help me spend 500 bucks

I have the Spencer seat mod and while it works well it could be better.been on for a year but I can only get about 300 miles a day b4 i am done
 
Ok I see the problem! You need 1000 bucks :) and get both shock and fork. Or, what about rear sets? Graves are so cool. What about all the sliders just in case?
 
Thats funny becuase that is one of the things I have learned, which is opposite of you. Spending the most does not always get you the best.

Now I am NOT knocking Ohinlins, I do know they are amazing. But price does not mean the best.

;)
 
I can say from experience (only recent experience), a shock upgrade makes a hell of a difference. I was once skeptical but now I'm a believer for sure.

I've done a couple bikes with fork changes; oil, springs and tweaks--it was a nice improvement but nothing has come close to the difference I've felt changing the rear shock on my current bike.

The thing is, the shock I put in is only an OEM unit from a different bike and I imagine one would notice an even bigger improvement from a purpose-built shock for the bike.
 
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Most go with the Penske 8983, but your looking at around 800 shipped from Traxxion Dynamics.

Some people have used the Penske 8900E which is around 625 shipped from Traxxion. However it mixes the fluids inside and some people say it can fade out after hard use until it cools down, where as the 8983 is seperated with the reservoir so it cant do that.

I am personally saving for the 8983.
 
I think it more comes down to budget than anything. If you have $500 to spend on farkles for your bike, get the one that will give you the best bang for your buck
 
With the budget you state, I think your original list looks good. Suspensions upgrades are nice but spendy. If you can only tolerate 300 mile days, you should look into the seat. That said, I added some memory foam to my seat and man what a difference! It only cost me about $25 though. I shaved a little (too much) off of my seat with the case then added the foam. At first I didn't notice the difference, but when I switched to the seat without the case and just the stock foam, I knew it right away. I will be doing the same thing for that seat tomorrow (before my little trip) since I'll be using that seat for the trip.

I like the idea of bang for the buck but I also like to get a lot of stuff for my buck. If you diy the seat, you can get the steering thingie and a better seat for your $500. That seat cowl is pretty too, so maybe diy the seat (it's really easy) and get the cowl. That'll give you time to research suspension upgrades, make a decision, and squirrel you're pennies until you can get it.

Or do nothing and take a trip. Miles on the bike can make you happy too.
 
I personally always thought the bike handles pretty kick ass.I do like bling as is evidenced by my winter mods mostly all cosmetic.Thought I had a seat today but was a little late.I always try to be patient and buy certain things used
 
I agree not always, but really if you are honest, it unfortunately is true that better technology costs more. Don't get me wrong I won't say you are wrong on this point, but normally when I've cheapened out on stuff I regret it and end up getting the more expensive better one anyway. Don't be afraid to get the best you'll be happier with it. Having said all that, now tell me please that the Penske is better than the Ohlins. I really would like to believe that is the case. What I've seen with shocks coming from the mountain biking world is that there are some top brands that rule, everything else is crap and crap is certainly cheaper than the real thing and no, you may not find out that it is crap until you try to rebuild it etc. Now 800 bones is anything but a small chunk of change so I am certain that Penske is good. I need to know, however, if Ohlins is better than Penske. Granted, Penske could very well be a perfect compromise on price/performance and as a matter of fact I'll probably buy one being that I won't spend the cash on a used bike and put in the best of the best always. Of course I know very well that I don't know what I'm talking about in this case as I have not done my research on shocks....yet :)

PapaGeno21 said:
Thats funny becuase that is one of the things I have learned, which is opposite of you. Spending the most does not always get you the best.

Now I am NOT knocking Ohinlins, I do know they are amazing. But price does not mean the best.

;)
Click to expand...
 
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romr said:
I agree not always, but really if you are honest, it unfortunately is true that better technology costs more. Don't get me wrong I won't say you are wrong on this point, but normally when I've cheapened out on stuff I regret it and end up getting the more expensive better one anyway. Don't be afraid to get the best you'll be happier with it. Having said all that, now tell me please that the Penske is better than the Ohlins. I really would like to believe that is the case. What I've seen with shocks coming from the mountain biking world is that there are some top brands that rule, everything else is crap and crap is certainly cheaper than the real thing and no, you may not find out that it is crap until you try to rebuild it etc. Now 800 bones is anything but a small chunk of change so I am certain that Penske is good. I need to know, however, if Ohlins is better than Penske. Granted, Penske could very well be a perfect compromise on price/performance and as a matter of fact I'll probably buy one being that I won't spend the cash on a used bike and put in the best of the best always. Of course I know very well that I don't know what I'm talking about in this case as I have not done my research on shocks....yet :)
Click to expand...

The biggest thing the Penske has over the Ohlins is a height adjustment.
Penske make some awesome suspension equipment and there is no way you would regret buying a 8983 shock.
Everyone that has them loves them and an added benefit is that you are keeping the money you spend on the shock in your own country.
 
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