Another Mountain Bike Thread... *New Steed*

[rob0r]

Before my cars, I had my bikes and as I'm bored I thought I would go through a brief history in my bike modding and upgrading for anyone that's interested...

My main bike started off as a lightweight XC bike, a Sunn Crosss. This didn't stay standard for long due to my big boned-ness and the choice of wrong bike! My philosophy was to replace anything broke with stronger components. The amount of wheels I got through was alarming, here's me giving it large 7 years ago!


I finally got around to swapping frames and for various reasons I'm now on my 6-7th frame...
24-7 v02 Flared headtube, cracked headtube, cracked downtube


24-7 v03 Supplied with wonky disc mounts


On-One Gimp, hated it and it had to go, looked beautiful though


24-7 V4, my favourite setup I've had to date and singlespeed, cracked chainstay


Wheel Killah


24-7 V24, went 24" and purple baby! This picture was taken over two years ago and my philosophy works as I think all I've changed is the pedals. It looks well used now with masking tape all over the shop! I call this my "street" bike as thats what I use it for, basically an overgrown BMX. A lot of people would use this bike for jumping, but thats not my thing.


I've managed to get a hold of another 24-7 V4 but I don't like white so outcame the nitromors... Plan is to leave it as natural steel and lacquer it.




"Gore Sucks" is a running joke, best not to ask, as an experiment I thought it came out rather well. Just need to build it back up!




My second bike I acquired about 4 years ago now, I had the cash from being a spanner monkey at halfords so I bought various bits and pieces second hand to build this downhill beasty, Orange Patriot LT running a mean 7" front travel and 6" in the rear. I loved this bike but I didn't think I used it enough so I sold the frame for a more "proper" one.


This bike was lovely, 2004 Santa Cruz Chameleon 16". It was amazing, did everything and begged to be abused. Problem was I'd rather use my street bike for most things I used this for and shifted the frame for something else...


...Another DH bike! I'd kept the DH specific parts and paid £250 for the frame for a bargainous barge with a mean 8" rear travel (although I'm running 7")


Anyway enough rambling!

[reanimation]

Wow, you can really get through em, and a lot of those are hard core jump bikes

Purple one is gorgous, you don't jump?!

I have a newish DR Jekyll with white bros forks, general off road free riding (do what i want, not try kill my self) i don't use much due to moving away from hills. After teh rave reviews, i'm dead tempted to get a chameleon and build it a little lighter than teh Dr Jekyll, its sure footed on the downhill stuff and wonky tracks but its no whippet. i dunno.

Interesting stuff though, keep it coming.

[rob0r]

Thanks for the comment. I don't really take care of my bikes, not bothered if they're scratched, don't bother protecting paint on bike racks etc so the purple bike is in a bit of a state paintwise! (the frame is for sale for not to much if anyone would be interested...)

I know, I own jump bikes but detest jumping itself! I find jumping too unpredictable and I've ended up remodelling my hairline on the side of my head a few years ago. I love drop offs though, I'll sail off them all day long. I just use them for urban biking really, a cross between trials and BMXing I guess!

Dr Jeckylls are nice, a couple of people I know swear by them and they're much more hard on their bikes than me! Chameleons are the B-Shizzle, I ran mine with those shiver SCs (silver upside down forks) for most of the time and it was simply fantastic. I used to do everything on it and it never complained. I really enjoyed mine and if you get a 16" and get a long seatpost, theres nothing you can't do. It was fantastic at Chicksands if you've heard of that place. The only downside is the price! I took the white V4 frame in a part exchange with the Chameleon frame, soon after the guy's bike was stolen...

Cheers

[JonnySierra]

Jeez Rob, what the hell do you do to 'em! I've never cracked a frame other than a rusty Raleigh Styler! ;D

Must get myself a decent bike, had a go on a workmate's Dr Jekyll a while back on Reanimation's recommendation. Difference between that and my mass-produced cheapie absolutely blew me away! Just need a pay rise....

Anyway, top work there!

[rob0r]

The latest update on my main bike.

[Ether]

Nice rides! I'm a Chute man myself - cracked my first gen (rode it at Les Gets. With RST Mozo Pro 4.5in forks...), and my second gen freebie (got it replaced by Kona gratis has last me up until now. Think I got a pic somewhere.

[Ether]

Worst pic ever!



Haven't got a spare 8-speed shifter you wanna flog for cheap, have you?

[rob0r]

Old school e4s? I have so many of those badboys!

I used to swear by XT 8-speed shifters, but unfortunately I found out the internals are made from cheese so all mine are broke. If I use gears I'd go for 8 speed every time, but because they've been massively phased out (and SRAM was too costly last time I went to buy gears) I've moved to 9. Give singlespeed a go if you're stuck, you can't beat it for a hassle-less ride!

[Ether]

Bums. Didn't realise they were phased out so savagely

[gofasterpinch]

you can still buy XT 8sp shifters off chain reaction cycles for like £22 brand new!

[rob0r]

I stand corrected

[gofasterpinch]

you are right they are considerably phasing out 8sp stuff, but it is still out there

chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=10278

[Ether]

Good ol' chain reaction! Ta for the link.

[penski]

Leave the stripped one to rust-up

*n

[bodieanddoyle]

go Rob!
"gore sucks" came out well love the USD forks, what are they?

as for shifters, I've got SRAM attack 2008 8sp shifters, work brilliantly! just takes a bit of getting used to the old skool "rapidfire" rather than "rapidfire plus" system. that is to say you push the levers forward to shift up AND down. chain reaction rocks, i've spent about £900 with them this year
still, i got most of this one through them-

holiday snap, now on commuter tyres and these bad boy 8" brakes-

built with rob0r's help, i'd have taken an age to fit the hollowtech II's. public thanks to you, Rob

[rob0r]

penski said:

Leave the stripped one to rust-up

*n

Even though I've lacquered the frame with a few coats, the rust is coming through from the harsh weather and leaving it in the shed. You should see my bmx.... It was just raw metal and clear coat from the factory but I hated the lacquered graphics that were on it so I just stripped the frame partially and I've left it for a good 4 years or so. Originally just the stripped areas got surface rust, but now it's seeped under the clearcoat causing some awesome patterns down the chain and seat stays

Got patina?

boidieanddoyle said:

go Rob!
"gore sucks" came out well love the USD forks, what are they?

Cheers they are the mighty Marzocchi Shiver SCs from 2002. I adore these forks, I've had them for five years now, and I'll be using them for another 5 years more! You can just about make out that I'm a custom rotor whore too.

boidieanddoyle said:

built with rob0r's help, i'd have taken an age to fit the hollowtech II's. public thanks to you, Rob

Thanks, it's a pleasure playing with new parts for once! You have one gorgeous bike, and it rides very nice!

[TheFrequentFryer]

I don't have any photos. But I went through a similar upgrade path and my current bike is still in the shed feeling neglected.

Originally bought a British Eagle Shadow with all Deore LX kit on.
Had fun with that but it got nicked.
I eventually got it back, but it wasn't the same so I bought a british eagle boss alumiium frame and fork and a ti flite copy and built it up light weight and dumped the old 531 frame.
Again that got nicked and again, I managed to get it back but a lot sooner so it wasn't so trashed. Eventually it got a set of DaveHind wheels built and started swapping bits.
When I went to uni, I bought an Amp B3 frame and fork set off Recycle cycles in Croyden, along with Sram 900 shifter and mechs, a royce bottom bracket and tnt chainset.

I rode that few a couple of years but I've piled on the pounds from driving and the bushes were all getting soggy, so I replaced the frame and fork with a secondhand MountainCycle SanAndreas and a set of Jnr T forks.

Current spec is
Mountain Cycle SanAndreas Frame and Marrzochi Junior T triples
Dave Hinde built Mavic M231 rims with Hope ti-glide hubs and Wilderness Trailbike Primal Raptors
Sram 900 shifter and rear mech and and Sram 9.0 front mech with Sram brake levers and XT V brakes and Ritchey brakepads.
Contact points are Grey recing handlebars mounted on a Worldforce stem, X-lite Kevlar titanium saddle on a USE seatpost and Fred Salmon crank on Rocky Mountian cr-mo Bottom bracket with Wellgo pedals.

It is a mix of medium travel bounce, heavy duty and lightweight parts

[rob0r]

New steed... just won this, this goes to show you can still pick up bargains on ebay. Just waiting on it to be delivered, can't wait!



I'm going full circle with one of my bike's incarnations; DH -> XC hardtail -> DH -> XC hardtail... I haven't used my bighit at all since I've bought it and I hate riding it. I can't see myself riding it anywhere that my Gore Sucks bike couldn't handle, so I think I'll be breaking the bike (parts for sale!). Might be doing a coast to coast cycle, hence the purchase.

[Tim]

Thats fairly irritating - i had a lovely 96 Cinder Cone singlespeed with Cannondale Fatty forks, White Industies Eno Eccentric rear hub, mono mini front brake, and durace and xt bits - best handling bike ever and flew over the rough stuff for a rigid - some curse word stole it :-(

Rebuilt my current steed yesterday - will stick a picture on tomorrow - On-One 456 with Pikes, Avid Juicy 7 brakes, XT drivetrain, Ti bars and onone and wtb finishing kit - just fitted a short stem and some 2.4 racing ralph tyres - rides really really well

Next plan is for a Cotic Roadrat for commuting duties

Ive been looking at prices of VW caddy's to replace my 406 estate for mountain bike transport - wheel out, clamp fork to pick up bed! Cool and practical!

As a blatent plug - if anyone needs any bits i've got a few spare - 24/7 bar and stem, almost new 8 spd xt cassette and half a deore one, 8speed lx right hand shifter, Kore 30.0 seatpost, new UN52 Sqr taper BB - 113mm x 68mm, mount vision pro front end and shock (with a cracked swingarm that could be welded) and probably a few other bits and pieces

[reanimation]

Oh Nice choice! one of those were just outta reach when i was a paper round funded kid in the early 90's! -/ really wanted one but a GT tequesta was cheaper and a good package if a lil heavy!

great addition.

did you say parts for sale?

yeah new bike is still happening.