But it is horrible to try and ride fast, the sort of fast you get in 1 hour races.
This. Not worth spending £££ on if your not serious, and there is a fair bit to learn about YOU and the bike. Try it first on the current spec, see if you want to continue and how serious you are. There was a chap riding a 2008 Rockhopper in Beastway this year, he didn’t come last.
I’ve just spent £600 for example removing 2lbs from my mine which you’ll see a pic of later in the “short travel 29er” thread, but I’m not expecting that to earn me places, just make life marginally more easier and having said that, I’m using that bike for 15 events currently in my diary including 3 x 24’s and 1 8hr, so to me its well spent. But I raved last year with no upgrades on the basis that if I didn’t do it again, I won’t have wasted anything.
But the cheapest thing and most effective was the 2 hours spent creating an effective training plan on an excel spreadsheet during my August break.