# How can i tell what parts fit my bike



## jasonball (Nov 9, 2010)

I have a 2010 specialize hard rock sport with the avid bb5 mechanical disc brakes. 

there are some parts mostly the drive system that I would like to change but how do I know what is going to fit my bike. I looked at the specs on the website. but I don't see too many octalink bottom brackets or crank set like mention in the specs. 

I have tried searching for a newby link to explain the parts and there function. any links or idea would greatly be appreciated.


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## JonathanGennick (Sep 15, 2006)

The more you work on your bike, the more comfortable you will get. It will help to buy some books on maintenance such as the one by Leonard Zinn.

Be prepared to make a mistake or two. I learned about bolt-circle-diameter for cranksets by accidentally purchasing a five-bolt ring for my four-bolt crankset. Oops! I still have that ring sitting in a drawer.

If you are after a new crankset, I would suggest the Shimano LX model on sale at Jenson:

http://jensonusa.com/store/product/CR303A00-Shimano+Lx+Fc-M582+Crankset.aspx

IMHO, it's one of the best deals going. It will come with a bottom-bracket that will fit your bike. However! You will need to buy some tools and do some reading in order to install it.

Two other sources of good info: parktools.com and bicycletutor.com.


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## jasonball (Nov 9, 2010)

good looking out bro. thanks


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## Rod (Oct 17, 2007)

For parts in general I try to find the parts that come stock on my bike. I would see what size front derailleur clamp I would need, if it's top or bottom pull and seatpost size. From there I would see what type of crank or crankrings that I have. If I need a 68 or 73mm wide crank. Then determine the type of bottom bracket I desire. Good luck. 

Edit: Most of the other parts are easily interchangeable. Wheels (as long as they're the correct size, 26 and 26) they need the right type of brakes though. Disc brake or V brake compatible, shifters, etc.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

The bike industry does a weird dance with standardization. It does it just enough to lull us into thinking that we can go out and buy upgrades, and then they don't fit.

On your drivetrain, for example, you've already heard about the bottom bracket. At least in the US, for a while it looked like bikes for the American market would all have the same bottom bracket for a while. But then some other standards came out. They're not relevant to you, in this case, and the LX crankset suggested will go great on your bike. But if you look at more expensive upgrade parts, you can run into trouble.

The manuals for the parts themselves can be a good source of information. So can the exploded diagrams. If your Hardrock has the Suntour crankset that a lot of them do, though, neither of those is available. Some other resources are the FAQ pages on Specialized's web site, and if you have a specific question, you can usually get a specific answer here.

What don't you like about your drivetrain?


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## Clones123 (Apr 29, 2010)

Looking at the Specilaized web site, it appears that your Bottom Bracket Shell is a standard 68mm English. The vast majority of BB's are designed for a 73mm-wide English Shell with shims to fit narrower 68mm shells and thus they work for both.

Given the spec listed on Bikepedia, it seems to me that the biggest bang for the buck you'd get from an upgrade would be in the fork. The Suntour XCT-MLO is a pretty low-end friction-damped fork. For $100, you could upgrade to a MUCH nicer Suntour XCR-LO (or XCR-RL with remote lockout) which is a hydraulic fork with magnesium lowers and a SpeedLock damper.


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## jasonball (Nov 9, 2010)

I guess there really isn't anything wrong with my drive train.I just figure upgraded parts might give crisper shift. maybe less chain bouce. 

I did find a rock shox tora sl 100mm fork that fits the specs of what i would need. I posted that under the suspension thread.. 

I guess if I do any major upgrades in the future it will be the whole bike. since i'm so limited with this. not a bad thing. but good know before I start dumping money. thanks for all th eanswers


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

jasonball said:


> I guess there really isn't anything wrong with my drive train.I just figure upgraded parts might give crisper shift. maybe less chain bouce.


Nice shifts are all about the shifter cables and housings. They need to be clean, and the ends of the housings need to be finished well. If I've been riding in the wet or notice my shifting getting a little slower than I like, I always have a look at the area under the bottom bracket where the cables are routed and make sure that's clean. They may have gotten rid of that by '10...

Anyway,

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cables.html#cutting

The factory housings are often shamefully bad.

Better shifters also help. Better derailleurs help.

I don't know that I'd say the Hardrock frame is limited - it doesn't have any funky sizes of things, so most aftermarket parts that are appropriate for a hardtail will fit, and the geometry makes sense for an athletic rider of average proportions. However, a new bike is more cost-effective than a wholesale upgrade of everything, in most cases. I'd say if you're replacing things that are broken or getting one or two choice items, upgrading makes sense, but if you're trying to chip away at the entire build (not that I did that, of course  ) it's better to just get a whole new bike.


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## dbfutrell (Apr 1, 2011)

AndrwSwitch said:


> Nice shifts are all about the shifter cables and housings. They need to be clean, and the ends of the housings need to be finished well. If I've been riding in the wet or notice my shifting getting a little slower than I like, I always have a look at the area under the bottom bracket where the cables are routed and make sure that's clean. They may have gotten rid of that by '10...
> 
> Anyway,
> 
> ...


This is interesting - a good cheap place to start is the cables I guess. I'm a beginner of sorts and I'm in the process of upgrading some things on my bike too. Any suggestions for us newbies on what to look for when replacing the cables? Are they sized a certain way or lengths we should look for, etc. etc??? Is it best to just pay a bike shop or is this an easy do-it-yourself job? Thanks ahead of time for any suggestions!


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

Sheldon has more to say about cutting cables, more clearly, than I ever will.

But I'll add this - I usually just buy bulk cable, and do it myself. I think shop techs are usually pretty good about doing a good job, but I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask them if they clean up the ends. Or just check it yourself when you get your bike back, although that's kind of a PITA.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

Rod said:


> Edit: Most of the other parts are easily interchangeable. Wheels (as long as they're the correct size, 26 and 26) they need the right type of brakes though...


not that simple. There are several different axle types. Front can be 9mm QR, 15mm through axle or 20mm through axle. Rear can be 135mm wide, 10mm QR (most common) or one of 3 or so through axles. They are not interchangeable and many hubs are not convertible to the other types.


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