ST 27.5. On my wheels says âAluminum-Alloy, double-wall, 650Bx28/38C ETRTO 584x20. What would you recommend for my new tires combo? Thank you !
Can you do a video in how to change your hardtail from 3x to 1x
I see all your video despite being Spanish speaker. I think that you could win many followers if subtitle videos in Spanish. Congrats for your channel!
I just getting back into biking, I used to do bmx biking when I was a kid. Now Iâm going for a mountain bike. I actually had a GT Mach One bmx bike. I see you have a GT mountain bike, does GT make good mountain bikes too?
Make more hardtail videos
YAH GT BRO!!!
This whole Hardtail week is making me reevaluate if i should get a full suspension bike.
how much is that GT zaskar frame?so beautiful and looks very reliable for a hardtail MTB
Hardtails are the bestđ€đ€
I want a video on what they did to that GT
What is the number one upgrade to do on a full suspension bike? Ditch the rear suspension
make a video regarding "xc race life"in the since how can a person make out a career from pro xc racing
Don't like hardtails, still upvoted because I love you guys' work :D
ive got that bike its pretty good
Interesting upgrades:
Ergon SME3 Pro Enduro Seat
Ergon GD1 DH Grips
Crank Bros Stamp Platforms
Schwable Magic Mary Tires
RaceFace RIDE Single Speed NW Crank
Shimano XT Der (not sure if that is factory)
WTB ST i23 Hoops
And some type of brake upgade that looks like Shimano Tourney Rotors
Why would you swap out the hoops and use the same low grade stock hubs?
Eeh whats the fork