u/NoPersonality4178

Recently got back into cycling, and wanted an upgrade from an old box store Schwinn mtb

Upgrades:
Carbon front fork (Amazon)
Carbon seat post and seat (AliExpress)
Handlebars and pedals (Amazon)
Front and rear lights (Amazon)

Been enjoying it so far, looking forward to taking it out on trails this summer!

Hello, as the title suggests I am an overweight guy trying to become less overweight. A couple months ago my offspring decided they wanted to finally learn to ride a bike without training wheels. I told them if they could do it I would buy them a new bike and start riding with them. (I haven't ridden a bike in nearly 20 years) Well, needless to say they picked up quickly and I decided on this green beauty as my bike of choice not realizing at the time I was 100+lbs over the listed weight limit. (Disclaimer just because I haven't had issues with the bike because of my weight doesn't mean that you won't. I am not advocating for using products beyond their listed specifications. I just didn't check before I purchased and rode the bike for a few weeks.)

So with all that out of the way. I got the bike home and went over it with a fine tooth comb and tightened all the spokes, trued the wheels, adjusted the drivetrain, brakes, everything to make sure that it was going to be "safe" (remember I am fairly significantly over the listed weight limit and I haven't ridden in 20 years) for me. It started off slow with laps around my driveway learning how to balance and stuff again. Took longer than I would like to admit but I started feeling it again. Before long started doing a mile here and there, and now am doing upwards of 6-7 miles a night (that's why all the extra reflector stickers are there I want to light up like a christmas tree because I live in a rural area with no bike lanes). Tonight I surpassed 150 miles on the bike since I got it. I use a "Bike Computer" app on my iPhone to track my progress.

So far the bike is holding up amazingly well. The rear cassette is starting to show some signs of wear (to be expected) I will probably replace that & the chain within the next few months. The rear tire is showing fairly heavy wear. I have a new tire in my garage, i am just trying to squeeze some more life out of it. (I only ride on dry pavement) and the brakes are ok. I replaced the pads early on to some sintered metal pads that I got on Amazon based on a friends review that they offered better stopping power, and yes they do. It is loud though. They SCREAM under heavy braking. But that is okay with me because I have a lot more mass to slow down than the bike is designed for. I run the tires at around 75PSI to help the wheels hold up to my weight more. I check the tires every ride, and adjust the spokes on average 2x per week. I try to clean and lube the chain at least every 2 weeks and re-tighten everything. I have had a spoke pop loose one time, so far none have broken. Overall I am extremely impressed with this bike, and for the price I paid I couldn't be happier. I am down about 25-30lbs with no plans on stopping anytime soon.

The "modifications" i have done to the bike.

• Replaced brake pads with sintered metal
• added rear view mirror so I can see traffic better (again no bike lanes)
• added bunch of reflector stickers
• added magicshine headlight & tail light
• changed seat to one that is more comfortable to me
• replaced pedals with aluminum pedals with metal "spikes" that really grip my shoes better.
• replaced brake levers with Shimano (i forget the model number but they are significantly sturdier feeling than the stock ones)
• added that small brown frame bag that holds a multi tool, tire patches, and tire levers
• added 2 water bottle cages
• added a frame pump on the underside can't really see it in the pic but it has came in clutch.

I have no complaints with this bike. I am really happy with it and having a great time with it and I really think it's worth the hype and money.

I plan on replacing the tires with something in the 32-35 Range to reduce drag. I’ve had these continentals before and they rock.