Just curious to see people’s thoughts on this… As i think i’d eventually like a better bike, so just wondering what the best road is to go down really..thinking stick with the hardtail.

Buy a new frame and take all the bits of my existing bike? Or just bite the bullet and save for a new bike..

Leaning towards just buying a frame and transferring the bits over and then upgrade everything else as they break/i feel like it.. upgrading bike bits seems to be a constantly on going thing..

current bike just now is:

GT avalanche expert 07
back wheel replaced.. pro2 hub on sun mtx rim, tandem spokes, solid.
brakes replaced, avid code 5.
bottom bracket recently replaced for a better one, can’t mind which though.
dmr v8 peddles.
gearing is all fine at the moment.

not the greatest bike, but it’s done me proud over the last 4 years..

anyhow what would you do?

I prefer to build with selected parts rather than buying a new one. Each time I’ve considered buying a brand new bike I realise that unless I pay loads, it won’t have exactly what I want. It’s usually the forks and brakes which are rubbish.

I’ve got a nice 1999 Klein Attitude Race bike and I am thinking exactly the same thing as the frame is as good as anything today.

I think buying bits though would work out more exepensive than buying a new bike, unless you are prepared to go for the bits on offer, but then you might not get the spec you want..

Then theres differences in fork length and frame geometry, threaded bottom brackets etc etc…

I like the bit-by-bit approach, mainly using second hand parts off the classifieds and ebay. Means you can tweak as you go along and upgrade as you wear stuff out. Friendlier on the wallett too.
Obviously a replacement frame is the ultimate upgrade, but it does mean you can compare better as you’ll know how all the bits that made it rode on the previous frame.

That said, if you wanted a whole new setuip, its much cheaper to buy a built bike.

depends on the frame,

if you go down the frame only route, you may find that you have to replace/upgrade some components quicker than you thought as they wont just swap over….. and of the parts that do, when you strip them off the existing frame you may find they are more worn than you expected.

Why dont you go for one of the carbon frames direct from the middle east on ebay.

aye, the bits that wont fit is where it all gets a bit vague for me, i’m confident at figuring it out, just wondering if the cost/hassle are really worth it… don’t know, like i say just thinking about it, and curious to others peoples thoughts on the matter.

In my experience, if you buy a complete bike then you just end up with a pile of parts in the corner of the garage that you’ve replaced cos you don’t like them. Bars too narrow, stems too long. Saddle hurts my bum. Brakes are crap blah blah blah

And so the endless quest for perfection continues 🙂

Are you unhappy with your forks or do they need servicing? If so then go for a new bike. Servicing can be £80+ and good aftermarket forks can be a fortune. When you add that to the price of a new frame you can be getting close to the cost of a complete bike. There are plenty of deals on last years models at the moment.
Last year I was thinking of a new frame/forks. New fox forks were over £600 alone plus a new frame, the inevitable new headset, bb, seatpost and front mech because all the “standards” have changed. In the end I got a sale price on a new Fuel ex 9 for just over £2000. Sold off the good parts from my old frame and got £350 towards it. For me it worked out cheaper than buying just frame and forks.

Depends how old the bike is. Thought about upgrading one of mine, but changing frame realistically means changing forks, and brakes from rim to disc, hence wheels too, and narrow xc bars to decent width, and in the end it’s a new bike with maybe old tyres, tubes, pedals and (8sp) shifters. May as well flog it for 50 or keep as a pub bike, and buy new one.

forks are something i’d eventally like to replace, but could live with for a while, tbh the more i think about it, i like the idea of building up a bike myself, but when i get into it, you just know you are going to want other bits and pieces and it’ll cost a fortune, it does seem i’d be better of finding a new bike specced as close as possible to what i’m after, cheers all.

I recently got a nearly new 2nd hand frame off ebay, but all these new new wheel and headset standards meant buying wheels, headset etc, plus all the other usual bits (seatpost etc), all 2nd hand. When I totted it all up, I was only £500 away from the same complete bike New in the sales.
I probably would have been better off buying the new bike and stripping and selling off stuff, ending up with mostly new kit.