is it worth trying to upgrade my 27.5″ ht or get a new bike ?

i currently have a kinesis sync ti ht that i really like but as above it is 27.5″ (small size frame).

i am thinking about saving towards a specialized chisel fs bike but part of me is thinking of using the money to upgrade my sync instead (it currently weighs 28.2 lbs) all the stuff is all good quality on the bike but just not the lightest (11 speed slx groupset, rockshox yari 150mm fork, hope enduro wheels).

would this route be worth it do you think? the frame is lovely but it’s just the wheel size and how hard it will be to be able to get a nice 120mm fork and light wheels.

am starting to feel the bumps a lot more nowadays than i did (am 49) so a fs bike really appeals to me  (the chisel will no doubt have slacker geo also compared to my sync although i have never ridden a modern slack bike i must admit).

what might you suggest?

ta :-)

What’s the issue with wheel size?

ah apologies what i mean is that i am worried that i won’t be able to find a good xc fork or wheels once i had saved up the cash as the companies all seem to be 29″ only (it’s going to take us a while to save up cash). 27.5″ seems to be obsolete/or nearly now from all the big companies.

Rockshox still make 27.5″ Rebas and Pikes.

You could go mullet, replace the Yari and front wheel with a light 29er fork (120/130 SID or Pike) and 29er wheel/rim

Should be roughly the same geometry, but lighter and roll better. And if you do go for a 29er frame later, you have the fork and front wheel

the bike sounds like a pretty good spec already, and any upgrades would be fairly miniscule

you mention comfort, maybe wheels with a bit more compliance.. but aside from that i wouldn’t be throwing anything else at the bike, unfortunately resale values are also very bad right now, especially on unfashionable kit, 27.5, 11 speed etc.. although there’s absolutely nothing wrong with either

I wouldn’t be upgrading an 11(?) year old bike either.

A full sus will be much more forgiving when you ride it, and you’ll get all the benefits of modern geometry too. Plus you’d then have a choice of bikes to ride.

You could also fit a lighter 29” fork, if you spot a good deal, run a slightly shorter airspring to give the same A-C measurement.

Keep the 27.5 wheels and enjoy more mud clearance, with the option to move to a 29” wheel and frame at a later date. If you go for a mullet FS later you only need the front wheel and frame. (Compatibility issues aside).

A pair of Hunt trail wide will weigh ~1750g in 27.5. That’s got to be at least half a kilo off the weight of the wheels (and bike) for a few hundred quid.

That’ll make a far bigger difference to how it rides than a lighter fork and if you sold the Hopes, you probably get a big chunk, if not all of the outlay back?

I think you were thinking of doing the Ridgeway double?

Unless there is as something wrong with the bike I’d just ride it. It sounds ideal for the Ridgeway. The correct tyres and an adventure bar might be worth it for that, but that could be done for under £100

Or is most of your ridding much rougher than the Ridgeway?

I assume it’s got a dropper and tubeless?

Oh and a 120mm fork would mess up the handling unless you mullet it

@ampthill yes that was me.

i have to say the bike is great (i cannot complain about it at all) it’s just me either getting older, lack of fitness or both but i really feel it riding offroad nowadays. it always feels like i have gone 15 rounds with a judo expert. even on the road bike i feel rough terrain a lot more than i used to do (potholes and road rough bits not offroad, i get a sore/no feeling lower back and my muscles take a while to not be sore after a ride).

i think that i will save up for the chisel fs as it will just be a lot comfier for long periods offroad (stating the obvious i know lol).

i will lower the tyre pressure in the meantime on my ht (is running tubeless) as i do tend to put more in than is needed (usually when riding on the road on ht).

thank you all for the replies and advice :-)

Out of interest what pressure are you running?

I agree that FS is the way to go for more comfort. No money spent on the other bike will get it close for comfort

about 20-30 psi roughly i think. they are specialized control grid 2.3 tyres. had them since i got the bike back in 2018. still plenty of tread left etc.

26″ isn’t dead yet. Don’t tell me my 27.5″ is on the way out. ;-)

Obviously the nearer you can get to 20 psi the comfier you’ll be. The limit being pinch flats. But i run 20 psi and I’m 100kg

Well you’ll prise my 27.5 Soul out of my cold dead hands, and I have a 29er full sus too – I t’s just not as much fun as the Soul.

28 lb does seem porky for a ti frame, my Soul (steel) is a bit lighter and is built for rocky Peaks riding.

Swapping the wheels (or at least the rims) for something lighter would be a good start, and for your Ridgeway effort fitting some fast tyres (assuming it’s dry!)

The big thing is to be conditioned to the bike. I’ve done 80 mile days in the Lakes (Jenn rides) with bike packing kit on my Soul, which is rough AF. Sure I’m tired afterwards, but that’s kind of the point! I’d struggle to do it right now as I’m not that fit, but give me a couple of months to smash some big days out and it’ll be fine again.

(ps – I’m 50!)