Not that I am not satisfied with my good old Hardrocx, but I really want to get even better at mountainbiking (and of course, a new bike is the number one thing you should start with).
I have been thinking about buying a full-suspension bike for a few years now, but the reality is, I am not sure if spending a lot of money on a low-badget suspension bike will make such a huge difference on my mountain bike riding ability.
That is - the real reason that I haven't gotten a new bike is, that I bought a car last year, and my money is currently being spent on fun car parts like brakes and hubs. That's ok.
It is an older model, so I was prepared for it.
So - what are you going to do if you desperately want a new bike, but cannot afford one?
You upgrade you current bike.
But - my current bike is also my commuter bike, and the last few winters of outside riding have shown that winter riding on streets that are salted will wear down your bike parts.
Rust, yes.
No matter how much you wash your bike and keep it inside, I found that especially the chain, would simply get rusty really quick.
So now that I have decided to give my Hardrocx a good service, shift all wires and maybe also the chain and maybe even more, I am getting sceptical about the winter riding.
Solution: I need a proper commuter bike.
Would I buy one?
No.
Maybe I already had one?
Yes!
A generous friend of mine stores some of my larger gear at her place (bike, skiing boots, bike trainer), and also my former and first mountainbike.
This one is also a Hardrocx bike, and actually the same as my current - that is, a Hardrocx shock machine - and it's from 2002!
The frame is a different one though, and it's an inch smaller.
It didn't look to bad after five years standing still in the barn at my friend - just had to get some air back in the tires, give it a thorough wash and some lube, and it was actually working quite well!
As for the size, although it's an inch smaller (16" as opposed to my current 17", they are both too large for me I'd say) - it felt too big.
So I started by switching out the handlebar from the old, original (and faded) handlebar to an Easton handlebar - same type, and also switched the completely worn down handlebar grips (to Cannondale grips) - and it already looks better.
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| Yes, I am doing bike stuff INSIDE. |
What I plan to do about it, is changing all the wires, that is, brake and gear cables.
Some screws are a bit rusty too, so I'll change them too.
I don't think there are too many parts that will need changing, but time will tell, and how much smoother the ride will get.
For cosmetic reasons, I will maybe also change the seatpost - and switch to a zer-offset one to shorten the distance from seat to handlebar.
I have just started the project, but it is already so much fun to see my good old bike coming to life again!
We have had some good times together, so I will try and find some old photos for the old times sake later 😊
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