1996 Stumpy m2 (challenging my own prejudices)

[bif]

Dug this M2 1996 frame out of the loft, with a view to moving it on, and putting the booty towards something I actually want. However, after a brief go on ebay to no avail, I thought it might be interesting to do a little winter project to challenge my own feelings and views on stuff that I just don't like, and maybe try a few things I'm not familiar with. Nothing too radical, but I don't think it will be going together much like it came out of the factory.

First three prejudices overcome. 1. simply doing a build thread!! 2. it's 5 years too new, and 3. the biggy, it's aluminium (though as aluminium goes I guess it's not the worst frame ever).

Umhh, that was easy so far.

I'm not at all precious, so please feel free to wedge in and put me straight, or rip the crap out of it as it goes along. Won't be offended and doubt it will be much fun otherwise

 

[bif]

Full disclosure !! I did have it built up a few years ago like this, with a Pace RC31 fork. It rode like a dog, so wont be trying that again, and someone gave me a truck load of coin for the fork, which I have no intention of spending on this build . Other components have also been stripped and mostly disposed of too.

 

[Lucidone]

If you prefer older mtb's why not build it like one - not necessarily strictly, but that feel and aesthetic. Silver components and rims, curved steel forks or rock shox mag 2*, amber wall tyres .....

The frame in that colour/decals looks like it should carry it off nicely.

 

[bif]

Thanks, good points. What you can sympathetically get away with doing to a particular frame / bike is a good question in my mind. I guess like a lot of folk on here then I have other frames that cover a lot of the bases of what I want them to be, and this one is a struggle for me. Hence why it got dumped in the loft and ignored.

I have been playing with forks so I need to fire off another post to get it up to where I'm currently at with it. I believe that a sweeping steel fork was available on these frames (need to triple check the catalogue), so not ruling that out, but also not entirely feeling the love of how these look with the bigger alloy tubes (aye, another little prejudice identified).

I'm also tbh still trying to figure out exactly what I'm going to use it for. Possibly just hacking around on some soft rolling stuff over the winter, and the kids might enjoy it too (its certain to fit the criteria for 'can I borrow a bike Dad, of course take that one and dont even think about touching those').

 

[bif]

And just getting swiftly up to where I am currently ......

Tried these forks a couple of weeks back, as I had them. Got as far as adding wheels and rolling it down a field. They have been moved on too. Didn't feel that they looked right anyway.

 

[bif]

If you prefer older mtb's why not build it like one

leaning more to sympathetically modernising as a usable rider, as much as this is feasible. You may have outed another of my pet hates lol which is making things look like something they're not, or older than they actually are.

 

[Lucidone]

So you're not going with flared drops and a 1x 12 speed group then!

Aboard for the journey....

 

[bif]

So you're not going with flared drops and a 1x 12 speed group then!

Aboard for the journey....

Reckon not (hint taken)
Did do a 26" drop bar (not too long ago) on a tiny Kona, for my wife who's v.short and gets toe overlap on anything 700c. Still, she hated it, so it got restored to flat bar pub bike status.

 

[bif]

curved steel forks or rock shox mag 2*

Pulled up the 96 catalogue and looks like m2 FS had JudyXC, but m2 also available with rigid sweeping forks. Thinking cap time....

 

[bif]

Thoughts budget wise .... I'm planning on gifting as much as possible to this build from my not particularly extensive gash parts stash. Partly cause times are tight, and partly cause the poor thing will fingers crossed get hammered (at least if it rides nice). So would be a bit of a shame to wreck nice bits.

Along with the mahh Pace fork from it's previous build, the Thompson seat post, XTR mech, cranks, carbon bars and stem, hope hubs etc all raised decent cash. Therefore little to no point (in my mind) of now spending good money on this build. Will probably spend a little of it, but shall see what Ive got already to work with.

Still tbh not feeling the love for it yet, but its certainly a light frame. Wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't build up around 18 lbs without breaking a sweat, which would certainly give a couple of my steel bikes a run for their money. So maybe it will grow on me.

Already have Specialized stem, bars, seatpost and saddle. From an m4 frame from memory. Not precious about using specialized bits, but need a starting point. Frame also already has a decent enough black FSA headset, and I also have a suitable black seat clamp, so this sort of dictates a colour scheme (versus getting my wallet out).