Mountain Biking Braintrust - Opinions

[sixspeedsam]

OK, so I recently dusted off my old Specialized Rockhopper that I bought way back when in the early 90's and have been riding for the past several weeks.

I had a old Manitou suspension fork on the bike -- honestly, don't remember the model. It bottomed out and now the front tire rubs :mad:

So now I'm faced with a dilemma. Do I buy a new fork... which would probably set me back ~ $200, or do I just pony up a few hundred more and get a whole new bike?

I'm not up to speed on the latest and greatest anymore, but it seems like most of the bikes today offer up a decent front suspension and disc brakes, better components, etc. Thoughts?

BTW -- has anyone actually squeezed a bike in the trunk of a 3 series? I eyeballed it and didn't even try.

[Ghunger]

A new fork and a tune up at a good shop may be all it needs to be running great or the shop might also be able to repair your old shock. Since you said it's bottoming out it sounds like the spring/elastomer stack maybe too soft for your weight or broken, in which case you might just need a replacement?

If you can find a local shop you can trust they should be able to look at your bike and give you some good suggestions on your options.

I have a Specialized Enduro FS bike with front and rear discs and it's such a huge improvement over rim brakes. Smooth, consistant stops every time, no mud under the pads and no need to replace rims due to brakes wearing them out. If you end up upgrading, I'd definitely put them on the list.

Hope this helps

[sixspeedsam]

Originally Posted by Ghunger

A new fork and a tune up at a good shop may be all it needs to be running great or the shop might also be able to repair your old shock. Since you said it's bottoming out it sounds like the spring/elastomer stack maybe too soft for your weight or broken, in which case you might just need a replacement?

If you can find a local shop you can trust they should be able to look at your bike and give you some good suggestions on your options.

Thanks. Yep, I took it to my local shop and all the techs seemed to be in agreement that the elastomer was toast -- and sourcing replacement parts would be near impossible. They suggested just getting a new fork, which is when I went online pricing them out and researching and realized for a few hundred more, I could get a whole new setup!

I think I'm leaning towards just getting a whole new bike ... doubtful anyone would by my old bike though Wonder if there is any non-profit that actually takes and/or wants folks to give them bikes?

[foofighter]

you can get yourself a nice fork nowadays for a really good price. and if you happen to get into it more and more, hell spring for a full suspension ride you'll LOVE it.

[Ghunger]

I was thinking about something like this:
http://ekosport.com/ta_intro.shtml

I guess I was just thinking, if you upgrade bikes but only want to pay a couple hundred more than you would for a new fork you're going to get what you pay for. I mean, a good fork will run you $300 at least and can easily get up to $400-$500. I guess it depends on what you want the bike for though, and how much you'll use it.

[foofighter]

yup...i usually start with a good frame and build around it that. that way you'll always ahve a nice frame to work with and the components you can change out as your abilities enthusiasm increases for it.

[SoCal BMW999]

Originally Posted by Ghunger

I was thinking about something like this:
http://ekosport.com/ta_intro.shtml

I guess I was just thinking, if you upgrade bikes but only want to pay a couple hundred more than you would for a new fork you're going to get what you pay for. I mean, a good fork will run you $300 at least and can easily get up to $400-$500. I guess it depends on what you want the bike for though, and how much you'll use it.

I had these in a fork at one time. Felt OK, but other than air presure you can't adjust them. Plus they only lasted a year before they sprung a leak. If the bike is from the early 90's it probably has a one inch headset and good luck trying to find a decent fork with a one inch headset. I've been riding MTB's for over 15 years and the advancements in bikes during that time is pretty amazing. Get a new bike.

[Ghunger]

I guess if it really is that old then a new bike is probably best, but just be aware that you'll probably be spending more than "a couple hundred more" to get a bike with good components and a nice frame. Like Foofighter said though, make sure you get a good frame. The parts can be upgraded over time at your leisure and depending on how much you ride.