And this is supposed to be summer ????

[orange71]

just back from Spain - how I wish I had my bike there :roll: (except you couldn't ride in the middel of the day - too hot).

 

[leonatico]

You hardly ever see enduro or trials bikes bikes there either, even though it is trials bike heaven in my opinion. The sort of terrain there is just begging for a nice Beta or Gas-Gas......I'm seriously considering buying one - quiet, inoffensive and it would eat those rocks steps and drop-offs for breakfast

Exactly, you´re riding your bike an all you see are those big rocks you would love to climb with a trials bike. I envy those singletracks in the woods that you´ve got in UK , from the pics and movies I´ve seen you guys seem to flow on the surface while down here we only find rocky, technical stuff.

 

[Andy R]

v nice - who put the rear disc tab on & respray?

Thinking of modding a tatty explosif (not my current one)


Martin

Sorry - I missed this

The frame is either 94 or 95 (originally that sort of burgundy colour with light blue decals) that I bought on ebay a couple of years ago with the intention of fitting a caliper mount and hose guides. I just fabricated a jig to position the IS dimensions correctly, made the actual mounting tab from a piece of 5mm 4130 I had lying around and then just filed it to fit the seatstay as well as possible and silver soldered it and the reinforcing seatstay/chainstay brace tube in place.
The hose guides I bought from Ceeway, filed off the cable stops and silver soldered the guides on the top tube and seatstay - I should have put one in the middle of the top tube too, so I wouldn't have to use a cable tie to stop the hose rattling about :roll: .
Then I sprayed it a sort of peachy/yellow colour (which my wife hated !!) and ran it geared until I got my RM Blizzard frame which I swapped most stuff over to.

The frame lay in my workshop for a year until I realised that I had enough stuff lying round (wheels, forks, Marta brakes etc) to build a singlespeed, so I removed the gear cable stops and resprayed it pale blue ("Platsa Blue" as Karen calls it).
I took it out for its first long ride yesterday and I thought it was great - those Magura Asgard forks are gems, in my opinion, once you get the oil levels and air pressures sorted and I was a big fan of the Marta brakes anyway.
It's pretty light, climbs well (I'm running 32:18 and couldn't get away with anything higher round here), the forks are plush and use all their travel but once sorted don't blow through their midrange too easily like air forks sometimes do in my experience. In short, I love it
I also like the fact that most of the components were what I consider real bargains, from here and ebay. The only "new" items are the chain, grips and saddle.

 

[Drapoon]

very nice / tidy job you have done there mate.

I'm trying to source a 19" explosif to do the exact same thing bar I'll keep it geared. My current Explosif is just too good to molest.

Fancy a job seeing as your obv very skilled in this sort of thing.


Martin

 

[guybe]

Nice bike, I like the rear disc brake made in to the frame, something different, great job and nice colour.

 

[Andy R]

Fancy a job seeing as your obv very skilled in this sort of thing.

Martin

I have to say the idea of doing this sort of thing for other people had never occured to me, probably because in the UK there must be loads of frame builders (which I'm not) who do this sort of stuff all the time. Here however, it's either a case of shipping the frame off to the UK to have it done or just getting on with it yourself.
Plus, I'm a toolmaker (or was in a former life......) and I enjoy the opportunity to do this sort of stuff. If you lived just down the road you'd be more than welcome to drop a frame round and I'd be happy to do it for you, though there'll probably be someone within driving distance of where you live who could do the same thing.
Give me a shout if you need any help anyway