An FSX Inspired 1994 Specialized S-Works M2 (Finished pics page... 16!)

[worldcollapse]

Anyway, there are still a couple of small things I'm waiting on for finishing touches, which should arrive any day now. At which point I either need a new phone with a better camera, or a friend with a real one to come through, for the finished bike photos. In the meantime, I've been taking the bike out most mornings on a nice little four mile loop near the house; a two mile road climb, followed by a blast down the canyon and back out through the neighborhood (downhill all the way)...

View attachment 548180

It's hard to put into words, and too late in the evening for me to even try, just how happy the above makes me. Building and now riding this bike is one of the most rewarding and gratifying things I've ever done.

It might be simple and easy to some, but it's not to me. And getting it even this close to being finished means more than I can adequately express.

Especially because I couldn't have done it (absolutely no chance) without this place!

So thank you all. Truly.

build turned out amazing! great take on the m2. it was awesome tracking the progress.
where is this trail at???

i'm local in LA as well if you ever need a retro-riding-buddy. maybe i can bust out the real camera as well

 

[pw_pw_la]

Okay, that's more replies than I was expecting! OK, bear with me one sec...

 

[pw_pw_la]

That looks absolutely mega to me dude, you've done a cracking job with it

And looking at the tri dangle that I can see on the front there, it's the right way round (unless you've turned it round, as the bolt holes should be on the outside) bet you're grinning like a little kid riding it aren't you

Spud, thank you so much. That really means a lot. Without your JMC thread I don't think I would have known building something like this was even possible!

Right after I got the idea to build myself an old bike I stumbled across this place, and your thread shortly after.

Finding the frame was pure chance, but after that there was only ever one direction this build was going to take. Albeit with some twists, turns, changes and concessions along the way.

As for the Tri-Dangle: Really? Wow, you know I hadn't even thought to check. I just assumed the nice clean, smooth face would be on the outside for aesthetically pleasing purposes. Like how the Ringle Mojo peace sign is? Of course, bolts at the back makes it a little more fiddly to setup, but I assumed that was just the LBS being lazy! Ha. I hadn't even through to look into photos/confirmation online...

I'm going to do so now tho!

Once again this place comes to my rescue and fills in another gap in my limited knowledge.

Oh, and the smile is a mile wide every time I sit back on that saddle...

 

[pw_pw_la]

That's amazing. Me like shiny. Seriously though-top job Sir. Well done. Just enjoy now

Cheers Mags! You and me both, although you picked the better username for it!

As for enjoying it now - I plan too! Can't wait for the weekend to come and a helmet to arrive so I can actually take it somewhere longer and little more adventurous. There's not a lot more I can think of I'd be interested in changing or adding... Famous last words, I know!

 

[pw_pw_la]

Sure you don’t need some reflectors on it, in that dark California day light

brilliant job all round, think it really suits the backdrops, colour combo and shine and all.

I wonder if even when brakes are fully tuned, you’ll be reminded why we all moved to V and then discs. Your just going to have to perfect coasters and front wheel washouts. Just make sure you’ve some padded palm gloves at the ready !!!

but does it ride/feel like you remember back in the day ?

Ha! Not a day goes by that I do NOT miss the dreary English weather, or the brutal cold winter and hot sweaty summer of New York.

(Not actually true, I weirdly miss the shit English weather all the time! Now I've built the bike I'm absolutely gutted there's not a decent pub to ride to on a rainy Sunday.)

Pleased to hear you think it suits the colour combos and shine. I do too, and hopefully the last round of photos will rubber stamp a few of those decisions. My favourite part of all this was figuring out I wanted to base it all on the colour scheme of the FSXs. The little bits of luck that allowed me to do so has really been the icing on the cake (as well as proving it was all meant to be!)

As for the V's... You know, I don't know if this bike will be the one. Maybe a future build will tempt me to improve my braking performance, because I'd really have to find something that I felt fitted the rest of this build in the right way (off the top of my head, only something like modern Paul's Motolites would really work in that regard) but then I'd have to think about levers too...

It might not be worth all that trouble (to the wallet)!

As for riding and feeling like I remember back in the day... I would never have dreamed I'd get to ride a bike like this back in the day! I had nothing that even comes close to the spec this has ended up (although, on here, it may as well be a generic paupers ride compared to some of the builds and specs people regularly produce!) I grew up on cheap shitty bikes thrown together as best I could and could afford. Which is another reason that smile on my face has remained a mile wide, even when I'm just looking at the thing from across the room!

 

[pw_pw_la]

Chapeau - that's a lovely build.
Beautifully done

Yeah... that works

Cheers both! And for following along. All the kind words and advice throughout has been so greatly appreciated.

And Peach, you get a special gold star for encouraging me to start this thread in the first place. Has made the whole thing even more enjoyable.

Although the wife would disagree, considering it's given me one more reason to be distracted by bike-related things...

"Why are you taking photos of your bike again? Didn't you just take photos yesterday?"

"Who are you talking to on the internet now?"

(And we met on the internet!)

 

[Peachy!]

Cheers both! And for following along. All the kind words and advice throughout has been so greatly appreciated.

And Peach, you get a special gold star for encouraging me to start this thread in the first place. Has made the whole thing even more enjoyable.

Although the wife would disagree, considering it's given me one more reason to be distracted by bike-related things...

"Why are you taking photos of your bike again? Didn't you just take photos yesterday?"

"Who are you talking to on the internet now?"

(And we met on the internet!)

LOL! you are so definitely now in the club!

 

[pw_pw_la]

Right, indexing and gears and things...

Re the indexing, I wondered the same, it’s the one area I try justify NOS in the hope of crisp shifts. But never sure if it’s best to invest that in the cassette & matching chain, derailleur or shifters or does it have to be all of them ?

I always thought it’s mostly shifters and cassette, assuming cable inners & outers are all new.

M900 throughout. Except for the front chainrings and the chain. Oh, and the cables!

Maybe getting those would improve everything a little?

It's not like it's bad, it's better than anything I dealt with back in the day. But, BITD, I didn't have and couldn't afford M900 XTR bits!

And yeah, now they're 30 years old, but after all the time, money and work, it feels like I should fiddle around a little more, dig a little deeper, and even invest a little more if I need to to get things as good as they could possible be.

Generally not the shifter. It has an easy job.
Click and stop at next ratchet point


Rear mech can be the arse if the spring are gone or it wobbles a lot or warn jockies...

Cassettes are temperamental . They get hooks at the sides which can be a pain, but it will be skipping you see there normally.

But mostly it'll be cables and mech. Or mech hanger...
Or just needs a good kicking.
With the old setup, learn the art of tuning the shifter barrel while riding.

Jockies seem ok, and condition of rear mech is decent. That said, I'm sure it could do with a thorough/proper service.

Cassette also seems okay, but maybe I should investigate a little further or keep an eye for another?

Cables... Right now it's been setup with what the LBS had in stock (which, as we all know, right now doesn't mean much) because I really wanted to get this thing in rideable shape and take it from there. That said, I do have some M900 cabling on the way, and a kind offer of some more from @Matttymm. So maybe that could improve things? I sort of assume brand new cabling from any company and of any spec is most likely better than something thirty years old and previous well-used. Although maybe I'm wrong there?

Now the rear mech hanger is an interesting point... Mine is fine, although seen better days. BUT the two little screws are pretty worn and don't exactly tighten as well as you might hope. I was hoping the LBS would have some lying around they could switch them out for, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. So right now I'm hunting for replacement bolts. I wonder if that will help things too?

Kicking it would deffo be my go-to BITD! But for obvious reasons I'm a little less inclined to give it a wack now!

Adjusting the shifter barrel while riding? Well, at least I have a new helmet on the way...

 

[pw_pw_la]

build turned out amazing! great take on the m2. it was awesome tracking the progress.
where is this trail at???

i'm local in LA as well if you ever need a retro-riding-buddy. maybe i can bust out the real camera as well

Thanks WC!

The "trail" isn't really a trail at all, as such. Just a little two-second cut through the canyon in the little loop I do in Mount Washington.

You're probably not even supposed to take a bike through, but it's literally seconds so early in the morning without walkers you're usually all good.

Some other little spots like that you can hit up in that neighborhood too. It's just the climb up there first!

I plan to hit the abundance of trails out in the San Gabriels in Altadena for some proper riding. There's plenty out there, and nothing too rugged that a 27-year-old hardtail can't handle.

I hope!

The 37-year-old rider, on the other hand...

As for linking up... for rides; for parts; for swaps; for fun... count me in! Hit me with a PM and we can exchange info. Nice to see/hear from a fellow LA head on here!

Looks like we might both be looking for the same sort of Syncros or A-Tac stem in black right now too! Although I think I'll be looking for something in 1 1/8 so we shouldn't be treading one each other's toes!

Right, I think that's me all caught up...

 

[Joe*Pro]

Whilst he’s using a modern bike and going through lots of the obvious points we all know, thought actually a good reminder of some of the bits that are easy to forget/gloss over, when trying to get your gears as crisp as possible. Cable ferrels movement, can’t remember last time I ever bothered checking them.