Guys I get my Hardrock specialized 2011 disc next week. Any upgrades I should do straight away?
Get some really narrow bars, a high rise stem, and a pannier.



When riding uphill, in gears 9-12 i am getting some real creaking, probably from the bottom bracket area.
I am about 19st and try to put a fair bit of power down because its not so easy to drag that much weight uphill.
Should i be worried or is this normal, due to the cheapness of the bike and my enormous weight![]()
I'd say the chances are the bottom bracket could need replacing if its a cheap bike and you've been riding it hard for a while.
Is there any play in the crank itself? If not and if you have the tools and are able, take off the crank and remove the bottom bracket, clean it, grease it and put crank back on securely.
If it does need replacing then standard bottom brackets are pretty cheap.

You can try them, they do a 30 day test ride on Focus bikes. I had a Focus Black Forest last year, I loved it.
