Hcor.net | Forums | Iron Horse Product Line | '03 Hollowpoint

igloo · Toy

Hey All,
Background: I'm a "freerider" and my GF often rides with me. She decided to get a new bike (ht->fully) at the beginning of this season and I was trying to figure out something that was versatile enough that she could freeride if she liked it, or just have a XC rig if that ended up being more her thing. We ended up going with a 03 Hollowpoint Expert... looked like a great all-around'er not to mention good geometry in a XS for her and the light weight as well. Well, we've been going to Lynn most weekends and she's starting to do nasty rolls and some drops. The rest of us are on our FR tanks and the hollowpoint as it stands is holding her back a bit. SOOOO... time for upgrades!!!
Not looking to make it into a drop-monster... just something still lightweight but more Lynn friendly. The other plus is that she's less than 130 lbs. so she doesn't need burl cranks or anything like that.
I've already got her a shorty stem to replace the longish EA50 and get her further back.
I plan on getting a more cush seat with CrMo rails (she totally bent the stock dropping with the seat too high... thank God she's a she).
Lock-on grips already bought.
Bigger tires are REALLY needed. I'll probably put a 2.4 in the front but the rear is gonna be more problematic. I read someone say they squeezed a 2.35 Hansventure in the back... sounds aggressive but I'll probably take their word for it. I was also thinking Nokian NBX 2.3 or Hutchinson Octopus 2.3. Anyone know if they fit or have other recomendations?
The other thing I was thinking was a new rear shock. I'll admit I know nothing about air shocks but I just don't really trust them. Hers needs to be refilled every week... is that normal? I was thinking of maybe putting a coil-over on there. I can get a 6.5 x 1.5 Vanilla R for really cheap. Would that be a dumb idea? Maybe a Romic but that's gonna get more spendy. Any idea on spring rate (again, she's 125-130 lbs)? Maybe 400#? I've heard that getting a coil over dialed with the DW-Link can be a pain. Appreciate advice in this department because the stock shock is pricey (don't want to waste money) and I want to do the right thing to get this properly kitted.
Oh yeah, her front QR skewer seems to loosen... anyone else have that with the stock skewers? Should I replace it?
Anyway, the Hollowpoint turned out to be a great bike for the cash flow and is suiting her well. I'm now even considering a SGS or one of the new freeride models as my next ride.
Thanks everyone.