Full suspension with a welded frame

A coworker of mine is selling a really solid bike. I don't know every single spec by heart, but the drivetrain is a step up from Deore, it has hydraulic brakes, a decent fork, and so on. He’s a heavy downhill rider, so he's upgrading to a new rig for about $2,300 and wants to let his old one go for $667. He actually offered it to me for $1,500...

I could definitely put that bike to good use. I've been getting more into off-roading lately, so I'd probably swap some parts over to my Trek Blast to build a custom setup, then give the other bike to my brother.

The main thing is, he actually cracked the frame once. It was professionally welded, and he still rides it, but he's basically giving it to me at a discount because he feels bad about the damage.

Supposedly, if a weld is done right, the frame can still hold up, but I'd love to get your take. Does it make sense to build a bike around a frame like that? If I end up swapping enough parts, I might just replace my Trek entirely...

Does it even make sense to build a bike around a frame like this?

Nah.

So, what’s the move? Should I pick up some cheap full suspension frame and just swap the rear shock onto it? Or should I just keep riding this one around town? It feels like a waste to ditch it, since it would definitely handle city riding just fine—though having a full suspension setup on a frame like this for just cruising through town feels a little overkill. :P

I honestly fail to see the appeal of buying that in the first place 🤷

It’s such a steal, and honestly, the components are top-tier. Even if I tossed the frame in the trash, the fork alone is worth the price tag...

Worst case scenario, I can use the parts to help out a buddy who just picked up a bummer of a Specialized Rockhopper 5 so we can get it running right...

Which specific parts are we talking about here? I have to wonder if they’re actually worth the investment, or if we're just paying a premium for components that are already worn out and destined for a landfill...

Edward Long2 said:The price is actually pretty good considering how thick the build is and the quality of the parts. Honestly, just the fork alone is worth that much, even if I ended up tossing the frame in the trash...

In the worst-case scenario, I can just use the spare parts for a buddy of mine who picked up a bum Specialized Rockhopper 5, so we could probably patch it up together...

Maybe just turn the frame into a barstool 🙂

If I'm understanding you right, your stool would actually have its own suspension 😁

Haha, thanks for the suggestion 🙂

darkmaker said:which parts are we talking about? Are you sure they're actually worth that much and aren't just worn-out junk?

I'll have a full list of the components in a day or two and I'll post it then. The fork had a full suspension service back in May, and everything else is in great shape. The guy rides it regularly and takes care of it properly—he's a total gearhead.

Obviously, the parts won't be brand new, but getting the whole package at this price seems like a solid deal to me. Once I get the list, I'll decide. It's a buddy of mine, so there's no pressure if I decide to pass.

EDIT: it comes with some new Schwalbe Nobby Nic Performance foldable tires included, though those are nearly $167

$50 Just one unit on the back 24 😁

Why isn't his buddy just stripping the bike for parts?
If the components are actually usable, it’s not a bad deal, but I’d need to take a hard look at it myself to be sure.
I mean, obviously you toss the frame, and using a full suspension rig just for riding around town is... well, a bit much.😁
A specific list of the parts would definitely help.

Don't bother looking at local prices; you're better off checking what you'd find on REI, Backcountry, or even specialized sites like Competitive Cyclist to get a real sense of the market...

...plus you’ve got all those worn-out AM/DH parts... so basically, you're just looking at the market value of old components on a beat-up frame 😉

Anyone who actually rides seriously isn't stupid—they know exactly what this stuff is worth. And honestly? It’s way easier to move the whole bike than trying to sell individual parts when the frame itself is worth practically nothing.

Talking about these tires: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/schwalbe-nob...-folding-tyre/

A buddy of mine just isn't the type to mess around with this stuff; he just wants to get it over with and be done. He definitely wouldn't sell it for parts because he honestly doesn't have the patience for all that hassle.

I’m not saying the parts aren't used or that they aren't basically like new, but they're certainly still good to go. We're sitting here chatting in the same room, so he's not trying to rip me off. What's the harm? He's buying a bike for $2,500, so he's got the cash.

EDIT: Okay, turns out our tires are $50 per piece. It's not 50 bucks like I thought, it's actually $100... http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/s...folding-230233

There's one thing that's really bothering me here. You keep calling this a "DH bike," which implies we're talking about a fork with dual crowns and 150+ mm of travel before anyone even asks what that means . If you try to slap a fork like that onto a Specialized Rockhopper, or any standard XC or even an AM bike, it’s going to look totally ridiculous. Not to mention the downsides—the extra weight, the awkward handling, and don't even get me started on how it ruins the geometry. You might actually end up cracking your frame if you try that.

In plain English? That kind of fork is never going to fit your current bike, regardless of whether the price tag seems like a good deal.

Even if you decided to build something from scratch using a cheap, decent frame, riding a fork with 150-170mm of travel around town or—heaven forbid—up a hill is just a massive pain. It's hard to describe how exhausting it is when you actually care about the ride rather than just looking flashy.

To make a call on this, let's do this: post some photos of the bike and give us a specific list of the most important parts. We need to know things like the fork's travel, the length and width of the steerer tube, and the axle type—is it 9, 15, or 20mm? Once we know exactly what you're aiming for, we can help you out. 😉

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.

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.

Pretty much everything fits. It’s just a standard XC bike, nothing heavy-duty like a DH or enduro rig...

The derailleurs, shifters, drivetrain, brakes, cassette, chain, bars, stem, seat—it’s all good...

The fork should work if you grab a front wheel too, assuming the steerer is 1 1/8 like yours or if your frame can take a tapered fork with a headset swap.

Check the rear hub spacing on that back wheel because you're running standard quick release, but his might be something else... and definitely double-check the seatpost diameter...

Honestly, for a few hundred bucks, it's probably worth it... though let's be real, when you go to sell that Trek, you won't get $500 much more than what it's worth right now 😉

If you're feeling the itch to tinker and think it makes sense for you, go for it. Since we already established this isn't a DH bike, the parts will fit perfectly.

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...

No one can tell you for sure which way is better... A worn-out SLX groupset definitely isn't an upgrade over a perfectly preserved Acera... I mean, obviously if we're talking about brand-new parts, then yeah, we know what wins... Honestly, these kinds of combos usually end up being total junk... So just let someone who actually knows their stuff decide if it's worth it or not... To me, it feels like you're just throwing $500 plus mechanic labor into upgrading an old bike that already works fine, just to get some slightly newer, used parts. But hey, maybe it's just me...

Edward Long2 - if you check out bike24, you can actually pick up an SLX groupset—including the crankset, shifters, front and rear derailleurs, cassette, and chain—for about $250... and that's just for a 10-speed setup.