Long story short…..5 years ago I got divorced and had to stick my bike in storage in my nans garage. I’ve not ridden since but really want to get back into it.

Last week I had to go and get the bike out of storage…..turns out that the garage was less then water/weatherproof, and the bike is in a fairly sorry state. The bike is a 2013 Trance 29er.

Most of the screws/nuts are rusted to a greater/lesser degree. The chain seems rusted beyond repair. The brakes obviously don’t seem to work, but not sure if a bleed would sort it? Mech’s seem to both be fairly rusted (it’s a 2 x 10 lower end SRAM setup).

Most worryingly though, the stanctions on the forks are covered in rust and don’t seem to want to rebound at all. Maybe some air would sort the rebound? They’re steel stanctioned 120mm Recon solo airs as far as I can remember. Also the dropper seems to be permanently ‘dropped’! Not sure if that’s fixable at all? On a positive though, the rear shock seems to be about the most intact bit of the bike.

So…..what’s the consensus? Bin it? Or is it salvageable? I could spend a bit of money on secondhnad bits I guess (I’d never liked the fork at all and was going to upgrade prior to drifitng away from the sport) but given I’m on a fairly limited post Covid wage then the budget isn’t really going to be huge. I seem to remember something about the headset being ‘overdrive 2’ not really sure whether that is still a thing? I don’t really seem familiar with any of the new ‘standards’

I’d initially looked at getting a new bike…..jesus lord they’re expensive nowadays aren’t they!!! Seem to remeber paying 1750 including the dropper (which is still a chunk of cash really) They seem to be about double that now!

That will be atmospheric condensation on cold metal in the winter, every winter it was in storage.

I expect some of it will be salvageable but you won’t know until you try and clean it up and get it to work. Forks are probably shagged though.

Forks sound rubbish and need replacing, not worth spending any money on them.

If you can free up the brakes and source a replacement fork (perhaps secondhand?), I’d replace the chain, headset and BB if needed and clean up the rusted bolts with a scotchbrite.

Just helped a friend get his 80s road bike sorted, not a lot needed replacing despite age and rust.

Chrome stanchioned forks don’t like being kept in damp conditions, even if it’s just surface rust it’ll likely cause problems with seals. If your bike is an Overdrive 2 then it’s likely that you’ll need a new headset and stem to go with your new fork, but on the plus side these will be easier to source.

The drivetrain probably needs a thorough scrub and clean before you can see the extent of any damage.

2nd hand recons should be available for <£100, if the frame and wheels are OK you should be able to replace forks and a few other bits for a lot less than a new bike. On the other hand I imagine it could add up quickly if you need to service brakes, dropper, bearings etc depending how much you’d do yourself. There’s some very capable budget hardtails around, though they sell out quickly at the moment.

Hmm….I’ll be doing very little of it myself! Can’t seem to find any of my bike tools (guess I didn’t get them in the divorce!!) and I was never much good at anything like that anyway. Saw that a mate had some 140mm revs for sale the other day….would they be too much for the bike? It’s 120mm currently but I seem to remember lots of people putting slightly bigger travel forks on them at the time?

What wheel size is it? If 26er that’ll limit the forks available to you to buy new. If the chrome steel stanchions have properly rusted they’re going to be difficult to get working properly.

New chain cheap enough – would assume the mechs are probably ok. New cable inners / outers not very expensive.

Brake wise it depends what’s on there and what’s wrong with them. A simple clean up and bleed may solve the issue. If not, Clark’s M4’s are quite a cheap and reasonably powerful option. I got a pair for well under £100 including rotors and adapters and my nephew has found them ok.

Tyres may need replacing – if you’re quick there may still be some discounted Specialised tyres for bargain prices.

If you’re looking at a new bike without going crazy then the Calibre Bossnut / BBB are decent budget options. Hardtail wise from £600 upwards there’s the Voodoo Bizango / Vitus Nucleus and Sentier etc that are good value.

If you’re still permanently employed then maybe the Cycle 2 Work scheme could be an option.

Just to add – new bike stock maybe difficult to find at the budget end as it all got raided during lockdown. However with bad weather now here perhaps some of these will find their way onto the secondhand market as people realise they aren’t going to use them.

I put 140mm pikes on a bike that came with 100mm recons and it was big improvement. I’m sure someone will be along to tell me the frame is going to break and kill me.

If the 140mm Revs fit then they’d probably be fine on a Trance.

Might need to make some enquiries about whether they’d fit with overdrive – doesn’t that mean they have a huge steerer tube? Most forks won’t have this but maybe there are adapters you can get to fit a normal fork in – you’ll probably find you need a normal size stem to go with those. You’d probably pick up a stem for £20 or so if you aren’t fussy. Think I paid £18 for a Planet X El Guapo one recently for a bike build.

Get a new one but get it from one of the bike shops that offer 0% interest. With my current bike (Anthem 27.5) I’ve been paying £55 a month for the past 3 years. Softens the blow a bit.

It’s a 29er not 26

I don’t really understand what Overdrive 2 is, just that it has it. I think that it meant a 1.5 inch steerer?

Can I just pop a new headset in the frame to get around the overdrive 2 issue? Or will it need a sepecific ‘overdrive 2’ headset, with an adapter for a normal fork?

I don’t really understand what Overdrive 2 is, just that it has it. I think that it meant a 1.5 inch steerer?

Can I just pop a new headset in the frame to get around the overdrive 2 issue? Or will it need a sepecific ‘overdrive 2’ headset, with an adapter for a normal fork?

The Overdrive 2 thing refers to the size of the top bearing on the steerer, 1 1/4″ instead of 1 1/8″ as per the norm these days. Best case scenario is that you’ll need a new top bearing for an off the peg fork, which won’t be expensive. The bottom bearing is 1 1/2″ which will be the same as any other fork.

The larger diameter steerer requires a custom made stem to fit, so you’ll need to find a standard 1 1/8″ stem, but there’s a massive selection to choose from.

I had a similar thing with a suspension bike that sat in storage for a few years. I basically had to strip it back to a bare frame and rebuild it from scratch. I replaced the drivetrain, tyres, saddle, grips, etc. first and got it running. On the first ride, the seals in the brake calipers gave up and soaked the pads in fluid. I binned the brakes and put on some spare ones I had. It went ok for a bit, but on the first cold day, the shock blew its guts and shat oil everywhere. I had that serviced, plus had the fork serviced (old U-Turn Revelation). By the time I’d finished, I might as well have binned it and bought a new bike. You are basically going to be building a bike from a bare frame, so best to price everything out and see if it’s worth spending that money on an old bike.

You need to strip it completely

Forks pull the lowers off, and wire wool the stanchions, you need them really smooth before compressing the fork or you will trash the bushes. Should be brought back at least long enough to rekindle your love for biking.

Expect them to rust easily in future so spray oil them before and after each ride.

That might put you on.

Chain just bin it and get another.

Everything else will just need a clean and regrease probs.

If you CBA then buy a new bike.

Get something like a calibre bossnut that is really really popular, cheap but fanbtastic value, that way it will be dead easy to sell on when you rekindle your passion for MTB and want to upgrade.

Where about in the country are you? Someone can probably help you out building it back up if you can’t find your tools.

I have a Reba 100mm (can be increased to 120mm) 29er fork sitting in the garage I keep meaning to sell if you are interested. It is a 1 1/8 straight steerer though.

I’m in Congleton so South Cheshire/North Staffs border. Close to peaks, Manchester etc….if anyone has any bits that may be suitable that they want to offload, please feel free to drop me a PM.

I’m going to have a closer look/take apart of it tomorrow.

Where about in the country are you? Someone can probably help you out building it back up if you can’t find your tools.

Was going to ask the same thing.
Loads of us will have bits lying around in the spares bin that aren’t really worth selling but might be of use to you.

Si

Damn, if you were near Dorset I could’ve sorted most of it for you.

I’ll PM you with some details/pics of the Rebas later tonight.

I’m in Congleton so South Cheshire/North Staffs border. Close to peaks, Manchester etc….if anyone has any bits that may be suitable that they want to offload, please feel free to drop me a PM.

I’m going to have a closer look/take apart of it tomorrow.

I’m near Whaley Bridge so just under an hour away.
If you need tools / a hand / any shimano 10 speed shifters or mechs then send me a PM.
Not got any 29er specific stuff at all I’m afraid.

Si

Cheers for the incredibly generous offers, much appreciated in these crappy times 👍

Pm me I’m sure I’ve got a couple of bits I could send you.

Ash

So, I’ve had a better look today….it’s hopefully marginally better than originally feared.

Bad points:

Fork is ****
Dropper won’t stay up at all
Brake levers are both fairly corroded although rear does seem to have a bit of stopping power. Front has zero. Rotors look okay though.
Chain is dead.

Good points:

Rear shock looks fine and the whole rear end seems to have full travel motion.
Shifters and mechs look okay actually, but with a solid chain it’s hard to test functionality properly for the time being.

So brakes and forks seem to be the Biggie, but potentially I’ll be able to stretch the budget to some second hand Reba’s/revs and some second hand brakes.

Any ideas about how easy/possible it will be to sort the dropper? A Google suggests it’s an older style Giant Contact dropper. Obviously I could just whack a normal seatpost in, but I was an absolutely awful rider back when I rode lots, so I can’t imagine 5 years off has improved my skillset much!

Ash I’ll drop you a PM

IIRC the Trance has about a million bearings in the rear, so the condition of those is important when deciding to rebuild or not. I know my Anthem was £££ to have all the bearings replaced.

Try putting some air in the dropper post with a shock pump- it might make it rideable again, for a bit anyway.

If it’s an old contact switch then it’s unlikely you’ll be able to fix it unless you can find a replacement cartridge and even then the pivot at the top may have completely seized. A modern Brand X for example is a far better design.

Rather than second hand brakes, Clarks M2’s can be pick up for £50 for a complete set including discs. They’re not pretty or light, but are perfectly functional.

To my fairly unknowing eye, all of the bearings seemed fine, as did the BB. Need to try and find my shock pump….I really need to find my bike tools bag ffs!!!!

Wack a sticker over problem areas.

Post pics too!

If it’s a 200×50 shock I’ve got a practically unused Fox R that’s been sat dry and clean in my workshop spares bin for a few years.

The frame it came from got sold on for spares when I was riding a lot less but the buyer didn’t want the shock so it’s probably still here.

On my list of things I’ve not got round to digging out and sorting on the classifieds.

The chain might be salvageable with a white spirit soaking (give it a few days), thorough drying and then re lubricating. I have done a really solidly seized one recently and then given it the putoline treatment and it seems ok.

So, I’ve got some bargain deore brakes en route thanks to a rather generous stw’er.

I’ve also found out that even though Trance’s between 2012-14 used Overdrive 2, the 2013 Trance X29er 2 (lowest spec that year) has a standard tapered headset…..which should make the whole fork search rather more simple.

Cheers for all of the offers of help/messages etc folks, it’s motivating me to get this bike sorted even if it is a PITA as I can’t wait to get back out now……obviously every trail centre I can ever remember riding is now shut, but I’m less than 20 minutes from the White Peak now, so can explore there I’m sure.

To check the rear frame bearings, take the wheel and shock off. You can then move linkages by hand and feel any play or gritiness.

Chain isn’t worth saving – a new 10 speed chain is about a tenner.

If the fork is rusted, try taking kitchen foil, and scrunch it up then sand the stanchions, you’ll be amazed how much better they’ll be, don’t use wire wool.

Put it back where you had it for another 20 years then stick it on retrobike, you’ll make a fortune 😉