Hello. If you have a bike with mid range component for example Shimano exage lx.
Are you going to keep full original or turn it up into a restomod with an updated drivetrain for example a cheap 8,9,10 x1 setup?
The idea of a restomod is cool, and the bike will improve by a lot but since they are not top tier parts is the bike became less worth with a few modern upgrade?

Dude, that's entirely up to you and what you want to ride. I'm not a purist and am perfectly happy putting modern components on my bikes to get the looks/performance I want. Others prefer their bike to be as original as possible. Vive la difference.

If you're looking to sell, then put the least amount of money into it that you can and still get a rideable bike, because you won't get what it's worth. Also, if it had mid-tier components it's likely a mid-tier bike and not worth that much to begin with.

Exage is not mid range. It was pretty much the lowest tier before department store BSOs. Like modern Sora or 2200.

So modernize it! It will do everything better -which will make you want to ride it more!

Unless the bike is of historic significance I can’t think of any reason to restore

😆😆 ​​After that answer probably I'll go for it

That's not exactly true. Exage was decent enough, the Exage 500LX package was equal to Deore LX, and Exage Mountain was good quality as well.
200GS was absolute junk

I have the Exage400LX.

A bit heavy but very usable.

​​​​​​Probably I'm going to test it with a 1x7 with a 38t.
and then decide to keep with 7 or add more gears

Is it a full ChroMoly frame and fork?

Is this something you're going to keep or try and sell? If you're going to sell it just overhaul it.

Pics plz, all factors will be different for each of us. We all have different yardsticks and benchmarks, one mans trash, etc., etc.

Even on a bike we covet it may a bridge too far if too many original components are missing or too much of a challenge to locate or procure for whatever reason.

I have done several "sympathetic" restos and have some more modern complete restomods with many in between and can tell you that my scale can become very sliding anytime.

I have only done a couple that I really tried to grab the brass ring and came close enough for me and most others agreed.

I have a large "inventory", (pile) of parts and had many good, special ones that got used on some recent builds.

Now those sort of builds will have to be more "sympathetic" as the really cool stuff is gone. Plenty of good ones left but the best has mostly been used and I will continue to buy a few gems when I find them for a good build at a price I can stomach.

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do and can live with.

I've been known to modernize even bikes with Campy Super Record, so this was a pretty easy call for me.

the exage 400LX was a very robust and reliable transmission.I still have my1992 giantTourer fitted with its altus c10 transmission,not high end but works very well.

It's a rock hopper from 1990. Full Chromoly.
I'm going to use a few times per year just to enjoy since I have other bikes i use for sport.

Share some a photos

Even low end Shimano is pretty bullet proof. Rebuilding and reimagining can be the fun of it.

I am retromodding a mixte Gitane as a modern gravel-city bike for my sister.

i uploaded an entire playlist while restoring. You can see the final result in the last video.
But i added a few more details for example a beautiful bullmose handlebar and the brake booster painted the same color of the rock hopper text 😉.
I definitely need to shoot some photos as soon as possible.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...0uX3_A_Lqk68gY

I'll take those Exage 400 components! haha. They work great and I like them.

this was my old 1992 Merida with its original lx equipment before migrating to xt 781 t almost 8 years ago



In 2015, I decided that this mountain bike needed a very serious upgrade so went to xt 781with 30 speeds and vbrakes







The bike lost 750grams with the new equipment and is more precise regarding shifting and more efficient regarding braking

Wait I am confused- did you restore the bike a year ago and now asking the forum what they would do?

Why didn't ya say so? The Rockhopper thread needs pictures.
btw, I have a 1990 'Hopper, a 1995 'Hopper, and an '86 hopper

completely restomodded. Deore XT derailleurs, Deore DX thumbies, forged specialized strong arm cranks from a 1993 stumpy, LP composites seatpost Diatech ubrake, Deore DX front brakes, Northroad style Handlebar, Avid 5 brake levers...

You won't bring the price down, but the updates, yes updates imo, may not increase the value.

I like the LX 400, I had that group that on my MTB which went through a few frame swaps around the Y2K times.

Since you asked, here's my Pinarello Super Record Special, as bought, with Super Record components.



And here it is built the way I like to ride it.

You are 100 percent correct.
No. That is unless you have a pristine example.
The only thing of any real value is the frame and fork as a combination. it's what makes it what it is, not the parts hung on it.