Reddit reviews SHIMANO ST-EF51 Brake & Shifter Levers Combo Set 3x8 Pair With Shift Cable And End Caps

Honestly, I wouldn't bother moving from 3x8. New derailleurs etc will over-capitalize the bike for no real benefit. Would however remove and bin the grip shifters and replace with Shimano ef51 shifter/brake combo units for a much nicer riding experience, and would maybe also think about some new V-Brake units like these Shimano br-t4000, do some new cables/housing and maybe a new BB.

For the fork, something like the Surly Pack Rat (I think yours is a 1 1/8) would be an option. In terms of riding position, I would swap in a shorter 50mm-60mm stem instead of what looks like a 110mm (as u/miasmic said). and mess around with the spacer arrangement.

These alterations, EF51 click shifters, newer/stiffer V-Brakes, new cables and cockpit re-arrangement, should rejuvenate the bike significantly.

Hmmm, not a lot to say and nothing fancy. I bought the bike in Summer of 2011 after my earlier bike was stolen from the family garage. It originally had the Fuji factory bar with a slight rise and separate Shimano brakes, rapid fire shifters and the 'meh' hand grips.

Summer 2012, everything on the original handlebar including the bar itself was stolen overnight while the bike was rack locked and I was upstairs in a beach condo. F**king theives!

I replaced handlebar with a Ritchey https://ritcheylogic.com/comp-sc-rizer-mountain-bar
and outfitted it with Shimano combo brake/shifters https://www.amazon.com/SHIMANO-ST-EF51-Brake-Shifter-Levers/dp/B00MUCN0MG
I got the standard Ergon GP1 grips and separate climbing bars wrapped in bar tape. It's not the best of setups, I should have gotten the GP5 model https://www.rei.com/product/884447/ergon-gp5-handlebar-grips . The bar is too wide even for a big guy like me (6'1" and 250 lbs.) So, I cut off about 3/4 of an inch from the bar ends to narrow my arm position. The Topeak bag on top is great for often used items (wallet, phone, gel packs, keys, etc.) https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Compact-Handle-Bar-Bag/dp/B001T2U1FM/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1495644165&sr=1-2&keywords=topeak+handlebar+bag

That's probably WAY more then you wanted to know. But it is a REALLY comfortable ride and has served me well. For a second trip, I replaced the seat tube with an Uno compressor seat post and the saddle with a Selle SMP TRK. So Butt fatigue is completely gone. ;)

I'm guessing the $40 saddle is a take off from another bike that someone swapped out.

$26 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MUCN0MG

The hanger is a good price.

Put the saved money into a better than stock saddle and do it yourself. You'll learn something new and you're bike will be better in the end.

Edit: I don't think the end price from the shop is unreasonable.