[Closed] pimp my core!

looks fine to me as it is - you could upgrade when things wear out if you wanted to but I wouldn't rush; it's a slippery slope once you start

find some other bikers local to you, it'll make your riding more fun but also you get see what they use and maybe get to try stuff out

What a nice bike, you could change everything & spend ££££ & it wont make much difference its good as it is.

I would suggest the best thing is to look at some bike fit websites and make sure you have your position about right on the bike, saddle height etc, if your on flat pedals I think SPD's are a big boost for not a lot (opinions vary on that one)

As thing wear out change it then, a really blingy set of wheels will make it come alive but you need to ride more to decide what kind of wheels to go for.

Lock on grips are nice if it doesnt have them.

You don't need to change owt on that really. Tis a nice bike.

I'd echo what Tinsy said, decent wheels make a big difference. Change them when you're Shimano hubs wear out. A few winter rides in the mud should do the trick 😉

How wide are your bars? They can never be wide enough. Get some mahooooooooooooooooooooosive ones

That's a cracking bike for the money.

The only things I would change would be tyres, but this is very personal and very dependant on what kind of riding you are doing, some lock on grips, again very personal, and pedals.

Are you using the SPDs and clipped in? Or flats? Again it depends on what and how you ride. Personally I perfer SPDs on road and flats for off road. I fall off a lot and the ability to bail on flats is somehow reassuring. I've ended up with worse injuries being clipped in and crashing with the bike still attached.

EDIT: forgot to say, just upgrade the bits that wear out with something nicer as and when it does.

I got it for £775 as ex on a stand in a shop but never ridden so it seems like even more of a bargain now!

I'm on flats with shimano flat shoes. It came with spds but I'm never about not being able to bail from the bike until my skill levels improve (my 38 yr old body doesn't bounce as well as it used to!

The bars are just the stock ones I haven't measured them

The (obvious ) local trails are single or double track probably mostly no more technical than the red run at haldon forest. Tyres wise I know it's a whole can of worms but what's better than what I have. Mud specific in our climate I guess?!

Yep. my best mate has just got the same bike, amazing spec for the money and really well thought out. He isn't getting on with the Mountain King I tyres it came with so he's looking at the Mountain King II's or Rubber Queen's in 2.2".

Aside form that invest in some decent riding gear or a weekend away! 🙂

I would get rid of the TK compression damper on the forks and replace it with a Motion Control unit.

I would leave pretty much everything else as-is until it wears out.

ceepers, I personally like to have the right tyre for the conditions, get a set of mud tyres for winter, a set of ****in fast ones for summer & some intermediate types for everything else. It make a huge differnce and well worth the 10 mins change time.

Noby Nics will be my next tyres for intermediate use because they are light in weight. (but not tried some as yet just going on reports)

I can bail quite happily from SPD's at 46, buy some shoes to go with the pedals supplied.

I would go for wheels first. Hope hoops with Stans Crest rims.

Depending on how the bike fits you some wider bars and possibly a slightly shorter stem.

Great bikes those Genesis mtb's.

Do what the others have said and upgrade when stuff wears out and enjoy riding for now.

Maybe spend your cash on some lights instead so you can keep on riding through the winter nights.

Ignore these idiots,

get some streamers for your handle bars and one of them sirens that can do police cars and fire engines and amubulances...Neee Nuuurrr Neee Nurrr Neee Nurrrr.......YEAAAAAH!

(Or a good waterproof and a weekend with the lads/lasses in wales/lakes/peaks/scotland)

Nice bike.
Only way to have more fun is add spokey dokeys.

get a set of mud tyres for winter

Seconded, about all you might really need. I get by with just two sets (Bonty Mud X and Racing Ralphs), so just use what shipped for everything but the claggiest of winter days (or just go surfing then).

Wheels, wheels, wheels.

Hope hoops.

Then Bars, Stem and Seatpost.

Oh yeh and tyres.

Or a beer mat and peg for the rear wheel. 😀

I have the same bike but last years model.

First thing - Tyres, get some nice light folding ones. Mud tyres (bonty mud x) are great in mud and nothing else. I run 2.35 kenda nevegals and I am pretty happy, they perform well in just about any terrain. I would give the Maxxis Advantage 2.25 a look, they are lighter than my Kenda and have more clearance. Tyres make a big difference.

I replaced the head set with a hope one - since it was poorly sealed. I would advise doing the same.

Same goes for the wheels, I haven't replaced mine. But I want too, especially the rear since the hub is an alivio unit and therefore has rubbish pick up (how quickly the freehub catches when you turn the cranks) and the seals are terrible. I would replace with hope hubs because they have sealed bearings and a nice pick up, plus they are lighter. Weight difference is the most noticeable in the wheels.

The rims will depend on your riding, give it a few months and your confidence may grow and a set of heavier but tougher rims may be better for you, or if it doesn't then light XC rims may be better. I my self am considering tubeless rims.

As for bars and stem, the stock is a 70mm stem and 680mm bars. I replaced them with a 50mm stem and 711mm bars, but I am back on the stock set-up, since I felt I was positioned over the back end too much, not good on a bike with no rear suspension.

Do a few press ups and measure the distance from each hand, that will be a good starting point for handle bar width. Über wide bars are a fad.

Everything else is fine, you may want to do this later on to your fork:

I would get rid of the TK compression damper on the forks and replace it with a Motion Control unit.

Get out and ride more, improve your skills, they make the biggest difference of all and put a bigger smile on your face than any shiney new kit.

Remember it's all in the hips 😉

Sorry for the long post, but I have been riding a year and I wish somebody gave me the same advice when I started out.

If you're going to change anything on the bike (assuming it's still standard spec), then start with the tyres. The older style Mountain King's aren't that good really, can get much better tyres for not a huge outlay, and this will give you probably the best performance increase you can buy for the bike!

Other than that, maybe saddle as they're not the most comfy out there IMO, possibly a wider bar (though that's personal preference, std bars are 680mm so not narrow as such), maybe grips that suit your hands better (some people like thin, some thick, you decide).

Other than that it's really not worth worrying about. Change bits as they wear out, the Genesis' are superb bikes from the factory. The Geometry is spot on and they come with decent reliable kit, so just wait til things need replacing unless you're especially unhappy with something on it.

sorry if it's all been covered (a quick scan suggests i'm repeating a few wise people here).

You've got a great bike, with a little tlc everything should work well and continue to do so for yonks.

however, there are a few things i would do.

lock-on grips: i like thick ones (sun logo thick), you may like thin ones, try some, and find out.

decent flat pedals: i like dmr v8's - because they're reliable, i like the shape, they're cheap, and more easy to service than other more expensive pedals.

wider bars: 720mm as a 'minimum' to try - it might not sound much more than 685, but it's enough to feel very different.

uppy downy seatpost: not cheap, but very handy - especially on a 'hardtail' - you need to make room for the bike to move around.

decent shoes: i like shimano AM41's, other people like 5:10's (it sounds like you've got this covered)

decent clothes: a nice softshell jacket and some merino jerseys will keep you warm dry and comfy in some horrific conditions.

a training day: a bit of coaching goes a long way.

a good toolkit.

decent riding lights: the footpaths of devon can be full of walkers in the day time, they're not so busy in the dark...

a road bike: all those quiet lanes!

Wow thanks for the advice!!

Sounds like I'm halfway there, I have dmr v8s and those am41shoes. Clothes wise I'm sorted too.

Sounds like it might be worth wider bars!? Would I still need to get a shorter stem at 720?

I'd thought of a dropper post guess the extra weight is worth it?

Tyres seem like a first step. Maxxis advantage 2.25 or continental mountain king mk2 have been suggested, any views on what's best?

I should add my regular loops involve some road climbs then usually (pretty) muddy across/downhills with some exposed rock but few roots

ride it a bit before you spend a penny...

Sounds like it might be worth wider bars!? Would I still need to get a shorter stem at 720?

You wouldn't [i]need[/i] but it would improve ragged edge handling no doubt.

I have a set of Nukeproof Warhead bars(720mm) - email in profile you're interested...

Would I still need to get a shorter stem at 720?

A shorter stem will make the steering feel snappier, as will narrower bars. A long stem and wide bars make the steering feel a bit numb.

So wide bars need a short stem to sharpen things up.

If you fancy some 720's get them and try them, see how they feel with your stock stem in comparison to the 680 bars.

The stem bar thing really is down to personal preference, you have to experiment to find what feels comfortable and works for you, there isn't a winning formula - unlike MBUK would have you believe.

I personally wouldn't get a dropper post. I don't see the point, Dropping the seat is only required when riding gnar DH and besides, just undo the QR whilst you psych yourself up.

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so many thanks for the help everyone!

small amount of pimping after some bargain bin internet hunting!

It's a 17.5 frame and i'm only 5'6 so i was in two minds about getting the 16 inch originally so i went with a 50mm ragley stumpy stem and some alloy answer 720 protaper bars.

changed the tyres for nobby nics too

only ridden it around the block so far but seems to climb just as comfortably as before but feels more responsive and "chuckable" to my inexperienced skills. Definately easier to hop off curbs etc.

Yet to try it down anything off road so i'll report back

Yeah, do that... Looks good.