> SRAM XX1 drivetrain, Shimano XT brakes, dropper post, RockShox Pike RC3, and custom wheels with Hope hubs for 6000 CAD | 5500 USD.
And now the (admittedly carbon framed and carbon wheeled) fuel EX 9.8 with a GRIP-1 damper 36 is pushing nine grand once you give the government their cut and walk out the bike shop door....
Nice to see another entry in the series, these and the "little service things to make your not that awesome bike substantially better" have been some of my favourites from you over the years.
Maybe things are different down in the land of mud and year-round riding, but I can't recall ever telling a customer their XX1 11 speed rear derailleur is punched from simply riding without gross impacts, SRAMs higher end stuff from that era usually has no issue coming back to life with some cleaning in the parts that come apart and some one step in the parts that don't, and when we're talking XX1 money, the labour might be worth it.
Likewise those XT's are probably fine with a full flush, fresh rotors of at least RT-76 quality or greater, and a high end pad like MTX to add some performance. This is a case-by-case basis, as you mention, they aren't rebuildable, but the hundred-series SLX/XT/XTR stuff is still solid if they haven't blown a piston or master cylinder over the years.
Other candidates for min-maxing old bikes might be anything from Rocky Mountain or Santa Cruz - often two of my go-to recommendations when someone is wondering which bike they should own if they want to have a bike for 10 years. The geometry won't be as cutting edge as others even from the era, but both brands are in my opinion industry leading for offering frame and small parts well past many others. Of course, you then have to deal with buying a Rocky or Santa Cruz used - which most owners consider to be made of solid gold, even with severely clapped out parts.
I might also be inclined to add the first gen Optic to the list. I think they're a year or two newer than the generation of process that's featured in this article, but they do overlap. Plus, they were pretty affordable when they came out and hopefully will be less desirable on the used marked than some aforementioned 'Cruz bikes or perhaps bikes that may be developing a cult following like the Process 111. Slap a 1.5-2 degree angleset in an optic, update what's clapped, and you're off to the races. Well, I'm not sure which races you'd be off to as its not an XC race bike or an enduro weapon, but you'd have a good ride.
Edit: If you want to be really crazy, (and I know you do love batshit theorycraft on this stuff), how about a 2014-16 Trek Slash that's actually been turned in to a trail bike? This probably is cost-prohibitive since you're replacing all the suspension on it, but consider this: Short shocked with a 210x55 to bring the rear travel in to the 140mm or so range, mulleted with a 140mm fork out front, angleset, and with the mino-link ran in the steep mode to keep the seat angle in check. I think the only way this works would be for someone slightly shorter than the original intended height per size, as we've shrunk an already short reach even more. You _might_ get away with it as Trek ran slightly shorter seat tube lengths per size than was common at the time. It's probably a bad idea though.
Feb. 28, 2022, 8:11 a.m. - Lu Kz
> SRAM XX1 drivetrain, Shimano XT brakes, dropper post, RockShox Pike RC3, and custom wheels with Hope hubs for 6000 CAD | 5500 USD. And now the (admittedly carbon framed and carbon wheeled) fuel EX 9.8 with a GRIP-1 damper 36 is pushing nine grand once you give the government their cut and walk out the bike shop door.... Nice to see another entry in the series, these and the "little service things to make your not that awesome bike substantially better" have been some of my favourites from you over the years. Maybe things are different down in the land of mud and year-round riding, but I can't recall ever telling a customer their XX1 11 speed rear derailleur is punched from simply riding without gross impacts, SRAMs higher end stuff from that era usually has no issue coming back to life with some cleaning in the parts that come apart and some one step in the parts that don't, and when we're talking XX1 money, the labour might be worth it. Likewise those XT's are probably fine with a full flush, fresh rotors of at least RT-76 quality or greater, and a high end pad like MTX to add some performance. This is a case-by-case basis, as you mention, they aren't rebuildable, but the hundred-series SLX/XT/XTR stuff is still solid if they haven't blown a piston or master cylinder over the years. Other candidates for min-maxing old bikes might be anything from Rocky Mountain or Santa Cruz - often two of my go-to recommendations when someone is wondering which bike they should own if they want to have a bike for 10 years. The geometry won't be as cutting edge as others even from the era, but both brands are in my opinion industry leading for offering frame and small parts well past many others. Of course, you then have to deal with buying a Rocky or Santa Cruz used - which most owners consider to be made of solid gold, even with severely clapped out parts. I might also be inclined to add the first gen Optic to the list. I think they're a year or two newer than the generation of process that's featured in this article, but they do overlap. Plus, they were pretty affordable when they came out and hopefully will be less desirable on the used marked than some aforementioned 'Cruz bikes or perhaps bikes that may be developing a cult following like the Process 111. Slap a 1.5-2 degree angleset in an optic, update what's clapped, and you're off to the races. Well, I'm not sure which races you'd be off to as its not an XC race bike or an enduro weapon, but you'd have a good ride. Edit: If you want to be really crazy, (and I know you do love batshit theorycraft on this stuff), how about a 2014-16 Trek Slash that's actually been turned in to a trail bike? This probably is cost-prohibitive since you're replacing all the suspension on it, but consider this: Short shocked with a 210x55 to bring the rear travel in to the 140mm or so range, mulleted with a 140mm fork out front, angleset, and with the mino-link ran in the steep mode to keep the seat angle in check. I think the only way this works would be for someone slightly shorter than the original intended height per size, as we've shrunk an already short reach even more. You _might_ get away with it as Trek ran slightly shorter seat tube lengths per size than was common at the time. It's probably a bad idea though.