Awesome Foursome Pt4 Fe: Bonty DeKerf Fuquay Yo Eddy DOGS

[mheywoo1]

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The photos under the bridge are on the Leamington canal near where it passes under the millennium way. The last photos are Brandon wood in Coventry. There is some really nice honest singletrack in there. And not too many walkers.

 

[mheywoo1]

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So, remember the eBay guy? Well he was very keen and Jez had another Yo available which needed a little love allowing me to build it the way I want. So, the next week it was gone to be replaced by a ‘96 (I think) chameleon which is my favourite colour. It’s got a slightly dented top tube (which I want to sort so any tips gratefully received) and lots of ride-evidence to its paint. But I like it. Also think it will actually make a better rider as it’s got v’s and geo for longer Susp forks and I lucked out with some Ingleharts which look great.

I’m in the process of re-rimming my Bonty/Chris King Racelite wheels, then I’ll build it with a Miah-mash to see how it rides then decide whether to go the whole hog with a respray.

 

[Retrobike93]

Re: Awesome Foursome Part 4 - Yo Eddy

Great photos mheywoo1 , good to see it gets used ! I’m off out now to do the same

 

[M-Power]

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Thought I’d better post some pics of a dirty Fat.

Took it out this time last month for its first ride. It turned out to be a 4-hour / 70km blast linking my favourite local trails with some bridleways and road thrown in for good measure. I was expecting neck-and-shoulder ache from hell with the long and low front end but it was actually very comfy. I didn’t do any rad descending but it was fine on the single track and fast on the road - especially when hunkered down against the wind and rain on the return leg

Much has been said about the telepathic ride quality if these and I must agree. The only think that “spoilt” the ride was the sound of trees, rocks and chains hitting the beautiful paint.....

The only concession to modernity was tubeless Tyres on my go-to retro-ride Hope Wheels. That Mathauser brake blocks squealed like a banshee. Maybe just for the garage queen then.

Funnily enough, just before this ride, I was tempted by the £1 selling fees on eBay to list it at what I paid for it. I was feeling uneasy about how much money I had invested in it and also how I’d not yet “made it my own” with the build. I had an interested party straight away. I asked him to wait til after the ride. Then messaged him back to say it was staying.....

Enjoy the photos

Great ride review 4 hrs on a retro rigid in winter and no discomfort after prooves just how sorted these bikes are. Intertesting point about wanting to do your own build on the 96. Think that is a huge part of the experience. Funnily enough having tried both, I prefer the ride of the earlier non sus corrected ‘steel’ FATs but their sus corrected Ti bikes from mid 93 on are the best riders.

 

[mheywoo1]

Re: Awesome Foursome Part 4 - Yo Eddy

Great photos mheywoo1 , good to see it gets used ! I’m off out now to do the same

Thanks. I wanted to get the light and background right so the paint glowed. Only used my old iPhone but if you get it framed right, you can still get s pretty decent photo out of it. Biggest challenge was balancing it so it wouldn’t fall and graze itself

 

[mheywoo1]

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Here are some photos of it replacement.

 

[mheywoo1]

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.... and some more

Can anyone help date it from the serial number and downtube manufacturing site decal please?

 

[mheywoo1]

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Here is the rebuilt front wheel. I really lucked out with replacement rims. A guy on eBay was selling nos 24h front mavic crossride and the correct rear 28h Offset Bonty, just without the caramic coating, which I didn’t want anyway. I also got another 24h bonty from him just in case but it’s grey so will just be a backup as 24h are pretty hard to find

Amazingly the rim profile of the mavic crossride is almost exactly the same as the original Bonty front. The new rear rim came with 3 decals. I don’t like decal-heavy parts do I removed 2 of them, stuck one set on the front and touched in the original smaller ones with sharpie and here you go. I had a set of correct length DT Compeitions for the front wheel and just need 8 more for the back so it was a pretty easy job. Wheels will now be 80g or so heavier each but should be much stiffer with these spokes rather than the revolutions originally fitted

 

[mheywoo1]

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Wheel photos

 

[mheywoo1]

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This is the front wheel fitted. The forks are a bit longer than I would have liked at 430mm a-c but Beggers can’t be choosers. If they don’t handle well, I’m wondering if my local frame builder can just move the legs up the crown a bit. At least that would allow the currently messy welds to be done properly. The paint is pretty shoddy too. Would not have been too impressed if I’d paid near £400 new for them.

And here is the rear wheel in progress. 8 new 250mm DT Comps on their way