# Which Components Need Upgrade For Clydesdales?



## Dr. Dolittle (Feb 1, 2013)

I'm riding an Ibis Ripley LS V3. 61 years old and around 260 pounds with all my gear and a full Camelback.

I was chatting with the shock guru at my LBS and he told me the vast majority of mountain bike companies design their bikes and select components based on a rider weight around 180 pounds. Well I'm obviously WAY above that!

So, what does everyone think should be upgraded on a bike to make it withstand the extra abuse that a Clydesdale rider puts on it? I'm thinking, in no particular order:

1. Handlebars
2. Spokes
3. Shock/fork
4. Hubs
5. Wheels
6. Brakes
7. Chain

I already switched to a Fox DPX2 shock and bumped my fork travel out to 140mm.

I also looked at my list and realized 2, 4, and 5 are pretty much in the same area of the bike so can be considered together. But then again, maybe not. Maybe one is much more critical than the other two.


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## distortion10 (Mar 5, 2011)

Good choice on the shock. Once dialed you’ll love it. 

I’d recommend a quality wheelset with beefy hubs. Dt Swiss 350 hubs are bomb proof. 

After that I’d ride till something breaks then upgrade. Expect accelerated wear on the suspension, drive train and dropper post. Not sure if more expensive parts would help that. Maintenance is your friend. 

Hope this helps. Cheers.


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## Dr. Dolittle (Feb 1, 2013)

distortion10 said:


> Good choice on the shock. Once dialed you'll love it.
> 
> I'd recommend a quality wheelset with beefy hubs. Dt Swiss 350 hubs are bomb proof.
> 
> ...


Absolutely helps. Makes sense, too!


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I weigh about 265 and I used to break stuff like crazy. Mostly spokes and nipples and chains. 
I taught myself to build wheels and now I never break wheel stuff... EVER. 
Last part I hurt was on my fat bike. Hope hub with the aluminum freehub, I actually wrinkled the aluminum ahead of all the pawl pockets. The mechanics at the bike shop were dumbfounded. Never saw that before. We all agreed it was from my weight and strength and the unlimited traction climbing. We switched me to the stainless freehub and I have no more problems. 
I build all my own wheels with double butted spokes and good, sturdy rims. I ride a fat bike and a Plus bike and I feel the extra volume in the tires also helps immensely. 
I only use Thomson stems and seatposts. 
Probably the biggest thing I did was develop smoothness. I haven't broken a chain in nine or ten years. Best part of becoming a smooth rider is it's free.


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## scottzg (Sep 27, 2006)

Dr. Dolittle said:


> 1. Handlebars
> 2. Spokes
> 3. Shock/fork
> 4. Hubs
> ...


Heavier matters, but 210lbs of 'in shape' vs 270lbs of former couch potato will stress a bike differently.

1- don't buy weight weenie bars. Easy.
2- should be viewed as part of the wheel system.
3- ABSOLUTELY. Production shocks tend to be tuned for everyone and nobody simultaneously. Same for forks, with the addition that the chassis is under-gunned. A different production shock might fix the problem, a custom tuned cheap shock might be better. It's interesting. Forks combine multiple elements and it gets hard to know what's best.
4- some heavy riders will shred hubs, some won't.
5- the system
6- not sure why 4 pot front calipers aren't standard for general purpose mtbs. 8/7" rotors in the mean time.
7- sure but whaddaya gonna do? Steel chainrings seem to make the wear reasonable.


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## Dr. Dolittle (Feb 1, 2013)

NYrr496 said:


> I taught myself to build wheels and now I never break wheel stuff... EVER.
> I build all my own wheels with double butted spokes and good, sturdy rims.


Would you care to share what brands you prefer?


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

Dr. Dolittle said:


> Would you care to share what brands you prefer?


I usually run Hope hubs on the rear with the stainless freehub and almost immediately install better bearings. The ones that come in the hubs don't last long. 
I like Bike Hub Store hubs up front. 
DT Swiss or Sapim double butted spokes. 
I will use aluminum nipples on wheels that are going to have a fat or plus tire. I haven't hurt those but on a tire that doesn't afford the extra protection, I like black brass nipples. 
I use DT Swiss or LK Nipples I get from a guy on Ebay, Childhooddreams. Excellent spoke guy. 
If you want the best aluminum nipples, get Lily Precision. They're expensive but excellent quality. 
On my fat bike I have Surly My Other Brother Darryls. I run them with 5" tires and have zero dents in my rims. 
On My Krampus I have 40mm Raceface Arcs. Lots of people say these are not Clyde worthy rims but I have 3" tires on them. They stand up to me just fine. 
Remember that smoothness thing I mentioned earlier? Helps a lot.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

Oh! That was another thing... 

I always run 203 rotors on the front and 180 in the rear. Once, shopping on Ebay, I came across a guy selling a Shimano Zee front brake cheap. I nabbed it because it has four pistons. Never had four piston brakes before. Only SLX. 
Love em. 
I recently got to try a set of Hayes Dominions. You want braking power? These have it in spades.


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## jonshonda (Apr 21, 2011)

I would replace things as you break them. No need to fix what isn't broken (with suspension being the exception due to your mass). I also take enjoyment with breaking and replacing, feels more satisfying to me then just throwing money at something.

Get your fork and shock tuned, and upgrade rotor size to 203/180. After that get cheap wide bars and play with width until you get it right.


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## Dr. Dolittle (Feb 1, 2013)

NYrr496 said:


> Oh! That was another thing...
> 
> I always run 203 rotors on the front and 180 in the rear. Once, shopping on Ebay, I came across a guy selling a Shimano Zee front brake cheap. I nabbed it because it has four pistons. Never had four piston brakes before. Only SLX.
> Love em.
> I recently got to try a set of Hayes Dominions. You want braking power? These have it in spades.





jonshonda said:


> Get your fork and shock tuned, and upgrade rotor size to 203/180. After that get cheap wide bars and play with width until you get it right.


I initially thought about upgrading to four piston brakes, but I honestly cannot think of a single time I've been out riding and thought, "man I wish I'd had better brakes back there!"

I also have a Shockwiz that I'll be using to dial in my new DPX2 once my back issue clears up and I can ride again.


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## TooTallUK (Jul 5, 2005)

Don't upgrade anything. You might be someone who doesn't trash their kit. I'm 250, have been riding mountain bikes since the early 90s and haven't broken half of what some guys seem to get through.

1. Handlebars - nope - most bars are overengineered anyway. Buy a more Enduro / DH bar over lightweight XC
2. Spokes - I've had luck and trouble with all, so ride what you got and always go for more spokes per wheel - that makes more of a difference
3. Shock/fork - read a LOT on line and make up your own mind. Different shocks and forks work for different bike geometry.
4. Hubs - I've had years with Shimano, DT Swiss and King - lots out there.
5. Wheels - wider rims, good build, look after them
6. Brakes - 203 disc on the front, never ran out of braking with Shimano, Avid or Hope 2 pot brakes
7. Chain - they are damned strong. Learning to spin not mash, how to change gears when pedaling and not cross-chaining will do more than searching for a megachain.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

I'm a 255 pound rider myself. Definitely get custom wheels! I run DT Swiss 350 hubs with DT Swiss spokes and Pro Lock nipples. I also have Stan's Sentry rims to finish off the build. So far no problems! 

Depending on the total weight of your bike, you may or may not need 4 piston brakes. My Transition Sentinel weighed about 37 pounds and my stock 2 piston brakes were not stopping the bike and myself. I swapped out to 4 piston SRAM Code Rs and have had zero issues. At the same time, I had a 28 pound hardtail and used 2 piston Shimano XT brakes and had zero stopping issues. I did try the XT brakes on my Sentinel and it didn't help much. 

I've never had any issues with any pedal brands even when I used to weigh 285 pounds. 

For everything else, replace as they break!


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## scottzg (Sep 27, 2006)

NYrr496 said:


> I usually run Hope hubs on the rear with the stainless freehub and almost immediately install better bearings. The ones that come in the hubs don't last long.


'Buy hope hubs, replace everything that moves' doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement. I'll grant you that my hope hubs with aftermarket bearings and steel freehub have been very reliable.


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## jonshonda (Apr 21, 2011)

scottzg said:


> 'Buy hope hubs, replace everything that moves' doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement. I'll grant you that my hope hubs with aftermarket bearings and steel freehub have been very reliable.


Hey yeah....seems like a conspriacy on NYrr's part to sell bearings to people with brand new hope hubs. I wonder if you would notice the makers mark "NYrr496" on the bearing seals?


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

jonshonda said:


> Hey yeah....seems like a conspriacy on NYrr's part to sell bearings to people with brand new hope hubs. I wonder if you would notice the makers mark "NYrr496" on the bearing seals?


:thumbsup:


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## stonant (Mar 11, 2016)

Idk what the cost difference is but if hope + upgraded bearings + steel freehub is more expensive than hadley you should just go hadley in the first place.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I order the Hubs with the steel freehub now. Doesn't cost any extra. Enduro bearings are 17.00.


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## jonshonda (Apr 21, 2011)

Hope's bearing size and quality suck and they know it, but they don't do anything about it. Maybe they should as Chris King to make some bearings for them?


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## BassistBiker (Jun 29, 2018)

I agree with all of whats been posted so far.

I'm about 265 loaded up, and I ride a 2019 Kona Honzo.

A lot of the factory parts were of good quality, but I did change a few things with the understanding that I'd tear them up.

I replaced the factory wheels with a set of WTB Asym i35 hoops laced to DT Swiss 350 hubs.

Replaced the stock Rockshox Recon fork with a 2018 PIKE, I'm still working on the settings, but the 35mm stanchion (compared to 32) REALLY stiffened up the front end.

I dumped the factory brakes for a set of Shimano XT brakes with 180/180 Icetech rotors.

And finally I swapped to my preferred tires, Maxxis Minion DHF WT2.5 in the front and an Aggressor 2.3 with DD casing in the rear, the stiffer sidewalls seem to hold up better for me. 

Some of these things "may" never have been issues for me, but I could feel the improvement each piece made...your mileage may vary.


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## One Pivot (Nov 20, 2009)

White industries have steel axles and titanium freehubs. The bearings are good quality too. 

I beat my hope hubs quickly, like a lot of people have. Wish I spent the marginal extra and just bought white industries.


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## Rocky Mtn (Jan 19, 2014)

How do you ride. Are you doing big drops and what not.

I am a bigger guy but I ride reasonably conservatively and have never had an issue with wheels/spokes and what not.

A few years ago I took the plunge and went with carbon bars, and have yet to have an issue with them.

I have had an issue with my rear shock but had rebuilt by cane creek and I requested they build it for my wieght


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## manitunc (Jun 1, 2019)

Dr. Dolittle said:


> I'm riding an Ibis Ripley LS V3. 61 years old and around 260 pounds with all my gear and a full Camelback.
> 
> I was chatting with the shock guru at my LBS and he told me the vast majority of mountain bike companies design their bikes and select components based on a rider weight around 180 pounds. Well I'm obviously WAY above that!
> 
> ...


Do you have a pic with the dpx2 mounted to your ripley? I am riding a large ripley v3 also and trying to decide between the dpx2, DVO topaz and manitou.


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## CaveGiant (Aug 21, 2007)

Hi,

Hoping for some solid info on #7

Did anyone get some decent experience with chains?

I'm looking for the strongest chains going at 11sp.


I was a huge fan of KMC at 9 speed, but when I switched to 11 speed the chain couldn't hack it. 5 breaks in as many weeks. 
I've swapped to XTR and they are great. Two chains wore out without a single snap.

However, they wear fast and are expensive.

KMC has just released the e-bike chains, these are designed for far higher torque and have hardened pins.

This sounds good, but has anyone any relevant experience?

Not looking to discuss technique, just product knowledge (sorry for this qualification, but tried asking on the drivetrain thread and that's all people would discuss).

So has anyone done some back to back chain testing or got experience on the ebike chains?

Thanks,


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## scottzg (Sep 27, 2006)

CaveGiant said:


> Hi,
> 
> Hoping for some solid info on #7
> 
> ...


I use pins exclusively. I toss the quick links in my emergency kit. They used to work alright, but as the side plates get thinner they've become unreliable.

Not much experience with 11sp mtb- i 'upgraded' to 1x11 for a while, but then i upgraded back to 2x9 on my mtbs. My road bikes are 11sp, no problems.

I've heard of people having horrible luck with broken 11-12sp chains when they're installed backward...


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I use XT chains and haven't broken one in many years.


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## chad.trent (Jun 13, 2019)

I realize I'm chiming in a little late here, but anyways...

I wouldn't worry about upgrading right off the bat. Like others say - ride it until it breaks.

I'm 285 and riding a 10 year old Specialized Epic. I don't do big drops or anything, but our trails are very rocky and rooted. I have broken 4 spokes since I've owned the bike. That's all I've had to replace. I have replaced the chain a couple times but that was just when it got worn out.


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## TSleep (Aug 1, 2016)

Honestly unless you're a hard charger or ride really rough technical terrain I don't see you breaking many things. Ride it till you break something


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## Dr. Dolittle (Feb 1, 2013)

manitunc said:


> Do you have a pic with the dpx2 mounted to your ripley? I am riding a large ripley v3 also and trying to decide between the dpx2, DVO topaz and manitou.


I'm on vacation now but I'll try to get a photo up next week. Sorry I didn't see this sooner.



chad.trent said:


> I realize I'm chiming in a little late here, but anyways...
> 
> I wouldn't worry about upgrading right off the bat. Like others say - ride it until it breaks.
> 
> I'm 285 and riding a 10 year old Specialized Epic. I don't do big drops or anything, but our trails are very rocky and rooted. I have broken 4 spokes since I've owned the bike. That's all I've had to replace. I have replaced the chain a couple times but that was just when it got worn out.


Similar to my experience - so far just several broken spokes.


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## manitunc (Jun 1, 2019)

Here is a pic


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## Sasquatch1413 (Nov 6, 2008)

Better brakes are something I've learned to love. Heavier person will appreciate more stopping power, depends how much you ride DH though. I've been running Magura MT5's and love them. Once you have more brake power you'll like it and won't want to go back.


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## MountainLife (Aug 7, 2017)

Brakes- I put Saint 203mm rotors front and rear on my Enduro. Before that I had XTs 203mm front and rear and was pretty happy with them. You're stopping an extra 50% of mass vs. the average rider. The big rotors won't fade on long descents as easily. The weight penalty of big rotors is negligible. 

Beefy Wheelset- a wide rim with eyelets is what you're after. I built a wheelset with WTB Asym i35s, DT Swiss 350 hubs and DT Champion 2.0s on both my Enduro and my DH bike. Love both wheelsets. The total air volume in the tires is what carries the weight. Larger rims that allow a boxy shape and 2.5" tires have served me well. They're not the lightest wheelset but I'm not the lightest either. 

Saddle- Anything with Cromoly rails won't bend as easily. I use WTB Rocket Race saddle and I like it.


Currently at 272 lbs and dropping for reference.


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## mark! (Jun 1, 2012)

Brakes are subjective depending on what type of terrain you're riding. If you're riding drops and need braking power that'll also help catch the back wheel for momentum etc, you'll need to upgrade them more than likely. If you're just riding tame single track, fire/jeep roads, road, likely won't need to bother. 

So much depends on what you're doing with the bike. I just bought a Fuse 6fattie and haven't had any issues with the stock wheel set even though it's a 28 spoke rear wheel, but then again I don't ride it as hard as my Tallboy, I ride it with my wife on trails and she just started riding so it's just easy singletrack. Once she gets better and we start hitting drops and such I'll throw on some Stans Baron wheels.


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## drizzoh (Jul 18, 2012)

Strong parts needed for a clyde... Wheels >


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

Stands to reason, us Clydes are gonna be harder on contact points i.e. tires, grips & saddles (I've bent the rails on a few).

Suspension will probably need servicing sooner (I have a friend that makes fun of me for using 70% of my travel on the climbs)

Rear hubs... I've destroyed several over the years.

Wheels might need truing on a more regular basis.

Sent from my Nokia X6


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## digitalayon (Jul 31, 2007)

In my experience it has been bottom brackets, brakes, and hubs. Any bike shop can beef up some front suspension an almost any fork but SUN. My Manitou Empire front shock has an upgraded Rockshox spring in it. I have found a few lines to work really well for the rest of the parts. I follow a few strict rules. Anything Sun, Shimano Alevio and below or SRAMX5 and below needs to be avoided like the plague. My top four are Shimano Saint, Deore LX\XT and Sram x7\X9. XTR and X0 tends to be weaker with the light weight materials.


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