Back to basics - Can anyone help?
Discussion
Hi all,
So for the past few weeks I’ve cleaned up my old bike and have been riding around the Chilterns footpaths and having a bit of fun really.
My bike is one of these: https://www.thebikelist.co.uk/giant/yukon-2010
My questions really:
1) What are the limits for this bike?
The footpaths are downhills and uphills, quite steep gradients and massive flints everywhere and some fields etc, but I don’t want to go too hard, neither do I think that my bike has taken a hit at all. It’s working as fine as it was when I first bought it and as well as last year when I first dug it back out again.
2) Upgrades? I know 26 inch wheels aren’t really in fashion any more (going by a Facebook group for mountain bikers), but also it seems like buying forks etc are really expensive for 26 inch wheels?
Are the 80mm forks ‘outdated’ and if I want to get into this seriously, are they worth upgrading? The forks were slightly rusted on the chrome surface, so I treated this (surface only) To get rid of the rust (last year) and now keep them sprayed up with WD-40 before I go riding. but this attracts a lot of dirt.
I’ve also looked into a set of hydraulic brakes to replace my mechanical ones. Is this an upgrade worth doing? I think about £100 would get a relatively decent set for my ability?
3) Gears - the newer bikes now seem to have less gears than what mine has? Why? Is my bike more suited to a road/gravel track use rather than off road down/up hills?
4) Cleaning - I don’t have access to a hose or an outside tap so it’s a bucket of water and a brush for me. Is Muc Off Nano a good enough cleaner and chain degreaser? I have a bottle of Muc Ofd Wet Lube for chain lube.
I think that covers my immediate queries! If you have any good guides where I can read up that would be good?
So for the past few weeks I’ve cleaned up my old bike and have been riding around the Chilterns footpaths and having a bit of fun really.
My bike is one of these: https://www.thebikelist.co.uk/giant/yukon-2010
My questions really:
1) What are the limits for this bike?
The footpaths are downhills and uphills, quite steep gradients and massive flints everywhere and some fields etc, but I don’t want to go too hard, neither do I think that my bike has taken a hit at all. It’s working as fine as it was when I first bought it and as well as last year when I first dug it back out again.
2) Upgrades? I know 26 inch wheels aren’t really in fashion any more (going by a Facebook group for mountain bikers), but also it seems like buying forks etc are really expensive for 26 inch wheels?
Are the 80mm forks ‘outdated’ and if I want to get into this seriously, are they worth upgrading? The forks were slightly rusted on the chrome surface, so I treated this (surface only) To get rid of the rust (last year) and now keep them sprayed up with WD-40 before I go riding. but this attracts a lot of dirt.
I’ve also looked into a set of hydraulic brakes to replace my mechanical ones. Is this an upgrade worth doing? I think about £100 would get a relatively decent set for my ability?
3) Gears - the newer bikes now seem to have less gears than what mine has? Why? Is my bike more suited to a road/gravel track use rather than off road down/up hills?
4) Cleaning - I don’t have access to a hose or an outside tap so it’s a bucket of water and a brush for me. Is Muc Off Nano a good enough cleaner and chain degreaser? I have a bottle of Muc Ofd Wet Lube for chain lube.
I think that covers my immediate queries! If you have any good guides where I can read up that would be good?
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