92 team marin......well....almost......its finished!

[27motorhead]

GORGEOUS! Super clean build, helped by the large frame that are visually cleaner.

Loving the paint, Sunthimano mix and @August Bicycles magic on the stem.

So how that magic machine ride? Looks like it'll be spot on.

26" lives on, even for you strange tall people!

 

[JCS]

Lovely job

 

[Tootyred]

Cheers guys

Rides really well. Tange prestige is a really interesting tube. I love it....i know some hate it!

It is quite flexi especially in XL, but this gives it a fluid "alive" feel. Its hard to describe...but compared to the pine mountain frame (identical size and geometry) which is standard db cr mo, the heavier, stiffer pine somehow feels a bit lifeless. Put it another way...it feels like your carrying a pine mountain, but the prestige is more like a carpet ride.

The flex does scare the b-jesus out of people especially in hard fast corners, and people criticise them saying they are unpredictable....but when you know what its doing, I see as positive feedback from the frame....rather than a dull lifeless bike.

If a frame comes up in prestige, just buy it.....if you hate it you can always sell it, but, give it a while and I think you will love it.

But then its mainly what I've ridden since 89....so I'm probably ok with its foibles now .

 

[bold stelvis]

awesome build!

your battles with getting the cockpit right chime with my own
a custom stem is something I've been considering too - i agree that in many ways Ahead setups are just way more awkward for tweaking height than the old quill style - big stacks of spacers just always look really awkward IMO

 

[Tootyred]

big stacks of spacers just always look really awkward IMO

Quite....that's kinda where i got to.

Didn't want to cut the steerer for future use, but then just couldn't live with a pile of spacers!

Deffo worth talking to gav @August Bicycles if your seriously thinking about it.

I just played around with the ahead and then some cheapo quills till I found the size and angle, then let him work his magic.

For my perspective its secured my future on 26" for a while....and tbh, a custom stem is much much cheaper than a custom frame....which was the other option.

 

[bold stelvis]

Deffo worth talking to gav @August Bicycles if your seriously thinking about it.

will give it some thought for sure - what I really want is a 1 1/8 cromo quill stem with about 100mm reach and a removable face plate - Nitto/sim works have some nice ones but pretty much as pricey as a custom job and I think they are all also only 1 inch

 

[bold stelvis]

there are older GT cromo stems that come close - but have yet to see any under 120mm

 

[JCS]

Interesting to read your view of Tange Prestige. I am also a fan. My 92 Explosif also has that ‘alive’ feel - for example:

- when you are approaching an incline you can apply a little extra power and it just shoots up the hill

- when you really put the power down from low speeds, the front end feels lighter and can snake around a bit - almost like the back end is moving faster than the front. Hard to describe, but the bike feels like a coiled spring that wants to shoot forward

It’s a blast to ride. My favourite bike for fast rides on twisty trails.