Replace old Gitane ATV Impact or upgrade?

shiremtb

(TLDR; below)
I have a Gitane ATV Impact (26 inch wheels, hardtail) that I bought way back in 2005 from a local bike shop here in Sydney. The bike still seems to be in good condition and I haven't had to replace any major components on it.

I'm doing a MTB guided tour crossing the Alps in Europe middle of this year. The total tour is between 400 and 450km and 1650m or 2050m elevation gain spread over 6 riding days (they have an easy and more difficult variant of the route you can choose from each day). It sounds like the route's mostly over forest tracks, gravel tracks and fields, but with some singletrack in parts.

So now I'm trying to decide whether it's worth starting to upgrade my old Gitane MTV with newer components - I'm thinking at least new derailuer set, front forks and clip pedals - or whether it's not really worth spending a lot of money on new components for such an old bike. If instead I commit to a new bike I could give it a budget of AUD $2000, but I don't want to spend much more than that given that the trip itself has already cost a lot.

TLDR:
So what do you guys reckon - is the upgrade of the old 26-inch Gitane ATV Impact likely to be worth it, or does it make more sense to get a new bike? Are the new bikes available today that much more technically refined than those in 2005 that it makes a real difference?

The Rookie

I can't find any specs for the bike, so hard to comment, what forks, front and rear mechs and shifters?

shiremtb

Hi,

I couldn't find any specs online either. From the stickers and logos still on the bike the forks are 'Gila Plus - SL RST', wheel rims are Alexrims X2100 and the derailleur (both front and rear) are just marked 'Shimano Deore', which I understand is a fairly low-mid range set.

So I guess it comes down to would it be worth putting new forks, derailleur and pedals on a 12-year old frame? Is it generally easy to get parts that match a 26-inch wheel MTB anymore?

cooldad

Nothing wrong with Deore stuff, but those forks were rubbish when new and won't have improved since.

If you are schlepping that all the way from OZ to the Alps, maybe consider just hiring a bike locally for the week.

The Rookie

On,y the wheels and tyres and forks are different for a 26" bike, the rest is the same. Deore is OK, those wheels are pretty heavy, the folks are aweful, as CD says for the route of the trip hire a decent bike so you can really enjoy it.

shiremtb

Thanks, I think you're right - the quality of the bike can make or break the trip (as well as training obviously). The people who run the tour specifically say not to hire a bike though, saying you need something you've ridden a lot and are used to. Not to mention I'm not sure where in Germany I could hire a proper, decent quality MTB from.

I'll look into buying a new one, 12 years is long enough between bike purchases!