1999 Marin Mount Vision Pro
- Thread starter Benandemu
- Start date
Re:
Sorry. That reply was a bit short. Must have been tired. I've thought of going 2x10 or possibly 2x11 to match the cx bike but not sure the gains will be worth it for me. On another note I've found a b17 local but it's a full bike and apparently running 170mm and 160mm travel. I'm waiting for more info. Bike looks awesome by the way.
Sorry. That reply was a bit short. Must have been tired. I've thought of going 2x10 or possibly 2x11 to match the cx bike but not sure the gains will be worth it for me. On another note I've found a b17 local but it's a full bike and apparently running 170mm and 160mm travel. I'm waiting for more info. Bike looks awesome by the way.
Been a busy couple of weeks for me, but I can happily report the bike is built. It simply needs dialling in, and some decals applying. Gil must be away on holiday at the moment, so I'll have to wait until the middle of October for the decals.
In the end, I decided that the XT stuff I'd planned just wasn't good enough, so I upgraded everything to XTR. In a way, it deserved it too, seeing as the original was XTR. Many of the parts used during this built are simply the modern equivalent of the old build. Anyway, I'll talk you through the photos I took this afternoon...
cx
XTR 10 speed M980/5 rear cassette and mech running a 262g KMC X10EL chain. I changed the 11/34 cassette for an 11/36. I was going triple on this when I bought the cassette, and realised that the gearing was a little higher than what I'm used to.
Middleburn RS8 X-type cranks in 175mm with slickshift duo 27/40t. All spinning on a silky smooth XTR bottom bracket. The pedals are Ritchey WCS and 225g per pair.
'That' DT Swiss XR Carbon rear shock on custom made anodised bushes with titanium fastenings. The extra flex on the cables and hoses is to allow movement during suspension compression, and ultimately keep them away from rubbing on anything. Plus, it gives me access to the shock lockout on the fly without getting tangled up in cables.
The 9g Matt black seat clamp with a titanium bolt.
The 155g Flite Carbonio saddle on a 115g Carbon seat post. The bolts it came with were steel, so I had to do a fair bit of searching to find someone selling spherical titanium bolts in the lengths required. The seat post has a gorgeous look to it - it actually looks more like black marble, and perfectly matches the front forks.
Stans highly rated, and very light 3.30 hubs...
DT Swiss XRC 100 twin shot carbon forks. Basically, they have standard lockout, and another trick feature which allows you to compress the forks down when climbing. They drop about 50mm to allow your body weight to move lower and further forward.
cc
Salsa carbon bars, Syntace F99 stem with titanium bolt upgrade, XTR trail brakes with I-spec shifters integrated, propalm foam hex grips, and an old but mint Hope headset and head doctor...
Non-drive side using a titanium bolt and washer on a custom bearing shield for the main pivot.
6 titanium bolts holding that lot together!
And just 2 for the front one...
The drive side main pivot uses a titanium machine screw in its custom bearing cover. The XTR front mech is a specific 2x10 only, and has a slightly shorter cage than the standard triple.
The last build was plagued with grubby cables seizing on me simply because they were caked in dirt inside which would eventually turn to rust when the bike was dormant. These little cable seals are a 'must' if you have exposed cables...
Finally, can you spot the titanium nuts used on the back of the disc adapter?
So, the questions...
Is it better?
Yes. It's now got the extra suspension features that will really help when it's busy cross country. It's super stiff on power transfer through the new drivetrain, and the gears are simply amazing. Brakes still need bedding in, so it's too early to tell, but why would they be worse than V brakes? The tyres are grippy, and the low running pressures impress me, as they'll be much better off-road,.
Was it worth it?
Definitely. I'd outgrown the old bike. The things that were being identified as an opportunity would ultimately have become the things I disliked it for, so it was right to address them and refresh the whole thing.
Is it faster?
Only Strava will tell!
I've only been on a few miles road ride to set it all up, but an off-road test is on the cards very soon. It's certainly comfier, and that usually translates to being quicker as it irons out the terrain allowing a higher average speed. The extra travel in the front forks will help with that, and the wider bars give much greater confidence.
Is it lighter?
Yes, 23.04lbs to be exact, but weirdly there's not a massive difference like I was expecting. It's certainly more chuckable and nimble, and it still feels very much like my old bike, just a little leaner, a little stronger, a bit more efficient, a bit more reactive, a bit more capable, and a bit more controllable...
In the end, I decided that the XT stuff I'd planned just wasn't good enough, so I upgraded everything to XTR. In a way, it deserved it too, seeing as the original was XTR. Many of the parts used during this built are simply the modern equivalent of the old build. Anyway, I'll talk you through the photos I took this afternoon...
XTR 10 speed M980/5 rear cassette and mech running a 262g KMC X10EL chain. I changed the 11/34 cassette for an 11/36. I was going triple on this when I bought the cassette, and realised that the gearing was a little higher than what I'm used to.
Middleburn RS8 X-type cranks in 175mm with slickshift duo 27/40t. All spinning on a silky smooth XTR bottom bracket. The pedals are Ritchey WCS and 225g per pair.
'That' DT Swiss XR Carbon rear shock on custom made anodised bushes with titanium fastenings. The extra flex on the cables and hoses is to allow movement during suspension compression, and ultimately keep them away from rubbing on anything. Plus, it gives me access to the shock lockout on the fly without getting tangled up in cables.
The 9g Matt black seat clamp with a titanium bolt.
The 155g Flite Carbonio saddle on a 115g Carbon seat post. The bolts it came with were steel, so I had to do a fair bit of searching to find someone selling spherical titanium bolts in the lengths required. The seat post has a gorgeous look to it - it actually looks more like black marble, and perfectly matches the front forks.
Stans highly rated, and very light 3.30 hubs...
DT Swiss XRC 100 twin shot carbon forks. Basically, they have standard lockout, and another trick feature which allows you to compress the forks down when climbing. They drop about 50mm to allow your body weight to move lower and further forward.
Salsa carbon bars, Syntace F99 stem with titanium bolt upgrade, XTR trail brakes with I-spec shifters integrated, propalm foam hex grips, and an old but mint Hope headset and head doctor...
Non-drive side using a titanium bolt and washer on a custom bearing shield for the main pivot.
6 titanium bolts holding that lot together!
And just 2 for the front one...
The drive side main pivot uses a titanium machine screw in its custom bearing cover. The XTR front mech is a specific 2x10 only, and has a slightly shorter cage than the standard triple.
The last build was plagued with grubby cables seizing on me simply because they were caked in dirt inside which would eventually turn to rust when the bike was dormant. These little cable seals are a 'must' if you have exposed cables...
Finally, can you spot the titanium nuts used on the back of the disc adapter?
So, the questions...
Is it better?
Yes. It's now got the extra suspension features that will really help when it's busy cross country. It's super stiff on power transfer through the new drivetrain, and the gears are simply amazing. Brakes still need bedding in, so it's too early to tell, but why would they be worse than V brakes? The tyres are grippy, and the low running pressures impress me, as they'll be much better off-road,.
Was it worth it?
Definitely. I'd outgrown the old bike. The things that were being identified as an opportunity would ultimately have become the things I disliked it for, so it was right to address them and refresh the whole thing.
Is it faster?
Only Strava will tell!
I've only been on a few miles road ride to set it all up, but an off-road test is on the cards very soon. It's certainly comfier, and that usually translates to being quicker as it irons out the terrain allowing a higher average speed. The extra travel in the front forks will help with that, and the wider bars give much greater confidence.
Is it lighter?
Yes, 23.04lbs to be exact, but weirdly there's not a massive difference like I was expecting. It's certainly more chuckable and nimble, and it still feels very much like my old bike, just a little leaner, a little stronger, a bit more efficient, a bit more reactive, a bit more capable, and a bit more controllable...
Mymumsaysimcool
Dirt Disciple
Bravo.
Uncle Buck
Retrobike Rider
Re:
"Busy couple of weeks"? Hahaha, that's a bit of an understatement! Congratulations.
I wonder if Jon Whyte ever envisaged such an interpretation of his lovely X-frame design. Outstanding, young man, outstanding. Only one problem - it's too clean!
"Busy couple of weeks"? Hahaha, that's a bit of an understatement! Congratulations.
I wonder if Jon Whyte ever envisaged such an interpretation of his lovely X-frame design. Outstanding, young man, outstanding. Only one problem - it's too clean!
Thank you gentlemen.
I have to admit some small disappointment when I weighed it, and it's simply because it's too close to the wrong side of 23lb. Although this build was never solely about weight, I was always conscious that I wanted to remove weight wherever I could, but strictly without any compromise on performance. Let's be honest, the majority of weight weenie builds we see have either low strength, or limited performance, which simply wasn't an option for me. So, in my usual over-analytical way, I reconsidered every individual part I'd chosen, and carefully calculated if I could swap something in order to get some more weight off. Anyway, I've found another 65g I can remove (without compromise), by simply swapping out the hubs for the Stan's 3.30Ti version. Currently in transit, but firmly destined for this bike, which will drop the weight to 22.9lb...
Doesn't it just sound better? Haha
I have to admit some small disappointment when I weighed it, and it's simply because it's too close to the wrong side of 23lb. Although this build was never solely about weight, I was always conscious that I wanted to remove weight wherever I could, but strictly without any compromise on performance. Let's be honest, the majority of weight weenie builds we see have either low strength, or limited performance, which simply wasn't an option for me. So, in my usual over-analytical way, I reconsidered every individual part I'd chosen, and carefully calculated if I could swap something in order to get some more weight off. Anyway, I've found another 65g I can remove (without compromise), by simply swapping out the hubs for the Stan's 3.30Ti version. Currently in transit, but firmly destined for this bike, which will drop the weight to 22.9lb...
Doesn't it just sound better? Haha
