I’m wanting to build a bike to my own specs, I thought I would be able to get a bit of a discount by buying the frame as second hand, but it’s proving oddly difficult to find any.
I tried Ebay thinking that would be the one, but it’s just loaded with Chinese brand frames.
Do I have to buy a new frame from the manufacturer?
As long as you’re staying at the same brand and number of speeds, rear derailleur is the only thing that might need to be replaced. If you also want to upgrade the number of speeds, you’ll need to replace the rear shifter as well. For example, Shimano 9 speed to Shimano 11 speed.
I would take the bike to somewhere like REI and talk with them about what your goals are for the upgrade. They’ve always been happy to share information any time I go there, even if I’m not having them service the bike. Note that replacing a cassette will require a special tool or two, but they’re relatively inexpensive.
Cage plate will need to be larger to account for much larger gears.
It’s seeming like the best option is to just buy a complete and then swap out the parts.
I’m thinking I might just get a cheap Trance 2018 to keep me on the tracks in the meantime, and have this as a side project I can take my time on
A used, complete bike is a great option, especially if it’s different enough to get you on different trails than your current bike. Good luck!