So I've bought the wrong bike...

Boy Lard

Right, apparently my bike is too xc orientated for the way I ride and the type of riding I want to do, and I really should have bought something else. I wish I had the money to just buy the correct bike (probably an OnOne 456 Summer XT build thing, or if I had the skill/knowledge an mmmbop/bluepig and build it myself). I don't.

The 'wrong' bike I have is the Trek 6000. I have already put a shorter stem and some wider bars on it. I have a few issues with it though.

Firstly the chain is always jumping off when I hit anything a bit rough. I wanted to put a bash ring and a chain guide on to stop this. Can I do that with an internal bottom bracket? If so what type of chain guide do I need?

Secondly, the forks are a bit 'upright'. Will the bike cope with putting some 140mm forks on it? Will this achieve what I am after or just mess the ride up?

Should I bother with any of this or just ride what I have till I can afford to buy the correct bike?

Thanks in advance.

ash.addy

you could always just buy a new frame swap parts over and sell the old frame

Boy Lard

I thought about that but I think I would end up with a frame and a load of parts that don't fit. Bottom Brackets and headsets scare me :oops: and I would still need new forks. If I knew what I was doing it might be a good idea.

Anonymous

Keep what you have for now, and enjoy it, but save your money for something more suitable next year.
Around spring/early summertime is a good time to buy bikes, the prices tend to have come down significantly by then. As it is, the 2011 series bikes are just being released.

Buckled_Rims

So what style of riding do you do?

Boy Lard

Well I started out just cover distance cross country, but then I wanted to go down hill faster, and then I started trying to jump off of things, but was lacking skill, so went to bmx/jump track. Now I want to do everything, but still on a hardtail for now. (I don't want to start the whole HT/FS debate again, I just want to learn on a HT with flats). When I don't have time for a proper ride I just go out in the street and practice track stands and bunny hops.

I dislike the pogo sticks on the front of my bike.

I haven't been riding long enough to really know what I want/need.

popstar

Keep riding, sooner or later you will discover what you fancy. Skills course is the bestest thing to realize what your riding is all about and your needs.

Boy Lard

It was on a skills course I was advised that I might be better with a different bike

Herbie The Dog

Boy Lard wrote:

It was on a skills course I was advised that I might be better with a different bike

Wow...great bit of psycological barrier building from that coach

njee20

If you're certain, then an On One isn't going to break the bank, get a new pair of forks, On One often have them on the cheap.

Virtually everything else will swap, headset included, they're both just bog standard external headsets, eBay the old frame and fork, sorted!

Boy Lard

Herbie The Dog wrote:

Wow...great bit of psycological barrier building from that coach

Nah, it wasn't really like that. I was asking about upgrading bits on my bike and he advised I didn't and maybe looked at getting a different bike/frame because with the way he saw me riding he thought I'd enjoy it more. I was asking on here to weigh up the pros and cons of upgrade/new bike, based on my lack of knowledge of building.

njee
I think that might be the way I'll go.

dubcat

I would just ride the pants off the bike you already have. I too wish I had a full suss bike and all that but I have read that honing your skills on a hard tail will result in better skills later when i move to a full suss bike. Besides I figure that at my beginner skill level the difference wont be as dramatic as for someone who has skills and can get the best out of the technology.