pirateman1989 said:
I currently have a Kona Fire mountain from about 2007, now it is very battered and the chain has been worn. However i am not very familiar with bike maintenance and so am not sure whether it is the gears that are also worn as a result of the chain being so. I also need to replace my seat, however my main concern is the chain and the crank/pedals.
Does anyone have any recommendations of crank shafts or pedals and or mountain bike parts in general that are for a reasonable price and similar to the standard of my current spec of the Kona?
When in doubt with regard to MTB components, IMO, buy Shimano.
BTW. Your 8-speed Shimano derailleurs-and-shifters will work better with a 8-speed Shimano chain than other brands.
If you are upgrading components (vs. simply replacing worn parts), then
Shimano SLX is the best value ... but, I believe that the rear derailleur is only available in Rapid Rise (reverse pull) ...
Shimano Deore is the more modest upgrade from your Acera (?) components.
The difference in Shimano's front derailleurs is minimal & mostly cosmetic (nothing wrong with
that).
Take advantage of eBay as a source for parts.
Most of the HOW-TO maintenance information you need is available at
www.parktool.com ...
AND/OR, you can buy/borrow a copy of ZINN AND THE ART OF MOUNTAIN BIKE MAINTENANCE.
BTW. You can simply replace the chainrings on most cranksets rather replace than the entire crankset -- steel middle & granny rings are a good option if weight isn't a great concern.
Again, Shimano is probably the better choice in the long run if you are actually replacing or upgrading your current crankset.
With regard to pedals, Shimano if you can afford it ... Wellgo if you can't. Both brands have the widest variety of styles. There are other brands which some people love-and-endorse.
Some people say they have had problems with Wellgo pedals -- I suspect that THOSE people would also have problems with Shimano's pedals.
