UKC

Hi there, I have a Scott genius mc 40 (2004 model)and am looking to update it a little.

I used to do mainly sweeping single track stuff and for that the bike still rides really well, but after not riding so much for a couple of years (due to climbing) i have started going out again and doing some more techy bits including some slightly more steep down hill sections (although not full on DH).

I can't afford a second bike (and the girlfriend would certainly have a strop if i got one) so would like to make the most out of mine. I haven't made any changes to the bike, apart from replacing bits and bobs due to wear and tear.

Has anyone got any recommendations for updating it? I'm planning on changing the stem to a shorter one and maybe look at the forks, but any advice would be welcome.

Thanks Matt.

In reply to mataius: what exactly is wrong with it? I'd probably just change the cables/chain etc and maybe give the forks a service. other than that it will still roll down a hill, wont it?

In reply to mataius: Cheapish changes that will improve the descending most will be: wider & lower handlebars with shorter stem, larger volume/grippier tyres, and offset shock bushes or an angle-adjust headset to slacken the headangle.

After that you could look at a dropper seatpost, or maybe a single ring and chain guide up front, if you find you're dropping the chain a lot. I don't know what forks you've currently got, but you probably wouldn't want to go above 140-150mm travel on that bike. If you haven't got coil sprung forks and 15/20mm axle then an upgrade might be worthwhile, but you'd probably need a new hub/wheel too.

Cheers guys, thanks for the advice.

Yer i guess it still roles alright, so maybe i'm just envious of the newer shiny bikes i see.

wider handle bars i've done which helped a lot, shorter stem is next on the list (any advice on which one?)

i've still got the manitou black comps that came with it, so maybe new forks are in order (again any ideas what i should be looking at?)

Thanks again.

In reply to mataius: Depends on your budget and what type of riding you want to do. anything from Rockshox or Fox.

Check out http://singletrackworld.com/forum/forum/classifieds

you might even want to put a wanted ad or a post similar to this one as the collective experience there will be much more than on here with regards to what's good etc.

In reply to mataius:

You need to know what the maximum travel fork the frame can take, that may imit the choice.

In reply to mataius:

Hold on - it's a nine-year old alloy mountain bike. Before you spend any money, go over it inch by inch to make sure there are no cracks.

Then make sure that the pull shock is still working well (as that'd probably be the hardest thing to replace).

Then if all is well, consider new fork (a bit of googling suggests that the Black Comp was cheap but ok-ish, about 1.9kg and either 80, 100 or 120 mm travel). To replace with similar or better it's probably going to be a rockshox Recon or Reba.
If you need it, the user manual is still on the Manitou website - you could give them a service before replacing:
http://www.manitoumtb.com/assets/Owners%20Manuals/2003%20Black%20Owners%20M...

I think the Genius had the 120mm travel version, but there are some measurements in the user manual to check.

Or consider new wheels - Lighter, stiffer, tubeless? Superstar components, or Merlin Cycles or handbuilt?

Oh, and new tyres that are more specific to where you ride might help - if you survive the conflicting information overload that follows any "what tyre" question on the internet!

Cheers for the advice... i think i have been lucky as it has no cracks (actually in surprisingly good condition) and the pull shock is still working (despite me not keeping up with servicing).

yer it has the 120mm version, a good service is not a bad shout though.

the wheels might be the best shout, they have taken a bit of a battering.

again thanks for the advice.