Walmart MTB Upgrades! Will it explode or improve?

[@BermPeakExpress]

I’m also attempting to buy a set of Shimano MT200’s from a “questionable” seller for a really good price. I placed the order and should have them by October! Historically I have been able to get these super cheap, but lately there are a lot of scams. From Jenson you can get the front and rear separate for a bit more than the Zooms, but you need to wait a few months. I’d love it if this seller comes through with them because Shimano is a lot more reputable!

[@holdorf333]

I'm actually upgrading my brakes on my FX5, I've got a like-new set of MT201 levers and both UR300 calipers/pads you can just have. if you want 'em, just reach out.

[@cyclopsmtb9435]

Hey Seth, I started mountain biking because of you. I recently got a new bike (ccm slope 26 inch hard tail). But I want to know before I take it out in the trail it’s good and safe. I don’t know anyone else to ask, so can you test the bike for me?

[@cza1898]

M315 and MT200 is almost the same right? The only difference is M315 has aluminum alloy levers

[@elesjuan]

I bought a 2nd hand unused trek marlin 5 for dirt cheap off Craigslist a number of years ago and wanted hydraulic brakes. The t5 has brakes and shifters in the same controls, so had to buy new shifters too. Took a risk and bought some Shimano hydraulic brakes off aliexpress for $43 shipped. Was shocked when they actually arrived, even more surprised they felt really good quality and work quite well!

[@bothbeta2753]

Hi Seth, there are lots of very good bike parts from Lazada for example and I was wondering If you would buy an air fork from Lazada even maybe Alibaba. A brand that is very popular is Balony and Modeng can you test one of those thanks.

[@GokkunGuru]

I rode a DH trail yesterday on mechanical cable brakes. The amount of arm pump and wrist pain by the end of the ride was unbearable. Definitely hydraulic brakes!

[@yourfatson8262]

2 solutions, hydraulic brakes, no brakes and hit into a tree or wash out on a turn

[@nzo_6543]

Yeah, a flick of a finger on the lever and instant stop

[@yourfatson8262]

@@nzo_6543 especially 4 piston

[@BermPeakExpress]

This trail is 1300’ of descending and will wreck your forearms without a good set of brakes, just like you experienced. These friggin’ Amazon brakes were PLEASANT to descend with. I was blown away.

[@nzo_6543]

@@yourfatson8262 indeed! Or maybe good bleeding in it,

[@Haydenismyusername]

It’d be so cool to see a whole series on the premise of “best bang for your buck”… Move over ‘Flip Bike’, here comes ‘Cheap Bike’! Love what you all are doing. Keep it up!

[@AleksandarGoleminov]

No. Flip bike is better.

[@krunkikrofna]

Seth just sending everything on a walmart bike while i wouldn't try half of the features on a 10k dollar bike. Pure skill

[@hannes6114]

He's riding so fast that he crashes because of his bike

[@jmyoung513]

I wouldn't try half of those trails that fast with a 10k bike, 5k in crash gear, and a full med crew on standby.

[@WestonNey]

@@jmyoung513 give me a $1k bike and my helmet and I’m sending it. I live for that kind of trail. If only I had disposable income for a buke

[@jmyoung513]

@@WestonNey I've got enough body damage from mountain biking and 4wheelers that I don't need anymore. I noped out of a fairly simple trail on a quad at work yesterday because it was raining, and going in probably wouldn't be an issue. Coming out, on the other hand, if it kept raining for 3 or 4 more hours (it rained about 2 more) would have been much harder, and the other ways out were not just a steep grade and some rocks.

[@tdub25]

I mean that trail is a thing of beauty, literally as good as it gets for the entire east coast….

[@arterca]

Just a heads up, Suntour has a trade in program for their forks. Your XCM forks would be good for that. You can get higher tier forks for a pretty substantial discount (need proof of purchase ofc). Cheapest set they would have is around $200 so a little more than the $150 Amazon ones but i really dig the program. It's a great way to help people on a budget. I bought my bike years ago and wish i still had the receipt otherwise i probably would take advantage of it. If i had the budget though... Right now i would be buying the SR Suntour AXON WERX F RL-RC 15QLC-TI sitting at a cool $1000 discount on their site.

[@skinnyslide]

Glad to see someone actually showing these new Walmart bikes and cheaper amazon parts actually being installed correctly and taking on a real trail at speed not just throwing the parts on purposely wrong wanting them to fail for the video or just babying it down a dirt path I rode an upgrade Walmart bike with some of these same parts for few years till I could get exactly what I wanted and it served me very well

[@willlange9978]

You can ride super bike you want, but this experiment really speaks to a huge group of folks. Congrats for not losing touch with the community. And just a really well produced video. So entertaining. Beers on me if you ever get to Bentonville again 😉

[@jackpiki]

I would absolutely love to see the 180$ Amazon air fork! Great video as always Seth, cant wait for the new updates 👍😁

[@josephlewis3670]

Yes

[@spicydramarama852]

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16, 17.

[@oneDonly]

@@spicydramarama852 Nah god knows that every imagination of man is evil continually and it repented god that he had made man.

[@jennifercavazos7851]

yes!!!!!!!!

[@robertsmith470]

Yes! Some sub $200 air forks, and a set of tubeless rubber should bring this bike up to the next level.

[@ryanmarotta2413]

Hey Seth, if you want to upgrade the derailer, microshift makes that same advent nine speed derailer but with a clutch. I’m running it right now, and the clutch is damn good for $60!

[@ZF_Aspiris]

Same here, gotta love me my Microshift stuff like they are legit so underrated from where I bike at, and they are so rare to come by

[@lewislopez8610]

You saw that too huh, is it the long derailer

[@ryanmarotta2413]

@@lewislopez8610 The clutched version is in the medium cage(42t) and long cage(46t) *The long cage will work on both cassettes, but the medium cage will only work with the 42t cassette, which is what I believe this Kent has

[@BermPeakExpress]

I agree. I found it for $55 on Amazon and already ordered it. That could very well be the best 9 speed derailleur for the price and the best drivetrain for the money. We’re still under $600 with that!

[@lewislopez8610]

@@BermPeakExpress thanks I called the bike shop my trouville is at and they said it was the long cage but I think your more of an expert so which is best, medium or long

[@jaredturner9547]

I would be interested to see how that bike would compare to an entry level trek or giant!

[@ianstubley9388]

I was thinking that because you can buy new Kona lava dome £450.better bike and cheaper than that Walmart bike.

[@au9561]

@@ianstubley9388 I am not sure where you got that price, but Kona Lava Dome in the US is $875

[@Anotherfunnyword]

Yes! I was wondering the same thing! If someone had an older bike, it would probably be a good idea to use this hack to upgrade the brakes and maybe the bottom bracket, but a new rider looking for a budget bike would probably have more luck with an entry level. For the same (or just a little more) on the price point, you would get a 1x, hydraulic brakes, an ok-ish coil fork AND warranty/tune-ups with an LBS. (edit: also, I think even entry levels usually come with a de-railer clutch)

[@derekdavis6508]

Also bikes direct, bicycles online, have good deals along with chain reaction, I like voodoo bikes, they were only through Halfords, but now I think you can get them online now international.

[@OmnieStar]

@@Anotherfunnyword What Entry level bike that is the same style as this one is better? I'm looking to buy one that i can take in the dirt and on street, BUT iv never owned a bike with gears xD BMX only. So don't wanna get the wrong type, considering I'm very broke so price is a BIG selling point.

[@aaronswope1048]

I would be curious to see how the suntour fork upgrade program compares to a cheap Amazon air fork

[@BermPeakExpress]

I looked into it and it’s a close call. I’d say Suntour would be safer and easier to service, but still more expensive with the discount. When their entry level air forks are back in stock I may try!

[@somerandomguywastaken]

@@BermPeakExpress i firsthand witnessed those air forks snap off at the crown. the two stanchions just came off the top, welds snapped straight. Forks werent bent or anything, just straight snapped

[@komoonkh]

Wolftick nation did test a lot of these cheapo forks. Some of them actually work good, but not all of them.

[@harrymcgill6291]

@@BermPeakExpress what is the travel of the fork? You need

[@sebastianjost]

@@harrymcgill6291 it probably is 80 or 100 mm here, for riding trails as the ones in the video, you probably want something more like 120-140 mm

[@maikerumine]

I loved this series! I took an old Schwinn BOX store MTB and swapped BB, crank, made it a SS, changed seat and to this day, 10 years later it still rocks! Albeit still a crappy bike, it is still one of my favs. Thanks man!

[@tmitche36]

I think that buying second hand still beats out this. I bought my boardman mtr 8.6 (with a fork upgrade) for £550

[@SeanSG1405]

Yeah I found a 2017 Saracen myst pro for only 950 and that's with a boxxer and a fox dhx

[@AlwayzPr0]

yep, i only buy second hand and just wait for good deals.

[@BermPeakExpress]

It’s extremely hard to beat second hand, especially if you have the mechanical know-how to do these upgrades in the first place

[@tmitche36]

@@BermPeakExpress i often say to friends to buy second hand and let me have a look over the bikes before they purchase, just so they know its safe or if things needs to be fixed first

[@ricardofernandez8485]

Buying second hand isn't necessarily safe either. You run the risk of getting a bad or damaged bike unknowingly. At least with this, you knowingly accept that it may be a bad bike, so expectations can be tempered

[@dcrtse]

Thanks for taking all those spills. Saves me from getting all those bumps and bruises!! Found my new favorite channel!

[@SlowDelSol]

I had a RockShox Judy Silver TK on a similar build, really nice fork for under 200. Tires would also massively improve it. I’m so stoked for this build.

[@rcranes2227]

For my daughter I got a Manitou Markhor fork. They make it in straight steerer tubes still (which you still find on older entry level bikes) and it weighs a heck of a lot less than a Judy for about the same price. Stanchions are 30mm which isn't great if you're a heavy rider doing really gnarly stuff, bit for my daughter that weighs 100lbs and riding blue trails on a hard tail, it was a perfect upgrade.

[@piworower]

they are excellent forks

[@Desert_chunk_mtbr]

This is how I got into the sport. Bought a Nishiki Colorado Comp from DSG. Swapped out the bottom bracket and crank set. Swapped handlebars, stem, grips, and pedals for comfort. Added an inexpensive external dropper. It turned into a pretty capable trail bike. I upgraded to a new bike once I realized it was something I wanted to get into more but I never would have really started if it wasn’t for the big box store bike.

[@62swampboy62]

Another great vid. As far as I'm concerned, this is better than anything on regular TV.

[@QoraxAudio]

What's regular TV?

[@bobohunter1776]

People still watch regular TV?

[@bhuuthesecond]

This guy’s channel is so good. TV networks could buy his content and sit back and enjoy the ratings bump. Seth’s personality is so cool and he’s such a natural on camera. I don’t know how many hours I’ve spent on this wonderful channel.

[@RobertDoornbosF1]

Wouldn't work

[@QoraxAudio]

@@bhuuthesecond Nah wouldn't work, because most people only like to watch dumb shit.

[@ManuelMartinez09]

your driving skills and no fear of crashing are more evident than ever on this one.

[@spicydramarama852]

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16, 17.

[@Alttabbins]

You should find one of those chain guides you talked about in your old videos. That might be a good solution. For the next upgrades, I'd look at touch points. Those pedals look barely good enough. It would be interesting to see some budget minded grips and pedals and if it would be worth it.

[@alph8021]

Also bought the Zoom breaks, half a year they were working ok. First day below zero degrees C°, both levers were leaking at the seals. So I switched them out with Deore levers which have much better breaking force with the Zoom calipers now and still work fine.

[@wilmernordman6268]

I want to see a cheap fork upgrade plus new tires! Keep up the awesome work Seth!

[@porterspiceland4679]

Please!!!

[@brnevs]

And maybe comparing it to a Recon RL wich I think is still one of the best cheap options...

[@porterspiceland4679]

Maybe even throw in an advent clutch derailleur?

[@louiefriesen]

I would avoid cheap amazon forks at all costs. If you want to see what wrong on them (which is everything), Evan's MTB Saga did a video on it. I'd rather ride a Suntour coil over a cheap amazon fork. The cheapest air fork I can recommend and would ride would be the Rockshox Judy Silver.

[@louiefriesen]

@@brnevs The Recon RL is great, I put one on one of my bikes. The Judy Silver is also great it's just got smaller stanchions. I would highly recommend them. Amazon forks on the other hand... AVOID! Everything that can be wrong with them is wrong with them. Evan's MTB Saga did a video showing everything that is wrong with them.

[@avsnern6043]

I finally got a mountain bike after about three and a half years of watching your channel. So far I’ve had a bunch of fun on it, so much so that I already messed up the derailleur hanger in the first week.

[@Valentin359]

I also have a history of a bike for the best price, but my budget was about $1,000. I was able to buy a brand new Trek marlin 7 for just 720$, and then +50$ for a new Air Rockshox Judy (in addition to amount from selling stock fork) and +$60 for good tires. As a result I got my dream bike, and I still have some money to upgrade)

[@_anindith_]

I have a Marlin 6 and I'm also planning to upgrade to an air fork. But the prices of air fork is quite high in India. I was thinking of Judy. Is it good or should I go with other fork?

[@Valentin359]

@@_anindith_ Judy Silver TK is a pretty good fork. It cost me 190$. Rebound adjustment works well, it has 5 positions. it weighs less than I expected - 2160 gr. But be sure to disassemble and service it before installing it on the bike, because it worked very poorly out of the box, but after proper maintenance, it runs very smoothly.

[@anthonyarcoleo]

Nice Ride! Glad you see you back at 100% after your injury. For some reason this video made me realize your back at it again and its cool to see. Happy for you

[@mountainbikeman2.03]

Hey Seth keep up the good work I love your channel

[@benitocervantes2478]

Those Zoom brakes are honestly sick. I work for an Electric Integrated Beach Cruiser Company and they work beautifully! Even at the 30+ mph that the bikes can handle. I jump and hoon these bikes and those brakes are definitely worth it for anyone needing an upgrade to Hydrolics!

[@allanreyes5405]

Decent upgrades Seth! You are correct, the fork needs to be changed to an air fork and probably change to a decent set of tires meant for the type of ride you have done or you are about to do when there is reasonable wear and tear on the tires. However, it might be better to get a $1,000.00 built bike that may have all the upgrades that you are looking for since the additional upgrades may be close to the $1,000.00 price tag. I don't live in the US and I may be wrong with my estimate price wise. Nevertheless, great content! Cheers!

[@MarvinWestmaas]

I just commented on the tires, I actually would love him to do a tire upgrade next before the fork and overlap the current bike with exact same setup but correct tires for the terrain he's riding. I think it has some educational value, lots of people run the wrong tires trust me I see it all the time, and it would be kinda fun to see him take those same corners he found tricky ( and crashed at ) with tires which actually give him good contact/grip. A cheap air fork won't be much of an upgrade I feel, in my exprience they are better at small impacts then a good coil fork but when you get bigger impacts those cheaper air forks can run into problems quickly with sloppy tolerances and very high wear and tear because of that. I would rather get a really good coil fork then one of those cheap air forks. Servicability I think is zero as well because the air damper being a single fixed assembly. Unless you got a specific cheap fork in mind?

[@0xsergy]

not even worth waiting for tires. upgrade the front tire for safety and keep it as a spare fast rolling replacement rear tire. not worth crashing :P

[@morganwilliams2863]

@@MarvinWestmaas manitou markhour

[@cedipellazo4095]

did the same thing a few years ago (2016).. when i was still in college, budget was limited so i bought a department store bike(chinese alloy bike) with tourney parts for a few bucks. a year later bought a shimano slx drivetrain and a chinese wheelset. still using the fork and brakes that came stock with the bike sr suntour xct and a shimano mt200. did improve alot that it made me very happy. it still runs like new to this date and i couldn't ask for more.

[@xavierhulbert5849]

I would really love to see how one of those Amazon air forks holds up. I’m delaying getting one for my budget hardtail.

[@born-in-Atlanta]

Your videos are extremely addictive. Your narration is great, the music clips are fantastic- like after you hit the tree with this bike, in the previous video… and you certainly know bikes! Thanks!

[@fishingwithjoey7522]

I love your videos you are the reason I started MTBing

[@reillyryan4244]

Love the burst of episodes Seth, my favorite thing ever to watch.

[@jacquie212]

Looks a lot like what I ride around here, and I had to change out to a decent air fork because as a heavier rider the cheap coil fork was killing my arms. I think a cheaper bike with a light or small rider is a very different proposition to a heavier rider (or a hard rider).

[@uncleben4536]

I just wanted to say again. I don’t even ride bikes. Well I did when I was a child. But I don’t even own one. And I really like these videos! I like the main host guy, I like the fun content, I like the filming. You guys make really good stuff. Now I’m emotionally invested in the “Kent Travail”. He’s the underdog that I want to succeed. Please keep making great stuff.

[@chuckdaley8633]

Always fun stuff, Seth! I think that an interesting continuation of this video - at least for people looking to get into mountain biking - would be to compare it to an entry level mtb from Trek, Giant, Specialized, etc etc. For instance a Marlin 4 is about $625 and a Talon is $600. Is it worth spending the extra $75-100, or is purchasing the Kent and doing some minor upgrades a better option? Either way, you're a had working man and we appreciate the great content!

[@spicydramarama852]

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16, 17.

[@JoeAnshien]

Wow - Great video. I love this series. Been out of biking for a while and things have changed so much. I have been looking for a MT. bike to get into the woods (probably nothing like the down hills you do as I can not recover from a bad fall), but even 10 year old bikes are selling for about as much as these and are nothing special.

[@spaceman4782]

You should check out the Scwinn Axum from Walmart, I've been riding it for a year and it's been good fun! Not to mention it has a dropper post!

[@bindingcurve]

Without the dropper they are the same price. It is the better bike for upgrading.

[@johnwood2317]

I think what holds the Kent back is the seat tube diameter. It really limits what external droppers you can put in there and the lack of internal routing for a dropper is disappointing to say the least.

[@epicpeppy2977]

iv been think about purchasing this bike and doing these upgrades myself since I'm a beginner. these videos have really confirmed my decision.

[@littleshopofrandom685]

You can usually get tektro brakes online in the $60us range. More "trustworthy" if people don't like the idea of no name brakes. That said, those basically look like deore copies, which is not a bad thing at all. Will be interesting to see how the seals hold up over a few years if you keep the bike that long.

[@mikedoe5295]

They won’t hold up unfortunately, see my comment ⬆️👍

[@dunatic1313]

I put a set of those brakes on a street trials bike I made for my kids early last year and they are still going strong! I did change the pads to sintered right out of the box for more bite though!

[@MrTJP777]

Breaks are life or death on mountain bikes! Of all the things to upgrade I'm glad you emphasized breaks... 😉🤘

[@OmniShadesGaming]

Hey, i have recently turned a $215 Walmart 21 speed 26in Hardtail MTB bike into a 1kw E-Mtb and I don’t like the front fork. It is a, from my measurements, approximately 120mm Travel fork and one day it bottomed out hit a hole causing Snake Bite. I mainly ride the roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks. I was thinking of upgrading them to 180mm for extra cushion and HOPEFULLY only need to use 170mm of it. I want have at least 10mm, or more, of room to spare. I also have a Full suspension frame in my shed that i plan to build into a FS EMTB with a rear shock having a lockout option, same with the front but i want at least the rear to have the lockout functionality. I intend on keeping both bikes as 21 speeds, i love 21 speed bikes.

[@atj1167]

Amazing video always good to see. However I think its important to remember that Seth has all the tools and facilities for brake bleeds crank swaps etc so the $521 fee would be more for most entry level riders looking to purchase it.

[@crabboy01]

Even if you did the work yourself, there are specialized tools required for these swap-outs. Yes, it is a one time thing, but additional costs.

[@Valentin359]

I don't think that any mechanic will charge a lot for that work. In my country it will cost about 30$

[@gizzmicbob]

@@Valentin359 This very much depends on where you live. Many countries have high labour costs. Where I live, this would cost up to $110USD in terms of labour for everything Seth has done. It may be less depending on a few factors. Good mechanics are generally expensive and always spend time doing a job properly. This is definitely more viable for someone that is willing to do the mechanics themselves.

[@Nikko780]

@@gizzmicbob in my city there is a bicycle collective with 2 shops and all the tools, you can rent time in the shop and they have volunteer bike mechanics that can help you fix and upgrade your bike. It's really great. I think it's like $5/hr for members and $10/hr for non members. Volunteer staffed and funded with donations.

[@gizzmicbob]

@@Nikko780 Wow, I've never heard of anything like that. Is it used by a lot of people?

[@alancastro4134]

extreme technical trail for a walmart bike your amazing to do that. great job seth

[@axelc6125]

literally just installed these brakes last week on my entry level hardtail. Definitely an upgrade from the mechanical ones i had before.

[@andyhillhouse9813]

I'm new to mountain biking and bought a brand new Jamis X A2 trail for £300. Love the bike! It already has hydraulic disk brakes but I'm deffo gonna upgrade to the single speed chain ring after watching this!

[@Tejas29992]

Hey Seth, awesome content as always!! Love the flip bike series especially, which inspires me to do my own repairs and tune ups. Since you're reviewing big box bikes, I was curious if Nishiki Colorado Comp 275 could be a future review? 😁 It's a Dick's sporting goods bike, usually retails for 800, but is occasionally discounted down to < 400... would be really interested to know your analysis if you ever get your hands on that one. Cheers and safe riding!

[@mellissanash7517]

I'd second this. Would love to see the Colorado Comp reviewed since it's not just a 27.5 bike but a 27.5+ bike, which can fit 2.8 rear & think 3.0 front if I remember correctly.

[@smc1377]

The algorithm keeps bringing me to this video series with the Walmart bike. And I keep watching them even though my bike never leaves a paved trail and I only ride it like twice a year.

[@caleom1]

This raises and interesting question, your “cheap “ upgrades were far ahead of Walmart and price comparable. Using these dodgy brands on Amazon could you construct and entire bicycle and beat Walmart in quality? Considering many is the faults are in construction I think even Walmarts economy of scale won’t save them

[@thomassutton3608]

Look up Francis case on KZbin. He has videos using Ali express bike parts from china and building a whole bike without known name brands in the west.

[@UltimateWedgieParachuteCo]

Same question. I have a friend who bought an entire bike from Ali Express, including the carbon frame he started with and top of the line everything. He still had some serious coin in it but not $5k+. More like $2k

[@destinhook3826]

Kevcentral and Wolftick videos both build bikes with mostly no name parts

[@ΠΑΥΛΟΣΚωνσταντινιδης-ψ4γ]

That's a great though Seth, taking an entry level bicycle and updating step by step to see how far it can improve. Looking forward for next updates 👍

[@walterjr2429]

Man every video I watch on a cheap bike I fell better with my abilities, sending tech and jumps on a 26" 2013 hardtail with 80mm travel and 3x8 no clutch

[@BenNemec]

As someone who occasionally still rides an old hardtail with some similar specs to this: -The front skewer coming loose is a thing that happens. It doesn't matter how tight you put it on, 5 minutes later it will probably be sloppy. Usually I retighten it once and it's good until the next time I take it off. -The crud on the fork stanchions tells me there is not enough grease in there and it's eating the bushings. That would also explain the play it has developed. That said, if that's one of those pogo stick-level Suntour forks, just replace it. With no damping you'll never make that thing feel good. They're also incredibly heavy.

[@starvin-marvin-the-martian]

Definitely swap on a Shimano internal-cam skewer. I've had open-cam skewers do exactly what you saw on rugged terrain.

[@SubmarinersDive]

Did this with a Mongoose 29er hardtail...put new disc brakes and an Amazon Air Fork...and it still rips after 6 years! My wife likes it because the frame is smaller and more her size. Still getting used.

[@brodiehungerford5690]

I’ve got those “Amazon” forks on my partners bike and they so far have done pretty decent flow trails and jumps

[@ukrarex]

put a FOX sticker on them, heard it adds like +10 cool points

[@brodiehungerford5690]

@@ukrarex I knew it!

[@brucemackay8786]

Seth I've been riding for years. Watching you rally that Wal-Mart beast, only confirms your very impressive skills. Hope your new viewers recognize that just doing those upgrades is gonna give 'em what they need to ride like that.... Personally, nope for me on THAT bike on THAT trail. 🤟

[@michaelmechex]

Wow, that trail looked steep even on the gopro!

[@bah5310]

I like these types of videos because they are more in my bike budget zone. I was thinking that my entry level bike would never make it on the trails, now with some reasonably priced modifications it could. Thanks

[@smileyguyz]

With my Suntour XCM fork on my 26" Raliegh Talus 5.0, I've had the same issue of my front wheel coming loose. Granted I was riding really really rough bike park trails, but still not ideal. Edit: Watched the whole video now. DO NOT BUY A CHEAP AMAZON FORK. I purchased one for my other bike, also out of curiosity. It has leaked from day one, and is genuinely terrifying how poorly built it is.

[@jg374]

I am at the point of replacing the quick release axle in the front wheel of my bike with the older style threaded rod with nuts either side to hopefully stop it coming loose (cup and cone bearings). Time will tell if that is any better behaved I suppose. Previously I had no idea why people were bothering with through axles :).

[@smileyguyz]

@@jg374 If I could afford a bike with thru axles, I would have switched long ago. I've bent and broken rear axles, had the front come undone, etc and if you need a new axle they're shockingly difficult to come buy unless you'd like to buy a whole new hub and take the axle from that.

[@jg374]

@@smileyguyz a few months ago I replaced the cones and ball bearings as they were fairly beaten up. The local bike shop had generic quick release axles and cones that worked sitting on the shelf. I would have thought what seems like the many different through axle standards would be harder to find

[@nunayobusiness7521]

Ill be taking this bike to berm park in about a week! Wish me luck.

[@pwn3d_d1rt]

The problem with the zoom brakes is that you either get ones that work perfectly fine or you get ones that send you to your death and it's kind of a toss-up

[@TheOnlyKontrol]

How would you know lol you’re alive so it must of not been that bad

[@BFBMTb]

I haven't had issues with zoom brakes and I've had a few cheap brakes (zoom, cnc, meroca). My other cheap hydros required bleeding since they were spongy from the factory, but no leakage or issues after the bleed. I find Zoom makes decent products but they are a bit heavier compared to others.

[@inx1252]

This was a great video. Love what you did to the bike on a tight budget and the trails that you rode were great!

[@isaacsmtbvlog9049]

Hey seth

[@ricksbmx]

You got first comment good job

[@rikcolsenmn]

Just picked one up for $148 at Walmart this past weekend. Ordering all your upgrades.

[@jasonknight1085]

Those zoom brakes are basically what came on my Aventon Aventure e-bike. Only difference being the built-in hall effect sensors in the handles to kill the motor. "From the factory" the rear didn't work worth spit and the front barely engaged. Rear was a messed up caliper because the bleed bolt was stripped, front just needed a bleed. That's to be expected when they ship filled with fluid and are assembled by resus monkeys on crack. Once I got a new caliper, did a full flush on the rear -- where nasty green bacterial ick came out so I forced some IPA through the line-- bled the front, and made sure the fluids were topped off, they've been amazing, reliable, and overall well worth it. If I were going to do an aftermarket conversion to hydraulic, I'd buy them no question. Especially since they take the same brake pads as the Shimano XT! Hydraulics are a lot like what you said about the Kent overall. It's a technology where you really need to either be able to do your own servicing, or have a professional service them for you regularly. There's a lot of "cheap stuff" that's like that where you can get away with cheap if you're willing to put in the labor to bring it up to spec. I got a cheap set of replacement rotors just because I liked how they looked, and was amazed that they were so much higher quality than what the bike came with. As such I'd love to see you do a "cheap air fork" swapout. (if you haven't already, catching up on watching here). With my aventure I swapped to a $199 double-shoulder unit because the stock zoom fork had next to no travel (90mm) and already had one of the wipers let go after only about 200 miles on the bike. I've put an additional 320 on it with the replacement and been fine. And with it being an e-bike that extra 40 pounds or so weight puts a hell of a lot more of a pounding on the parts. Good for a laugh though, my swapping the cranks and chainring for billet aluminum and a 53 tooth took 3 pounds off the bloody thing. :D

[@lassiturbo2554]

Box Four 8 speed with a 1x8 is honestly best budget drivetrain. Upgraded the 3x8 (with an Altus derailleur lol) on my hardtail to 1x8 with clutch, 11-42t cassette, it is so crispy. cost just over $200.

[@Bigmofrackie5]

I built up a Mongoose Ardor from Walmart with a total build price of ~$800 and it currently has a better build than a Trek Roscoe 8. The budget builds on big box bikes are great because you can take your time, find the right deals, and have a good spec for a significant discount

[@JoeyRock333]

My buddy bought a walmart bike when visiting. It was a 29" Schwinn Axum. It was only $198 on sale and I was impressed.

[@NoxiousNoodles]

Couldn't care less about it being a walmart bike, I'm just glad to see you do some actual mountain biking again for once, which is great. This walmart bike has done more mountain biking on the channel than any of the other bikes you actually ride and I'm into it.

[@Staindsoul4life]

Thanks Seth for the video. At the end of the day, if this new "big-box store" content puts more riders out there enjoying the outdoors, you're doing a great service. Not everyone has the skill and experience to buy second hand and know they're getting their money's worth. Everyone has their own approach to the hobby/sport based on their financial situation. These videos def expands your audience and reaches a demographic that would otherwise be repelled by the post-covid prices at local bike shops.

[@TheMangoMike]

i bought a schwinn ascension for target last week and it has surprised me, it was $450. it has manual disk brakes, a 1x7 drive train by micro shift, as well as a rear retailer with a clutch. I’d say that’s pretty good for the money, you lose a lot of the in between gears as well as a name brand fork and hydraulic disk brakes and you save $400+.

[@SchmitzJeanNoel]

The Zoom hydrolic brakes are pretty good, despite an important play on the levers. Everything is solid and brakes really well. I've been using them for a good year without a single issue.

[@motojaymo6653]

3/4 of the way through a hand me down parts bin Mongoose Ardor build for my son. Got a smokin deal on a Rockshox 35 air fork and a boosted wheel. Obviously totally changed the bikes character. There's one on PB right now for $180!! Get rid of the fork and upgrade to something burlier!

[@Michael-dj4vq]

I've got the trouaville too..just got it last week and I'm impressed by it..you can't go wrong with this bike 👌..maybe that's why it flies off the shelf..I had to wait almost 3 weeks to get mine

[@yuripolkavich7469]

Seth! This is great content. Having said that, I would true up the wheels, upgrade the derailleur to a clutched rendition and upgrade to a budget air fork.

[@JellyJonesey]

Hydraulic breaks, mechanically are incredibly simple, so it makes sense to see some pretty good ones for dirt cheap. I just put a Himalo Drift 32 160mm front fork on my crap bike. Haven't had a chance to really test it yet but it feels nice and plush.

[@RealMTBAddict]

Brakes

[@chrisschreiner5150]

I think it would be cool to see you put a complete build to together from all of the good parts that you have come across on Amazon. Like the brakes and the forks. I love all of your videos.

[@fusselhead]

Great series! I’m definitely interested in seeing you upgrade to a cheap airfork like a Bucklos (with rebound!) and how it performs

[@ed1977win]

I also had the same problem , i did buy a chainguide for the front . Solved the problem in my case for 80% spin the crank 1 time and the chain goes on the sprocket again. Now alsa a clutch derailleur and the problem is 100% gone

[@severalothers]

I've learned a lot watching these videos. Keep it up, I love them.

[@MonkeyMagic4649]

I put some Juintech M1s on mine. They work fantastic.

[@kassuyt]

This brought back riding wirh seth vibes with all the talking to the gopro. I love it!

[@acelectricalsecurity]

This is such a good video for many reasons, and the main reason is, it shows that channels such as GMBN are completely wrong when they are telling people they need to spend several thousand pounds, not dollars if they want a bike that will tackle terrain that you have tackled on that bike. Don't listen to those channels that are sponsored by the big bike manufacturer's, get a cheap bike do the upgrades as you can afford, and you will have the last laugh.

[@czechnolike]

Now I'm ready for your next video, some totally custom built bike just for you, Seth!

[@sonicbong8052]

This is somehow really helpful for us who doesnt have enough budget, I am currently riding a $900 HT bike. If Seth can use and make those low budget components work then thats enough for me to trust what I have right now. Using my bike on trails, rock gardens and small jumps. No complain or failure at the moment.

[@markc-aus]

I think a cheap chain retention device would be an excellent value upgrade. I’ve put a Funn Zippa bottom bracket chainguide on the kids bikes. They still run the no-clutch derailleur and work well.

[@dovahfpv1326]

Seth is a madman for taking that bike on bennets gap. That trail is terrifying on a good bike.

[@patrickligot5100]

It does feel satisfying to be surprised that such bikes could hold up. Would love to see a pimp my ride kind of concept. Making retro to moderno.

[@cars_go_fast]

Having ridden this trail on a 160mm travel 29er, you sir are brave and definitely put this thing through hell

[@SpeedSixS]

You good Sir got yourself a new subscriber! I’ve been binge watching your videos all this afternoon 😊

[@deodiocares6710]

Zoom brakes are quite popular here in the Philippines for those who wish to have adequate brakes but don't have the money for some Shimano Mt-200. Some local mtb KZbinrs have reviewed these brakes and they seem to like it.

[@tyboucino6572]

sometimes the best videos of seth are him just biking, also i love this series keep it going

[@lando318king2]

If you go with an Amazon air fork make sure to go with bucklos brand not bolany or ztz I’m a mechanic at a bike shop and see them broken a lot. I built up a budget dirt jumper a while back and had a bucklos air fork on it rode the hell out of it and never had a single issue

[@MicroOutdoors]

I had one. It was a gateway drug bike. Found the BB was crossthreaded. So.. back it went. And took my upgrade budget along with the return $ got a "real" hardtail from my LBS. Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed the Kent. Had the BB not been non serviceable (due to the cross thread) I'd still have it. --- great video and good choices on the upgrades. I've seen way to many videos with "box" store bikes that spend $1000 in upgrades on a $4/500 bike. And in the end it's value is still $300 on market place.

[@enricolejano2530]

HI Seth, you may want to put a chain guide for chain retention, those really cheap ones that is attached to the chain stays, you can also diy this using a garden hose and a couple of zip ties. Cheers

[@hillbillyholler516]

I run zooms an a heavy e bike and absolutely love them! For $68 and 2 day shipping it's one heck of a deal and upgrade from schmono manual disk brakes.

[@xoloitsquintli]

I just upgraded the stock WTB Ranger tires (very similar to what's on the Kent) on my bike to Specialized Purgatorys that I found on sale for 12 bucks! I immediately felt much better taking speed into corners and didn't struggle with traction while climbing in loose terrain. Mine are 27.5 but if you can find a similar deal on 29s I'd say that would be a huge upgrade for less than $25.

[@sludge86]

Good as always. That trail was Brutal.

[@Rockeizta]

Seth, I currently have the cable-actuated hydraulic brakes from Zoom and it is actually very good even on descents. Happy to see you tried Zoom brakes! I kinda helps me feel a bit more confident with my brakes.

[@galacticgalaxyonezerone7235]

No matter what of course safety is number one you know this is amazing to do and feels great to set up everything and have it nice in-line and tuned up but if I don’t trust something I did or the bike to stay in that condition while I’m using it or at least in safe condition then forget it it’s not worth not being able to ride anymore over saving money.