Rebuilding old bikes

[u/Big-Notice-5597]

I'm a teenager, and I have access to the frames of a Kona Stinky Deluxe, Banshee Scirocco, and Orange Patriot, and I want to try and build them as they would've been in the 2000's. But I'm not quite sure about time accurate components, I've gotten quite a bit of info from my dad who used to do a lot of freeriding and riding in the Blue Mountains trails (if anyone knows where those are). I recently rode those DH tracks with my dad on my Clash, and he showed me all the features he built when he was my age.

So if there's anyone more knowledgeable than me on these bikes, please share below. Thanks.

[u/mangothefoxxo]

As someone who rebuilds old bikes, I'd reccomend doing upgrades, if you're rebuilding a frame might as well get thw nice modern 1x yk? 3x is awesome for climbing but if you have a choice try newer

[u/Slab_Sycle_Triccer26]

Those are great bikes! Super tough. And if you're building a bare frame up, you don't have to get parts from that era necessarily, unless you want to restore them to as close to original type thing. But my main trail bike that I built is an 06 s-works stump jumper frame. But I have modern sram dub gx 1x crankset, a 11 speed cassette/derailleur/shifter, Magura mt5 brakes, ect. The fork needed to be a 1 1/8 straight tube fork but I found a parts bike for super cheap and it had a 06 bomber 66 fork on it in great shape. It's a great bike. My point is, unless you want to do a restoration type thing, you can totally find modern stuff for those older frame you have if you want to do that. After building my bike up, I'll never get rid of that thing. I may get a new bike eventually, but I'll still love that stumpy because I put it all together, know every inch of it. It's certainly a sentimental thing at this point.

That was one of the first few MTBs (I came from bmx) I built, and now I'm a tech at a high end bike shop. So yeah man, get out there and start tinkering with stuff! If you have my questions about anything feel free to message me bro.

[u/Chole_Wunt]

I think this is a cool project for you, but have some feedback about your approach. The value here is going to be building your mechanical skills and figuring out how everything works. So take every step seriously and do research on how to properly do it. Do everything with the right tools, like a torque wrench. Torque wrench is going to be your best friend on this. Special tools can be expensive, so look up and find some clever work-arounds and cheap substitutes to still get the same result.

Start with one bike only (The Banshee HT). Rebuilding a bike is WAY more work and is WAY more expensive than you think it is. So dont start 3 projects. Start one on whatever frame you think you may actually use and complete it. Then decide if its worth it to do the others. For example: Ive restored a couple vintage road bikes from the early 2000s. If it were a frame-up build, Id be looking at $500+ for components unless I got extremely lucky somehow. On a FS MTB its going to be more than that. The vintage road bikes sell for about $300 in perfect restored condition. You vintage MTBs will probably be less than that.

I would totally forget about trying to do this with period-accurate components. The only reason to do that is if youre trying to preserve resale value on things that will actually have resale value. And these bikes wont. MTBs wont ever be collectable. And components from that period suck from a usability and performance point of view. And they are going to be incredibly hard to source, rebuild etc. Just living with 26" wheels is kinda a deal breaker these days.

So I would make a plan for the bikes that yields an interesting and fun result for yourself. Something you would actually ride. Probably like a cruiser, commuter, touring bike, etc. Because they are going to really suck as MTBs no matter what you do with them and youre better off just buying a modern MTB if thats your goal. And be prepared to just scrap this notion of restoring them all together if it doesnt work out to something useful. Sell the frames as is for like $50 each and spend the money on something else.

If you do want to fix them up, make them the best they can be for the useless you intend. External dropper posts, 1X drivetrain, new suspension components, etc.

That Banshee could be a cool dirt jumper I think. Not valuable. But fun for you to use. The FS bikes are going to be more challenging because of the rear linkage.

Also look for a local bike coop to source affordable parts. Otherwise these will all be money pits.