my Kili (or Lego as it's known) my favourite bike ever

[Dead Rats]

Another eBay purchase (some of you guys were also watching it) from a nice old fella in Cheshire. Lots of fun and effort rebuilding and now a definite keeper as we've had some right good times together. At time of purchase it was mostly, well 75%, original (it's either '96 or '97) but with (sh*gged) 2000 SIDs (thankfully correct travel for frame but needing a full TFTuned rebuild as I don't do forks) and very tired rims, drivetrain and brakes... all of which were either binned or fitted to hacks.

Basically I started with a frame and forks, so with stuff to keep including the erm the saddle, and as I didn't have the cash to go for a full original restoration, I decided on hot-rodding with modern-ish drivetrain and to hell with taste. Off came the tatty transfers (don't hate me) and the red and green details colour scheme developed around the fork and saddle and love of Lego as a kid - and what can I say, I like custom bikes Cue 27 speed LX drivetrain and handlebars from my equally sh*gged Enduro and old Trek hardtail, a host of different v-brakes (finally settled on XT calipers with Avid levers), a choice of Bontrager Connection or Wild Grippers, and a load of stuff off the forum and eBay (mmm green bits)... the bike has slowly evolved, lost weight and become my favourite, possibly ever (BITD '89 Ridgeback notwithstanding) certainly in terms of handling. A friend helped me bore the seatpost clamp out to M8 after it threaded, and the riser stem (Specialized I think) works for me (oooh me back) even though I don't ride anywhere near as much as I'd like to.

First ride was great, third ride saw the chain snap uphill and me smack both my knobbly knees about yard away from Mr K's fit old Dave Yates (damn you Mr Shimano)! It used to wear WTB tyres but the rear was completely destroyed in August when a young lad jumped out right in front of me going down the big hill into Aberdaron :shock: amongst all the car tyre skid marks you can still see what remains of a VelociRaptor! I don't know how fast I was going but I was in top and spinning like a m*f*

lovely Reynolds 853 frame (touched up and could do with a trip to the powder coaters)
RockShox SID XC Hydra-Air fork (TF Tuned sorted these a treat though this still flex n play!) - came with bike as did the still nice WTB cartridge headset
Mavic rims - off my old Trek (4 spokes busted and replaced and counting - taught me how to true a wheel I tell thee) and laced to strange mix of Specialized front and Deore rear hubs
27 speed Deore LX - also from the old Trek
Truvativ FireX crankset & GXP bb - off my Enduro
Selle Trimatec 2 saddle - came with bike
Specialized Enduro handlebars - off my Enduro
Michelin WildGripper tyres - thanks to Retrobikers
Deore XT v-brakes - ditto
Avid levers - off my old Trek although I have some Speed Dial levers in waiting
seatpost courtesy of Mr K
Lizard Skin - eBay
green Halo skewers - ditto
green DMR Zip grips - ditto
green DMR V8 pedals - ditto
green valve caps - pound shop
green chainring bolts - eBay
green top cap - £8 on the forum :shock: might sell as I have a red one that may look nicer with the fork and headset

As bought on eBay:

How it looks today:

 

[coomber]

Lovely frame.

I'd go red top cap/grips/pedals personally, but it looks good as it is.

 

[Dead Rats]

Lovely frame.

I'd go red top cap/grips/pedals personally, but it looks good as it is.

ta, sounds like you're at a party and you go up to the DJ and say nice tune (as in not too sure about your mixing though)

I have a nice red Titec top cap now - in two mind as to whether to use it as my red DMR V8s live happily on another bike and no red grips in my stash unf. It was quite daring buying those pedals but they work for me as I forgot to mention that DMR green matches almost exactly the green on that cherished 853 logo and the Wildgrippers of course have green logos :roll:

also forgot I'm not too sure I've got the rear cabling correct, but not to worry, it's far from stock!

 

[coomber]

Lovely frame.

I'd go red top cap/grips/pedals personally, but it looks good as it is.

ta, sounds like you're at a party and you go up to the DJ and say nice tune (as in not too sure about your mixing though)

No disrespect meant

It is a great bike. The frame is great. As for the parts, as long as functions well that's the main thing for me. Aesthetics are a personal choice.

 

[Dead Rats]

Lovely frame.

I'd go red top cap/grips/pedals personally, but it looks good as it is.

ta, sounds like you're at a party and you go up to the DJ and say nice tune (as in not too sure about your mixing though)

No disrespect meant

It is a great bike. The frame is great. As for the parts, as long as functions well that's the main thing for me. Aesthetics are a personal choice.

absolutely, no disrespect felt dude, glad you kinda like it anyway! totally agree that function rules, I long since abandoned keeping it pure '96 / '97 so it's just great to ride and as you say that's all that matters!

 

[Dead Rats]

Another month another tweak.

XT brakes sold to fund new Hayes Stroker disc up front and a rear Avid v-brake with Tektro booster the levers feel almost the same if you get the reach right!

LX mechs moved on & replaced by XT M760 - allowing me to ditch the nasty shims after a long search for a 28.6mm 9 speed front mech

Green bottle cage bolts :roll: courtesy of Sithlord

Some enormous TFtuned stickers for the forks

 

[legrandefromage]

:shock:

 

[Dead Rats]

:shock:

:?:

 

[legrandefromage]

:shock: :shock:

 

[Dead Rats]

Sony Ericcson 'Photo Fix' function - it's not quite so :shock: in real life!