Balance 450 fs (couple of new bits fitted)

[Enid_Puceflange]

After I spotted this sitting outside one of the buildings in my neighbourhood locked up, and leaving a note on it at 2am one morning 2 weeks of negotiations commenced
I collected this on 21st july (just happens to be my birthday too )
It started off with my intentions of being my first retro restoration :roll:

All of the components are in top working order but the frame is a little tatty.
Polished aluminium with the laquer scratched quite badly.

Anyway, I started to strip it down to every last component and bearing.

Discovered that one of the rear suspension units had seized solid and despite my best efforts was not shifting!
The forks had seized solid and took the best part of 6 hours and my patience to free them up (eventually popped them in the oven , did the trick though)

It has now been built back up and the rear sus internals removed and replaced with rods to create a hardtail frame

Finished scrubbing the drivetrain down thismorning and got it up and running just after lunch.
So got it out in the sunshine today for 3-4 hours along the canal and bridleways. runs sweet as a nut and feels fast as a whippet compared to my Super-V, it weighs half as much and the (comparitively) skinny 1.9 tyres roll along so so smooth.
Going to enjoy it as a commuter and bit of a toy and enjoy it for what it is ................
A Manitou FS copy

Gary C

 

[ferrus]

Enjoying the progress of this story.
You gotta persevere with the rear sussie gubbins though fella, -it's what this bike's all about, surely..?

 

[breezerboy]

+1 for sorting the rear sus. It's the whole point of this bike in my opinion so it has to be done, however long it takes.

As an example, when I got my boulder the rear shock wasn't great. After several attempts it is now rebuilt with adjustable damping, etc and works great. The bike also had to wait a few months just to finish building the rear hub (I had a clark kent pineapple front plus a rear shell to match. I had to come up with axle, bearings and freehub system to make it useable but it had to be that hub). Both cases, worth the time and effort to make the bike what it is today.

Nice interesting bike by the way Always fancied a Manitou style frame myself.

 

[Enid_Puceflange]

Oh dear,

I suppose its going to have to go to some sort of machine shop to get work done to it as its totally seized and Goosed

Points and views taken on board fellas

Gc

 

[stoner]

Very nice...

Has the Balance got a 1.1/4 head tube???

i have a set of Manitou mach 5's in black for sale in good working order if you intrested...

pics on mtb for sale...

 

[Enid_Puceflange]

Polished the anno off the seatpost & fitted Fred Salmon bar/stem combo in matching 3dv to the frame, pics dont do it justice because they were taken indoors. just waiting on some Maguras that were just bought today for it, never owned or ridden them so quite excited

Bringing this to the pentlands meet on the 16th, put yer shades on because its kinda bright in the sun!!

Gc

 

[breezerboy]

liking that.

Personally I'd go for 3DV canti's on that if you can find nice ones (but then I seem to be in the minority not liking maguras). That might be a good excuse to build another bike around the maguras and bar/stem taken off this though.

 

[Enid_Puceflange]

I was looking for some 3dv v's for it but there was nothing coming up :shock: , scoured the 'bay, here and singletrack all to no avail.
I have paid for the maguras so i will give them a try for a wee while, I will still be on the prowl for some purple calipers though then I might pop the maguras up for sale (or I may see if I can get some of the components (Maguras) annoed )

G

 

[stoner]

I have Magura HS33's on my Dale and i like them alot...

Almost zero maintenance...

 

[Enid_Puceflange]

I have Magura HS33's on my Dale and i like them alot...
Almost zero maintenance...

Heard that about them,
Looking forward to getting my mitts on them

Gc