ZASKAR: to repair or wave goodbye?

Thats a 2000 Zaskar, which, yeah comes with the curved end cap, dunno if they were made in the USA, does the non drive chainstay stickjer say something about that?
Judging by the wheels/hubs the bike you had was maybe a 1998 LTS -4, but more likely a 1997 LTS-5 - just going by the parts you can see and there have been no replacements...the latter has acer x hubs and canti brakes. If it was, no wonder you broke the FS frame...

The frame is decent (but not worth anything money wise), the parts, are all pretty low spec so you could replace with anything really.

Now if it were ME, I would throw all the parts in the bin, sell the 29er, get on chain reaction or wiggle buy some new shifters, disc wheels and brakes, some decent forks and you would have a really nice bike...but that is me

Thanks for all the help, it looks like I’ll be buying 2 wheels, cassette, cassette spacer , chainset and chain.
My only concern is that a) they work with each other, ie line up properly and b) work with the Alivio shifters.
As I rarely change bikes, I’m on my third MTB since 1989, and as the tech changes I stay pretty vague on which bits fits with which, and find the on-line parts retailers descriptions of such bits not as helpful as they could be.
I’ll not upgrade at the moment, tempting though it is, the use of the bike –standby/loan/easily shoulder mountable – doesn’t require anything better, it has after all been working fine for 16 years and the problems now are just wear.
I’ll report back on progress, in the meantime here are some pics of the terrain it’s wanted for and why I need to carry it, ie the bits I’m too weak to ride up and to scared to ride down.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43328418@N ... 253312968/

really if you are doing all that, you may as well just go 9speed and get new shifter too have a look on chain reaction for some deore stuff, it will work a million times better. (not having looked at the costs or your budget, just assuming its cheap(ish) )

That's mission creep. it goes ... as I'm changing the cogs both ends I might just as well go for a 2x10 setup with a bash ring, but I'd have to change the combined shifter/brake levers so might as well go hydraulic disc as the wheels could easily be disc friendly and might as well be disc only and probably tubeless ready so I can get the lightness for carrying and ability to drop the pressures right down for the mud and sand that accompany the coastal path in winter, but the forks would need to be changed for the disc brake so a modern air forks maybe or lightweight carbon fork.
And that saddle is looking a bit grim, and the grips are rubbish.

I think I'll save the upgrading for the 29er, I do a lot of road miles to to get to the 15% off road miles, or if I show real restraint I may be allowed to buy a road bike, as clearly 2 bikes are insufficient to keep a chap on the road.

I'm seriously considering digging to the bottom of the garage and bringing into use my wife's 30 year old ladies road bike, which is made entirely of special heavy steel and rust.

of course you realise that a zaskar with even crappy parts is still better than any 29er ever made... you don't need a road bike, you already have one, just put slicks on the 29er...

Outcome:

Baulked at the total cost for 2 decent wheels, freewheel, cassette, chain ring, BB (bit squeaky) and a decent front tyre. It's a 2nd bike, and the 29er would be deprived of funds.

so bought http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BANKRUPT-PAIR ... 589aafdeb8 on sale at £30.

surprisingly all went together well, shifts and brakes better than ever, back on the trail.

Until yesterday when I went AOT on cobbly slalom, must have hit something hard 'cause whilst I landed on by head (helmet) and shoulder the front wheel was pushed slightly out of shape and had a snakebite puncture. Ho hum.

lol whats up with the picture...from that it looks liek you have more issues than a flat...fork has snapped a leg!!

It's virtual damage, PS artefact.

Are your shifters friction capable or are you stuck using 7 speed?

7 speed only