Advice about converting to discs

[Rotatox]

Hey guys,

I have a 03 gary fisher sugar 3+. When i bought the bike i didnt make use of the $500 disc upgrade option. Now i am starting to consider getting them fitted.

Im pretty much a newbie with bike parts etc. Ive been told that i need about $1000 to do it (new parts). I was hoping i could stick around the $500 area by using second hand or near new parts from ebay etc.

Basically what do i need???

The hubs are not disc compatible atm, so they will need to be changed. Ive seen some xt hubs and considering them. They are 32h whereas my current rims are 28h rear and 24 h front. are they still compatible??

What else would i need and what are recommended brake options etc or other hubs or advice that i would need?

I really would like discs but cant justify $1000 for them..

Many thanks
Frank

[S.]

Hey guys,

I have a 03 gary fisher sugar 3+. When i bought the bike i didnt make use of the $500 disc upgrade option. Now i am starting to consider getting them fitted.

Im pretty much a newbie with bike parts etc. Ive been told that i need about $1000 to do it (new parts). I was hoping i could stick around the $500 area by using second hand or near new parts from ebay etc.

Basically what do i need???

The hubs are not disc compatible atm, so they will need to be changed. Ive seen some xt hubs and considering them. They are 32h whereas my current rims are 28h rear and 24 h front. are they still compatible??

What else would i need and what are recommended brake options etc or other hubs or advice that i would need?

I really would like discs but cant justify $1000 for them..

Many thanks
Frank

I take it this is for a cross-country bike (Sugar 3). No, 32h hubs won't work with 28/24h rims (unless you do some bodgy wheel lacing, which *can* be done but unless you're lacing your own wheels I would say don't even think about it). Personally I'd look around for a second-hand set of disc-compatible wheels (forget building new ones, not going to be easy to find 24/28h disc hubs). You should be able to find something for <$250 fairly easily. Not sure exactly what type/quality of rim you'd be after but there should be something to suit you in there. Make sure you get 6-bolt hubs, not some oldschool Hope 5-bolt pattern or Shimano Centrelock or anything - these limit your options quite a bit.

From there, look for either Avid or Shimano discs 2nd hand (other options are Hayes - easy to find but IMO not as refined as the other two, Magura - know nothing about these at all, or Armor/Dice - cheap and work fairly well, bit rough around the edges but they pull you up alright). The Avid Juicies are probably out of your price range (although if you look on ebay you may find a set of Juicy 5s for ~$300 with 6" rotors, which would keep you fairly close to $500 total if you found appropriately priced wheels), but the Avid BB7 mechanical brakes are cheaper and damn powerful too - you can find them on Ebay for about $70us per end, which is about $100au (so $200 total). These will work with your existing v-brake levers too. Shimano Deore hydros are also a good brake (I have them on my XC bike), not *quite* as powerful as the Avids in my experience but still strong and nice to use (being Shimano, will probably last a fair while too). NFI what they'd go for, but if you can find them cheap enough they'd also be a good option. You *might* find some LX hydraulics to fit your budget (and if you can, they'd be a great choice too), but that's fairly unlikely.

[Rotatox]

great thats exactly the information i was after....i may have a slighlty larger budget depending what i can sell my current v brakes and rims for.

I really appreciate your informative quick response

[cam-o]

The advice from S. is pretty much on the money.
Another cheap aternative is this stuff from Downhill direct:

Wheels - $299
http://shop.dhdirect.com.au/store/products/item147.inetstore

Brakes (cable) - $99
http://shop.dhdirect.com.au/store/products/item113.inetstore

These are not necessarily of the same quality/power as the Juicy's etc but they are bloody cheap and would still be a great upgrade over your Vs.
The wheels are a little on the heavy side but come with tyres and the imperial hubs are really good. Note that the tyres won't really suit your XC ride but if you chuck on your existing ones you'd probably get for $40 or so for them, alternatively tell Bill @ Dhdirect a sob story and he might do you a price without tyres. You'd be drive away no more to pay for under $400 on brand new (warrantied) gear.

[Rotatox]

Atm im trying to get an idea on price ranges on wheels, just trying to give an indication on decent quality.

Atm i have "bontrager select" wheels that came with teh bike. I dont know how good these wheels actually are. I dont really like the idea of throwing wheels from a bike worth $500 onto a bike that i paid $4000 for. I would like to keep it in the same area of quality if you know what i mean.

Is there a basic range of pricing which can give me an idea on how good the wheels are. Im not a fast stupid rider, just a social/recreational rider. but at teh same time i dont think i could handle riding the bike if im thinking the wheels are crap compared top the rest of the bike. :S

Those wheels on the dhdirect site look good for the price...but then again i have no idea lol...

Xtr vbrakes are looking enticing although discs just look so good on bikes! lol

[scblack]

Back when I was a newbie at this stuff, I had a Jamis Durango, which had rear v-brakes and a front cable disc. I wanted to upgrade the rear to a disc as well, but was put off by the bike shop I went to, who recommended against doing it, particularly as it did not have a disc ready hub. They got me to seriously consider was it worth it, for the dollars and the fact I was not racing or super serious. I decided it was not worth it.

Rotatox, as you are just a social/recreational rider, maybe you need to ask yourself the same question.

[ScottD]

if you are considering spending $1000 on brakes wouldnt it be better to sell your bike and buy a trance 3 or a reign 3? or something along those lines

[Rotatox]

nah i dont really want to sell teh bike, i understand not converting thing, but you that feeling when it feels like something is missing. Im still not 100% on getting the disc but basically after information so at least i can make an informed decision. I definitely do want somehting better than the avid 3's on there atm. and if i dont end up getting discs i most prob will settle for xtr or avid sd7 v brakes. However if i can get a decent disc brake combo on my bike for around $500 then i prob will get the discs. Just a few too many variables to toss up. Although im definitely not paying $1000 for disc brake conversion.

Thanks
Frank

[Carlin]

If you want to breathe some new life into your current brakes instead of replacing the calipers maybe just replace the cables and housings and get some Koolstop All-weather Thinline v-brake pads. Also your levers are going to affect braking performance more so than your calipers. Avid's are my fave.

A setup such as Avid ad3 levers and calipers, Koolstop brake pads and Mavic rims with the "SUP" braking surface is beautiful in terms of v-brke performance.

[Rotatox]

If you want to breathe some new life into your current brakes instead of replacing the calipers maybe just replace the cables and housings and get some Koolstop All-weather Thinline v-brake pads. Also your levers are going to affect braking performance more so than your calipers. Avid's are my fave.

A setup such as Avid ad3 levers and calipers, Koolstop brake pads and Mavic rims with the "SUP" braking surface is beautiful in terms of v-brke performance.


the whole bike has barely been ridden only 800km on it...but my brother is finally going to get one one now and we are wanting to go up to the mountains etc and use them what they are made for. so ive just got "back into it" a bit more......problem is he will have discs on his, which is going to be very annoying to look at when i have v's...jsut a brother jealousy thing a lil lol

[bradh]

the whole bike has barely been ridden only 800km on it...but my brother is finally going to get one one now and we are wanting to go up to the mountains etc and use them what they are made for. so ive just got "back into it" a bit more......problem is he will have discs on his, which is going to be very annoying to look at when i have v's...jsut a brother jealousy thing a lil lolIt could very easily cost you $1000 to convert to a disc setup that will be of equivalent quality to the rest of your bike. Decent wheels are expensive, as are decent brakes. So, maybe you should look at it this way: spend a couple of hundred dollars on a F&R set of Avid Ultimate v-brakes, which are incredibly beautiful examples of CNC artwork, plus some Koolstop salmon pads, and you'll have a brake setup that'll work as well as or better than most disc setups in all but the most inclement conditions, and then throw another couple of hundred at some carbon bits, like bars and seatpost, or a thomson stem and post, for a total of $500ish, and then wave goodbye to your jealous brother as you and your light, nimble, blingin' bike leave his disc-laden ass in your dust. :)

[Rotatox]

LOL very nicely worded advice...

[bradh]

Thanks. :)

[bazza]

buy the xtr's that are for sale in the 'for sale' area on here! they are killer vbrakes! i have used one on the rear of my hardtail and it was unreal. i loved it to bits.

[Rotatox]

those xtr's are inviting!... i read a few reviews on teh avid ultimates. But i think i would be very happy with eitehr of them.

Problem is I cant reply or contact the owner because of my new registration to this site, could some one help me by replying to the ad with my email address franklicious@yahoo.com.au asking them to contact me?

Thanks in advance!

Frank

[bazza]

alll done!!! just make sure you invest in some good quality shimano brake and outter cable! should be about five bucks a meter for each one and they both work hell nice!

[Rotatox]

i just noticed u replied for me...really appreciate that!....i just rang a bike shop, he was really helpful in how i should go about this. He kind of made me sway back to discs....ill see what this guy wants for his xtr's

:D

Cheers
Frank

[Rotatox]

ok guys just an update, i have just won a front xtr disc hub on ebay...im going to be putting it on my bike. Its teh centre lock hub...24 hole (my front wheel is 24 hole).

As mentioned before im unable to post in teh trading section yet.

So im basically looking for a front disc kit for the bike now. If anyone has some good ones available i would be highly interested.

I have my eye on the shimano xt brakes. but cant find any. Brand new they are way beyond my budget!

Being a centre lock hub, are all discs compatyible with all calipers? or do the thickness of the disc play a part in compatibility?? and i have a ROck Shox duke XC fork...is that a standard mount for the caliper? or do i need an adaptor?

SORRY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS

Many thanks!

Plz be on the look out for disc for me :D