Buying a 10+ year old bike?

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Buying a 10+ year old bike?
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flag rflan19
Posted: Jun 22, 2023 at 4:17 Quote
hey y'all, so I've been out of the biking game for a long time and recently i've been itching to get back into it. i have a couple of issues in that my old bike is hundreds of miles away, doesn't fit me anymore, and also just isn't right for the type of riding i would want to do, so i'm in the market for a whole new rig.

I don't have a huge amount of cash to spend so my budget is fairly low which limits my options to buying second hand, but on a recent ebay trawl i came across what was my dream bike when i was younger, is within my budget, can be delivered to where i live, and looks to be in great condition (the listing mentions it needs new tyres and a servicing, neither of which are issues to me).

HOWEVER, this is a bike that was released around 2010 and although it was top end at the time, i'm wondering what issues might present themselves when buying a bike of this age even if it is still in great condition and has entirely top end components?

e.g. if a bike has been looked after over that length of time will it still run well and safely or will it deteriorate no matter what? how difficult is it to source replacement parts when standards may have changed?

if the worst i have to do is send it for servicing and give it some TLC, then it seems like the perfect way back in to freeride/ enduro biking, but is there anything i may not be aware of that might cause problems down the line?

for reference, i would put myself at an intermediate (but out of practice) level, and i probably wont be biking extremely regularly, so i won't be giving it a lot of abuse in a short space time.

so please is there anything i should know, should i avoid this entirely, or should i just make the plunge?
flag delta5
O+
Posted: Jun 22, 2023 at 7:39 Quote
My daily is a 2012 Intense Tracer 2, so here's what I dealt with:

Tires - It was a 26in, but there's not much variety available anymore in that size for trail/enduro. I was able to find a set of dropouts for 27.5, but I don't know if that's a thing for the frame you're looking at. To switch to 27.5 I had to replace dropouts, wheels, tires, and fork.

Drivetrain - You can still find shifters, derailleurs, etc. from the era, but that's going to be "vintage" territory in not too much longer. Modern drivetrain stuff installs without issue, as long as it uses a "normal" derailleur hanger. I updated my shifter, derailleur, cassette, and chain to 11 speed. Also switched from old XTR to a new Wolftooth stainless narrow-wide chainring.

Seatpost - Most frames didn't have stealth routing for a dropper back then. Plenty of folks have drilled their frame with no ill effect. I'm running an externally routed Fox Transfer, and PNW makes external droppers as well. Could always go wireless if you're feeling froggy!

Frame - The big one. I've been riding mine since brand new, and though I weigh 90kg/200lb and am a bit of a hack, I maintain it well, and regularly inspect for cracks. (Intense has a certain... reputation, and I ride park with this as well as trail.) I've seen lighter/better riders destroy stronger frames though, so buying a used frame that old is a risk. You don't know how fatigued it is. Also, are linkages in good condition? Are bearings/bushings standard, or a proprietary size that's not made anymore? Or just an odd size that's difficult to source? Are bearing pockets still tight, or sloppy? The latter will continue opening itself up as you ride and eventually trash whatever part the pocket's in, whether frame or linkage.

Shock - Kind of goes along with frame concerns. Is it a normal eye to eye and stroke, or something weird that you won't be able to upgrade, only replace with used? How odd is the shock hardware? Are spacers and axles available?

Otherwise, geometry is supposedly outdated, but I don't have any problems with mine. Overforking slackened out the head angle plenty for my tastes, and I could always go angleset. I don't like super-steep modern seat tube angles anyway, so no problem there. It's still very fun, faster than its rider, and I can keep up just fine with friends on modern rigs. Last I weighed it, 15.5kg/34lb complete with pedals and cushcore, so not much of a weight penalty either.

Be smart about it and take the plunge, I say!
flag BenLow2019
Posted: Jun 22, 2023 at 9:46 Quote
If the bike has been well cared for and only lightly ridden then it should be fine.
Expect to replace things like cables, cable housings and chain upon purchase if they’ve never been replaced before. Take a good look at the cassette and chainrings as they will need to be replaced if worn out.
I still have a bike I purchased in 1993 running fine - it’s a little work getting parts, but careful research and modest upgrades have been part of the fun for me.
If you want more notes I suggest posting the ad so the forum can assist.
Good luck.
flag rflan19
Posted: Jun 22, 2023 at 10:04 Quote
delta5 wrote:
Otherwise, geometry is supposedly outdated, but I don't have any problems with mine. Overforking slackened out the head angle plenty for my tastes, and I could always go angleset. I don't like super-steep modern seat tube angles anyway, so no problem there. It's still very fun, faster than its rider, and I can keep up just fine with friends on modern rigs. Last I weighed it, 15.5kg/34lb complete with pedals and cushcore, so not much of a weight penalty either.

Be smart about it and take the plunge, I say!

funnily enough its also an Intense that I'm looking at! in terms of dropouts etc I imagine its very much the same as yours, so i would take from your experience that there are definitely possibilities for changing out drivetrain etc (if i've understood correctly), although from the photos on ebay it all looks to be good condition shimano XTR which i'd be more than happy with after a good service

I have heard about the problems that Intense frames face (i guess that is why they say For Race Only on the label) but if the seller is correct and honest then everything should be okay in terms of cracks (I've asked them specifically anyway) and they're only selling to free up space

in response to your point about the shock, i'm gonna be honest and say i don't know what you mean by normal eye to eye haha. however it's fitted with a fox DHX which was standard for this model so hopefully nothing weird there? i did also ask the seller if all the bearings etc are okay so hopefully nothing untoward there either, and i was thinking i could send it and the forks off to TF Tuned at some point

overall i'm feeling very positive about it so far! i just saw a reddit thread on a similar topic and a lot of people were crying about the geometry not being good enough on old bikes (i.e. anything more than 2-3 years old lol), but to me its still a HUGE upgrade from anything i've owned before and i'm far from being a pro racer so I'm not sure that's a massive issue to me. it has 180mm forks which will tip it back a bit and as you mentioned there's the option of an angleset. i've also been going through some threads here and seems like a lot of people are still shredding older rigs
flag rflan19
Posted: Jun 22, 2023 at 10:10 Quote
BenLow2019 wrote:
If the bike has been well cared for and only lightly ridden then it should be fine.
Expect to replace things like cables, cable housings and chain upon purchase if they’ve never been replaced before. Take a good look at the cassette and chainrings as they will need to be replaced if worn out.
I still have a bike I purchased in 1993 running fine - it’s a little work getting parts, but careful research and modest upgrades have been part of the fun for me.
If you want more notes I suggest posting the ad so the forum can assist.
Good luck.

thank you that's good to know! i'm trying to keep a modest amount of my budget aside to cater towards things like that, and hopefully once it's serviced i'll have a better idea

the seller did also mention that they would include some spares (not specified) which might help me along a bit too
flag yasonjim004
Posted: Jun 22, 2023 at 13:08 Quote
I'm in the same situation, except I have no mountain biking experience, which makes me feel even more uneasy about buying old bikes. I'm choosing between a 2023 Specialized Stumpjumper Alloy or a 2014 S-Works Epic World Cup, both used. The Stumpy is $2000 and the Epic is $1700. If someone could help me make an informed decision that would be much appreciated!
flag BenLow2019
Posted: Jun 22, 2023 at 14:47 Quote
yasonjim004 wrote:
I'm in the same situation, except I have no mountain biking experience, which makes me feel even more uneasy about buying old bikes. I'm choosing between a 2023 Specialized Stumpjumper Alloy or a 2014 S-Works Epic World Cup, both used. The Stumpy is $2000 and the Epic is $1700. If someone could help me make an informed decision that would be much appreciated!

First - I’d be very suspicious of a 2023 Stumpjumper at that price. Sounds far too good to be true - watch out for scams.
Second- those are two very different bikes. The Stumpy is a rowdy trail bike and the Epic is a cross country bike. Choose a bike type based on the type of riding you do then find one of that style in your budget.

Edit: there’s threads here dedicated to reporting scammers. If you’re considering a bike from the buy/sell page then I recommend reading through the scammer thread first so you don’t get robbed.
flag yasonjim004
Posted: Jun 22, 2023 at 17:58 Quote
BenLow2019 wrote:
yasonjim004 wrote:
I'm in the same situation, except I have no mountain biking experience, which makes me feel even more uneasy about buying old bikes. I'm choosing between a 2023 Specialized Stumpjumper Alloy or a 2014 S-Works Epic World Cup, both used. The Stumpy is $2000 and the Epic is $1700. If someone could help me make an informed decision that would be much appreciated!

First - I’d be very suspicious of a 2023 Stumpjumper at that price. Sounds far too good to be true - watch out for scams.
Second- those are two very different bikes. The Stumpy is a rowdy trail bike and the Epic is a cross country bike. Choose a bike type based on the type of riding you do then find one of that style in your budget.

Edit: there’s threads here dedicated to reporting scammers. If you’re considering a bike from the buy/sell page then I recommend reading through the scammer thread first so you don’t get robbed.

The Stumpjumper is from a brick and mortar shop that exclusively sells used bikes. It looked legit when I was there, but I’ll be sure to ask why it’s so cheap.

I’m mainly looking to do long distance truck trails and then the single track that connects them. No crazy jumps or drops. Would a Stumpjumper be able to get close to the climbing efficiency of the Epic?
flag leftypumpkin
O+
Posted: Jun 22, 2023 at 18:18 Quote
I kept my 2009 Cannondale Rize going over the last four years (I bought it new in early 2010 but really had to step up my game with a new ride group in 2019). My upgrade path was external dropper, bigger brake discs, going from 3x to 2x, better 26" tires and finally (and probably the biggest improvement overall after the brake upgrades) adding offset bushings to slacken it out.

I limped that bike along scavenging and adapting parts as I needed to to keep it trail worthy until I could afford something new. Every time I'd get nervous on a trail (which was often as it had a 68 degree head tube angle), I would check up on the brakes, the fork would dive like crazy and the bike would get steeper just as I really needed it to be slacker and mellower. Then I bought a new bike and what a world of difference.

So - upside, cheap cost of entry; downside - harder to find parts, usually a steeper head tube so not great for descending, short top tube and short wheelbase with a big long stem, choppy in the chunk because of that wheelbase, tough to drop in, really slack seat tube angle if you try to slack out the bike with a longer fork.

Can you (re)learn to ride on a 2010 bike, absolutely, the guys I ride with thought I was nuts making my Cannondale work for so long but the skills all translate over to the newer slacker, longer bikes, it just might take a bunch longer to improve because the bike's geometry definitely doesn't make it easier.
flag BenLow2019
Posted: Jun 22, 2023 at 20:05 Quote
yasonjim004 wrote:
The Stumpjumper is from a brick and mortar shop that exclusively sells used bikes. It looked legit when I was there, but I’ll be sure to ask why it’s so cheap.

I’m mainly looking to do long distance truck trails and then the single track that connects them. No crazy jumps or drops. Would a Stumpjumper be able to get close to the climbing efficiency of the Epic?

If you’re getting the Stumpy from a LBS then I’d be less worried about getting scammed but still very curious why so cheap.
The Epic is way more what you’re looking for as far as your rides description, but the new Stumpy is doable if you’re fit.
flag rflan19
Posted: Jun 23, 2023 at 13:47 Quote
so after some chat with the seller I've decided I'm gonna take the plunge! everything has been serviced and checked recently and seems to be in impeccable condition. and to me £500 for an intense with Totems up front seems like a good deal

as for the geometry that leftypumpkin mentioned, I'll post a photo of the bike when i have a chance and it might give an assessment of what it'll be like.

from what i've researched, it has a 66.5 deg head angle as a stock setup with 160mm forks, then i guess with 180mm forks that'll tip it back a couple degrees (it has a short stem too)
flag dood
Posted: Jun 23, 2023 at 21:39 Quote
Some of the best deals around are in that range for age - and there's more than a few of us around here who ride 10-20+ year old garbage that functions perfectly. It's fine.

I think you'll be surprised at how good it is; maybe a few little changes in order to make it yours, but that's what it's all about!

There's very little to go wrong on a machine like that - worst case, she needs some extra lube through the years; being the King's country, you fellers tend to have a 'little' more moisture than the rest of us. No big deal. Head angle ain't always the biggest concern....A short-ish stem and tall bar will letcha git back over the rear wheel on descents, so it might not be a huge deal. I've never been one to worry about it......

Sounds like a sweet unit! Post pics when ya can!
flag delta5
O+
Posted: Jun 25, 2023 at 16:53 Quote
rflan19 wrote:
delta5 wrote:
Otherwise, geometry is supposedly outdated, but I don't have any problems with mine. Overforking slackened out the head angle plenty for my tastes, and I could always go angleset. I don't like super-steep modern seat tube angles anyway, so no problem there. It's still very fun, faster than its rider, and I can keep up just fine with friends on modern rigs. Last I weighed it, 15.5kg/34lb complete with pedals and cushcore, so not much of a weight penalty either.

Be smart about it and take the plunge, I say!

funnily enough its also an Intense that I'm looking at! in terms of dropouts etc I imagine its very much the same as yours, so i would take from your experience that there are definitely possibilities for changing out drivetrain etc (if i've understood correctly), although from the photos on ebay it all looks to be good condition shimano XTR which i'd be more than happy with after a good service

I have heard about the problems that Intense frames face (i guess that is why they say For Race Only on the label) but if the seller is correct and honest then everything should be okay in terms of cracks (I've asked them specifically anyway) and they're only selling to free up space

in response to your point about the shock, i'm gonna be honest and say i don't know what you mean by normal eye to eye haha. however it's fitted with a fox DHX which was standard for this model so hopefully nothing weird there? i did also ask the seller if all the bearings etc are okay so hopefully nothing untoward there either, and i was thinking i could send it and the forks off to TF Tuned at some point

overall i'm feeling very positive about it so far! i just saw a reddit thread on a similar topic and a lot of people were crying about the geometry not being good enough on old bikes (i.e. anything more than 2-3 years old lol), but to me its still a HUGE upgrade from anything i've owned before and i'm far from being a pro racer so I'm not sure that's a massive issue to me. it has 180mm forks which will tip it back a bit and as you mentioned there's the option of an angleset. i've also been going through some threads here and seems like a lot of people are still shredding older rigs

Eye-to-eye is just the overall length of the shock, between mounting points. Some lengths are harder to find than others. That's all. Shouldn't be an issue with Intense. Getting your shock and fork tuned by a reputable shop, like TFT, is a fantastic idea. Can make a big difference in handling and confidence, regardless what level rider you are.

Geometry makes a little difference, but it's such a personal thing that it doesn't make sense to split hairs about it. Some people prefer the stability of a slack head angle and don't mind the disadvantages while climbing. Others want something steeper and more responsive and have the reflexes to keep up when things get fast.

One other thing to think about. For better or for worse, companies design bikes for their environment. Intense is Southern Californian, where it tends to be dry. There's decent enough tire clearance for mud, but it does find more places to stick than say, on an Orange. Rideable just fine, but it does add pounds to the bike when wet. I used to live near Chicago when I bought mine, and the mud I rode was sticky and clinging. It's not too bad, but be aware.

£500 for a complete Intense in good condition is a screaming deal. Enjoy it, and post pics!
flag rflan19
Posted: Jun 29, 2023 at 3:20 Quote
delta5 wrote:

Eye-to-eye is just the overall length of the shock, between mounting points. Some lengths are harder to find than others. That's all. Shouldn't be an issue with Intense. Getting your shock and fork tuned by a reputable shop, like TFT, is a fantastic idea. Can make a big difference in handling and confidence, regardless what level rider you are.

Geometry makes a little difference, but it's such a personal thing that it doesn't make sense to split hairs about it. Some people prefer the stability of a slack head angle and don't mind the disadvantages while climbing. Others want something steeper and more responsive and have the reflexes to keep up when things get fast.

One other thing to think about. For better or for worse, companies design bikes for their environment. Intense is Southern Californian, where it tends to be dry. There's decent enough tire clearance for mud, but it does find more places to stick than say, on an Orange. Rideable just fine, but it does add pounds to the bike when wet. I used to live near Chicago when I bought mine, and the mud I rode was sticky and clinging. It's not too bad, but be aware.

£500 for a complete Intense in good condition is a screaming deal. Enjoy it, and post pics!

that's a great point about the mud, I hadn't ever thought about it in terms of designing for specific environments. will just have to be extra vigilant.

anyway, finally getting round to posting pictures! the seller is holding it for me until the weekend then i'll officially pull the trigger

photo

photo
flag delta5
O+
Posted: Jun 29, 2023 at 6:09 Quote
That's.. a little coincidental... When I first built mine, I ran Crossmax wheels, Formula brakes, Conti tires, and those XTR cranks. And it's white. (Only pic I have with that build is a bit old, but here it is)

photo
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