# Just got a Giant Rock 5000 (and I have two questions)



## peteer01 (Apr 26, 2005)

Just recently got my first real bike. I purchased a Giant Rock 5000 530mm frame size (non-disc brake model) and aside from a Cat's Eye light, it is exactly as it came out of the box.

So far I absolutely love the bike, and had my first experience with truing a wheel (back tire was grazing one of the V brake pads in a certain spot) yesterday after giving it it's first cleaning.

The bike is great and since I live halfway between Yokohama and Tokyo, there's naturally more rode riding going on than non-road riding.

The road riding is usually 40km round trip, on pretty hilly terrain with some bad roads/sidewalks. (Anyone who has ridden in Japan probably knows exactly what kind of terrain I am talking about.) The non-road riding is usually long the river bed of a major river, where it's usually a dirt road, foot-beaten path or occasionally riding through heavy grass where there's no real path. These trips have been about 30km at their longest. I would like to eventually ride longer both on and off road, but most of the traveling is with my fiancée who doesn't have the stamina or speed (thin, non-athletic Japanese woman) to want to ride more than 30 or 40km in a day.

So far I've purchased CRC w/ Teflon Spray, some cleaning spray, a large pump for home and a small pump to bring with me on rides, as well as a highly reflective vest.

The first question is, what non-bike items should I be considering for purchase based on my riding? Is it better to bring a spare tube, or a tire puncture repair kit? Anyone inside of Japan have any specific insights for me?

The second question, which I am very interested in hearing a range of opinions on, is what components on my bike seem to be the least desirable? I love the fact that the bike is light, the front suspension is great, and the brakes work fine. I'm sure disc brakes, rear suspension and a variety of other innovations have their strengths&#8230;but for the riding I'm doing, what components would you be thinking about changing, and why?

Below are the semi-translated specs for the bike.
(One of the problems here is that I'm not a native Japanese speaker, the other is that this is my first real bike, and I don't have the proper bike understanding and/or English vocabulary to translate it confidently, so there's some original Japanese left in there)

Frame: GIANT ALUXX 6061-T6 Aluminum Oversized Tubing リプレーサブルリアエンド 
Front Fork: SR SUNTOUR XC60 75mm ストローク 
BB Set: TH 7420ST-E 113-68mm 
Gear Crank: TRUVATIV X-FLOW 22/32/42T 170mm 
Chain: SHIMANO CN-IG51 
Pedal: WELLGO LU-205 BMXタイプ樹脂 
Head Set: TH 888 1-1/8 
Handle Bars: ARICLE YCA124 R30mm-580mm Upper Bar Aluminum 
Handle Stem: HL TDS-C 340-8 25.4mm-15D-90mm(36，43) 105mm(48，52) 
Brake Set: TEKTRO TB07AL V Brake & パワーコントロール付 
Brake Lever: SHIMANO ST-EF29 
Front Hub: FORMULA CO31 36H 100mm Quick Release 
Rear Hub: FORMULA GCO32 36H 135mm Quick Release 
Rim: AMIGO CH03 26X1.5 36H Spoke
Spokes: 14 gauge stainless steel
Tires: CST MTB ALLPURPUS C1417　26ｘ2.1 
Valve side (?): English side (?)
Front Derailleur: SHIMANO ACERA FD-M330E 34.9 Top Pull
Rear Derailleur: SHIMANO ACERA RD-M340 8S 
Shift Lever: SHIMANO ST-EF29 8S 
Free Wheel (?) [フリーホイール]: SHIMANO CS-HG50 8S 11-30T
Saddle: GIANT MTB-DXサドル ケブラーサイド 
Seat Post: KALLOY SP359 30.8X300mm Black
Seat Pin: Aluminum 34.9 Quick Release 
Includes: Bell, Lock, Stand


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## Hardline (Jan 16, 2004)

Question # 1I would say both. First line of defense is a tube. Allways easier to repair tubes while sitting at home on the couch. But if the second tube were to get punctured it would not be a bad idea to be able to make the repair.Question # 2 you allready answered. Get out and ride it. Replace what breaks or wears out. By then you will have an idea if something was not living up to your expectations.


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