Posts
21
Joined
7/16/2023
Location
Newport Beach, CA, USA
Edited Date/Time
11/14/2023 12:50am
Is a ten year old downhill bike still good like the forks and shocks? It’s bomber 58 forks its sun faded but feels good while the spring shock makes a really rubbing to dirt sound everything else works good the brakes needed a bleed
Would you trust your life or the structural integrity of your face on it?
A 10 years old bike is a 2013 bike. It will be fun to ride and plenty capable of modern riding, perfectly fine for a beginner. The only downfall will be wheel size and geometry. The question is then if you can get it for dirt cheap and repair what might need repairing (the shock in this case, most likely) and it likely needs an overhaul. With not much money you can buy something newer, and a modern enduro bike will be just as good, and I guess there might be more being sold. What brand and model is it?
A lot of the changes from 2013 to now are down to bike length, and as mentioned before, wheel size. Frame angles are similar, and the suspension will still be decent. So if the bike fits you, it will be a good bike. And building on what was said before, the moving parts should all be checked and possibly serviced: pivot bearings, bottom bracket and headset bearings, and suspension.
If you already own it and it's the bike you have to ride, it's a perfectly suitable mountain bike. If you're buying a bike now, IMO you're better off with a more modern, long travel trail or enduro bike in the 2-4k range (used to new ranging from used trail bikes like giant reigns, rocky slayer/altitude, etc up to new jeffsy). Long story short, don't sink 1,500 buying one of these to get started. If you own one already and it's the only bike you have, put 150-300 dollars of maintenance in it (not parts!) and ride it and save your duckets for buying yourself a new bike "next" season when you ride so much/hard you can justify it.
i'm still riding my xprezo furax from 2010. once out of curiosity I compared it to a newer bike (commencal supreme, i think v4). almost all the dimensions/measurements were within a couple mm or a degree or so for angles, with the exception of reach and wheelbase. both were something like 3.5" / 90mm longer on the supreme. so second the length difference being the primary thing aside from wheelsize. i was fortunate that there is enough clearance in my frame to put 275 wheels on it, so at this point i'm still rocking it.
best bike I've ever had was a 2014 Devinci Wilson, bikes today are still in it's shadow IMO.
Post a reply to: 10 year old downhill bike