hacksaw35

So I ended up getting a Trek PDX for my first commuter bike about 3 months ago. It has been great so far but I was wondering what you might recommend to remove weight/look better/ride better.

I rarely get out of the middle set of gears. Would it make sense to change it to a 1x8 drivetrain remove weight? Similar to the Trek 9th District. How involved would that be?

Any recommendations on new handlebars? The mustache style doesn't seem to go with the rest of the bike.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

MichaelW

There is a small advantage in removing weight from the chainset but you need to retain the front mech as a chainguide. If the shifters are integrated with the brakes there is even less reason to remove chainwheels.
You can fit any bar that you like. I switched a std flat MTB for a curvy On One Mary to correct a pain in my shoulders. The slight backwards curve is an ergonomic feature to give your hands a more neutral position.

Stock tyres are are the first place to upgrade but only when they are warn. Same with brake blocks.

Andy_K 

Tires.

There are definitely things you could upgrade in all of the components, but unless something isn't working there's probably no good reason to do so. Tires, however, effect how a bike rides more than anything else and in my experience quality tires are always worth the cost.

The trouble with weight savings is that to get a really light bike you have to lighten all the parts. You could probably save half a pound or more replacing your wheels or your crankset, but what that gains you is debatable. As thing need to be replaced you can replace them with lighter parts, but replacing working parts just to drop weight is rarely worthwhile.

As for functionality, I highly recommend Avid BB7 disc brakes. When the time comes to replace the brake pads on your current brakes, you might find that for ~$30 more per wheel you can upgrade to BB7's.

hacksaw35

What kind of tires would you recommend? I have probably only put about 400 miles on the new ones. Also, do you change to different ones depending on the season?

pityr

Swap it out for a Kona ***** Inc

srsly though better tires will make it ride "better". Its already a pretty lite bike. Its not an ugly bike, what do you think would make it look better? Did you get one of the poo colored ones?

I like Michelin Krylion Carbons or Continental GP4ks personally but you didn't say why your beef with the ride was so its hard to recommend tires.

hacksaw35

Pityr,

Many people suggested lots of bike $1000+ but my budget was around $600 so the PDX seemed like a good option...especially since all the used bikes in Portland are priced ridiculously high. And there is only one color...black...no poo colored ones.

I was just looking for suggestions on what upgrades people usually do after they get a stock bike (or the pdx specifically). I think swapping out for flat handlebars might look a bit cleaner and less "hybrid bike" looking.

Andy suggested to swap out the tires to improve the ride...but like I said I don't really have complaints, just interested in some suggestions at this point.

Andy_K 

I'm using 700x28 Continental Grand Prix 4 Seasons right now and they're excellent. They're very pricey, but I'm not sure cheaper tires would be a significant upgrade over what you have.

Andy_K 

When I first started biking a lot, I had two bikes (a Kona Jake and a Marin Muirwoods 29er) and I upgraded the heck out of both of them, adding Ultegra and XT parts as I found them for cheap. Looking back I think it was kind of foolish. The higher end parts do function a bit better, but ultimately in both cases the character of the bike was determined by the frame. I ended up putting the original parts back on the Marin and selling it because even with the best parts I could afford I wasn't entirely satisfied with it. I'm still using the Jake with Ultegra parts, but I've actually been contemplating putting the original Tiagra parts back on it, because they work pretty well and 9-speed consumables like chains and cassettes are cheaper than 10-speed.

Looking at the spec on the PDX, the frame looks pretty nice if it's the type of bike you want. I'd probably make a long-range plan to upgrade to Alivio or Deore parts (I've had really good experience with the M590 Deore group) and BB7 brakes, but like I said before only as things break or wear out (unless there's something you're specifically unhappy with).

Be careful with the handlebars if you ride more than a couple of miles at a time. Bars with less sweep can be a recipe for wrist pain. Bar ends fix that and are a nice addition. OTOH, you might be able to trim some weight cheaply with the right bars.

pityr

Im messing with ya, its a good bike. Putting flat bars will make it more of a hybrid IMO. Personally if I had opted for the PDX I would put some proper fenders on it and a good rack. I had those wheels on my Kona for a week as loaners and they aren't bad, just a tad stiff. It would be expensive to upgrade them to the Kona wheels which are much softer. I wouldn't necessarily look towards the 4 Season tire as they can be a tad harsh. You may like them compared to what you have now, IIRC the stock PDX comes with Bonty Hardcases.

If you swap bars you will need new brakes and shifters as well. Rather expensive for what you end up with unless thats what you absolutely desire.

I like the softer race oriented tires like the ones I mentioned. You can get great flat protection with the Stop Flat strips without the rock solid hardness of the hardcases/4seasons/'dillos/gatorskins. The race tires also have softer compounds that grip the road better than those other tires. They just don't last quite as long. The Krylion Carbons can be found at REI in a 25 for around $50 each.

fietsbob

[duh] Get the stock bike to fit right.. stem type/length..
and a saddle that your butt likes.

GivenIthas straight bars and the controls are sorted by the maker,

perhaps..Ergon's combination grip/Bar ends .. I like the GC3 ..

You would already have mudguards added , obviously.. and a rear rack

If you want the Crankset can be replaced, with one for a single chainring,
a chainguard disc on the outside, and a chain catcher on the inside,
like the Cyclocrossers use .. they can be built up as a 38t single.

But what you have on there is fine .
fancy up your commuter much and then you begin to worry more
about getting it Stolen.

In practical terms , a rebuilt wheel with a dynamo in the front hub,
and wired in head and taillights,
means you can have lights every time you need them..
never worry about battery -life
or goofing leaving the QR light on the bike for someone else to take.

Seattle Forrest

Tires are usually the first thing I change when I get a new bike, although I put a computer on it the first day, and I used to put toe clips on new bikes. These days it's clipless pedals, but toe clips work, too.

They're a lot less pricey if you order them from a shop in the UK. I got four GP4000s (not 4-Season) for $37 each, including shipping. LBS wants $75 per tire for the same thing.

K'Tesh

Lose the heavy plastic reflectors on the wheels and add lightweights for wheels...



Here's a photo of my Mom's bike using them...



(The Downtown Bike Gallery location has them, as does Performance Bikes ~$15)

fietsbob

Having Disc brakes means the reflective ring in the sidewalls of some good tires, like Schwalbe,
stays clean enough to see.
Aluminum and dirt clouds the rings on rim braked bikes.

pityr

I found that the tire selection with the reflective stripe is limited though (Vittoria Randonneur...barf, never tried the Schwalbe). I have what K'Tesh has there on my spokes and they really light up nicely in headlights. Pretty inexpensive too.

Sixty Fiver

We run Schwalbe Marathons on our Portland bikes... it is rare that you have to deal with snow although you may get freezing rain and the only solution for ice riding is to go with studded tyres and know a few folks who keep a spare front wheel with a studded tyre should there be another snowpacalypse.

I actually rode through the snowstorms in Portland twop years ago on my Twenty running Marathons and was fine.

Bar choice is personal... trekking bars offer a nice compromise between flat bars and drops and are way more comfortable due to the increased hand positions.

A agree on the bike prices in Portland being nothing short of outrageous for used bicycles so for many it not a much bigger step to buy new.

hacksaw35

Thanks for all the comments. I did get fenders when I bought the bike. Adding the dynamo hub is an interesting idea. I think my next purchase may be clipless pedals. My commute to work is mainly uphill and I think having the ability to pull up would help out.

I would only need new brakes/shifters if I went to drop bars...not with a flat bar though. Right?

pityr

The Trek Portland comes with drop/road bars stock as well as a decent component set. Converting to flat bars would require new shifters and brakes unless you have something else going on with this thing.

hacksaw35

Nope...That was the Trek "Portland" from a couple years ago. It's a lot different now... https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes...tility/pdx/pdx

pityr

and here I thought YOU were just abbreviating it. Did they really stop selling their disc roadie?

K'Tesh

Off topic, but I find it funny that out of all the replies, only two aren't from Oregon and at least 3 people who've replied have a connection to the UK (myself included).

Bill Kapaun

Interesting that the 2010 & 2012 models list 28C tires and the 2011 has 32C.
IF yours has the 32C tires, I'd swap to a 25/26C.
I went from 35C on my 2008 Specialized Globe to 26's and the difference was amazing!
I got these-
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...t-tire-folding
A local merchant for you, so you might even be able to pick them up yourself and save shipping.

IF you don't do steep hills, a cassette change to something like a 12-25 would give you more closely spaced gears so you can keep your cadence more optimal.
How often do you use the 11 T cog anyway?

giantcfr1

Ok my suggestions to reduce weight on the cheap...If you don`t use the inner and outer chain rings dich them and get rid of your front deraileur and shifter if it`s separate to your brake. If you have then have problems with chain skip at the front chain ring, you can buy a plastic chain guide for about 4 dollars. A light weight bumper guard looks good too.
As you ride your bike more and things wear a little, see this as a chance to upgrade. I don`t like to waste money so I only upgrade when something breaks or fails.
Down the track, your could save a little weight with a new saddle ie. Fizik.
If you feel your bars aren`t compatable with your position, get a good bar with both strength and style. Check the MTB forum for stylish bars. Basically I suggest replace as need be, with a balance of quality / strength / and weight saving. The same goes with tyres. Don`t race out and get new one`s until you know exactly what you need for your weather and terrain conditions. Hope my ideas make sense to you.

Andy_K 

If I'm not mistaken, the chainrings on that crankset aren't individually removable. It's too bad because I bet that crank is heavy. Unfortunately(?) it'll probably last for a couple of thousand miles. When it's time for it to go, a better crankset with single ring in front probably makes a lot of sense.

fietsbob

I fit steel chainrings on my touring/utility bikes because they last tens to hundreds
of thousands of miles..

Stainless steel Surly you can buy now. 80's Onza made middle sizes.
or there are the take offs I got from the bin ,
from people insisting on aluminum ones..

ThermionicScott 

How much does it weigh now? Enough online reviews praise the PDX for being lightweight that I'd focus on comfort. My first upgrades would include drop handlebars and a Brooks saddle.

- Scott