Whatmot1
Devout Dirtbag
(I know this is technically in the wrong section however it is very borderline as some of the kit that is going on it will be later 90's and early 00's)
So this will be my third Voodoo bike and my second Voodoo build. I'd only just finished building my '07 Sobo when I first considered building a more retro full suss Voodoo (such as a Zobop or Canzo) or keeping an eye out for a 2007 29" Dambala, then a 19.5" 1997 Zobop frame popped up on The 'Bay so I went for it. And here she is:
There's a bit of cable rub and the original Voodoo and Zobop decals are missing. I'm thinking I'll probably get it either resprayed or powder coated at a later date but for now I just want to build'n'ride it!
Just to give you a bit of history on the Zobop; This is a first gen Zobop (released in 1997) and was sold for $1399 (USD) (about £850 back in the day). It weighed roughly 27.5lbs (~12.5kg) and was originally spec'd with Shimano STX-RC components, a Rockshox Indy XC (67mm of travel) fork and a Rockshox Deluxe (40mm of travel) rear shock (source: Know Your Bike). I believe the geometry is the same as the a Canzo of the same year:
Source: 1997 Voodoo Catalogue (on here)
I was going to restore the bike to it's original spec but Rockshox forks of that era were a bit naff (plus STX-RC groupset apparently isn't that great but I'll talk about that specifically in a bit). So I started doing a bit research into that era when downhill was just starting to separate itself from XC racing, and when Marzocchi revolutionised front suspension forks with their Z1! The Z1 (as far as I'm aware) only came in 100mm travel, however the next year (199
they released the Z2 with 75mm of travel. The following year the Z2 had either 65mm or 80mm of travel (Source: Yojimg.net). So I decided I would aim for an 80mm Z2 BAM as I figured this would be a nice but marginal upgrade. And after not too much looking around I found (and bought) a set of Z2 BAM's with the original box and dust boots! (I also think the red stanchions will look smart against the red frame)
As for the groupset, I am led to believe the STX-RC was a fairly low-spec groupset? In any case I've decided to upgrade to an XT groupset of the same age: the M735-9. The M735-9 ran until 1999 so it would make a bit of sense to make the jump to the M750 of that year (to 2003) but I decided to stick with an 8 speed setup of the 735-9. Again, after not too much hunting a found a chap on here (cybernck) who had an entire groupset (ST, BR, FD, RD, FC, BB, CS) in lovely condition for sale incl Ritchey wheels and tyres. I was toying with the idea of putting some Magura (hydraulic) brakes (of the era) but for what I will use it for there's no point having the extra faff and weight. I might also put some slightly wider (2.1) and more modern tyres (WTB Velociraptor's? IRC Mythos'?) of it but for now the 1.9 Ritchey Z-Max's will do the job.
So lastly I have the job of deciding and acquiring some 'finishing' kit. I thinking I'm going to have to make a compromise on the era for the stem as I want to run a stem of 50-70mm. It seems that shorter stems didn't start appearing until the early 00's unless someone else knows otherwise? With that in mind, I will probably aim for an Azonic CNC type stem. I will also probably couple it with a set of (DH) riser bars, maybe Club Roost or Azonic too.
Currently as it stands I have 95% of my bike jig-saw puzzle ready for assembly once I go on leave; I will keep you posted as it progresses...
So this will be my third Voodoo bike and my second Voodoo build. I'd only just finished building my '07 Sobo when I first considered building a more retro full suss Voodoo (such as a Zobop or Canzo) or keeping an eye out for a 2007 29" Dambala, then a 19.5" 1997 Zobop frame popped up on The 'Bay so I went for it. And here she is:
There's a bit of cable rub and the original Voodoo and Zobop decals are missing. I'm thinking I'll probably get it either resprayed or powder coated at a later date but for now I just want to build'n'ride it!
Just to give you a bit of history on the Zobop; This is a first gen Zobop (released in 1997) and was sold for $1399 (USD) (about £850 back in the day). It weighed roughly 27.5lbs (~12.5kg) and was originally spec'd with Shimano STX-RC components, a Rockshox Indy XC (67mm of travel) fork and a Rockshox Deluxe (40mm of travel) rear shock (source: Know Your Bike). I believe the geometry is the same as the a Canzo of the same year:
Source: 1997 Voodoo Catalogue (on here)
I was going to restore the bike to it's original spec but Rockshox forks of that era were a bit naff (plus STX-RC groupset apparently isn't that great but I'll talk about that specifically in a bit). So I started doing a bit research into that era when downhill was just starting to separate itself from XC racing, and when Marzocchi revolutionised front suspension forks with their Z1! The Z1 (as far as I'm aware) only came in 100mm travel, however the next year (199
they released the Z2 with 75mm of travel. The following year the Z2 had either 65mm or 80mm of travel (Source: Yojimg.net). So I decided I would aim for an 80mm Z2 BAM as I figured this would be a nice but marginal upgrade. And after not too much looking around I found (and bought) a set of Z2 BAM's with the original box and dust boots! (I also think the red stanchions will look smart against the red frame)
As for the groupset, I am led to believe the STX-RC was a fairly low-spec groupset? In any case I've decided to upgrade to an XT groupset of the same age: the M735-9. The M735-9 ran until 1999 so it would make a bit of sense to make the jump to the M750 of that year (to 2003) but I decided to stick with an 8 speed setup of the 735-9. Again, after not too much hunting a found a chap on here (cybernck) who had an entire groupset (ST, BR, FD, RD, FC, BB, CS) in lovely condition for sale incl Ritchey wheels and tyres. I was toying with the idea of putting some Magura (hydraulic) brakes (of the era) but for what I will use it for there's no point having the extra faff and weight. I might also put some slightly wider (2.1) and more modern tyres (WTB Velociraptor's? IRC Mythos'?) of it but for now the 1.9 Ritchey Z-Max's will do the job.
So lastly I have the job of deciding and acquiring some 'finishing' kit. I thinking I'm going to have to make a compromise on the era for the stem as I want to run a stem of 50-70mm. It seems that shorter stems didn't start appearing until the early 00's unless someone else knows otherwise? With that in mind, I will probably aim for an Azonic CNC type stem. I will also probably couple it with a set of (DH) riser bars, maybe Club Roost or Azonic too.
Currently as it stands I have 95% of my bike jig-saw puzzle ready for assembly once I go on leave; I will keep you posted as it progresses...
