upgrading bike or not?

blablablacksheep

I starting to really get into the mountain bike thing and quite shocked how angrey big my legs have gone...it even scares my mates and family, now nick named "tree trunk" :P

I wondering though with my current bike, 2008 specialized rockhopper V break model with tora 302 sl coil fork.

should i spend money on upgrading parts on it as the frame seems good, or should i consider buying a new hardtail bike in the furture instead of upgrading for example the V breaks to disc and the fork to something better like REBA sl or maybe recon(not sure on the differance exactly)

I say this as it seems if i was to get a new bike in furture i would be looking to spend it seems 1k-1.5k to get a nice upgrade over my bike like a scott scale or something nice, though most likely would be a hardtail as have yet to see the need for full suspension.

any advise wellcome.

chorscroft

You will nearly always get better value buying new than upgrading.
However the advantage of upgrading or a custom build is being able to handpick the parts you want, knowing it's assembled correctly and the confidence to fix things if they go wrong.

Sometimes what alot of people will do is buy a bike that's really good value, such as one of the boardmans, and strip the parts off it, selling what they don't need to recoup money and using the parts they do.

Upgrading to disks can be very expensive, as can new forks so I would seriously consider buying new or perhaps looking for some bargains on the classifieds.

As to the Reba/Recon, as far as I'm aware the main differences are weight and price with the reba being lighter and more expensive, however depending on your riding the Recon is probably stiffer and more durable.

.blitz

Upgrading for the sake of it is generally a bad idea unless something is broken or worn out. Bike manufacturer's buying power is way better than ours and dropping £1k on your Rockhopper will not turn it into a Scale 20/30.

elPedro666

.blitz wrote:

Upgrading for the sake of it is generally a bad idea unless something is broken or worn out. Bike manufacturer's buying power is way better than ours and dropping £1k on your Rockhopper will not turn it into a Scale 20/30.

Just for balance/confusion...

I'm really picky about my set up so I'm a very fussy upgrader, only where it will make a difference though - I'm also very tight! :roll:

If you try hard enough you can pretty much match a production bike for price & spec, although with some good discounts on last year's bike stock it gets more difficult! What you get is exactly what you want though. Personally I'd start with wheels & tyres, then look for forks and other bargains as they appear, with a view to eventually getting your 'dream frame', whatever that may be (keep it in mind as you buy the other components though)!

Then you should have exactly what you want for reasonable money and almost enough left over to end up with a second bike (more or less your original bike), which you can keep/sell/put slicks on/whatever.

It really comes down to how attached you get to your bike and how (im)patient you are - if you're not fussy & emotional about it you can just search out a bargain off-the-peg, if you are and can stand the waiting (I kinda like the build-up) then you'll end up spending money on tailoring it anyway so may as well just do the job properly yourself!

There are some belting bargains on 2007/8 stock though...

I'd say 'hope that helps', but I think it'd sound sarcastic... :roll:

.blitz

Agreed - there are some bargains to be had if you don't mind waiting/shopping around. But having been down the upgrade trail in the past, I prefer to get a useable off-the-peg bike that lasts a few years before the next big thing comes along and/or I get bored with it. Each to their own I guess.

blablablacksheep

an example of this is this..... i considering it as the price seems good though ofc i would get my LBS to fit it which i recon will cost no more than 50ish quid maybe


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MTB-Wheelset-and- ... dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rock-Shox-Reba-SL ... 3|294%3A50

considering it as i would like some discs and the reba going for a good price, then i can allways seel my tora 302 sl coil and wheels+V breaks for i recon a relative good price as they pretty much new.

elPedro666

.blitz wrote:

Each to their own I guess.

Absolutely - that's half the beauty of biking I reckon 8)

So the question must be, 'do you get bored, or do you get attached...?'.

chorscroft

blablablacksheep wrote:

an example of this is this..... i considering it as the price seems good though ofc i would get my LBS to fit it which i recon will cost no more than 50ish quid maybe


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MTB-Wheelset-and- ... dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rock-Shox-Reba-SL ... 3|294%3A50

considering it as i would like some discs and the reba going for a good price, then i can allways seel my tora 302 sl coil and wheels+V breaks for i recon a relative good price as they pretty much new.

Be aware that the price of these items is likely to go way up by the time the auction ends and I reckon you're looking at a minimum of £500 for both.

I find that you can get stuff cheaper on classifieds where as prices on ebay tend to skyrocket as people get over enthusiastic about bidding. Just IMO though...

elPedro666

blablablacksheep

Silly question, but your frame does have disc mounts?

Sorry to patronise, but I've done worse! :oops:

blablablacksheep

^^ :shock:

i sure hope so lol.

i belive it does, its a 2008 rockhopper with V breaks but the frame i been told is disc ready

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/rockhopper-disc-2008-mountain-bike-ec001452

but with V breaks, bassically sinse the disc ones were sold out everywhere i looked.

correct me if i wrong though.

elPedro666

There's no brake bosses on that frame (for Vs), so it can't be exactly the same as yours. Maybe just go have a quick look before you start bidding, eh?

blablablacksheep

^^ i know that the disc model one mine is the V break model.

heres the one i got

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/spe ... e-ec001453

elPedro666

Hard to tell, but I'm pretty sure they're there (there's a brace across from seat to chainstay, which must be to support the caliper).

Sure it'd be easier to just take a stroll to the shed to be sure... :roll:

Which, tea break over, is where I must be headed...

blablablacksheep

my bike is in the house not having any pikie nick it from my shed thank you very much


wonderig though if i was to go for the reba sl would it be a big differance over my tora 302 SL coil that i currently have? or should i rethink this and look for something like a recon which would have V break set-ups allready thus no need for disc upgrades..

elPedro666

The Rebas will be a stack lighter, better controlled and much more adjustable.

I just switched from rigid with Vs to a set of Maverick SC32s with a Hope M4 and have to say they are some of the finest forks I've ridden, massively recommended on first impressions... Seems like a missed opportunity not to go to disc at the same time, BUT do you have disc hubs?

mw1tt5

imcurrently in the process of doing a few upgrades to my 2005 scott scale 60. just a few simple things like tyres,a new stem and bars to save a little weight and some avid juicy 5s bought for a real bargain from ebay. personally,if you have a little spare money there are definately bargains to be found,remember,you dont have to upgrade everything at once,otherwise you may as well buy a new bike! its great to just be back on the bike after nearly 4 years off it!

blablablacksheep

first thing i getting i think are some disc breaks as the Vs are getting anoying when i out and about and not breaking when i want, ie havig to think if i break now it take a good 2-5mtrs before i stop ect, also british weather isnt great i feel for Vs.

then later on maybe i might go for a reba fork though i also been told to consider a recon fork as it 100% the same fork just not as light or has the fancy ajustments that the reba has.

mw1tt5

be sure and have a good look at ebay for all your upgrades,you can compare prices to other sites anyway, my avid were practically brand new,and cost me little more than 100,thats with a 203 rotor up front and 185 rear, they stop pretty well!!! im prety heavy and they cope realy well, if you arent that heavy (maybe 12 stone or less) 185 up front and 160 rear would be plenty. there are quite a few good disc brake sets on ebay right now,just set yourself a budget and stick to it,dont get sucked in and pay too much!