Bicycle Experts: Upgrading to 9 speed drivetrain

[tnitsuj]

I have an older 99 Gary Fisher Mountain Bike with an 8 speed Shimano Altus Drive Train. I have put some serious miles on that thing, averaging two hours a day between that and my GT road bike since 99 and it might be about time for a new component set.

Is it worth it to upgrade to a new Deore XT 9 speed group, or should I just get a new bike? I would also like to know if this is a project I could undertake myself after buying some tools and a manual.

 

[Farbio]

i haven't ridden in a bout a year or so, but for the cost of a new deore xt gruppo, its probably worth it to get a new frame and upgraded full on components, from headset to shock, etc.
i have never changed up a full component set, at least to new speeds - you would probably have to change your shifters as well, and judging from what an xt set would have cost a year ago, you're looking at ~400 which seems like alot to put into a 4 year old bike with that many miles

 

[tnitsuj]

Originally posted by: Farbio
i haven't ridden in a bout a year or so, but for the cost of a new deore xt gruppo, its probably worth it to get a new frame and upgraded full on components, from headset to shock, etc.
i have never changed up a full component set, at least to new speeds - you would probably have to change your shifters as well, and judging from what an xt set would have cost a year ago, you're looking at ~400 which seems like alot to put into a 4 year old bike with that many miles

Well I can get a full Deore XT set wih rear derauller, cassete, shifters, chain etc. for ~150. Throw in a new front derauller for ~40 and I am under $200 for the parts. I do like the frame and the bike overall, and it would be a cool project.

however it :

1. May be beyond my technical abilities to do and labor costs would shoot the price over the top.
2. May not be economically wise considering the cost of a new bike.

 

[Farbio]

damn, prices dropped since i last priced it out......i remember looking to upgrade my stx to xt, and it was gonna cost about 350-400 if i remember right

 

[tnitsuj]

Originally posted by: Farbio
damn, prices dropped since i last priced it out......i remember looking to upgrade my stx to xt, and it was gonna cost about 350-400 if i remember right

Yeah, I thought it would be much more expensive for parts as well. Deore XT is supposed to pretty good too. Of course, I have gotten along well with my cheap Altus all this time so you never know.

 

[Stark]

I'd buy a new bike and make the old one a singlespeed.

There are actually some good sales going on right now because of the Tour.

 

[cyclistca]

If the frame is still in good condition then I say yes. Then maybe later you can upgrade to a new frame and fork.
Then again I have a 98 Specialized Stumpjumper and the groupo on that is still fine.

 

[guapo337]

FAUSTOOOOOOO!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOOOOOOOOU?

 

[tnitsuj]

Originally posted by: guapo337
FAUSTOOOOOOO!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOOOOOOOOU?

Yeah, where is the resident bicycle god?

 

[dman]

I dunno about the labor part. I do believe there are some special tools required to remove the cogs... should factor that into the cost... but shouldn't be too bad. 9spd vs 8spd is neglible, but, you'd have to buy new parts either way so the price is probably not much different anyway, so, all that is neglible too.

Thus, I guess(to me) it boils down to do you think your drivetrain is having problems that require it being replaced and if so, how much will you save ordering on the net vs getting from your local bike shop and having them do it.

My LBS doesn't charge a lot to do the work and the prices are reasonable. Big YMMV there.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: tnitsuj

Originally posted by: guapo337
FAUSTOOOOOOO!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOOOOOOOOU?

Yeah, where is the resident bicycle god?

I was riding my bike home from work like a good little tree-hugger.

Anyway, you have two options IMO.

1. Upgrade the grouppo. Pretty easy project. Basically just swap out everything you currently have for the 9-speed stuff. This is the cheaper option, but makes the assumption that you're happy with the stuff you won't change out....particularly the fork and the condition of the frame. An XT group minus hubs will run you $400 from Texas Cyclesport.

2. The whole thing. You'll get a nice new frame, the XT stuff, a new fork, etc but it will run you at least $1000 or so.


It really comes down to money and how much you want the "shiny new thing".

 

[tnitsuj]

Originally posted by: Fausto1

Originally posted by: tnitsuj

Originally posted by: guapo337
FAUSTOOOOOOO!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOOOOOOOOU?

Yeah, where is the resident bicycle god?

I was riding my bike home from work like a good little tree-hugger.

Anyway, you have two options IMO.

1. Upgrade the grouppo. Pretty easy project. Basically just swap out everything you currently have for the 9-speed stuff. This is the cheaper option, but makes the assumption that you're happy with the stuff you won't change out....particularly the fork and the condition of the frame. An XT group minus hubs will run you $400 from Texas Cyclesport.

2. The whole thing. You'll get a nice new frame, the XT stuff, a new fork, etc but it will run you at least $1000 or so.


It really comes down to money and how much you want the "shiny new thing".

I have the money, but I also like my old bike. The frame fits me quite well.

Do I need the whole $400 group? I thought I could just get the upgrade kit like this

http://txcyclesport.com/Merchant2/m...ode=M&Product_Code=XT-M750-5&Category_Code=xt

and a new front Derauller to upgrade my Shimano Altus 8 speed.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: tnitsuj

Originally posted by: Farbio
i haven't ridden in a bout a year or so, but for the cost of a new deore xt gruppo, its probably worth it to get a new frame and upgraded full on components, from headset to shock, etc.
i have never changed up a full component set, at least to new speeds - you would probably have to change your shifters as well, and judging from what an xt set would have cost a year ago, you're looking at ~400 which seems like alot to put into a 4 year old bike with that many miles

Well I can get a full Deore XT set wih rear derauller, cassete, shifters, chain etc. for ~150. Throw in a new front derauller for ~40 and I am under $200 for the parts. I do like the frame and the bike overall, and it would be a cool project.

however it :

1. May be beyond my technical abilities to do and labor costs would shoot the price over the top.
2. May not be economically wise considering the cost of a new bike.

Where are you going to get the parts that cheaply? That is less than wholesale.

I would be skeptical of upgrading an Altus-equipped bike to XT, because I can't imagine the rest of the bike (frame, fork, wheels) would be nice enough to justify the upgrade. The bike would probably not shift well, either, because 8-speed chainrings will not work perfectly with a 9-speed chain.

The upgrade would not be too tough from a labor standpoint, but you would probably have to pay someone to remove the old cassette and install a new one (unless you have a bench vise, chain whip, and cassette remover).