Know Your Sport: Mountain Biking – Components

You have managed to find the correct size, colour and style of bike you like to ride and have actually managed to discover a whole new world, way beyond your average walking distance existence. Now for the nitty-gritty components!
Each bike ride and pedal stroke and, perhaps, a mishap or two, will teach you new things about replaceable bicycle parts (components), how they function and what works well. The primary reason for component upgrade should be the replacement of worn or poorly functioning parts that may cause reliability and/or safety concerns. Replacing a worn or broken part with a higher specification and quality part (upgrade) is the preferred way to go. A secondary consideration should be either ride comfort or performance enhancement, depending on your individual needs.
The type of riding you do, the level of commitment you are willing to make (how hard, far and fast you want to go) and the conditions or places you want to ride, should largely guide your search for “better” components.
On the technical side, the matter of compatibility with existing components is critical. It makes no sense to upgrade a single part/component, only to find out much later when riding the bike, that it fails to work properly, never mind delivering noticeably better performance or comfort. This is especially true for components that work together like chain and chainrings, shifters and derailleurs, rims and tyres.
A further consideration deals with the question of durability, weight and, ultimately, reliability. The focus on weight reduction (less weight to pedal around) puts a strain on durability and reliability. This can probably be largely overcome by the purchase of components manufactured from a high- quality material (light and strong), but beware the price tag.
As a general rule, start to upgrade those components that really require replacement, then upgrade for comfort, train better and, later, upgrade for performance.
Good luck, and remember to have a close relationship with your local bike shop mechanic unless you have acquired maintenance skills beyond your riding ability