WWYD: Rebuild or replace (gravel bike question)

I have an older 2011 Kona Jake the Snake that I've put a shit ton of miles on between being my commuter, my very occasional road/gravel bike, and my trainer. MOST of it's miles are trainer miles, but I put probably 300 gravel/road miles in the summer too. It needs a solid rebuild, everything that moves on that bike is shot. It was the base model of that bike, so heavy wheels, crummy shifting, etc. Priced out Microshift Sword components, and it's looking like I'm in at about $300-$350 for everything I need (including some new brakes, cables, chain, grip tape, etc.).

That's sort of getting to the point where I could "think" about putting that toward an updated bike with some disc brakes and low level componentry.

Would you:
1) Spend the money and keep the Kona rolling
2) Hang it in the garage and get something a little newer

If #2, who's watching good deals? Or who's sellin :). They seem everywhere. Seems like it's not impossible to find an entry level gravel bike for $6-$900...

Can you do the rebuild or will you have to pay someone? If you can do the work there's something nice about keeping older bikes going, but that's just me.. I got an old S-Works cyclocross bike for $100 a few weeks ago and gave it a complete overhaul on a rainy Sunday and it's riding well. The biggest limitation is the rim brakes vs. disk brakes , but if you live is a dry place I don't think its too big of a deal. That and the narrow rims vs. modern wider offerings for tire choices.

My son got a nice used Diamondback Haanjo for $300 a couple of months ago to ride to work. It's not a bad little bike for the money. Cable disk brakes, etc.
If you decide to go 'new' there's some great deals on used bikes out there....

I would probably look to buy a bike. But I would look for used. Screaming deals on new stuff means screaming deals on used stuff. Can find something carbon with nice grx or Force stuff on it for like $1500 around here... Price up or down according to budget and start watching. The real good deals show up and get snapped up, so be ready to pounce.

Just an example, $750 for giant revolt... Been up 10 days, offer him $600. Lots out there that is more modern and decent quality for reasonable prices.

Giant Revolt LG Frame Gravel Bike https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/75114205

I worked a bike swap this weekend. I was amazed at the deals. That said, the used gravel bikes were going for twice what the used road bikes were, and there were way less of them. That said, there were alot of bikes that had never been ridden. Literally covid buys that sat in the garage. My guess is that will be happening some with gravel rides too.

If the Kona has rim brakes and skewer axles - hang it, make it the bar bike, save it for Jr’s college whip, donate it, etc…. And get a new bike. That’d be my line.


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My gravel/ touring bike is a 25 yr old Kona mtn bike that still has V brakes and I would say brakes are really the least of ones worries, i mean these brakes were the shit on a mtn bike 25 yrs ago, they still stop more than OK and one can get them fixed anywhere, i rode it fully loaded with panniers up/ down the 5 major TDF cols in the pyrennes and i did not die,

What makes me think more about a bike upgrade is ditching the smaller/ slower 26" wheels for something faster, I vote for doing the cocktail napkin math for a new bike while selling the Jake if that much stuff is fluffed and let someone else take it on

my old kona was taken away from my kid and parts replaced piece by piece but the brakes are original

good stuff so far guys! I can do the work on my bike for sure, but nick hit it by saying that it's rim brakes and skewers, which is tough to throw money at. xxx-er is on what seems like a similar path of doing some drunk napkin math with the idea that there's nothing wrong with it if it ended up being worth fixing.

I think I might go down the path of just taking a peak and seeing what might be out there.

As a fellow dentist, I recommend you just buy one of these: https://moots.com/bikes/gravel/express/
I got the matching Rapha kit to go with it of course.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sfotex

As a fellow dentist, I recommend you just buy one of these: https://moots.com/bikes/gravel/express/
I got the matching Rapha kit to go with it of course.

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Pulled trigger. 10k for that!?


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If you decide to build I've got some Microshift Advent X brifters sitting around. Will work with a Sword derailleur or you could just run full Advent X. PM if interested

You could permanently retire it to trainer duty with a mild refresh and get something more modern and suited to your outdoor use case?

Could keep an eye out for an older bling road bike in an unsellable size and chop shop it. Sometimes dentist just hang stuff on walls and then practically give it away.

Hasn’t some of the geometry evolved with gravel bikes recently? Like slacker head tube angles?

Is tricky, one needs to anticipate the down country, shuttle, bike packing segment. Engineering are working on gyroscopic low centered Panniers.

probably nowhere in biking is geometry or disc brakes less important than gravel biking

which brings up a good question how wide of a tire can the OP run on the snake cuz tires are important

being able to run a wider modern tire would make a difference

Quote:

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Originally Posted by XXX-er

probably nowhere in biking is geometry or disc brakes less important than gravel biking

which brings up a good question how wide of a tire can the OP run on the snake cuz tires are important

being able to run a wider modern tire would make a difference

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Disk brakes = more modern rim/wheels choices that easily take wide tires... Canti's can be fickle to get around wide tires/narrow rims too. Kind of like the QR hubs. But not the end of the world.

I heard about this dude that even won the Tour de France with rim brakes a long time ago..

That was my point about making the line at disc brakes. Obviously a bike with rim brakes and skewers is rideable and certainly enjoyable…. But dropping $500 to upgrade a bike like that doesn’t make sense compared to what you can buy for $600…


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by sfotex

Disk brakes = more modern rim/wheels choices that easily take wide tires... Canti's can be fickle to get around wide tires/narrow rims too. Kind of like the QR hubs. But not the end of the world.

I heard about this dude that even won the Tour de France with rim brakes a long time ago..

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There are still TDF riders using rim brakes because on a climb section they might want a really light setup and there is enough braking power with a rim brake but more modern wheels that don't fit will just happen to also be disc friendly so OP needs to look at the future of what wheels/ tires fit his existing frame

I think he will be scoping the new bike

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sfotex

Disk brakes = more modern rim/wheels choices that easily take wide tires... Canti's can be fickle to get around wide tires/narrow rims too. Kind of like the QR hubs. But not the end of the world.

I heard about this dude that even won the Tour de France with rim brakes a long time ago..

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Yes. The rim is the issue with tire width. I can’t seem to get a decent tire over 30 on there. Maybe less. There’s a fair bit of room in the frame but I’d need some new wheels to run anything wider than that, and screwed and spacing means options are limited. Rims just too narrow to accommodate anything decent unfortunately.

It’s a weird conundrum. I have some bike prices in front of me now, just trying to decide. Leaning toward getting a new bike but gonna sleep on it.


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I just bought my wife a gravel bike, a 10 yr old Niner Air Pro 29r XC bike. 1X, front suspension for $900. I added a internal dropper, new rotors. pads. I left the flat bars on as she likes to ride more upright, back surgery. So for $1300 she has a killer gravel bike that weighs 23lbs.

That seems like a great deal, farmguy. Bought from a private party?

Justcuz, you probably can get me rim brakes that’ll improve the ease of fitting a bigger tire and rim.

Regarding geometry, my minimal observation has been that my kids newer state brand gravel/touring bike has slacker HT geometry than modern cyclocross bikes, than my late-90’s steel colnago road bike (which fucking rails on pavement descents - dangerous and fun!), than my surly 1x1, and than my 90’s steel stumpjumper. It may have similar HT angle as my 70’s American Eagle bike, but that bike has a huge rake in the fork.

I know that HT angle is only one part of geometry, but it goes back to my question, when the general geo change for gravel bikes? I believe there have also been recentish updates in rear dropout spacing.

Personally, I’m looking for something used that’s cheaper than a State 4130 with arguably better and lighter components with the goal of long rides on steep dirt and gravel. I can take long gravel and bikepacking rides from my house with minimal time on pavement and no need for anything beyond the passive suspension of bigger tires.

Use your 90s Stumpjumper with mustache bars and 45-50 tires. Cantilever brakes are fine for this, I’ve rode thousands of miles of dirt and gravel roads with them.


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Unfortunately, that stumpjumper is no longer in my possession :(. I also rode it for thousands of miles on dirt (technically and smooth), even with a nonfunctional rear shifter/derailer and tired front suspension fork.

Even with good pads, the cantilever braking did not compare to discs, even old avid mechanical disc brakes, in wet conditions. I felt that my trail riding skills got pretty good on that specialized riding steep trails in Skeggs Point and Joaquin Miller in heavy rains when rim brakes can only slow you down but couldn’t stop you until you get to the flats.

I’d use my old American Eagle bike for this use, but I can’t seem to find/source wheel and freehub/freewheel that’ll work for the rear spacing. I tried a sturmey-archer internal hub for a while, but it kinda sucked and it weighed a ton. Currently, it’s fixed, which is fun on dirt and gravel, but limiting on steeper stuff.

I’ve got a bunch of older good quality hub sets, Suntour, Campy, Shimano. Let me know if you want something.

I always thought cantilevers were fine set up correctly and with good pads, like Kool Stop.


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Thanks! I’ll need to confirm spacing (it’s narrow).

Kool stop is how I’ve been rolling. The only way to go.

I may still cave and add to the stable if I find the right used ride.

It’s steel so it’s okay to spread a little. I think I have some 126mm hubs


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Update: lots of good deals right now on bikes. I’ll clean up my old Kona Jake and either retire it to trainer duty or let it go. New gravel bike on the way.


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Probably smart ^^ , it was my C-dale road bike i tried to upgrade the tires on, about the biggest I could do was 25 and the old rims from the narow tire days were a real problem so I think what rubber you can mount is a real important consideration

Quote:

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Originally Posted by XXX-er

probably nowhere in biking is geometry or disc brakes less important than gravel biking

which brings up a good question how wide of a tire can the OP run on the snake cuz tires are important

being able to run a wider modern tire would make a difference

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That's the one thing that's making it hard to hold on to my beloved custom steel CX bike that does gravel/road duty now.

The straight steerer is fine and while pickings were slim I was able to find a nice carbon fork for it. The rear rim brake (paul mini-moto) is fine. I'm running a front disc though...which means I am basically limited to only custom wheelsets, but that's OK. 27.6 seatpost is fine for my purposes. Built with modern 1x11 that I might want to update to 1x12 but is otherwise fine.

But the fricking chainstays are too tight to run anything bigger than a 37c WTB Riddler (I tried a lot of tires...these work as long as you keep it <45psi). OK on road duty as I can easily run 30/32 slicks, but I'd really like to be able to go a step bigger in the rear for our local rough-ass gravel roads. Honestly it is a design flaw...the seat stays have GOBS of clearance and the chainstays have enough heigh, but not enough width. It was early in the framebuilder's career, UCI limited CX tire size, and I just don't think he realized where the choke point would land as a tire sizes up.

I've thought about trying to hire a framebuilder to pinch the stays to generate a bit more clearance, but I'm not sure that's really worth it...a new bike will just be better at some point.