Upgrade or New?

evilesttoad

Got the mountain bike bug again after a few years away, what I want to know is what's the best value; buy a new bike or upgrade?

Buying new I'd be looking for a hard tail at around £1200 to £1400. My only real gripe about the bike I have (2006 model Trek 6500) is the weight which is close to 30lb's.

£1000 seems to buy some decent upgrades, but I don't have a view on whether it's worth it on the Trek 6500 frame, it seems decent (trek alpha SLR aluminium) but does Super Light Racing really mean super light? I'd also hate to spend this money on upgrades and only knock off a couple of pounds (I have a weight of 25 to 26 pounds in mind).

Thoughts anyone?

FunBus

Replace!

If you're planning on spending a similar amount either way, i personally would prefer a spangly new ride with completely up to date kit, rather than bolting on new bits here and there.

mr joey

i agree buy brand new

thel33ter

If you are very comfortable on that frame then I'd say upgrade, otherwise replace it.

A quick play with the On-One bike builder came up with this for £1480 = basically a full XT drivechain, Avid carbon brakes, an an SID fork.

On-One Scandal 26er Vertical Dropout Frame
Shimano XT Cassette 11-32 / 9 Speed /11-32
KMC X9-L Chain / Ti-Nitride (Gold)
Shimano XT M770 Chainset inc BB 44/32/22 175mm
Aztec Wave 6 Bolt Rotor / 160mm
Aztec Wave 6 Bolt Rotor / 160mm
RockShox SID Race Disc 100mm Fork / White / 9mm QR / Crown Adjust / 1 1/8
Avid Elixir CR Carbon Disc Brake / 185mm Rotor / White / Front
Shimano XT front mech M771 / Dual Pull
Shimano XT M770 Rapidfire Shifters / 9 Speed / Pair
On-One Bob-On Grip / Black
FSA OS-180 Carbon Pro Flat Bars / 31.8mm / 600mm
FSA Orbit Xtreme Headset / 1"1/8 / Black / External
Superlight Headset Spacer Pack / 1"1/8 / Black
Nutrak Inner tube / 2.0-2.3" / 26" / Presta
Avid Elixir CR Carbon Disc Brake / 160mm Rotor / White / Rear
Shimano XT M772 Rear Mech / MTB
On-One Bignose Saddle / CroMo Rails / Black
Alpina 31.8 Bolt Up Seat Clamp / Black
Thomson Elite Seatpost / 27.2 mm / Black / 410mm / Inline
Planet X Ultralight CNC Stem / 120 mm / Gold / 6 deg
Michelin MTB Mountain Dry 2 Folding / 26 in / Black / 2.3 in
FSA XC-300SL Disc Wheels (Pair) / 26er / MTB / 24h/24h / Black

Governor_Knoc

thel33ter wrote:

If you are very comfortable on that frame then I'd say upgrade, otherwise replace it.

That's probably the best advice. I upgraded my 2000 gary fisher sugar 3 and glad I did. Just consider the pros and cons.

UPGRADING:
-You can custom build your parts, but do your research before you buy.
-Do you like the frame? (color, ride, weight)
-How much upgrading do you need to do? I dropped about $1000 on mine and the only thing left that is stock is the frame, wheels, shifters and brakes.
-be sure to pay attention to specific items, especially your brakes. Are they disc or V-brakes? Can you mount disc brakes on your frame, you should if its a 2006. I stayed with V-brakes on mine to save weight, but disc will give you better braking if you ride in wet conditions or long crazy downhills. Not to mention you get the cool wheels.

NEW:
-If you don't feel like messing with all that then buy new.
-Pay attention to your parts when buying new and remember you get what you pay for in mountain biking.

Good luck and happy hunting.

supersonic

Buy a Boardman Team. Swap major parts to the 6500. Sell of excess.

supersonic

Buy a Boardman Team. Swap major parts to the 6500. Sell of excess.

supersonic

Buy a Boardman Team. Swap major parts to the 6500. Sell of excess.

paulbox

You can pick up a very nice FS bike for £1,400: http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/mtb_sale.php

That's what I'd do and keep your HT as a back-up.

Governor_Knoc

PaulBox wrote:

You can pick up a very nice FS bike for £1,400: http://www.pedalon.co.uk/acatalog/mtb_sale.php

That's what I'd do and keep your HT as a back-up.

Or you can convert your hardtail into a single speed. I would love to have an extra HT laying around that I could convert.

AndyOgy

supersonic wrote:

Buy a Boardman Team. Swap major parts to the 6500. Sell of excess.

I've considered doing this. A lot of the upgrades that I have planned for my Rockhopper include the stuff that is fitted as standard to the Boardman HT Pro.

If I buy it for a grand and sell the frame, leftover bits and the stuff that I take off the Rockhopper, I figured that I can get the wheels, mechs, shifters, forks and finishing kit seriously upgraded at a final cost of about £2-300.

supersonic

It's a great idea, and I have done it before with other bikes. I have just bought this:

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/products.p ... 1b2s1p1498

WIll strip for parts for my Ruckus, sell the frame and excess. Might make a profit, and get the parts I want!

evilesttoad

Thanks guys, lots of good ideas, many helped confirm some of the thoughts I have had.

I do like the ride of the bike and feel a few well thought out upgrades will get what I'm looking for and for less money than buying new. The money saved can go in the pot for a full susser if I eventually decide I want to make that leap.