UKH

Last June I posted this

https://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/biking/refit_a_frame_or_buy_new_bike-7483...

Finally got the cash together and put my bike into a shop. Total quote for new gears, changers, tubeless and carbon handlebars came in at around £800.  Can get a similar (Giant Talon 0) new bike on sale for £750.

Looks like I’ll probably end up buying a new bike…..

Sounds expensive but i suppose it all adds up, what kit did they quote you?

Also, carbon handlebars, shudder.....

Don’t actually know. But I assume similar as the current set up, which is XT. Albeit 16 years old.

Bars were £130, £400 to change the gears (and therefore brakes and changers etc) around £100 to up grade to tubeless. Plus £150 labour.

nowt wrong with modern MTB carbon bars

I will stick to alloy for the extra handful of grams thanks

Well you could knock a heap of by going SLX but even then its still £600 for a groupset, its probably 10 times better than 16 year old XT anyway, knock another £75 by going for a good pair of alloy bars.

Thanks. Have been advised another worthwhile upgrade is XT changers. Pretty cheap. 

Depends if I like the bike of course.....

Use what you like, but don't give out spurious advice about modern MTB carbon bars. 

OK, whatever, I merely voiced my dislike for carbon bars, nothing more, no advice, certainly nothing that could be regarded as spurious.

My vote = new bike.

I wouldn't put £750 into a 2006 bike.  I managed to find a 2nd hand Trek ZR8500 for sale on pinkbike from way back in 2006 .. and it was selling for $1,600 CAD = ~£950. [1]

Bikes have moved on a lot since 2006.  ~£850 would get you a Vitus Sentier 29 VR [2] from wiggle.  29er, 130mm travel, shimano 1-by drive trail, tubeless ready rims & schwalbe tubelss ready magic mary & hans dampf tyres + a dropper post.  Plus .. its an award winning modern geometry hard tail at that price point.

Let us know what you decide to do.

[1] https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/289605/

[2]  https://www.wiggle.com/p/vitus-sentier-29-vr-mountain-bike

Another +1 for 2nd hand Pinkbike buy/sell.

I've bought and sold bikes/frames and parts on there; you just need a good dose of 'common sense' (plus spidey senses) when buying/selling on there.

Thanks. Think I’d need the 27, I’m only 5’6”.  I’ll likely buy new. I had seen other reviews for Vitus and it wa in the running. Just not sure I want to buy online. Did that years ago and it worked out fine, but think I’ve got more risk averse as I’ve aged.

I’ve also seen an old 8500 on eBay for £50, so it’s clearly not that impressive a bike anymore.

Good choice.  Bikes have moved on a lot since 2006.

The thing about Vitus ... is that you get, unarguably, lot of bike for you money. They can do that .. because they're selling direct to the consumer rather than via a network of bike shops that have an overhead cost tied to it.

The difference in the specs between shop bought vs direct to consumer bikes is now so clear that MBR have had to split their bike of the year award into 2x categories [1] because the direct to consumer bikes, at the same price point, are so much further ahead in terms of the specs.  

As you rightly said though .. there are pros and cons to this ... not least the impact to the bike shops.  My hunch is that the bike world, just like cars, is moving to a direct to consumer model slowly but surely.  

Yeesh ... I'd def not be putting £750 into a bike that's worth £50 now.  

[1]  https://www.mbr.co.uk/buyers_guide/best-full-suspension-mountain-bike-39600...

Thanks again. Looking at the Giant Talon 0 I’m reading it’s a trail bike. My 8500zr is XC. So might end up looking for something similar online. 
Not in a huge rush so I’ve got plenty of time to shop around.

Decided buying a £750 bike with similar tech as my 8500 made little sense. So did upgrading the 8500. I’ll keep the 8500 until I can buy another decent XC bike. Just need to pull together the approx £1,500.