Walmart Bike upgrade | Kent Trouvaille Hardtail Upgrades | Budget MTB

Walmart bike upgrade. Will this Kent Trouvaille from Walmart perform after a series of upgrades?
I'm on a mission to make this cheap Walmart bike into an aggressive trail hardtail. In phase one we modified the frame to fit a long travel dropper post. Check that video here: • The Ultimate Kent Trou...
List of parts used in this upgrade. All parts in this build were paid for with my own money. Links below are affiliate referral links that help to fund this channel and bring you more content. Thank you for your support!
Manitou Machete Fork (this is a boost fork. You will need a new front hub or wheel)
www.jensonusa....
Alternative Forks
Rockshox Recon RL 100mm
amzn.to/3Ufd7gp
Suntour Epixon
amzn.to/3DmOrvA
Manitou Markhor
amzn.to/3DlH73e
Microshift Advent 9 Derailleur
jenson.sjv.io/...
Magure MT4 Brakes
www.magurausa-...
A cheap and reliable alternative are the Shimano MT201
jenson.sjv.io/...
Jessica Headset ZS 44-55
amzn.to/3U8urDC
IXF Cranks and Bottom Bracket
amzn.to/3TSRZN0
Aurnoet 32T 104bcd Chainring
amzn.to/3DeAWOs
Fooker Pedals
amzn.to/3DeAWOs
Funn Funduro Stem 35mm length 31.8mm clamp
tidd.ly/3fnlWWz
ODI Vans Ltd Edition Lock-on Grips
amzn.to/3gWaIZE
Kent Trouvaille
goto.walmart.c...
_________________________________________
This channel is sponsored by Magura USA. #ridemagura #maguraalliance
I am affiliated with Bikes Online. Check them out for the latest Polygon bikes.
USA
bikesonline-us...
Australia
bikesonline-au...
Jenson USA
jenson.sjv.io/...
Check them out for your parts and accessories needs.
Shopping through these links will help support the channel and keep more content flowing.
My Gear for 2022
Hardtail
Polygon Xtrada 6
bikesonline-us...
Enduro Bike
Rocky Mountain Altitude C50
jenson.sjv.io/...
BMX Bike
Kink Gap
bit.ly/33xVLWW
Helmet
Half Shell: Troy Lee Designs A2 MIPS
bit.ly/3sEBk4R
Full Face: Leatt DBX 4.0
bit.ly/3ITRDk1
Camera Gear
GoPro Hero 9 Black
amzn.to/3dtG3xz
Hero 8 Black
amzn.to/3Evqlhm
Stuntman Chest Mount
amzn.to/35dDUSR
Shoes
Five Ten Trailcross Mid Pro
jenson.sjv.io/...
Gloves
Tasco
jenson.sjv.io/...

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

You certainly don't need to do all these upgrades and modifications. A few smartly chosen upgrades will really make this bike a joy to ride. The question is, would you do it?

[@lambertj.2892]

The bike's a joy to ride the way it is, rolled right out of Walmart. We're not all bike pro's like you; some of us are just normal folks who want to get on a bike and peddle and have fun.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@@lambertj.2892 That's the beauty of cycling. There's something for everyone. Enjoy!

[@TheMediocreMountainBiker]

The car analogy is spot on. Sometimes you have to polish the turd you can afford. 😂

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

😄 I lol'd when you were posting about your Civic. I was literally editing that part of the video.

[@allanridesbikes5856]

Great upgrades. I did a long term upgrade on my budget trek hardtail and spent good money over 2 years upgrading it slowly into the bike I wanted it to become.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Thank you. I think that's the best way. I much prefer to customize than just ride a factory spec. Enjoy!

[@celo_board3242]

Awesome video. I have put some money on my 2021 Roscoe 6 since I couldn’t afford buying a high end bike, but it was a year and a half that taught me how to work on my bike and progress my riding and it’s also fun to do it. I really enjoy your videos, nice work🤙🏼

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Thanks! I'm stoked you're enjoying the videos. 😁 Being able to work on your own equipment can definitely help skill progression. The Roscoe is a great platform to build on. Enjoy!

[@ThaguyMike]

Thank you for the awesome content and the product links. I'm picking one if these up used for $40 tomorrow.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Good deal! Enjoy. It's a great bike!

[@1OTDM]

It doesn't surprise me that the frame is lighter than expected and that a tapered headset fits well...apparently this frame was also used on a much more expensive bike, a $1600 Reid CXC bike that came with a very nice fox fork. I'd put money on it that it comes from XDS.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

I've heard something about that. Pretty cool if it is true. The quality is better than I expected.

[@burningatthetrailhead]

Cutting that kick stand mount off looked satisfying

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Immensely satisfying 😁

[@destinhook3826]

Awesome video bud. I went your route and reamed the frame to accept a 30.9 dropper. Now have a 150mm dropper, Rockshox 35 fork with 140mm travel, specialized front wheel and tire, wtb SX rear wheel, ixf crank, hyd brakes, pnw loam grips, pedals. It’s become a great back up bike for when my Stump Jumper is in the shop. Nonboost qr dropouts are definitely a huge downside but i love the bike and it jumps very well.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Your setup sounds pretty cool. This bike is sneaky good.

[@PghMtbRides]

Hows it climb with the 140mm fork? Any lift? Got a giordana intrepid

[@ianpaulino1625]

Wow Nice Upgrade

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Thanks!

[@MTBTrailSherpa]

Fricken awesome job. You have all the coolest tools. Loved the logo overlays!! What happened to your format at the end? Brake issues just help build your endurance..lol

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Haha. Yeah the brakes are like a high altitude simulator. 😄 I was testing the Hero 11 in 8:7 aspect ratio and was going to crop to 16:9 but the shots looked really bad when cropped. Extremely jittery. Also was using an ND filter which exacerbated the issue. In the end the tall shots actually showcase the Canal trails better. At least I think so. 🙃

[@elliotyamamoto38]

Commenting to help the algorithm. Great video !

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Thank you! 🙏

[@1OTDM]

Your bike had a dropper post installed while the $1200 Canyon is just "dropper ready" so presumably that's another $150-200 right there. Plus some of the parts on your bike are actually nicer than what's on the Canyon (two-piston hydraulic brakes, for example). Plus the XCR on the Canyon is barely a performance upgrade from the XCM 30 fork that comes on the trouvaille. It's lighter, but rides very similarly. Overall, I think sub-1,000 you're still better off with a Trouvaille because you can build it exactly how you want instead of just having a mediocre entry-level bike.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

The Trouvaille certainly gets you into mtb at a much lower starting cost and that leaves plenty of room for upgrades.

[@politan83]

I feel like, based on your work here, that Walmart could, if they thought there was a market for it, offer a sub 1K hardtail that was truly trail ready.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

They certainly have the buying power. They are currently selling a high end carbon XC race bike under the Viathon Brand for about $2100. They can easily do it if they wanted to.

[@politan83]

@@AdrenalineIsLife With the interest in mountain biking increasing like it has been, I could imagine that happening in the next few years.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@@politan83 It's entirely possible.

[@TRG36]

I just skipped all this and bought an almost unused 2019 Trek Stache 7 for $680

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Fantastic bike at a great price. Enjoy!

[@alshal3638]

Great video!

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Thanks!😁

[@fredbarny7247]

Adding the dropper post and lever jacks the stoic price to 1414. I would rather have something I can ride now and Upgrade as I go. Rather than waiting six months to a year before I can afford to buy and then ride

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Absolutely. It's lost time and enjoyment if you have to wait.

[@azrwilkinson]

Love this as I am faced with this dilemma, to upgrade my old xc giant with better components, or to invest that money into a bike with more modern geometry and a bike that would be more upgradable.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Right now there are some really good deals to be had on mountain bikes. You will get a lot for your money.

[@alanw6042]

Great content! What did you ever decide for the wheels .... make and size? Think a 2.5 tire would fit?

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Funny, you should ask. I was just working on this bike last night. The wheels were replaced with a set of Brand X wheels. I'm still using the stock tires. They work well. 2.5s will be a tight fit. There is about 9mm of clearance at the chainstays. Perhaps a low profile XC tire, but it will be tight. I'm glad you're enjoying the content!

[@jacobrempel9814]

I'd probably change the bars! Idk how many of your have seen Seth's video on this bike lol

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

I'm thinking that was a fluke. The way he crashed, it looks like the bar end jammed into the ground with all of his weight into it.

[@thenoobgamer2k311]

Is this inspired by seth? Hahahaha nice build btw!

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

I love Seth's videos! He is definitely an inspiration. 😃 .. and thanks! Glad you liked the build.

[@Jeremy-ui8cg]

I recently purchased this bike and something I noticed was that when I’m moving my bike along the road not pedaling, the disc brakes sound like they’re rubbing against something. It makes an interesting sound like cylinders on a vehicle sliding. Could that be misaligned disc brakes? Besides that everything works fine, and so far I’ve survived some sketchy descends with this bike.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Yeah. That sounds like the brakes out of alignment. Find out which one it is and Loosen the two bolts slightly. Then hold the brake lever and re-tighten. There are tutorials on YT that should help. If that doesn't work, you'll have to eyeball it and align it by hand.

[@Jeremy-ui8cg]

@@AdrenalineIsLife 😂😂thanks man, these Walmart bikes are puzzles

[@burningatthetrailhead]

Those dekas chainrings on Amazon are made in the USA and they look like race face clones.

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Oh wow! I didn't know that. Very cool.

[@burningatthetrailhead]

@@AdrenalineIsLife my bad. It's spelled Deckas. I had to go look to be sure

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@@burningatthetrailhead no worries. That's what I found. I can't ever pronounce most of those names on Amazon. Lol

[@dragonperformance4362]

I honestly forgot the Kent trouvaille was a Walmart bike

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

It rides well for a Walmart bike.

[@DIRTY-7]

Does this bike need a tapered fork? Or is there an adapter i could use or sumthing

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

It doesn't need a tapered fork. A straight steer fork can be adapted easily. The headset I used comes with an adapter crown race for straight steerer. I believe I showed it in the video. There is a link to the headset in the description.

[@valexx9776]

i want to know how does it ride now is it good for trails

[@tedrich4253]

I don't get it... what the heck is wrong with the kickstand?

[@valexx9776]

is it worth the budget build over time to get started in trail riding

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

If you have one and upgrade as needed its a good bike.

[@broletaso]

Hey there. I just bought a Kent bike for 100 bucks, that's what I could afford specially since bikes are getting expensive in my country. Planning to work on it since it's going to be my first experience with a bike. By the way, any suggestions on how can I upgrade from V brakes to disc brakes on my bike? I can send you some pics if you can so you can see the type of frame I have

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

They make conversion kits for bikes but I don't know how reliable they are as I've never done the conversion. You will also need to replace your wheels. My guess is that your wheels do not have disc rotor mounts. People have used rim brakes for decades with no issues. Even many high spec road bikes still use them. It would be much less expensive and less of a headache to fine tune you existing brakes.

[@KRuslan1000]

Will the JESSICA 44-55 work with the original forks, my bearings came apart

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Yes. The crown race is two pieces. If you combine them, it acts as an adapter.

[@KRuslan1000]

@@AdrenalineIsLife thank you

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

@@KRuslan1000 you're welcome!

[@dgriffinm]

I almost seems like a waste of time and money when you could buy a decent bike for basically the same price that you put into it, including the cost of the initial bicycle

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Yes. Right now, there are some great deals on some really nice hardtails, but some people don't have that money up front. It's better to get out and ride now than later. Waiting means lost time, lost enjoyment, and lost fitness. I wouldn't call it a waste of time or money. Most of those parts can be transferred to a new frame if I so choose. That being said, I rode this bike yesterday and had a great time on it. It rides really well.

[@muhammadamohsin]

So where’s phase 3?

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

Probably later this year. I need the bike in phase 2 for a little longer.

[@phatso786]

Is the bottom bracket a 68 or 73?

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

73mm

[@walkingnote1090]

Will this fall apart as just a commuter?

[@AdrenalineIsLife]

No. It should be more than capable.