Posts by Edward Long2

Haha, thank goodness I don't keep them on my balcony! 🙂

I don't know, 120 doesn't look bad to me at all, and riding it around town is no issue. Honestly, with this specific setup, the bike feels way better. There’s a massive difference.

The front end sits a bit higher now, so I'm sitting more upright. A shorter stem helps with that too, and now the geometry feels spot on.

People were saying any kind of mixing would turn out terrible and make the bikes look hideous, but I think we got lucky and it actually looks 🙂

https://app.box.com/s/xqq2weuoq19jjvumt7f4u1wu228jnb3d

Eeeeh, I missed this thread—you should have sent me a DM! 🙂 We picked up a Haibike Attack 26" for $200. The frame is in great shape and it’s a fantastic bike overall. We're really happy with how everything turned out. Spent about five hours yesterday with a buddy swapping parts and putting things together...

Man, trying to get the Noby Nic off the DT Swiss E540 wheels was a total nightmare. Swapping them for the Smart Sam was a breeze, though.

We couldn't move everything over to the Kon yet because we didn't have the tool to remove the Konin drivetrain. To make matters worse, the grips were being stubborn and stripped the bolts, so we couldn't get them off to swap the brakes and shifters. For now, here is how the Kona looks; maybe one day I'll finish moving the drivetrain and shifters over.

Fork: Tora 120mm solo air with a 20mm Maxle-lite axle +
Wheels: DT Swiss E540, front with 20mm thru-axle, rear is standard quick release +
Stem Handlebars: Truvativ AKA 60mm +
Saddle: WTB Pure-V +
Seatpost : Ritchey 27.2mm with quick release +
Handlebars: Kona XC/BC Riser
Tires: Schwalbe Smart Sam 2.1 (swapping the front to a Noby Nic 2.25 for off-road use) +
Brakes: Tektro auriga Comp Hydraulic Disc 180/160 (using Formula rotors + )
Chain: KMC +
Front and rear derailleurs: Shimano Acera
Rear shifter: Shimano Deore
Drivetrain: FSA Alpha Drive
Cassette: Shimano 8-speed CS-HG51 11-32 +

+ indicates what has been changed from the original setup

I might post some photos of both bikes later on.

I ride regularly with my girlfriend, and honestly, it’s one of the best things we do together. It’s just fun—we talk, we connect, and it really brings us closer. Whenever we have a rough day at work, a solid ride always puts us both in a better mood 🙂

Does he have another bike he rides, or is it actually possible you just couldn't talk him into going for a ride?? 🙂

I'll definitely try a different handlebar. It'll be easy enough for me to just cut it down myself if I need to.

I'm pretty sure a shorter stem is definitely the way to go for me. As for the handlebars, I can't say for certain—I'll need to test them out first.

I'm debating whether I should swap the handlebar and stem from my full suspension bike over to my Con. Is the upgrade actually noticeable, or am I just thinking about it? Honestly, part of me just wants the look since everything is branded KONA and it would match perfectly. 🙂

From what I gather, the bars would be wider—which helps with stability on descents, right? And a shorter stem would make the steering feel more direct?

Is that an XS frame? If it is, then it shouldn't be too big... my ex used to ride a bike with that exact same frame size, and she was only about 5'1". It fit her perfectly.

Morgan Moore37 said:The wheels might be an issue if they're 26-inch. I suspect the guy didn't tighten his headset properly, and now it's completely blown out (parts are scattered everywhere).

So the Kona and the new frame being bought will be 26". I'm not quite following the comment about the wheels and the headset—could someone clarify?

Everything is settled. We aren't touching the Trek; it’s brand new, so it stays exactly as it is while my buddy works on his fitness.

All the parts from the Full suspension bike are going onto the Kona, and everything from the Kona will move over to a different new frame for my brother. We're splitting the costs so that I'll be footing the entire bill for the Kona upgrade $250, while he gets a custom bike with high-end parts for just a little more than $333.

Thanks, everyone.

Alright, let's get everything down on paper and decide what the best move is. Thanks.

By the way, to wrap up that thought about the Trek—if I swap out the stock HL280 brakes for some Hayes MX-4 mechanicals at no extra cost, would that actually be an upgrade?

EDIT: And honestly, I haven't got a clue how much that shock might be worth on the market.

If I go with the drivetrain and hydraulics, I’ll just grab everything as a complete set with the levers.

Another option is to leave the Kona exactly as it is and just move the Magura hydraulics and SLX drivetrain over to the Trek.

Morgan Moore37 said:Cone user, just buy a new chain and cassette in the same size.$83.

I definitely plan on that. No matter which bike that drivetrain ends up on, it's going to need some work.

Morgan Moore37 said:The Cone has hydraulic brakes, and this one is hydraulic too.
In my opinion, just swap the pads and the rotor, and you're done with the brake upgrade.

To be honest, I'm not even sure what the difference would be between those Magnus setups and my Tektro brakes... Were you suggesting I go with Magnus rotors?

Unfortunately, I can't really manage two bikes since I live in an apartment, so it’s a bit tricky. I can barely keep this one organized.

I love my Cone and wouldn't change much about it, but I'd swap in a different fork and pulleys if dUG1 says it would make a huge difference compared to the DART2. If the hydraulics don't need replacing, I won't touch them.

BTW, that DART2 is in rough shape. It arrived that way when I bought it—filthy and barely functional. I'll need to strip it down and clean it up completely.

@Allexis - I agree that the Trek is new and that's fine, but since we have the chance, why not install hydraulics and a better drivetrain (if it's still good)? I wouldn't give my brother the Cone; the frame fits me perfectly and I'm happy with it. They'll just get him a new frame.

EDIT: Oh right, he needs a 19" frame anyway, so that isn't really an option.

That’s exactly why we’re all here—to talk it out. I don't have any set-in-stone plans yet; I'm just weighing the pros and cons. Honestly, the idea of grabbing a fresh frame and moving everything over from my cracked FS is starting to look pretty good.

Thanks for all the input, everyone...

@Morgan Moore37/">@@Morgan Moore37 - The Trek needs a new cassette and chain anyway. When I first picked up the Trek, everyone told me the brakes were subpar and needed an upgrade (like swapping them for Tektro Aurigas), but now everyone is telling me to just stick with what I've got...

Haha, my bad! Sorry for the confusion there...

1. I have a Trek Marlin that I want to beef up.
2. A buddy of mine has a Trek 29 that he wants to upgrade.
3. For a new bike, we'd just build it from the spare parts we already have and just buy a new frame. It doesn't really matter what kind of bike it ends up being, as long as it rides well, brakes fine, and is generally solid...

EDIT: darkmaker, you made a good point.

quietskipper17 said:Basically, the combo would end up being a total waste of time, like I said.
It's a lot of work, the parts might be questionable, you'll only be able to partially fit the "upgrades," and it'll cost too much...

Like I mentioned, all the parts would be checked before buying anything. It's a lot of work, but for people who love bikes, that's half the fun. And I don't get the "partially fitting" thing. What does that even mean? If a part fits, it fits; if it doesn't, we aren't going to force it to work.

Anyway, fair enough, that's just one way to look at it. Thanks for the help regardless.

quietskipper17 said:ps: obviously that fork isn't a good match.

You mean the Dart 2 doesn't quite fit the Trek. It’s fine, nothing major. I'll just put the Dart 2 on a completely new build we're putting together using a used frame. I'll probably move my Trek wheels over to that one too.

On the Trek, I'd probably swap in a new fork and most of the other parts if they're still in decent shape.

Then I'd take the drivetrain and brakes from the Trek and put them on the other bike, assuming everything fits.

EDIT: thanks Charles Bailey45, I don't think the brakes should be an issue since they're only two years old. Plus, the pads are brand new. I just need to check if the rotors are straight. If they are, I'll likely move those over to the Trek as well.

BTW: does anyone know what this rear suspension is worth? Thinking about selling it.

The mechanic is free, and my buddy is helping out too. Fingers crossed. 😁

Looking at the Specialized Rockhopper 5—since it's a 29er, I obviously can't swap the tires and wheels. But what about the fork, brakes, and drivetrain? Can everything from the Trek be moved over to it?

darkmaker—everything is fine, I'm in no rush. It won't happen until October, so I have plenty of time to weigh my options and see how things shake out. What you mentioned makes sense, but where would the fork and the rest of the parts go if I wanted to build a second bike for my brother?

That way, for $500, I’d end up upgrading both the Trek and the Specialized, plus have an extra bike ready to go (assuming I buy the frame). Since my buddy and my brother would split the cost, we could practically get away with just $167.

So, basically, I should just swap everything over since it's all an upgrade from what I've got? My current ride is about three or four years old now. It isn't exactly beat up, though—I've mostly just been riding it around town...

I have a buddy who's pretty handy with bikes, so he's going to take a look at the parts to see how they're holding up.

I don't have any plans to sell this bike anytime soon, really.🙂

How much of a noticeable difference is there between its fork and my Dart 2?

EDIT: Once we move all the parts over to the Trek and the Specialized Rockhopper, I’ll build a second bike out of whatever is left. Just something casual for cruising around town. I'd probably pick up a used frame for around $100 and my brother could use it for a bit...

Here’s a list of parts—everything not specifically noted is about 2 or 3 years old:

Fork:
I've got a Tora 120mm solo air fork for sale. It uses a 20mm Maxle-lite axle, is about two years old, and just had a full service back in May.

Wheels:
DT Swiss E540s—front one has a 20mm thru-axle, rear uses a standard quick release.

Handlebars:
Trek 740mm low rise (25mm) handlebars

Steering wobble:
Truvativ AKA 60mm

Fork bearings:
Cane Creek

Front derailleur:
Shimano SLX FD-M661 front derailleur, 3-speed, down swing.

Front shifter:
Shimano SLX M660

Rear derailleur:
I picked up a Shimano SLX RD-M662 SGS 9-speed back in June.

The rear shifter:
Shimano XT M770

Drive:
Shimano SLX M660 3x chainring setup, 22/32/44T.

Cassette:
SRAM PG-970 9-speed, 11-32T cassette.

Chain:
Sram

Seat:
WTP Pure-V

Seatpost:
Ritchey 27,2 with quick release.

Brakes:
Got some new pads for my Magura Louise FR.

The shock:
Manitou Radium RL platform plus
+
The Bionicon c-guide Chainguide works well.

The frame is the only thing left from 2007, but I'm tossing it. We already talked about which tires we're using.

So, the real question is: what exactly should I move over to the new setup? Trek Marlin 2010.

I'm a little worried about the fork because it’s definitely going to stand out visually. My current one is white, and I haven't even taken a photo of the bike yet.

Whatever's left of the Trek is going straight onto my buddy's Specialized Rockhopper 5.

My bad, I might have misspoke when I mentioned a DH bike. I'm not entirely sure what discipline it's meant for, but the fork is 120mm. Mine is currently sitting at 100mm. I'll definitely let you guys know once I get some photos and the full specs.

Once I have everything laid out clearly, we'll all be on the same page.