Noob needs upgrades

fuzzdevil said:

Hello I have a Giant Sedona comfort bike, which seems kinda slow on the roads and weak on the dirt. Its been sitting in storage for the past year and I want to start riding again. I am thinking there must be some ways to upgrade to make it more usable. I don't know much about cranks & sprockets, need some advise on adding some gearing & shifters. The bike has twist shifters which I don't really care for. Other things I need are pedals stiffer front forks & tires & perhaps disc brakes.

Dude, just buy a new bike. For $600- $1k you can get a rocking bike that will more than satisfy you. Expensive? Add up new suspension, derailleurs, cranks, and cassette, you ARE talking expensive. Even something Deore equiped will feel better if you get the right geometry.

fuzzdevil said:

Hello I have a Giant Sedona comfort bike, which seems kinda slow on the roads and weak on the dirt. Its been sitting in storage for the past year and I want to start riding again. I am thinking there must be some ways to upgrade to make it more usable. I don't know much about
cranks & sprockets, need some advise on adding some gearing & shifters. The bike has twist shifters which I don't really care for. Other things I need are pedals stiffer front forks & tires & perhaps
disc brakes.

I am no expert, having only been riding (every day) for about 3 months, mostly track with a bit of backroad, after several years' break. But I do read that hybrid and comfort bikes are exactly as you describe.

However, before you dive in and spend money:

- If I am stepping out of line and you know bikes, then sorry, but I feel the following has to be asked.

- without meaning to be rude, how much riding have you done before riding this bike and how long
ago? For quite a while after anybody starts riding, it's the _rider_ who is the slow and weak part in any conditions, both in speed and skill at bike handling. Just been there and slowly getting better.

- are you going so fast you can't pedal any faster, or find it too hard to pedal?

- what are you comparing the bike to, to make you think it's slow on the road and no good in the dirt?

- do you have the bike set up for you properly? Seat height. Seat fore and aft? Handlebar height (if
alterable, which it probably is on that bike IIRC)

- do you understand the _use_ of the gears, correct cadence etc for different conditions?
- There are huge discussions about this just about every forum. I have a Yukon with the same front set as your bike, I think, but with an 11 tooth cog on the back, rather than a 12 smallest. My lowest gear is a complete crawler, which I hardly ever use any more. It either spins or stands in the places you really need it <G>. So your low 12-tooth should be OK for quite a bit of work.
- With the front set in the largest ring, and the back set on the smallest, I have an idea how I could go 30mph + in theory at even moderately high pedalling rate.

- what exactly do you mean weak in the dirt?

- what tyres are on it? This could be a weak area, but finding a tyre that does both jobs inevitably
leads to compromise, which you have to work with.

- what pressure do you run them at? In the dirt, they should be at the bottom of their pressure rating,
with the caution that if they are tubed, you could go too low and pinch the tube over a rock or bump. Start at 35-40 PSI. Try lowering them a couple of PSI at a time and riding, wherever you ride, offroad. Carry a pump and put them at the top of their range when you go on the road. In the dirt, _usually_
the front can be a bit lower, because that gives better grip, and it takes less weight and less of a bashing if you are using your arms to absorb the shock.

- disc brakes are not going to make any difference to the bike's performance
- you may well have to get disc hubs to get disc brakes anyway.

- do you _know_ you need stiffer shocks? How? Have you tried any? Are they bottoming, or slowing you on the road?

Again I hope this does not offend....anyone....