Mountain Biking - upgrade to full suspension, easyly done w.o buying a whole new bike?

got me thinking.. i have a trek bike, but its decked out, awesome brakes, great cables, great crank, great deraillure, great fork, new handbars, everythings not stock, is it possible to upgrade to a full suspension frame fairly easy? who would do it, i dont have all the tools like my lbs does. idk if they would do it though?

talk to you LBS

If you buy the frame from the LBS they should be happy to do it for free. Or for a small fee if you buy it somewhere else.

Or for a small fee if you buy it somewhere else.

A small fee to essentially build a bike frame up? Try more like $100 at least.

got me thinking.. i have a trek bike, but its decked out, awesome brakes, great cables, great crank, great deraillure, great fork, new handbars, everythings not stock, is it possible to upgrade to a full suspension frame fairly easy? who would do it, i dont have all the tools like my lbs does. idk if they would do it though?

If you buy your frame from a third party, you might have problems. The shop has to assume liability for the build up and they might not be willing. If you buy your frame from the shop, they will probably charge something in the range of what MattP says.

It's not impossible to do it yourself, however. There are lots of tools that you will need or need to make. List:

Allen wrenches - everyone should have those
Crank puller - Lots of new cranks come with integrated pullers and most external bottom bracket cranks don't need them
Headset remover - search the forums for Mcguivers for that one. It comes up a lot.
Headset press - Ditto
Cable cutter - like allen wrenches everyone should have one. DO NOT use wire cutters!
Bleed kit for hydraulics (if you have them) - you might not need it but then again...
Chain tool - again every one should have one
Bottom bracket tool for your bottom bracket - external are different from 3 piece.

That should really do it. If I'm forgetting something, someone will be along to point it out.

Be aware that there's lots of places where stuff can be wrong between frames.

1. Seatpost. Probably the number one difference between frames. Cheap fix however

2. Fork. Steer tube length can be different. Not a big problem if it's longer. Big problem if it shorter:eek:

3. Front derailer clamp can be wrong diameter. A shim if it's too big, a new derailer if it's too small.

4. Cables aren't long enough. New housing and new inners (rear only. Use the old rear one for the new front)

5. Hoses aren't long enough for hydraulics. New hose and a bleed kit and a bleed. Don't forget that a dually needs extra cable or hose for the rear suspension because of the frame movement.


All this makes $100 to $150 for a build up look good, unless you've collected tools like I have over 25 years;)

lol thanks a ton guys!!! im going to go to my lbs and talk to them about it today, ill see what they say, im looking to buy a very good full suspension frame for around $300, any suggestions? is it not worth it for a frame so cheap? ill make sure to see if my lbs would be able to supply it

Yeah, 300 for a full suspension isn't a good idea. Maybe 600 to a 1000? Then again I'm no expert on full suspensions.

That probably won't be possible at most LBS, however you may find they have some good clearance deals like this http://wheelworld.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=4213

Or some XC ones from 05 here...

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/sub/539-Cross+Country.aspx

If you're going to switch components over to your new frame, it's worthwhile to have the LBS install the fork/headset and bottom bracket. Everything else you can pretty easily do yourself, and they'll likely charge you $20-30 for doing the "tricky" parts. I've built up a couple of bikes, and only done my own headset and bottom bracket for the last one -- it's not that tough, just requires a bit more experience (and improvised tools) than the rest of the build.

That probably won't be possible at most LBS, however you may find they have some good clearance deals like this http://wheelworld.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=4213

HALO COW!!! do you know of any other closeout deals like that? im going to my lbs right now to see if they will install a frame that i bring them

ok well i talked to my bike shop and they said they could do it if i brought in my bike and the new frame as well, only thing is i have a 16 inch frame and the kona on there is 19 inch. would it work? my fork has plenty of room...
and while i was looking for other frames i came upon this beast
http://cgi.ebay.com/Nicolai-TST-Full-Suspension-DH-Freeride-Bicycle-Frame_W0QQitemZ7121574553QQcmdZViewItem

if you were to ever get a frame like that, what would be the point? wouldnt your wrists and ancles break far before your frame would ever come close to breaking?

if you were to ever get a frame like that, what would be the point? wouldnt your wrists and ancles break far before your frame would ever come close to breaking?

:roflmao:

That frame is nuts.

That probably won't be possible at most LBS, however you may find they have some good clearance deals like this http://wheelworld.com/itemdetails.cfm?catalogId=39&id=4213

Damn impulse shopping. Just bought one. Like I need a 4th bike... jeeze.

Damn impulse shopping. Just bought one. Like I need a 4th bike... jeeze.
Sorry guys. Wheelworld has been tempting me with their frame sales for a few months now. The Coiler frame was hard to resist.

As for the 16" vs 19" all your parts will transfer over but what'll change is your stand over height and handling. How tall are you?

no clue lol, but definatly id be fine because my friends got a 19 inch bike and ive got plenty of room. thanks guys!!

I think you would be better off buying the bike new. Too many things to consider and a lot of extra costs in the end as mentioned like seat posts/clamp, cables etc.

Just curious though what parts your current ride is equipped with that you must swap over?
What kind of fork, brakes, cranks?