upgrade recommendations...

Thanks so much guys for sharing your suggestions. I will look into the Sram ealgle NX

deadliest catch- right?

 

Great job guys. Already got the new guy derailing...
This ain’t a Boat Forum, it’s a Mountain Bike Forum.
Stop by the LBS tomorrow, and pick up that $1999 Speshy and call it a day!

 

I say ride what you have for awhile and make sure you're into it again. If so, you'll have a clearer picture then of whether you want to go new bike or drivetrain.

 

Ride it as-is until you need to replace some parts due to wear. Then when you need a new cassette/rings/chain, easy to justify adding on new shifter and derailer to go 1X11.

"Don't buy upgrades, ride up grades" - Eddy The Sausage King

 

Whatever you do don’t get the 27.5 version of the camber. Get the 29 version, the wheelbase is a little short on the 27.5.

 

Well... I suppose getting to the fish from the top of the water is one way to do it.


In all seriousness, $650 is way too much money for a 1x upgrade. When I was still running gears, and not fixing anything on my own, The Path added a 42 Wolftooth cog and a new Wolftooth chainring. Total cost was about $150. That was a few years ago... I'd do it myself now with some trial and error.

As the others have said, don't put too much money into the old girl. She looks like she's in nice shape... And will make a great back-up bike if you really get back into it. We see bikes that old in the mountains all the time... Even saw one at the Santiago Oaks race the other day. She's way too clean, though, as I said in your other thread. She needs dirt badly.

What I would do if I were you, and had just recently tapped into an awesome forum with decent members, is join a group ride. Check out what everyone is riding these days, and see what catches your eye. Someone might even let you throw a leg over their steed and take a lap. On our last big meet-up in Wrightwood, you would have seen ultralight XC hardtails, more aggressive hardtails, short travel 29ers, single speeds, and some bigger bikes with lots of knobs and whatchamajiggies that are fun to look at... And there were a ton of price points on the trails that day.

 

I agree with the general consensus. I would spend as little money as possible to keep enjoying riding it, then replace it when you are ready. Also agree to skip the 27.5 Camber (even if I am a 27.5 guy). Try and find some demo bikes to ride. Test out a few out on the trail. See if the new bikes light a fire before buying one. My bikes will die a horrible death before I have to worry about them being too old.

If chain drop is an issue now, maybe get a chain guide? You can get a 2x chainguide/bashguard. Maybe just ditch the big ring you currently have (convert to bash ring?) and run it 1x with the current groupset? You can probably get a wider range cassette to keep similar range with a slightly bigger ring. Rarely do people need the top end they THINK they need. Trust me, I rarely spin out, and I am on quicker side. Spinning is a good thing.

While we are on the topic, this was my last boat:

 

Just out of curiosity, why are few of you agaist upgrading an “old” bike, like this 07? Is it because they become unreliable, or just difficult to maintain with replacement parts/etc, or is it that frame/geometry design has changes so radically, that these older bikes cannot can’t preform to par with thier new counterparts?

 

Thank you for your service!

 

You don't have to worry about how they perform by comparison. You only need to compare how it feels for you. Yes, a modern bike is far more capable for the same skill and effort levels, but all that matters is that you are having fun.

I just don't see a point in investing $6000 into a car that is worth $5000 after the repairs. Or, putting $600 into a bicycle that is worth $500 after the upgrades. Even an entry level bike now is amazing. I ride the bottom of the line Spec Enduro. So the lowest groupset, lowest wheels, etc. That bike is insanely good, and it is a fraction of an Sworks that it can out compete from just a few years ago, and can be found for dirt cheap only a year old*

*I don't recommend an Enduro...that's a lot of bike!

 

Exactly those three issues you describe. I have an ‘02 frame that is Frankensteined with newer parts to keep operating. I keep it running mostly through trickle down parts from a broken newer bike that is getting pretty stripped down these days, so I won’t be able to keep it up much longer. It performs ok due to newer suspension and brakes, but it flexes more than the newer bikes and doesn’t perform as well trying to make a turn at 20mph. Nostalgia and being the coolest kid in the group ride with the oldest Bike are what keep mine in action.

 

Don’t take it personally....but there is nothing special about that bike. It’s out of date....standards have changed. Some parts will get tougher to find. Try getting that rear shock serviced...:.Fox/Specialized aren’t supporting it anymore.

Would you dump a bunch of money into a 7 year old computer? It’s kinda the same thing. It works slow, may not be compatible with today’s software.

Plus today’s Shimano SLX works as well if kit better than XTR from the 10 years ago.

 

No offense taken sir. Im not a seasoned enough rider to have the full understanding of how much technology has changed, and how those changes effect the riding experience. Removing the bikes value from the equation, I just wanted to get a better of understanding why some of you were agaist upgrading an 07.

 

Well this is a bummer... I actually was able to demo this bike, albeit, on a paved bike trail. I liked it! I was able to do some climbing on steeper areas of the trail and really liked the SRAM 1x11 drivetrain. And to pick one one up on sale too ($500 of retail) was pretty tempting.

 

Solid practical advice given above. In my own experience, decided not to put anymore money into my 08 Specialized Stumpjumper when faced with spending $400 on some of the last replacement parts known to exist. Better investment to buy a new bike.

 

Bikes lose value so quickly.....that after a few years, spending a bunch of money on upgrades is like throwing money away.

That being said, gear used bikes that are 2-4 years old are usually still solid options, and be had for pennies on the dollar.

 

If I purchase new and use my biz card, I can write it off as business equipment...lol

 

Not a bad bike. But there are plenty of fish in the sea!

 

Gonna sell my OG Ripley for around $2200ish. size large. Just FYI and for comparison....
.

 

Tempting.... Very Tempting.

 

I'm in the same boat but my bike isn't quite as old... It's a 2013 Tallboy. Pretty much needs a complete refresh (drivetrain, fork/shock rebuilds, pivots). I'm sure it'd provide me with several more good years of riding if I serviced everything but at the same time... it's not a new bike. And it doesn't have a dropper post. Decisions, decisions...

 

If you must, upgrade to 11 speed is not expensive. Here's the cheapest route.

Sram NX 11 speed shifter $23.99
Sram NX 11 speed derailer long cage $64.99
Sram PC-1110 powerlock 11sp chain $13.99
Sram powerlock 11 speed $3.99 forgot if this came with the chain.
Shimano SLX M7000 cassette 11-46 $59.00 (highly doubt you have a Sram driver)
Raceface 30tooth narrow wide chainring $50.99 (determine your bolt pattern/offset before purchase). You should be able to use your old crank.

Give or take $216.95 roughly what I paid a year ago for parts. Misc items maybe some tools and cables for purchase. Only special tool is the shimano cassette tool. Doing this upgrade is not difficult, run the cables, install the derailer and install the cassette. Hardest part is adjusting the derailer and chain sizing. Again not hard, probably hardest part is sitting and watching the Youtube how to's.

Tools, well i'm sure anyone here will lend you tools.

 

Actually I did the same thing. Business equipment write off, use it to ride around my warehouse.