Bike Upgrade Part 2...More help please

[Pro@Crashlanding]

Hey everyone it is Chris again looking for more advice on part upgrades. I ride a 2002 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR XC Pro. With a whole new year upon us I am looking to step up a little bit but still keep my bike and looking at the components they all look stock still, the brake cables are worn. Can any new style of mountain bike brake cables work? I was thinking about upgrading to a newer model of Continental Tires. The bike still has S- Works Cranks that are beat pretty good and pedals...Is it possible to upgrade those without any problems? Shifting from certain gears to wont happen unless you toy with the shifter a little bit, is this a problem in the cable or cassettes? I am looking at maybe possibly upgrading both of those, does that mean the derailleur will also have to be replaced? I am also looking to replace the current Shimano style V - Brake system is it possible to upgrade that and get away with it.

Bottom line is I am looking to upgrade and bring the bike back to life again. What is your guys/gals suggestions as to how or what I should upgrade and how far can I upgrade the bike before components wont fit or work with the bike. Any and all tips hints or suggestions are accepted and taken to heart

[Hudnut]

I wouldnt spend a ton of money upgrading. I would just have the cables and housings replaced or take care of any other regular maintenance items. If you were to upgrade anything I'd look for wheels.

[pharus]

Agreed on the cables and housings. That may solve the fussy shifting, but you may also have a problem with the cassette. Derailleur is not likely to be a problem, unlesss the sprockets are worn out or the spring is shot, it generally just does what the shifter tells it to do. If you replace the cassette, replace the chain at the same time.

Other than being beat up looking, is there any functionality issues with the crank/pedals?

You would probably need new wheels in order to replace the v-brakes with disk brakes, but you could put on Sram/Avid linear brakes instead, but I don't know that you'd notice any difference.

I am with you, I like to upgrade my existing bike, even though general opinion would be to just start over with something new(er).

[Pro@Crashlanding]

Cables and housing..Check.

There really is nothing wrong with the cranks or pedals, the pins in the pedals are slightly dull but thats about about it. And the entire point of this is to take a bike that was a gift from my dad and tune it up and upgrade to make it better, and actually "my" bike, not just a bike anyone can purchase off the showroom floor kind of thing

[rgardn20]

It may be just an efficiency thing. I would think most might look at it from a cost to benefit and the benefit just being low maintenance rides. If your benefit is both fun rides and you also enjoy working on your bike it’s your call on how much to spend. From a maintenance point I agree with new cables but if you want to spend some cash that you won’t get back out but might move to a new bike I second a nice wheel set, I also like the benefit of a newer used Fox or RS SID/Reba fork and a front hydraulic brake. Well both front and rear brake if your frame supports the IS mounts.

[Hudnut]

disc front V-brake rear is not a bad way to go. I rode a setup like that for a few years.

[TenSpeed]

You may have to upgrade the fork if it is not disc compatible. This is where it can start to become more expensive than it is worth.

[BigGear]

Build a bike from the floor up if you want somthing you can't get on the floor.

Are you looking for performance or looks?

Sounds like you want to replace everything but the frame....

[volklgirl]

1) Start with all new cables and housings - it's cheap and effective for taming most minor shifting problems.
2) Check the derailleur hanger to make sure it's not bent. Check that the cassette is firmly seated and tightened down on the hub body. Check the cassette and chainrings for missing/bent/broken/worn teeth - replace if needed.
3) If you need to replace anything on step 2, replace the chain as well.

Upgrading the brakes to disc may be sexy, but it's not a cost effective change as you may not have have disc tabs on the frame or fork and even if you do, you'll need new wheels with disc hubs. Unless you know what you're doing and are a savvy E-Bayer, the whole thing could run you several 100 dollars per wheel.

Fork upgrades are nice but they're spendy and can alter your bike's geometry or even void the frame warranty. Usually when you start talking about fork and wheel upgrades, you're better off just buying something more modern.

[JonathanGennick]

1) Start with all new cables and housings - it's cheap and effective for taming most minor shifting problems.
2) Check the derailleur hanger to make sure it's not bent.

+1.

Bent hanger is the #1 shifting problem that I tend to see.

[Leroi Brown]

That frame is disc compatible, and the fork should be as well (if it's stock). Disc brakes are a fantastic upgrade, but, as previously mentioned, will require new wheels that are disc-compatible. It's possible your chain and cassette are worn as well, if you're still having problems after replacing cables/housing.