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I have a Marin Mt Vision that I bought in about 2000 and improved with a few components, notably replacing the fork with a Bomber ETA and the V brakes with Hope Minis. While I lived in Holland, the bike was unused in the basement, but since moving to Denmark I have resurrected it. Ideally I'd like the fork and rear sus to be serviced, but the only forks imported to DK are Fox and RockShox, so that is impossible, and it would be expensive and time consuming to service the rear Fox Float R.
I am no good at fettling, so I can't do this stuff myself, so I am wondering if it is worth replacing the fork and rear sus with new components that can be serviced locally, or should I just get a whole new bike?
new bike
+1
New bike cos it's more fun? Or because the old stuff is genuinely past it?
Things have moved on hugely in the last 12 years - just compare the current Mt Vision to yours for an example.
Try someone who services motorcycle suspension.
Or work on your google-fu
Marzocchi service center.
222 Cycles
Skolebakken 7 Vrinners - DK-8420 – Knebel
Denmark
Phone: +45 8752 2221
E-mail: kontakt@222cycles.dk
Web site: http://www.222cycles.dk
Contact: Claus Wichmann
Distributor/Service center for: Denmark
I updated an old bike then decided to buy a new one thus meaning I wasted money on updating, thats me all over though!
The Bombers are stupidly easy to service - it's easily DIYable and a decent bike shop should be up to it. They also last forever.
That said, I'd guess the frame and wheels aren't disc brake capable, and to be honest, I'd not go back to V brakes now. You can literally fit and forget good disc brakes (ie, Shimano & Magura) - nothing to do but change pads relatively rarely.
No idea if the frame is decent by today's standards or not - the appearance of FS frames has changed enormously over the last 10 years, but I don't know how different the underlying tech is.
Have to say, this is one bike from my past (admittely only 2003/4) that I loved and wished I still had. The 2000 model was a pinnacle for there ovation tubes (they went into the box shape after that year?), though maybe a little thin, hense mine BB dropping off - check your welding around the BB maybe. I loved that bike, really wish I'd got chance to run a better fork, and pro-pedal shock on it.
As your only talking about the cost of either a service your current kit or a newer (2nd hand?) set of fork/shock, I do it!
The frame has some very XC angle, but has disc mounts (hense your mini's) so doesn't lack anything silly - I'd buy one of those old shoreline trails (MV sold one in with ovation tubing in as a budget bike, after the box section stuff was introduced) if they came with rear disc mounts.
As above, Marzocchi MX forks are pretty bombproof (though I found the axle-crown a bit long on mine), so once service would last for many more years. Your fox rear shock could be serviced, but I'd be looking into a 2nd hand pro-pedal version or a service/custom tune to introduce some sort of pro-pedal action into it.
New bike if you can afford and justify it, service or upgrade with more modern used bits if you can't.
Either way ...Denmark you say? Try a Pronghorn PR6 on demo.