New to the forum! Help with Stumpjumper FSR

jameswilby5

Hi there everyone! My name is James and I am new to the forum. I have been cycling for a very long time and would consider my self a decent rider. I do multiple 50+ mile rides every week. I have always been into cycling but not so much the technical side of the bike. I know all the basic maintenance tasks and how to do them but that's about where my knowledge ends.

I am currently riding a 2010 Specialized Hardrock Sport Disc. It's an ok bike but I think I am well beyond what the bike was designed for. My rides include steep uphills, downhills and everything inbetween. I wanted a full suspension bike and really liked the Stumpjumuper FSR. Unfortunately I could not afford even the comp model which would set me back £2300. So I started looking on eBay for a decent used model and I am pleased to say I have just purchased a 2010 Stumpjumper FSR Carbon Pro. I am going to pick the bike up some time this week. I am going to pay £1700. Is this about right? I know the bike is two years old but it is better than anything new I could buy . Overall I am pretty happy with the deal.

The next organised ride I am doing is the London to Brighton 75 mile off road in September. Whilst this isn't going to be a tough ride as it is mostly flat I thought it would be a good time to upgrade. Before this ride I plan on upgrading the drivetrain system on the Stumpjumper. I think I have decided on getting Shimano XT. Although everytime I look at the XTR groupset I am drawn to it Am I right in saying that the only difference between XT and XTR is weight? If so I don't think it's worth the extra money to me but would consider it if I am going to get something better performance wise. Whilst I am not too worried about weight I would like to be reducing weight as I upgrade the bike and certainly would not like to add any. Would a 2x10 XT drivetrain system be lighter than the mish-mash of parts on the current setup?

I just read that the 2012 XT system was split into two halves like the XTR range - Trail and Race. I think I want the trail range as I'm guessing it is a little heavier but will be more durable and perform better. Am I correct? The two different ranges aren't as well defined as the XTR ranges so if anyone could show me the two different ranges that would be great. For each part there are so many different options which I guess are to make sure they fit your bike and suit your style of riding. Could anyone give me a run down on the basics and point me in the right direction for which parts I want?

Sorry for the long post I really would appreciate any help that anyone could give!

Many thanks,

James

cooldad

Why? It already comes with top of the range components.

jameswilby5

Sorry I forgot to mention. The bike has the Pro Carbon frame but the Expert Carbon components. The guy who I am buying it from had a problem with the frame and Specialized gave him an upgrade on the frame since they had stock issues with the Expert frame. The drivetrain components are a mixture of SRAM X9, X0 and Shimano SLX. The main reason for the upgrade is that I would prefer a 2x10 setup as apposed to the current 3x9. I also think that XT would be a much better performer. Am I completely wrong?

YeehaaMcgee

Well, essentially, X0 = XTR,
X9 = XT
X7 = SLX

Roughly.
Changing to all XT is going to be a significant cost for not much gain.

Chunkers1980

You spent 1700 pounds, haven't got it yet and want to change it?

YeehaaMcgee

Chunkers1980 wrote:

You spent 1700 pounds, haven't got it yet and want to change it?

And switching it all to XT will cost more than £400

jameswilby5

Thanks for the information. I was under the impression that it went something like this:

XX = XTR
X0 = XT
X9 = SLX

That meant it would have been a pretty good upgrade but if XT is similar to X9 there wouldn't be much difference in performance. The only benefit would be the 2x10 set up. Would it be a lighter set up?

Also is £1700 for the bike a fair price?

I have been mountain biking for many years taking the hobby seriously. I have decided it is time to get a better bike and would like to get something that I think is up to the level of riding I do. I don't mind the money since I know I love the sport. I felt upgrading the drivetrain might provide a better set of gears which is something I find very important. At the moment I am not happy with the way my current drivetrain system performs. Obviously if the upgrade is not worth it then I would prefer not to waste money.

cooldad

For around £2k you have a choice of all sorts of bikes.
And as to the worth of what you are buying - who can tell? Sounds like a mongrel, and if the suspension needs servicing it can work out pretty expensive, especially as I think it has proprietary bits.

YeehaaMcgee

jameswilby5 wrote:

Thanks for the information. I was under the impression that it went something like this:

XX = XTR
X0 = XT
X9 = SLX

Oh, I forgot about XX.
Hmm. XT is roughly the same price range as X9, and X0 is roughly the same price range as XTR.
But then again, XX is in the same price range as X0 as well.

Oh I dunno, but it'll do as a rough guide. And no, it's still not worth the upgrade really. Replace things when they wear out, nothing is lacking with that setup.

jameswilby5

OK thanks. I guess I can see what the general condition is of all the drivetrain first. If it's all worn out then I might have to purchase a new set anyway. The guy said the bike is in great condition. All the bearings have recently been replaced and all of the bike has been serviced recently. I'll find out what the condition is when I see it. If it is in a worse condition to what he stated I'll either go for a lower price or walk away.

YeehaaMcgee

jameswilby5 wrote:

If it is in a worse condition to what he stated I'll either go for a lower price or walk away.

Are you sure?
the WALKING game

rockmonkeysc

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

jameswilby5 wrote:

Thanks for the information. I was under the impression that it went something like this:

XX = XTR
X0 = XT
X9 = SLX

Oh, I forgot about XX.
Hmm. XT is roughly the same price range as X9, and X0 is roughly the same price range as XTR.
But then again, XX is in the same price range as X0 as well.

Oh I dunno, but it'll do as a rough guide. And no, it's still not worth the upgrade really. Replace things when they wear out, nothing is lacking with that setup.

My new bike came with X0. It may be equivilent to XTR in price but performance is more like a lighter SLX.

jameswilby5

@ YeehaaMcgee hahaha what a brilliant thread

@RockmonkeySC if I'm after performance then XT would probably be better wouldn't it? XT is still reasonably light. Although I do not want to add any weight

YeehaaMcgee

jameswilby5 wrote:

@RockmonkeySC if I'm after performance then XT would probably be better wouldn't it? XT is still reasonably light. Although I do not want to add any weight

Performance wise, there's very little in it. All modern gear systems shift pretty much equally well. Some prefer Shimano, whereas other folk are weird and prefer SRAM for some reason. I presume these "SRAM lovers" are the kind of people who like sticking unlubricated pointy things up their bottoms.

I'm not saying SRAM lovers are wrong. But they are.

cooldad

I doubt you'll notice any difference. Why not get a bike, ride it and then decide what it needs, if anything.
Otherwise it's just verbal masturbation.

But I think Yeehaa is being a bit harsh on Sram fans. I believe they do actually lube up sometimes. For pineapples anyway.

jameswilby5

Haha this is one of the funniest forums I have visited! I'm personally a big Shimano fan, mainly because my friend has forced me to be I do think they are better though. I think I'll try the bike when I get it sometime this week. There is a chance that the drivetrain may need to be upgraded sometime in the near future anyway, in which case I'll go Shimano.

On another note what should I be looking for when purchasing a second hand bike apart from the obvious bumps, scrapes and parts not functioning?

Many thanks,

James

YeehaaMcgee

Blood and entrails.
Always a bad sign if the bike has bloodstains and entrails on it.
And crack. Never buy a bike that has crack in the frame, you'll end up in a while world of trouble.
Oh, and cracks. Check that the frame has no cracks in it either, and that it isn't twisted, or mishapen. Check the suspension pivots, and check the headtube for any ovalisation.
Check the frame threads to make sure they're not stripped.