So my wife’s bike is a 2011 Trek Mamba WSD. She has historically ridden very, VERY, little, but now that our 6 and 11 year old have started wanting to go on more rides, she seems to have renewed interest.

She isn’t the most mechanically inclined, and really dislikes having front and rear derailleur. Her bike is 3x8, and has what I consider a pretty decent frame, and a RockShox Torq 100mm travel fork, 29” wheels.

Dilemma is this: update her bike to 1x12, so new cranks, cassette, hub adapter, shifters, rd, or replace with something current. I can get a great deal on a SLX shifter/XT rd that are new takeoffs at local shop, but it looks to me like to update to something of similar quality in a new bike I’d have to drop over 1K. Any reason to do one over the other?

If she likes riding this bikes, finds it comfortable, it fits, etc...., I would do the 1X upgrade. A new bike opens up the can of worms of comparing old vs. new. Not dealing with that is probably worth the expense of an upgrade, which might still be cheaper than a new bike. Or maybe an e-bike ?. Lot of folks who are not cycling fit are happy with the electric assist.

Put the front derailer in the middle ring and tell her just to use the right shifter? It's late spring. Clean the bike and polish it with Pledge. If she's still riding and interested and wants something newer later in the year, take her bike shopping.

1X10 would be an inexpensive upgrade for her.

I’m leaning towards the 1X, for many reasons you list, she does like the fit, the 2.1 tires are actually better for her, and with a relatively small budget she’d have a bike level that I’d have to spend several times the budget to equal in new. Her bike isn’t worth a lot on used market, so it isn’t like I could recoup a chunk of new cost by selling.

I’d say “upgrade” to 1x, but if you stay within the sphere of 9/10-sp, you’ll need to replace far fewer components (shifter, cassette, maybe RD) as 9-10 is more backwards-compatible with the existing hardware than 11sp.

The “good deal” on the 11-sp may end up costing more, because you may have to change more of the supporting components as well.

Even 8-sp may be sufficient, with a wide-range cassette that’s intended to be paired with the appropriate 1x crank, for a recreational use bike, than swapping everything but the paint job.

If the wife is only riding with the children, no reason to change anything at all. I'm guessing the children's bikes don't have much gearing. Just use 1 ring and all of the gears. If she's going to be doing tougher rides, then you can change something. My wife would rather piddle around on her vintage mixte with 2 x 5/stem shifters than her souped up road bike with 9 speed rear/brifters.

Put a friction thumbshifter on the left side and lock out the small and middle chainrings on the derailleur for high and low. Surely she'd be able to push it one way for flats and the other when she's not feeling quite as robust. Cost $10.

Heck, you might even be able to lock it in the middle by messing with the limit screws so she doesn't even have to worry about shifting the front by accident.

If your wife has ridden it very little, then maybe that's just not the right bike for the way she desires to ride a bike. So changing components on it might be a total waste of money.

Perhaps she doesn't want to ride a bike the same way you like to ride a bike. My wife only likes to ride slow and leisurely. I have trouble enjoying a slow and leisurely ride. So we tend to just walk together a lot.

I wouldn't change anything until she starts riding enough to complain about how her bike is limiting her. My wife has similar issues, but a new bike wouldn't change anything for her.

Having bought two quality bikes over the years for my wife, who probably put fewer than 30 miles on each, I'm with the others who say wait and see. If she starts actually riding again, and wishes for a simpler bike, you might consider a step-through with an internal-gear rear hub.

If you like it and it works, then update it and have fun

I, as well as many others, agree with post #3. BTW--I have an old mtn bike that I only ride occasionally. It is a 3x8 drivetrain. I had considered upgrading at one point-decided it would be advantageous to just buy a used, more modern one.

That is most definitely the right answer. The renewed interest may or may not last. For now, put it on the middle chainring and tell her to pretend it's not there. See how she does with basic riding and whether she's going to keep at it.

Learning how to shift is a basic skill of riding a multigear bicycle. What about shifting doesn't the wife like ? That's what I'd ask. If it's due to a lack of confidence then a 1x whatever will still present her with problems. How about simply learning to shift what she has properly ?

Upgrade-itis has no cure you know.......

If if ain't broke, don’t fix it. My daughter has started riding, and has no interest yet in what components are fitted to the bike. If she gets into cycling to the point that she becomes knowledgeable about the bits and pieces on her bike, and she wants to change them, we'll cross that bridge.

yes and XT as well as XTR stuff in10 speed is cheaper than the one in 11speed or 12speed and more durable

What does your wife want?

So this is what the mamba looks like.



I mean, today that bike is worth like $200.

She doesn't like derailleurs and doesn't like shifting much. It seems like an IGH is what she needs. Upright swoop back handlebars and a nice sprung seat. Like the dutch bike.

Lock the front derailleur in the middle ring. Get a wider range 10 speed cassette. If the cure rear derailleur does not have enough range upgrade it. Cheap and easy start.

My wife has a Trek 4900 WSB. 26er. She sides it to the mail box. With me on trails twice a year. She sort of can remember to shift up front. If she road more we’d upgrade.

All I can say is what others have said .... but given a chance to waste space, I rarely decline .....

First, refine this response please: If your wife wants Zero shifting, she needs a beach cruiser and she will need to be willing to push herself physically. The 6-year-old will only be quick in very short bursts, and the 11-year old will likely drop her. But so long as she just wants to ride along with the youngest, gearing shouldn't matter. Jam the bike (using the limit screws) into the middle ring and a middle cog and let her ride it.

If she can handle Some shifting, the answers are simple----lock out the front derailleur in whatever chain ring she will use (it shouldn't take a lot of gearing to keep up with a 6-year-old and she won't keep up with the 11-yeqar-old unless she really works hard on whatever bike) and leave the back alone.

If she can handle a little gearing, you need to install an IGH----or just lock out the front.

If she Really wants no gear, get her a one-speed beach cruiser-type bike or such, $150 at any big-box store.

If she can handle 1X, simple choose a chain ring for her. Why buy anything?

https://archive.trekbikes.com/us/en/...mbawsd/details

An 11-32 cassette with a 32-tooth chain ring ought be be a wide enough range to keep up with a couple kids, I would think. All a 9-, 10-, or 11-speed would get her would be closer gearing, by and large, unless you dropped serious bucks on 42-tooth or something .... but seriously, how steep are the hills in the area?

According to https://www.bikecalc.com/gear_inches a 32x11-32 gets her 28 through 83 gear inches .... and a low speed of 2.5 mph at 30 rpm, and a top end of about 22 at 90 rpm ... I cannot imagine she couldn't keep up with a 6-year-old with that gearing, and the 11-year old ..... for a normally healthy 11-year-old, she had best be willing to really work, whatever gearing she chooses.

Please note, the chain ring is really the deciding factor. With a 32-tooth biggest cog, she will always be able to go slowly, just by lowering cadence. Top end is determined by the chain ring---but more, by her willingness to work. Is she really interested in trying to chase the 11-year-old, and how long will that last as the child will naturally get stronger every year and she will .... well, it depends, but unless she is doing intervals and hill repeats .......

Lock out the front derailleur, or just tell her not to mess with it.

Sorry to be a downer, but it seems likely that no matter how much money you spend, the bike won't get ridden a lot. Even now she doesn't really want to Ride a Bike, she just wants to be with the kids and share an activity. That is great and all, but why drop hundreds on a bike that will get less and less use? The older child will soon only want to do stuff with his/her friends ("Mom! Leave us alone! You are so uncool!")

Also, once puberty hits, the phone is likely to be the only device getting mileage ......

The younger child probably will go way past tours of the neighborhood with mom pretty soon, and will want to use the bike as transport, to the mall, the library, to visit friends ... wherever kids go nowadays.

If your wife discovers a renewed passion for cycling and Wants to get her bike upgraded, super ..... but from the story the OP tells, his wife just wants to interact with the kids and still doesn't really like cycling per se.

Lol seriously. Cycling is one of those things that seems so obvious to the enthusiasts but that others don't quite get.

I wouldn't ride that sorry a$$ POS 2 blocks either. LOL. OR spend 2 cents changing it.

Thanks to all, well most LOL, decided to leave it alone for this year and let her tell me if she rides enough to want something different either way.