Hello, I am just curious

[Just curious]

Hi, just a newbie here on this Forum, normally not a Forum kinda guy, but with most of the restrictions now still being working from home, don't cuddle with other riders and stuff like that I now turn toward a forum.

I am a Hardtail liking mountain biker, but I keep it casual, nothing really fast, really rough so I bought my first e-bike during the lockdown. Got my hands on a Cube Reaction Hybrid Pro (hardtail).
What a relieve and a difference that makes in the hills, loving it.
but everything comes with a price and now looking for some advise from more experienced bikers around this beautiful globe to get some upgrades going.

Hope to see a few good ideas in the Cube section of this place.

 

[SquireRides]

The Cube Reaction Hybrid Pro (2017 model) was my entry drug to eMTBs. Had a good two years on that bike before selling to upgrade to a full suss eMTB. I was all ready just to upgrade the Cube and keep it for a couple more years, but events (theft of the fork I bought, plus my company about to change the bike scheme they offered) meant I got a new bike instead.

I had intended to put on a nice RS Revelation fork (going from 100mm to 120mm), much burlier tires and a dropper. That would have transformed the bike.

 

[steve_sordy]

I understand the urge to change stuff on a bike to make it your own and different (better!) to all the others, but your money can be better spent in other ways.
What moves me to change anything on my bike is dissatisfaction with what is already there. That could be as simple as it doesn't last long enough, uncomfortable, rusts, or fails to deliver the performance I'm looking for. I don't change tyres just because I don't like the brand name for example. I change tyres because I'm not getting the grip I want. That will be only after experimenting with tyre pressures etc. I only spend money on a fork after I have done all I can to get the most out of it. There is an excellent thread on here with stickies that tell you all you need to know about suspension tuning.

There are a few things that I "upgrade" without testing what comes with the bike:

• I fit Ergon GP1 grips. Nothing else works for me.
• I go tubeless with whatever tyres come with the bike. I get the tubeless set up as part of the deal if at all possible.
• I have two pairs of DMR Vault pedals that I have had for a long time, so they get fitted. If pedals come with a new bike, they are usually pretty crap anyway.
• If the saddle does not suit my sit bones, it is changed. I won't even ride it. That was a hard lesson to learn.

 

[Just curious]

I understand the urge to change stuff on a bike to make it your own and different (better!) to all the others, but your money can be better spent in other ways.
What moves me to change anything on my bike is dissatisfaction with what is already there. That could be as simple as it doesn't last long enough, uncomfortable, rusts, or fails to deliver the performance I'm looking for. I don't change tyres just because I don't like the brand name for example. I change tyres because I'm not getting the grip I want. That will be only after experimenting with tyre pressures etc. I only spend money on a fork after I have done all I can to get the most out of it. There is an excellent thread on here with stickies that tell you all you need to know about suspension tuning.

There are a few things that I "upgrade" without testing what comes with the bike:

• I fit Ergon GP1 grips. Nothing else works for me.
• I go tubeless with whatever tyres come with the bike. I get the tubeless set up as part of the deal if at all possible.
• I have two pairs of DMR Vault pedals that I have had for a long time, so they get fitted. If pedals come with a new bike, they are usually pretty crap anyway.
• If the saddle does not suit my sit bones, it is changed. I won't even ride it. That was a hard lesson to learn.

Yes, I get what you are saying, thanks.
Already went tubeless, in any situation with what I buy I go through what is already there. Tyres are already changed, like you said, grip in winter was poor, very poor. Pedals have been changed, but they were not the best quality (lesson learnt).
The Fork however is somewhat underwhelming... but I will start and look at the tuning part to see what I can do better.

 

[Chris ledger]

One of my first upgrades after tyres and seat was the rotors as 180 discs realky struggled to pull me and the bike up 203 rotors and better pads made a big difference even on 2 pot brakes