Triggers Broom or New Bike?

[Custom24]

Hi
I am wondering whether I should keep up with the gradual replacement and improvement of parts on my bike, or start thinking about buying a new bike altogether.

I have a Spec Disc Hardrock 2012. It seems a bit heavy, but my commute is a bit short (6 miles XC each way) and to my mind a heavier bike keeps me fitter.

I've been using it quite heavily for both commuting and leisure and initially I used to use a hose on it with relatively high pressure, so ruined the hubs (didn't know any better)

My initial thoughts were to keep upgrading it as necessary with good quality bits, and maybe in the end even upgrade the frame. But I don't know if this is a sensible approach. I suspect I will run into a limitation of part interchangability?

So far,
Pedals (fair enough)
Brakes -> Shimano SLX and XT hydraulics - original cable disc brakes failed
Bottom Bracket
Rear wheel -> Shimano XT M756 with Mavic XM719 - freehub failed on original
Front wheel -> Hope Hoops Pro Evo 2 with Mavic XC717 - original hub got rusty and rumbly

Headset needs doing - rusty - will probably have a go at doing it myself
Front fork would like to replace - I've relubed it, but it's naff and a bit rusty

I'm not interested in n+1, and I'm trying to keep to reasonable cost. I should have probably spent more in the first place, and understood how to wash the bike. But I'm not sure what sort of money you'd need to spend to get a bike with all decent quality stuff on it. Probably £1500? The Hardrock was £400. At the time, I didn't know I'd like cycling as much as I do. I guess secondhand is another option.

Any similar experiences and words of wisdom?

Sorry for the rambling question

Mark

 

[e-rider]

I think £1500 on a commuting bike is a bit OTT. Also, weight savings will not be all that noticable if you are not pushing the bike to the limit. Sounds like you've battered that bike - perhaps wait until you have learnt how to look after a bike before buying a new one?

 

[Custom24]

Thanks for your reply
The mistake I made was getting water into the bearings. Lesson learned. I wish someone had told me, but I don't know too many cyclists and I had in my head the idea that bikes were simple, robust and inexpensive, so I didn't think to worry about it.

On the plus side, I now am confident with all maintenance apart from wheel truing and headset replacement, so I'd say I do know how to look after a bike.

The essence of my question is more technical - can I persist with the Trigger's Broom approach and end up with a high quality bike, or are there limits to this approach. For example, drop out size, or headset size, bottom bracket, disc mounts, or something else I haven't thought of.

 

[Tango]

If you like your bike and enjoy riding it, then stick with what you have and enjoy the excitement of adding new bits, particularly if your riding will consist mainly of what you are already doing.

It's very easy to convince yourself you need better than you already have, you believe you will go faster for longer and cope more easily with more technical stuff, when in reality that isn't normally the case, you are just the proud owner of a new bike

 

[Cubist]

Thanks for your reply
The mistake I made was getting water into the bearings. Lesson learned. I wish someone had told me, but I don't know too many cyclists and I had in my head the idea that bikes were simple, robust and inexpensive, so I didn't think to worry about it.

On the plus side, I now am confident with all maintenance apart from wheel truing and headset replacement, so I'd say I do know how to look after a bike.

The essence of my question is more technical - can I persist with the Trigger's Broom approach and end up with a high quality bike, or are there limits to this approach. For example, drop out size, or headset size, bottom bracket, disc mounts, or something else I haven't thought of.

You can take your trigger's broom approach, and if you enjoy maintenance then you would have no problems building a bike. I last bought a whole MTB in 2009, and since then turned it into trigger's broom several reincarnations later. The latest frame had a different head tube, so needed a different headset, but the deal I had included a fitted headset anyway! Some very current frames have pressfit BBs, but other than that there are very few compatibility issues. I would in fact describe MTB parts as almost entirely modular/ cross-compatible.

I see that you use the bike for leisure as well as commuting, so you probably want to stick with a suspension fork. World is your oyster here, but if you look secondhand you should be able to find a Rockshox Tora coil for £60-£80, a used Reba for about £130-£150, a SiD for £150-£180. You'll get a decent aluminium frame for under a hundred, and a niche/boutique hardtail for £150 to £200 used.

You don't tell us what chainset, but you'll get a used Deore Hollowtech for £35, SLX for £40-£50, XT for £50-£70. The rest is all down to choice, but again, search the right classifieds and you'll pick up bars, stems, seatpost for dead right money.

In a month's time you could be sitting on an 11kg race ready XC bike for a £500 outlay. Go for it.

 

[jowwy]

I think £1500 on a commuting bike is a bit OTT. Also, weight savings will not be all that noticable if you are not pushing the bike to the limit. Sounds like you've battered that bike - perhaps wait until you have learnt how to look after a bike before buying a new one?

my commuter is close on the 1500 mark now that i have upgraded the tyres, bars and headset and its only 2 weeks old

if you got the money and its your only bike then why not

 

[e-rider]

my commuter is close on the 1500 mark now that i have upgraded the tyres, bars and headset and its only 2 weeks old

if you got the money and its your only bike then why not

indeed, if you have the money then why not

 

[lukesdad]

If you have the right frameset upgrade the parts. Ive always done it and have never regretted it.

 

[Custom24]

You can take your trigger's broom approach, and if you enjoy maintenance then you would have no problems building a bike. I last bought a whole MTB in 2009, and since then turned it into trigger's broom several reincarnations later. The latest frame had a different head tube, so needed a different headset, but the deal I had included a fitted headset anyway! Some very current frames have pressfit BBs, but other than that there are very few compatibility issues. I would in fact describe MTB parts as almost entirely modular/ cross-compatible.

I see that you use the bike for leisure as well as commuting, so you probably want to stick with a suspension fork. World is your oyster here, but if you look secondhand you should be able to find a Rockshox Tora coil for £60-£80, a used Reba for about £130-£150, a SiD for £150-£180. You'll get a decent aluminium frame for under a hundred, and a niche/boutique hardtail for £150 to £200 used.

You don't tell us what chainset, but you'll get a used Deore Hollowtech for £35, SLX for £40-£50, XT for £50-£70. The rest is all down to choice, but again, search the right classifieds and you'll pick up bars, stems, seatpost for dead right money.

In a month's time you could be sitting on an 11kg race ready XC bike for a £500 outlay. Go for it.

Thanks. I've not changed the chainset on the bike so far. I will definitely need to stick to a suspension fork rather than rigid, because even my daily commute is mainly trail based, and there are a couple of nice downhill bits.

If I were to upgrade the fork and headset at the same time, would it then be possible to transfer the headset to a new frame at a later stage?

 

[Cubist]

It depends on the headtube, one area where standards vary. Many older frames had 1 1/8 tubes, a lot had semi integrated, and plenty now have tapered headtubes but even then bottom cups vary in size. Hope do a mix and match system with the option of buying a standard top bearing and cup, with several options for the bottom.

Its a bit chicken and egg, as if you did decide to upgrade your frame, a lot of boutique hardtails designed for longer travel forks have tapered hesdtubes with the option of fitting a tapered fork.