Video: Seth // Edit: Curtis // Parts Acquisition: Daniel
I think that the question I’ve received more than any other single question from mountain bikers over the years is centered around what someone should upgrade on their bike. A lot of times, I feel like people are just trying to spend money for the sport of it, or to keep up appearances with friends. One way or another, people love to upgrade their bikes, and some things do make a measurable difference.
However, at some point, sometimes, it’s best to start fresh with a new bike…which is not at all what we did here. We took the most inexpensive full-suspension bike that is possible to upgrade, and went to the moon with some of the best parts that you can get. In addition to being completely ridiculous, we would be able to answer a question a lot of people, including myself, have asked. “Do better parts actually make that big of a difference if you’re still riding a bottom-of-the-barrel frame?” As it turns out, they do.
