chrome

I have a 97' Marin bobcat that has done me stirling service for years now..
however- last night I managed to snap two teeth off the largest front cog last night, one off the centre front and the rear cogs are now seriously worse for wear..
my mileage has rocketed lately; and I ride hard and very very fast.
99% On road tho.

I think I put too much strain on the gearset..
I recently broke some pedals to give you an idea of how much force I exert uphill

I have had a brief look at replacing the gearset- but I dont know where to start.
was hoping to bag some XT/XTR bargains on fleabay- but again- I dont know exactly what I can fit on the bobcat.

I'm half tempted just to say sod it- and buy a 2nd hand bargain from ebay and be done with it.

HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

Mark Miwurdz

Blimey mate - it it's original '97 kit, I'd say it's done jolly well. Just buy the best stuff you can afford. XTR is an unnecessary expense IMO - XT is just as good in the value stakes. Chainrings are fragile bits of kit but I've had reasonable life out of the Middleburn stuff.

Cheers
Kav

SiPie

100% agree with Mark.....

Go for XT....will prob last longer as well and weighs only a few extra grams

Grant-F

Hi mate
With the age of the bike, I would think the bottom bracket will be square tapered axle is it? If so any crankset for square taper fit will work. XT/Xtr are always good quality so you should be alright with them. Are the chainrings you have at the moment seperate ie. possible to replace the 1s you damaged without replacing whole crankset? This may not work out to be cost effective but worth a look. As for your worn rear cassette just put on a new 1 for all the price of them. How many sprockets on the rear?

Hope this is of some help to you. Any Qs just ask should be able to help you (hopefully!)

Grant

Grant-F

The other replies must of been posted while I was typing (not the quickest!). I would agree with both of the previous comments! G

chrome

it has an annual service. thats the only real maintenance it gets these days..
It probably has about 2500 miles on it total now.. maybe a bit less.
I caned hell out of it at college.
And when I was out of work.
Then it got put in the shed for a couple of years.
Just recently been doing about 6-7 miles a day 6 days a week... and some leisure riding of 5+miles.. its showing its age at last tho

longevity from the replacement bits is preffered

XTR/XT stuff seems pretty cheap via ebay- but I have no idea if I can strip off existing mech/cassette etc and replace with 9spd xtr kit.
(would need new shifter too I suppose)

short term: I need a new crank ASAP.

Typical; if I need a hand with the car I know plenty of people who would willingly help- but with the bike I'm **** out of luck and have no idea where to start with it.
doh.
Plus I've never had to replace anything bar the pedals on the bike- it's been smashing..

Anyone fancy speccing me up some strong replacement kit for it and building it up?
OR at least I can post up current frame size/crank arm length, and post some pics as to which bits I would like to replace..
Anyone up for it?

(modding a mountain bike- what am I like?- altho' its GOT to be cheaper than moding the scoob -again )

chrome

ah- cheers grant.
Will go take some measurements/photos and post up in a bit.

Rear hub is buckled as **** too
(damn downhill trail last night on the way home from the pub)
The bike has a load of new squeaks and rattles now..
the gearset I have now is pretty crappy (altho it HAS lasted years now)

I have seen a smart Marin Nail trail on Ebay for not much at all, and Im very tempted just to buy that as its a hell of a base bike (ally - no Ti tho).

My biggest problem Is that I have no tools for the bike- or any know how of what to do with the tools/new parts if I had any!

King RA

To be honest even LX kit is good. I've recently bought a 2nd hand stumpjumper and the LX parts on that feel lovely.

Have a look at the classifieds on http://www.singletrackworld.co.uk/

Best place to buy parts is www.merlincycles.co.uk

followed by chainreactioncycles.co.uk and wiggle.co.uk

Grant-F

Would have to agree with you there mate. IMO chainreactioncycles are 1 of the best places for parts along with bikedock, both have excellent service. I think super cycles is in you neck of the woods chrome! Have used them a few times before seem to be nae bad. G

chrome

so they are Grant!
Nice one.

as a thought- what are bike mech' labour rates like these days?

Graz

I may be completely wrong on this but I've a funny feeling the width of the rear of the frame is slightly wider to accomodate 9 speed hubs.

If going the 9 speed route it's going to cost you a load anyway, need new block, rear derailleur, possibly new hubs to accomodate 9 speed block and therefore a wheel rebuild, new cranks/front rings, new bottom bracket, new front derailleur, new shifters, new chain, cables....

If you are hard on the drivetrain how about the Shimano Saint stuff designed for more extreme type riding and downhill. Should last a bit longer.

Upgrade / trade it in?

Grant-F

Yeh thats right the freehub on rear will only b long enough to take whe size of cassette on it at the moment unless its spaced! As for labour costs nae too sure I build all my bikes myself but as I'm slightly out the way of nottingham this aint much help to you.

Saint certainly wouldnt break easy but might work out a bit costly given the age/value of the bike.

Grant

chrome

hi guys.
GRaz- some interesting points.
Didnt realise about the 9spd restrictions tho.

saint crank is £130 on http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...x?ModelID=3404
the saint rear mech only works with a saint hub too.. http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...x?ModelID=3410

hm.
nice idea tho.

tbh- I think Im gonna hold out for the nail trail bike via ebay.
It will certainly work out cheaper than hi spec bits..

here's some pics of my shagged drivetrain:



front chain rings are:
42/34/24
4 teeth half gone, two missing on outer ring,
four half gone on middle ring,
one missing and two half gone on inner ring. nice.
7 spd rear cassette

Shimano aceraX crank (yuck) - looks to me like its all one peice.
acera/atlus (not sure which now) front and rear mech's.
frame is still in resonable nick.

chrome

what would you fellas in the know offer for a late 90's XTR crankset (no broken teeth), shifters, cables and front and rear mech.. ??
its this guy:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...DME:B:RTQ:UK:1
Sounds like he has other XTR goodies- but he wont give a price on the bundle.. help!

andys

XT / XTR chaining might as well be made of cheese and a renown for wearing out in no time better of getting midlleburn rings or ever consider standard steal deore ones

chrome

okk Andy. I didnt know that.
Back in the day (mid 90's) all I knew was that XTR were the daddy allegedly

Thanks for the input.

Got my eye on a couple of Deore equipped bikes on ebay as we speak.
Works out cheaper (rather than just upgrading the bits seperately! ) amazingly

chrome

just found myself a SWEET ride..

spec:

Frame
7005 aluminium E-XC with Edge EX top and down tubes

Forks
RockShox Duke XC with U-Turn 63-108mm

Rear Derailleur
Shimano Deore XT

Front Derailleur
Shimano Deore

Shifters
Shimano Deore

Chainset
TruVativ Firex 44/32/22 with outer and middle alloy rings

Bottom Bracket
TruVativ ISIS Drive SL

Chain
Shimano HG-53

Freewheel
SRAM PG-950 PowerGlide II 9spd 11-32

Headset
WTB Momentum AL threadless

Stem
3D forged four bolt threadless

Handlebars
Double butted alloy with 1" rise

Front Brake
Magura Julie hydraulic disc

Rear Brake
Magura Julie hydraulic disc

Brake Levers
Magura Julie hydraulic disc

Rims
Mavic X-223 disc 32h

Front Hub
Pro Disc double sealed 32h

Rear Hub
Pro Disc double sealed 32h

Spokes
DT 15 guage black stainless

Tyres
26" Slicks and Bontrager XC Tyres

Saddle
WTB Speed V Sport with love channel and comfort zone

Seatpost
Comp alloy micro adjust


Sound ok??
Tis bloody cheap too!!

chrome

bugger.
this bike and another I had my eye on were both going for silly money- until the last 40 minutes- then predicatably it went nuts
Way out of my price range..

found an address for my local Marin Dealer.. might phone him up and ask if they can replace the chainset/gearset.

just mildly concerned the bike/frame is too old and technology has moved on so far now, as I have been reading the last few days, that its beyond saving..

rr_ww

Id be inclined to recommend a new bike over getting an old one or your one fixed up.
Nows actually not a bad time to buy. I got 25% off my Zaskar because it was september 03 and the newer ones 04 were due in the next few weeks.

chrome

I really cant afford anything really decent these days..
all the new bikes that are reasonably specced are Soo expensive
I bought my Marin in 96/97 for cash and it was about £400 then.
£400 now will get me sweetFA from what I've seen...
back in 96/97 Bikes over a grand were far rarer than now.
Now they seem to be de rigeur- and anything less seems to be sheer tat

altho there is the evil of interest free credit
*sigh

I'm going to call the marin dealer on monday and see what the real cost of fixing the bobcat will be.
The frame is still decent- its just the components are showing their age.

PG

I know what you mean !! With an impending house move I'm not allowed any more toys.
I did however manage to sneak this in to the house the other day



picture going to work with a black Giant bike and arriving back with that. Loads of carbon and loads of Campag ........It took some explaining

chrome

the rocky ridge I had my eye on went for £386.
the nail trail went for £280

its more than I really wanted spend.. seeing as apart from the chainset/crannk and gears the bobcat is still good to go.
plus the wife was watching on ebay over my shoulder

altho I suppose I'll get FA for my marin on a PX no doubt given its age.
****.

chrome

nice
that would indeed take some explaining to her indoors

doesnt help I have a cannondale dealer just down the road - doh
*must resist*

PG

Got a 'Dale sitting in one of the sheds too



All upgraded to XT now.

chrome

now thats just rude

fancy a PX +cash for a marin

PG

erm.............................nah

chrome

doh

cw42

iTrader: (1)

Chrome, in your original post you said 99% of your riding was on-road. If thats the case, why not get a proper road bike?
You can borrow my cannondale road bike for a few weeks while I'm away if you like, in fact, you can borrow it till the end of september I wont be using it.
Let me know if you fancy a go,
Chris.

pbee

Chrome

I was in the same position as you last year, but i had bent my bike on a ride. nothing major but that whats happens when you are 13 stone and ride hard.

I looked at fixing it, but in the end i striped sme bits off flogged them and bought a new one.

I got a Giant xtc se 3 from these guys, deore lx/xt hardtail excellent hydralic disc brakes the works.

http://www.paulscycles.co.uk

ok it was a 2003 and it was nearly the end of 2004 when i bough it. but who cares for the £400 ish it cost.

have a look they have good bikes for around the £400 mark and if you are not a poser and need the latest colour who gives a **** right.

chrome

Hiya Chris
Cannondale road bike?

wow- cheers for the offer!
I've always been wary of roper 'road bikes' as the roads round here are ****.. poteholed and bumpy as anything.
Plus cant blast thru the local trails as easily on a road bike
However, I do a 4mile uphill slog to work as Im not driving the scoob day to day currently (mainly due to a intermittent starting fault on my ECU ) and trying to save a few £ on fuel costs..
I think I'd like to seriously take you up on the offer - however- I need my link ECU in the car to come get it (Car doesnt have a MAF and would probably run dangerously with the spare JECS ECU I have)

Maybe I can sort out a ride/van hire to come get it?

Pbee: Cheers.
The annoying part is that if I had £400 to spare I would have had the marin rocky ridge from ebay (rrp-£1200!)