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Since spring is well on the way, there’s going to be a lot of buzz from the trailhead talking about what everyone has spent their hard earned winter dollars on. New cranksets, forks, wheelsets, drivetrains and saddles will see their maiden voyage in the coming weeks. While there’s a slew of great new stuff on the market, a lot of it could cost you more than your car. Since we feel bad for you, we decided to do a little footwork and give you some incentive to replace those old worn-out parts with…yes….OLD parts. When the new year’s lineup hits the market, you can get smoking deals on New Old Stock (NOS) parts which will give you a significant boost in performance without leaving your wallet empty. Keep in mind that these are all pretty smokin' deals, and if you don't act fast, they may be gone.
Shimano XTR 960 Crankset
What screams performance like Shimano XTR? Sure, there’re a few cranks out there that are lighter, but we’d definitely challenge them to match up to the stiffness of the Hollowtech forging process. With a HUGE integrated spindle attached to the drive-side crank arm and external bottom bracket bearings, XTRs make a great lightweight and ultra-stiff upgrade for any bike, be it a racing machine or all-mountain rig.
Price: About $300
Location: Jenson USA
Manitou Minute 1:00
Just because it’s two years old doesn’t mean it’s not a great deal. Manitou has some amazing products, and for the price, the Minute 1:00 is a steal. It affords you 100-130mm of travel with the Rapid Travel Wind Down system and loads of tuning options. Rebound, SPV platform pressure tuning and SPV volume adjustments team up with the RTWD system to offer loads of adjustability on this coil sprung fork. 30mm stanchions and a standard QR don’t make this fork as stiff as some others on the market, but for the price you can’t beat the performance.
Price: About $200
Location: Greenfish Sports
Avid Juicy Carbon Disc Brakes
Stopping is an essential part of a good ride, and now having a fantastic set of brakes doesn’t have to “brake” the bank. Avid’s top-of-the-line carbon discs feature “Power Reserve Geometry” which gives you less power loss as the lever is pulled to the bar. With the use of the Tri-Align caliper positioning system as well as the indexed reach adjustment knob mounting, aligning and tuning up your brake system is a breeze. With 6”, 7” and 8” rotor options, the Carbons not only look the part, but perform like a champ.
Price: $170-$210 (depending on rotor size)
Location: Pricepoint
Shimano XT Drivetrain kit (Wheels, Brakes, Shifters, Rotors)
We’ve always said that if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. But if you’re looking for a reasonably priced brake/shifter and wheel setup, this is a deal for you. Featuring Shimano XT dual control shift/brake levers and XT calipers, you’ll have phenomenal braking performance and great smooth shifting. Couple those brakes with a set of XT Centerlock hubs laced to Sun Rhyno Lite rims and throw in a set of 6” Centerlock rotors and you’ve got a formidable package that can instantly increase the performance of your rig in (almost) one shot. Add an XT rear derailleur and you’ll have a pretty complete package that will be hard to beat.
Cost: $300 for the package, $50 for the derailleur
Location: JensonUSA - Drivetrain package,
JensonUSA - Derailleur
WTB Shadow V ProGel Saddle
Having an uncomfortable saddle can be the death of any mountain biker, but with deals like this, there’s no need for any kind of cranky ass in the future. With silicone ProGel inserts designed to pad the sit bones, vibration and saddle pressure is damped, giving you a comfortable, supportive ride. Love Channel technology relieves pressure on arteries and nerves to ensure you can spend long days in the saddle and Kevlar corners on a synthetic leather cover offer superior durability. Even if you make no other upgrade, a saddle can make the most difference, and this piece is well worth the bills.
Price: $40
Location: Performance Bike
XLT 1.0 Build Kit
This deal is so good it hurts me to post it. But can you imagine an entire build kit for less than the cost of many hardtail frames? With this kit you'll get a Truvativ forged 4 bolt stem, oversized riser bar and 27.2mm seatpost, Deore trigger shifters, X-Gen front derailleur, XT rear derailleur, SRAM 9 speed cassette, Shimano 9spd chain, Truvativ Hussefelt cranks and ISIS BB, Hayes HFX-9 hydraulic disc brakes and 160mm rotors, wheels built with Deore 6 bolt hubs and Mavic X117 rims. Cap it all off with some rubber grips and you're really getting a smoking deal. If you've got a new frame just laying around, this kit will allow you to build it in almost one shot.
Price: $400
Location: JensonUSA
Disagree? Want to send some love? Fire off an e-mail to Rob at techeditor@mountainbiketales.com.
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