Best All Mountain/Freeride components

[depierre]

I need to get a new chainguide,stem,headset,handlebars,seatpost,saddle ,and pedals for my bike that would suit my needs.Light freeride most of the time and aggressive trail riding 2nd on my list with some downhill and urban thrown in every now and then.Im open to other options also.My choices so far are:

Stem:
Dangerboy Ak-47 or Howitzer
Raceface Diabolus
Deity Stem

Handlebars:
FUNN Fatboyslim
Raceface Diabolus
Deity Bars

Headset:
Im almost set on Chris King but other choices are
Cane Creek
Race Face Diabolus

Seatpost:
Race Face Diabolus
Thompson Elite
Titec Hellbent Layback

Saddle:
Funn Launch Pad
Titec Beserkr

Pedals:
Syncros Chromo
Azonic A-Frame
Crank Bros Mallet C

Chainguide:
E.Thirteen
MRP
Gamut
and does a chainguide act as a front derailleur?if not what does it do?

I know this a lot to be asking so sorry, and thanks in advance!

[manhattanprjkt83]

Well im not gonna totally stick to your guidlines but i think my selection is pretty damn solid:

Stem: Thompson, should be no debate here light and strong

Handlebars: Deity, 31.8 should be out in about a month (just talked to eric the owner)

Headset: Chris King no doubt

Seatpost: Thompson

Saddle: funn they are decent

Pedals: A frame syncros are heavy and $$$

Chainguide: E. Thirteen, no doubt here they are so solid and never fail. the board will agree.

[Jayridesacove]

I've spent the last 4 years on a Titec Berserker; it's all beat to hell but I still use it and love it.

Stem - RF Evolve
Handlebar - RF Evolve
Headset - King
Seatpost - Thomson
Saddle - Titec berserker
Pedals - Snafu
Chainguide - e13

[Kanter]

Well im not gonna totally stick to your guidlines but i think my selection is pretty damn solid:

Stem: Thompson, should be no debate here light and strong

Handlebars: Deity, 31.8 should be out in about a month (just talked to eric the owner)

Headset: Chris King no doubt

Seatpost: Thompson

Saddle: funn they are decent

Pedals: A frame syncros are heavy and $$$

Chainguide: E. Thirteen, no doubt here they are so solid and never fail. the board will agree.

Ditto but maybe EA70 or Protaper bars.

[sleepinggiant]

Heres my 2 cents

Stem: Diabolus, light enough and crazy stiff
Bars: Answer Pro Tapers, best bars out there (in my opinion)
Headset: FSA Orbit Extreme/Orbit Extreme Pro, stronger and cheaper that a King
Seatpost: Thompson, do I really need to provide proof? :thumb:
Seat: Thats your call, seats are completely personal prefrence
Pedals: Truvative Holzfeller
Chainguide: E-13 are great, but the MRP System 3 with lexan bash ring is lookin pretty good too.

[depierre]

Thanks for the helpful replies!Has anyone tried a dangerboy stem or gamut chainguide?

[depierre]

bump.

[mcA896]

check out the e.13 pedals. they should be nice, though i dont know much about them.

[JRogers]

check out the e.13 pedals. they should be nice, though i dont know much about them.

I think most people don't know much about thems since they don't really exist.

[OGRipper]

Um, no a chain guide doesn't act as a front derailleur but a front derailleur can act as a chain guide. Sort of.

A chain guide keeps your chain on the chain rings during really bumpy stuff - especially when pedalling - and can help prevent derailling when backpedaling. Most are used with a bashguard of some kind, but the two are not the same and one is sometimes used without the other.

If you want to run a front derailleur and two chain rings, in my opinion the choice for a guide is easy: E.13 DRS. ("D" meaning double.) It tensions the chain from the bottom and has a stepped roller to accomodate two different chain ring sizes.

If you only want one chain ring, there are a bunch out there but again, I like the E.13 products - go with an SRS. (Yes, you got it - "S" meaning single.) Like most singles, it has a guide at the top where a front derailleur would ordinarily be.

If you want THREE chain rings, I suggest a HEIM guide. Mainly because I don't know of any others. :D

Oh and just to make it fun, there are many frame/crank/guide combos that simply will not work. Yippeee!!

[cove rider]

Stem: Diabolus 31.8 to match the bars, ive got one and its crazy strong
Bars: race face diabolus 31.8
Headset: king no doubt, 10 year warranty baby
Seatpost: thompson
Seat: funn seats are pretty good
Pedals: A-frames best choice out of yer list but get the new Ti ones that azonic came out with they are suppose to be way stronger, seems how i trashed a set of A-frames already
Chainguide: E.13 no doubt the way to go i run one and never had a problem with it never lost a chain nothin its the bomb, although a little tricky to install but yull figure it out

[mobius]

Stem: Thomson X4
Bars: Easton 31.8
Headset: King
Seatpost: Thomson
Seat: Selle Italia Flite TI
Pedals: Aframes or wellgo b37
Chainguide: DRS E13 Spec

[MTB_Rob_NC]

there is no P in Thomson

[dexter]

lets see:
deity bars and stem (or nycfreeride stem)
thomson post (go bling and get the masterpeice post have 3 droooool)
king no contest
sella itali flite ti gell
drs or srs E13 guide
pedals its all a crpa shoot. I should have my race lights and lenoskys in a few weeks and will post a ride report
before i really liked my welgo mags (light with ti spindles) or easton flatboys but they would always explode on me.

[bullcrew]

E-13 drs
thomson x-4 stem
pro taper 31.8 bars
thomson post
sella italis flite ti gel saddle
xpedo mag platform pedals
I have had no trouble with mine and rider weight is alot and no breakage or malfunctions yet. All top notch and sturdy (race ready).

[vtrider]

e13 apparently is coming out with a three ring guide, so id check for that over anything else, simply because they are the best. Not sure when the release date is, but its more of a rumor than anything else anyway. it'd be cool though. not that id ever run three rings... :nono:

[cove rider]

3 rings what thats dumb

[dexter]

check the e13 site its not a rumor dog

[Kanter]

They have been saying that for over a year. The Heim and Blackspire are the only 3 ring guides.

[cove rider]

who wants to run 3 rings anyways