# To upgrade or to buy a new bike....



## Jimbob202 (Mar 3, 2021)

Hi All, 

After a period away from MTB I'm slowly getting back in to trail riding. Having dusted my bike off giving it a good service I wondered how far off my current bike is to the modern machinery on the market and if it was worth buying a new bike. 

My current bike:
Voodoo Wagna Cromo frame
Rockshock Reba air
Hope mini brakes front and rear
Race face XC Bar and Stem
Raceface XC hollowtech cranks
Saram X7 group set 
DMR V8 pedals 
mavic wheels and unbranded hubs


As you can probably tell this is an old bike 10 years old I think. Looking at new bikes I see a lot of Suntour front forks and deore group sets on bikes being sold for £800 plus, Last time I seen a suntour fork it was on an entry level bike less than £500. Are Suntour really as good as the likes of Rockshox and Fox? 

I've been out of the loop for a long time but it doesn't look like I would be able to replace my current bike with a similar spec for less than £1K? 

If I was upgrading my current Bike, I would go for new wheels/Hubs and ditch the front gears. 

Please feel free to bring me up to speed


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## Reaperactual (Apr 20, 2020)

Hi. Can't say I know anything about your old Voodoo so googled and saw some pics.

Imho you gotta get a new bike unless yours has sentimental value or holds too many fond memories and you can't let it go.

Based on the pics modern geometry has come a long way to improve the mtb riding experience on the whole.

Spec wise you have 1x drivetrains, thru axles, tuneable and feature packed forks and so on which will blow you away and are worth every penny of their £1k ish price tags.

Rockshox and Fox are still regarded as better in general compared to Suntour forks.

Just sharing my opinion and I'm all about the more modern stuff anyway but up to you of course.

For the best value for money and a decent mtb check out the Vitus Sentier or Nukeproof Scout sold on Chain Reaction Cycles. I'd recommend starting your search there and bringing yourself up to speed using these two bikes as good examples of what kind of hardtail you can get for the cash these days.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Jimbob202 said:


> If I was upgrading my current Bike, I would go for new wheels/Hubs and ditch the front gears.
> 
> Please feel free to bring me up to speed


What's wrong with your wheels and hubs? Or your bike in general?

Depending on where/what you're riding as well as personal preference and need for conspicuous consumption, the 'latest and greatest, must-have' geometry according to marketing departments/sales geeks may or may not be 'better' for you. Personally, after spending a few season trail riding a bike with a 66 degree HT angle , I've found I don't really like chopper-style bikes outside of DH riding.


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## Pedalon2018 (Apr 24, 2018)

Jimbob202 said:


> Hi All,
> 
> After a period away from MTB I'm slowly getting back in to trail riding. Having dusted my bike off giving it a good service I wondered how far off my current bike is to the modern machinery on the market and if it was worth buying a new bike.
> 
> ...


Upgrading to more modern bits on your existing ride is expensive. And frames are better now in construction and geometry. So if you can swing it, new bike with the exact bit ps you want is much more cost effective. I would sell at a reasonable price and get your dream ride. Keeping it fresh helps me get up the the mountain.........


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## Pedalon2018 (Apr 24, 2018)

Pedalon2018 said:


> Upgrading to more modern bits on your existing ride is expensive. And frames are better now in construction and geometry. So if you can swing it, new bike with the exact bits you want is much more cost effective. I would sell at a reasonable price and get your dream ride. Keeping it fresh helps me get up the the mountain.........


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## Curveball (Aug 10, 2015)

Reaperactual said:


> Rockshox and Fox are still regarded as better in general compared to Suntour forks.


At the bottom end this is true. The very cheap Suntour forks are quite crappy. However, the mid-grade and higher Suntour forks are very good and can compete with Fox and Rockshox.


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## Curveball (Aug 10, 2015)

Reaperactual said:


> For the best value for money and a decent mtb check out the Vitus Sentier or Nukeproof Scout sold on Chain Reaction Cycles. I'd recommend starting your search there and bringing yourself up to speed using these two bikes as good examples of what kind of hardtail you can get for the cash these days.


This is a great suggestion. Ragleys are very nice too. However, I'd keep your current bike until you can get a new one because the bike supply is very tight now.


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