So I've had a heck of a time finding a mountain bike these days. My oldest son got tall, so I gave him my old bike and I wanted to foray into the full-suspension realm. I could have picked something up locally for 3-5K, but couldn't justify those kinds of prices for the kind of riding I do (i.e. nobody pays me to ride a bike).
So I ended up pulling the trigger on this Motobecane
It ticked off enough of my boxes, in that it has a decent frame that could be upgraded if needed. The biggest tradeoff I made was the 3x8 barely above Tourney drivetrain (I know, the fork kinda sucks too). I've purchases a handful of bikes from them and have always been happy with what I get at the price point.
Then I poked around and realized that drivetrain components for mountain bikes are WAY cheaper than they are for road bikes (where I've spent most of my time wrenching). At my local Universal Cycles shop, I can pick up a 36t Shimano Zee crankset with bottom bracket (that should fit in this frame), and the MicroShift Advent X derailleur, cassette and shifter for just a hare over $300.
Perhaps I can sell the parts off the old bike for $100-150 and come out not too far above the $899 I already paid for the bike.
So I guess I'm wondering if it's worth it. I know 1x drivetrains are all the rage right now, but I have no experience with them other than on my single speed coaster bike. The microshift stuff looks cool too. If I upgrade my fork on this bike, I can probably end up with as good of a bike as I could have gotten for more money of I'd waited for them to have something in stock.