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1998 FSR recommendations

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MTRunner

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
The rundown:
I have a 1998 Specialized FSR, purchased it in 2005 for a price I couldn't turn down. I put a Rockshox Tora 318 on it in 2007. Besides that it is basically original.
In the past I've primarily used it for basic single track/xc type riding. I'm not too hard on it. I haven't ridden much at all in the last couple of years and I want to get back into it.
I've recently thought about upgrading to a new bike altogether but I can't justify dropping $1,500 or more on a bike that I'm not going to be on all the time.

Ive started looking around online and on here and I see that there are a few things you can do to upgrade this old frame, I've looked through a couple of pretty sweet build threads to get some ideas.
The Risse hex link is an awesome upgrade but also a hard pill to swallow at $500.
I'm thinking about just going the BETD rear linkage route and upgrading the rear shock. I'm happy with my Tora fork for now.
I would also like to get disc brakes put on this setup. My fork has the mounts, so at the very least if be ok with front disc and rear brake pads.
I thought I knew a little bit about mountain bikes in general until I got on this forum and started to research and I realized how much there is to know about this setup and how many options there are out there.

So so I guess what I'm here for is some advice on different upgrades people have done with these old FSR frames, what they've liked, what they wouldn't do again, etc.
I'm thinking I'll probably want a 6.5 x 1.5 rear coil replacement, but not too sure at this point. If someone has some input on that I can be easily persuaded in a different direction.
I'll post a pic as soon as I get my bike back from the shop. (Getting new chain/ rims trued/ general tuneup)

I'll continue to to use the search feature too, but sometimes it's easier to just throw something like this out there and get people's input and expertise on what exactly I'm trying to get done.
 
#2 ·
Honestly, you can get a much better bike than you have right now for $1500. If you upgrade the shock, linkages, brakes with adapter for rear and maybe wheelset that are disc compatible, you're looking at at least $500 if you go cheap. I don't know what condition the drivetrain, fork, tires, and frame bushings are in, but they won't last indefinitely. If you don't need full-suspension, you can get a pretty nice 29er for around a grand. A decent full-suspension bike can be had for well under 2 grand. Both will have better components than what you have now, and that Tora fork is quite basic and comparable to a lower end fork today. I'd sell yours for $400 or so and put the $500 you would have put into your old bike and buy a nice 29er hardtail. If you really want full-suspension, save up a few hundred more and be happy!
 
#4 ·
my son rocks a 1999 fsr with a tora fork,,and he bombs down the trails as fast or faster than the $2000 exactly the same as everyone elses bike

I dig the old ground control FSR's,and would rather have a built 98 fsr than a nice hardtail

building something like this is in the future for my sons bike
who wouldn't want to roll up on one of these,,but then again I like to have a bike thats different from everybody elses
 
#5 ·
How much money is worth putting into a bike that likely has a worn drivetrain, non-disc wheels, a frame with no disc tabs and 16 years of fatigue, 7 year old fork, and outdated geometry and technology? You can do it and have a cool vintage bike, but it still won't perform as well as a new bike would.
 
#6 ·
How much? $500 bucks are so,,the good part about vintage builds is you can do it a little bit at a time as opposed to $1k-1.5k or so one time ,with ebay and craigslist you can find good parts on the cheap,upgrade as you go,, as far as outdated geometry,i don't know I guess im not as fussy as some but to me the cockpit on a bike is basically a triangle how many different angles can you have,new tech is what,shocks forks,droppers,shifters,etc these can bolt on an older frame

I guess really just a personal preference,I really enjoy Vintage builds and I encourage other to share in this enjoyment as well,this is the vintage forum after all :)

I gather the OP is a casual rider from his post,and with a little cash here and there he can build a really solid bike with what he has

here is my everyday ride ,,old,,outdated,,2002 FSR ,, she does everything,and goes everywhere i need her too ,,and with a little bit of style that's all her own

and to the OP,,the BETD link is amazing and well worth the money
 

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#12 ·
Not hate, just practicality. I had a 2002 FSR XC comp until 2011 or so. I hadn't ridden it a while and took it out while my modern 5 inch trail bike was getting a fork service, and my god, the difference was staggering. It was a bobby, flexy mess. The head angle made it steer like a meth addict. OP, there's nothing wrong with keeping the bike and even making it your primary ride, but I agree with folks here, don't put any more money into it, very few parts on that bike will transfer to a new frame, and that frame could crack at any time, leaving you with a bin of obsolete parts.
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
Thanks for all of the input. Replacing the bike entirely is not out of the question. But, a lot of the reason I like the idea of making a few upgrades is that I just like this bike, I've always liked the style of the late 90's FSR. I wanted one when they first came out but couldn't afford it, so when I had the chance to get one at a decent price (2004) I jumped on it. I've never been hard on the bike, kept it in pretty good shape and maybe rode it 20-25 times per year back in college on simple xc type single track. In the last 5 years or so, it's probably seen the dirt 4-5 times per year. It has less wear and tear than a lot of people's 5 year old bikes. I'm fully aware of the risk of more things failing on an older bike, and I don't expect to dump a few hundred dollars into it and have it perform like a new ride. I'm a casual rider at best, looking to get a little more performance and reliability out of the bike.
As White7 said, I'd probably keep an eye on Craigslist and eBay for a few things here and there and replace things as I can. After I get it back from the shop I'm thinking I'd keep the investment to $300-$400 total.
I should have the bike back later this week, I found out today the back rim has had too many spokes replaced over the years and isn't worth it to keep, so I'm getting a new rear wheel. Also getting new front and rear tires, new brakes, new grips, and a full tuneup. After I drop this $200+ it should be good to hit the trails. The main thing I'm looking at doing is probably getting the BETD rear linkage and finding a replacement rear shock off eBay from someone that has upgraded theirs. If I could find a decent used shock that's a few years old, I think it'd perform better than my 18 year old entry level rear shock I have now.

I looked through some old pics and this is the only picture I have of the bike up close. I'll post a good one when I get the bike back. This is from a couple years ago, the bike has only been ridden a handful of times since then, so it's still a pretty accurate portrayal of the condition.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Maybe you already saw my 1998 with a bunch of recent parts on it.
http://forums.mtbr.com/specialized/...ized/my-1998-1999-specialized-ground-control-fsr-bikes-952045.html#post11804437
I am also doing a rebuild of my 1999 so will try to get pictures posted of that next weekend.

Here is the list of new parts I am installing on my 1999. All these parts were purchased on ebay totalling $575. That price doesn't include disc brakes because I already installed those in 2000.

New Manitou Match Comp Fork 100mm coil spring
New Ergon GP1-L Grips
New Shimano Deore XT CS-M770 9 Speed MTB Cassette 11-34
New Shimano 180mm Disc Brake Adapter
New Disc Brake rotor 180mm
New CST Premium Tire Caballero 26X2.4 (two tires)
New Sun Rhyno Lite XL Welded Rim 26 inch x 29mm 32h Blue 602g each
New Shimano Deore M590 9 Speed Triple Chainset Hollowtech II
New Fox Vanilla R Rear Shock 165mm 436g
used Sram X0 Carbon Trigger Shifter Set, 3x9

I decided to install the brand new Fox Vanilla R on this bike because I took the 2002 Vanilla off the other bike for cleaning, and it still works as good as brand new after 13 years with no maintenance at all. The 1999 Rock Shox Deluxe that this bike came with is completely toasted with no damping at all left.
 
Discussion starter · #18 ·
Well I got my bike back today. This was the end to an expensive week, I can only mark it down as a learning experience and a chalk it up to some mistakes I made a few years ago with the bike when I was in college. I took the bike in fully aware that this could turn into a $150-$200 "tuneup". The first things I was having done was a general tuneup, new brakes, new grips, rims trued, and that's about it. I got a call each day with something else that the shop found wrong with the bike. First, the rear rim was basically shot, so I had to get a new one. Then they realized the last shop that worked on my bike decided to put on some parts that didn't really work correctly. In my ignorance I didn't think twice about it. In 2008 I had new shifters put on, there was a good deal on some Shimano shifters, the problem was that they were 9 speed shifters and my rear cassette was an 8 speed cassette. They insisted they'd work fine, well a few years later I found out that is why my rear rim was shot. The rear derailleur was hitting the spokes and over time it bent or broke just about every one. I had replaced the bottom bracket with one the shop said was the right size, apparently that wasn't true either, it was barely big enough to work with the prior set up and if it had to be adjusted at all, it wouldn't work. I had to get a new crankset also, the middle chain ring was incredibly worn from old age and the chain guard that I had put on didn't fit quite right either, it was causing some shifting problems.
Long story short, I ended up spending $430 on the bike this week, and that is with a lot of small labor items left off. The guy working on my bike felt bad that every time he turned around something else came up and the bill was getting big quickly.
The good news is that everything works great now, it rides and shifts better than it ever has.
This is a rundown of everything that I ended up getting:
New brakes - front and rear
Specialized Enduro grips
New tires - front and rear
New rear rim w/ Shimano hub
New rear 9 speed cassette
New bottom bracket
New Shimano crankset
New chain

I still plan on going with the BETD rear linkage and a replacement rear 6.5" shock at some point in the near future, it's just going to be pushed back a little after I dropped way more than planned on the bike this week. If anyone has any recommendations on rear shock I'd love to hear them, I've checked out eBay and have an idea of what's out there. When the time comes I'd like to find something decent for about $125 or less. I know just about anything I go with will be better than my original rock shox deluxe that's on there now.
 
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