help! new components or new bike?

AdamP

Hello,

Currently have - 2004 Trek 8500 frame. reasonable condition, Magura Ronin forks, new but old stock.

Have been quoted £750 - 800 for an XT groupset, Avid Juicy 5 brakes, easton stem and bar to build the bike.

However, I think I could get an equivalently good bike for around the cost of the components.

Just ride cross country, after something light but still fast / strong.

I'm 5'11, 100kg so no XC whippet.

Need advice on which way to go and bike recommendations?

thanks


Adam

supersonic

You could get a new Merlin Malt for that budget. Hard decision, is a nice frame the Trek SLR.

GT Destroyer

I've gone the component route. After checking I could pay more or less the same price for the full bike OR the bits separately. Getting the bits separately meant I could get a much better spec, with the bits that I wanted, not the entry level bits that you would probably find on a bike at the cost you mentioned.

dave_hill

I'd go for the new bike. This time of year you can get a hell of a good bike of similar type for £750 to £800 all in.

Don't forget that aluminium frames have a finite life span. Aluminium "work hardens" as it gets older - that is to say the more it gets battered about, the harder it gets. The harder it gets, the more brittle it becomes and more prone to breakage. This is why aluminium frames are heat treated after building, to normalise the material and let the molecualr structure realign itself.

It's highly unlikely that your frame is going to fail after only 3 years or even after ten years, but if it was my money I'd like the reassurance of a new frame too!