Best to upgrade or buy new?

KevChallis

Hi all,

thank you for taking the time to read this, I am getting back into MTB, and will be riding Sherwood Pines, fairly often, and local XC, and I am wondering what is best to do,

I have a 2009 Carrera Vulcan, with sun tour XCM forks, and mainly SRAM x4 set up.

Is it best to throw money at the carrera, or ride what I have, and save a little longer for something better?


Thanks for any help


Kev

mcnultycop

If it's ok carry on riding it and save up. If you get enough cash for something much better then buy that. If something breaks on the current bike before that then have another think at that point in time.

Is there anything on the bike currently holding you back? Or broken?

KevChallis

Apart from the front forks, and the weight I suppose not, but being used to my road bike, it's always going to be heavier lol

Cookeh

Is there anything you find yourself struggling to do with the current spec? If so, what is your budget?

Those are the two real questions that will yield the answer to your question! :P

KevChallis

Not really, just the weight, and the forks make the ride feel like I'm on rigid forks haha

Budget will be (if I save) about £700-£800 roughly for a new bike

Cookeh

KevChallis wrote:

Not really, just the weight, and the forks make the ride feel like I'm on rigid forks haha

Budget will be (if I save) about £700-£800 roughly for a new bike

At that budget I would personally be looking at getting a new bike, possibly a 1 or 2y/o 2nd hand bike. You'll get a lot more for your money and a better frame to boot.

You could, on the other hand, drop about £250-300 on a fork, and say another £150 on the drive train. Assuming (perhaps incorrectly!) you then need a LBS to install the new parts it works out marginally cheaper, but you're still left with a few budget components, such as rims and tyres which can contribute a lot to the weight!

KevChallis

Thanks for your reply, so, what sort of thing "may" be in budget? I haven't looked into the MTB scene for some time, so don't know of changes, whats better, what works well etc....

mcnultycop

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1830/ ... 6-7-0.html

KevChallis

Thanks, not something like this?

https://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbike ... tml?b=3206

I know I should test them, but a little difficult with buying bikes from the net lol

Cookeh

KevChallis wrote:

Thanks for your reply, so, what sort of thing "may" be in budget? I haven't looked into the MTB scene for some time, so don't know of changes, whats better, what works well etc....

Canyon is a good place to look, they offer well specced bikes for good prices. A slightly cheaper option, at £550, would be a Rockrider 8.1, which is hard to beat in terms of 'bang-for-buck'.
The Trek Elite 8.5 is well specced, as is the Trek 6XXX series. An On-One Inbred has a solid frame and decent forks - if you're looking second hand you can probs get a 456 Evo - which is a great frame! Cotic Soul/BFe are worth looking for too.

Basically, anything with a RS Recon level or better fork, and a solid drivetrain. If you're unsure about any bikes you find during your research you can of course post them here and someone can offer their opinion or comparison of them.

Other responses depend on whether or not you're an advocate/willing to look at 650Bs or 29ers.

rockmonkeysc

mcnultycop wrote:

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1830/a107917/zr-team-26-7-0.html

Thats excellent for the price. Very good fork and the rest isn't bad.

mcnultycop

KevChallis wrote:

Thanks, not something like this?

https://www.canyon.com/_en/mountainbike ... tml?b=3206

I know I should test them, but a little difficult with buying bikes from the net lol

All my bikes in my sig are net purchases. The Radon fork is miles better than the Canyon.

Kowalski675

RockmonkeySC wrote:

mcnultycop wrote:

http://www.bike-discount.de/shop/k1830/a107917/zr-team-26-7-0.html

Thats excellent for the price. Very good fork and the rest isn't bad.

Nice colourscheme too, I like the black anodised finish.

KevChallis

Thanks for your comments, they are helping, spec wise between the radon and the canyon is there much difference? Frame strength, drivetrain wise, forks I know are better, love the colour scheme but I'm not feeling it for some reason, I appreciate all of your help though, seriously, more and more looking at getting a new bike (he wife needs a new bike, but she can have my old one haha)

KevChallis

What about Felts? Boardman? Cube?

Thanks

poah

nothing specificially wrong with the frame - you could spend some money wisely and get a nice handling bike that doesn't weigh as much.

forks - if they are 100mm I've got a set of Manitou marvel pros for sale that are hardly used came off my wifes vulcan
wheels - superstar have a couple of great deals on
tyres - some lighter better compound tyres. nobby nics or mountain kind black chilli
some drivetrain components crank, rear mech and shifters
bar & stem - lighter and wider bar with a shorter lighter stem.

could be had for a little over £500 which would give you a better spec'd bike than what you could buy for £800

KevChallis

so looking around at used bikes too, does this look a good price?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ON-ONE-SCANDAL-MOUNTAIN-BIKE-18-FRAME-26-WHEELS-EX-CONDITION-XT-EASTON-/231135604907?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item35d0c170ab

Cookeh

KevChallis wrote:

so looking around at used bikes too, does this look a good price?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ON-ONE-SCANDAL-MOUNTAIN-BIKE-18-FRAME-26-WHEELS-EX-CONDITION-XT-EASTON-/231135604907?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item35d0c170ab

Spec is reasonable in terms of drivetrain. Fork however is ancient, and hasn't really been common since 2008/9 - that being said it is a pretty bomb-proof piece of kit.

You should be able to find a newer for the same or less money.

KevChallis

Cookeh wrote:

KevChallis wrote:

so looking around at used bikes too, does this look a good price?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ON-ONE-SCANDAL-MOUNTAIN-BIKE-18-FRAME-26-WHEELS-EX-CONDITION-XT-EASTON-/231135604907?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item35d0c170ab

Spec is reasonable in terms of drivetrain. Fork however is ancient, and hasn't really been common since 2008/9 - that being said it is a pretty bomb-proof piece of kit.

You should be able to find a newer for the same or less money.

Thanks, I will keep my eye out, but the voodoo bizango is in my list to research too, aswell as a 650b boardman, love researching things haha