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The bike definitely deserves a better rider than me, but it'll have to get used to low-altitude belly flops now! It's very forgiving on terrible landings and feels reassuringly solid. Didn't have to tweak a single bolt on the ride either. Reckon it's going to be a fun little bike :D

Looking forward to putting in a bit more time on this bike to see if I get used to it and it "clicks". I'm already happy enough with it that I'm going to swap over my nice pump track tyres (Halo twin rail) from my 26" BMX onto the Saracen. If the fork had external rebound adjustment I think...

I did have a few runs down the jump line too. With the slightly unfamiliar feel to the bike I squashed the heck out of every single one, but it's still a fun track to mess around on :)

I then went onto my other local track, which has slightly bigger features and a little jump line. I don't tend to ride this one as much due to the hills you have to climb to get there (which aren't really that bad, they just SUCK on that 26" BMX), but it's another very good track. Not quite so...

While riding around the first pump track, I noticed that if I wasn't careful where I put my feet on the pedals I was getting the occasional bit of toe overlap - not a nice feeling at pace! Serves me right for riding in size 11 work boots and having the pedal axle way too far back on my foot I...

Up until this point I was thinking to myself "hmm, maybe I should go single speed on this build", as the 38 / 18 gear ratio was all I really needed. However, riding to the next spot involves a few hills, and it was really, really nice to be able to click down a few gears and tootle up them at...

From here I went to my local pump track. This is probably where I'll be using the bike most - it's a really nice track with lots of options for creative lines. It felt pretty good here, but definitely a bit different / alien than what I've been used to on my 26" BMX. The rebound on the fork is...

Just got back from the first proper test ride on the Saracen :D First off I took it to my local skate park. I'm not really good enough to make use of the quarters, let alone the spines, here... but it felt really good cruising around the bowls, and having a squish fork is sooo much nicer on...

It's all relative isn't it! The 26" BMX I've been riding has 390mm chain stays, and I have to say it's noticeably easier to initiate a manual compared to the Saracen. Both are of course much easier than a 440mm+ chain stay trail bike! I also think BB drop seems very important to how a bike...

Cheers mate! I'm pretty chuffed with it so far!

Hoping to get out to one of the local pump tracks later this week to see how it feels there, as that's going to be what decides if it's a keeper or not.

Interestingly, the fork doesn't make that annoying clicking noise when the bikes being ridden, only when standing and pushing down on the bars without weight on the pedals. I guess as long as the fork is under a little sag, whatever is causing the click isn't making contact. It feels good too...

One thing that pleasantly surprised me is that it manuals better than I'd expected. I thought 425mm chain stays might be long enough to make getting the front up noticeable more difficult, but it floats up quite nicely and does feel a bit more like I might one day be able to control it than the...

Really pleased with how it's come out. I'm liking the balance of black/silver/red a lot. Aesthetically the only thing I'm not sold on is the deep section rims which look a bit out of place on a jump bike, but silver disc wheels seem comparatively hard to come by so they'll likely stay...

Well it ended up being done in dribs and drabs rather than over the satisfying pot of tea I'd planned... But it's now ready to hit the pump track!

I would also say that while my 2000s Mount Vision feels very much "like a retro bike" (but with really good brakes and suspension), a pre-1997 bike is still sufficiently different that it makes a pretty solid cut off year.

Mind you I would describe the above bike as "awesome" and would love to still be in my thirties so.... 14 years wasn't that long was it? 😂

2010 is the definitely modern to me. This is the newest bike I own, a 2010 - it's definitely a bit different from a modern bike (in some good ways, some bad), but I'd say it's miles away from a pre-1997 one. IMO you can still get "classic" frames from the 2000-2010 period, I just wouldn't...

Future jobs that look like they need doing: If it's going to be a keeper, I'll pop some different tyres on. The fork makes a "click" noise when compressed quickly. I'm reasonably certain this is the sound of the SSV valve in the damper opening (it's independent of position in the travel &...

So, next jobs... Front QR skewer needs replacing with a proper closed cam one. Cable outers are pretty much sorted, but cable inners need adding, and brakes/gears setting up after that. Headset needs adjusting and general once over / bolt check across the whole bike. And it should be...