Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
Just jazzing up the xt derailleurs polishing the original DX cranks to a mirror finish,bit of fettling the pedals and some humorous paint details then cable up
We ride out this weekend
Old bones exhumed...GT Karakoram elite
- Thread starter Mickeyspinn
- Start date
We ride out this weekend
Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
Wheels....they always help! Not got much in 26" retro so these will do...classic exage and araya vp20 combo can't really go wrong and age appropriate .....wrapped in some dry cured meaty slicks....chances of finding continental tyres like I used to run is slim...awesome tyre esp on soft peaty woodland tracks I found,but hardly anyone run em and I've only ever seen a lonesome bald one for sale! I did like the dark orangey burnt caramel sidewall.... yum ....looked delicious with the the brown hard anodised ritchey rims..
Cheeky set of xt cantis...
And I made a widget cable hanger to get round the triple triangle for the rear brakes....running exage cantis here.....never realised they're 8mm longer!?
And!! The original seatpost, quick release and collar..albeit modified many moons ago to save a few grams
.love these seatposts....polished heat treated thinwall blacked Cromoly.....no other brands used em that I can remember.
I never had any issues with sticky crunchy ally posts and i reckon they were more comfy
Now it's Xt derailleur rebuild time.....
.....wrapped in some dry cured meaty slicks....chances of finding continental tyres like I used to run is slim...awesome tyre esp on soft peaty woodland tracks I found,but hardly anyone run em and I've only ever seen a lonesome bald one for sale! I did like the dark orangey burnt caramel sidewall.... yum ....looked delicious with the the brown hard anodised ritchey rims..
Cheeky set of xt cantis...
And I made a widget cable hanger to get round the triple triangle for the rear brakes....running exage cantis here.....never realised they're 8mm longer!?
And!! The original seatpost, quick release and collar..albeit modified many moons ago to save a few grams
.love these seatposts....polished heat treated thinwall blacked Cromoly.....no other brands used em that I can remember.I never had any issues with sticky crunchy ally posts and i reckon they were more comfy
Now it's Xt derailleur rebuild time.....
Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
Does anyone know where those little bushes on the barrel cable ends for deore levers disappear to ?
So hot in my workshop earlier I spent nearly two hours rummaging for some then my baked brain finally suggested ....make some!.doh
Ooh shiny things to stamp on...
Pedals....so much work to get old ones looking good but it's so worth it....itching to get out on it now
So hot in my workshop earlier I spent nearly two hours rummaging for some then my baked brain finally suggested ....make some!.doh
Ooh shiny things to stamp on...
Pedals....so much work to get old ones looking good but it's so worth it....itching to get out on it now
Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
And like a happy bike tailor I decided to make a custom button and sew it on the rear brakes....
And that's it's mechanical suit sorted.....now to deal with its threadbare paint
Coffee time and crack on..
And that's it's mechanical suit sorted.....now to deal with its threadbare paint
Coffee time and crack on..
Last edited:
Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
Well whilst paint is drying and I'm sitting comfortably .....are you? ....I'll recount another episode of adventures and misadventures .....no gore this time....
It's all about ......
Part 1......
"Bad badger"
Now seeing as I had a decent bike and I'd get £4.50 everyday for a train fare and lunch at school it didn't take long to figure out that if I rode to and from school and skipped lunch I'd have £22.50 in my pocket by Friday....well about a mile from home there was a pub ....a real den of mayhem....if you were tall enough to see over the bar and had means to pay you got served
Sweeeeeeeet.....so no surprise Mickey would stumble in late Friday night right royally slaughtered
Now just below my old house was some steps up an old cliff....great fun riding down them and sometimes up if you got the technique right....and after these steps was a very narrow steep path with really high banks either side....basically a gulley. As usual when slaughtered I'd stop at the top of the steps to see if the world would stop spinning for a bit...it never did ! so push on ....it's dark I've got no lights I'm pushing the bike with one hand and using the other in a bump and go fashion to make forward progress and I hear a sound....it's getting louder... a kinda grunty noise with the sound of claws on gravel....hhhmmmmm...I've no idea where from I don't even know which ways up or down let alone left right forward back....then bang!!
I just got barged by a badger and it's coming back for another go I can see teeth now it's close enough .....so for a while I'm wobbling around stuck in a gulley bashing a badger on the bonce with my bike and kicking it to not get bit!
Evidently I woke up some neighbours as I'd started to roar thinking that might help
Well I won that scrap ...grumpy badger buggered off!
Moral of "bad badger" always be prepared ! ....a good stout bike made of steel.... obviously I'd recommend a GT ....can and will serve you proud when you need it most.
Part 2....
"Badgers revenge"
So like most of us muddy MTB riders I did fancy myself as a bit of a racer
this season I was gonna get me a win...oh yes we'll at least a podium....top ten then.....anything but middle of the field ....again... 
Race prep was key wasn't it? Couple of good night's sleep induced by heavy sessions...sound diet of a greasy Chinese on the stumble home and of course hours and hours of fettling the bike!
Ooooh look at handsome.....damn that bike was good looking....dunno about the silly tw@t riding it tho...
Four finger levers! What a Wooossieee...
So at that point the photo was taken I was doing rather well for myself....yes! My race prepping and tough training regime was paying off
I'd deployed the gentlemanly tactics at the start of elbows and bar ends.....great way of softening up the opposition nothing wrong with a bit of argy bargy ! I was third.....and coming up to the first lap....only two more after that.....confidence was high....I'm having it
So let's recap .....race prep!
The night before race you got smashed of course and woke up late....turn up ...sign up ...line up and go!
Hmmm no walking the course then? Huh?
Now someone out there has a VHS tape.....92 yew tree farm? .....camera man said that was the most spectacular stack he'd ever seen....
So I'm third....I'm huffing I'm puffing I'm going full beans...better to burn out than fade away.....
Sharp left down a really steep hill all slimy sticky clay ....hold your speed into a sharp 90 degree right.....
Hit it....drop inside leg let it slide catch it and get back on the crank.....that was the plan....at this point possibly for a millisecond the idea of walking the course popped into my mind before flight.
At 45° across the corner is ......a collapsed....... badger set..........front wheel axle depth.....outside of corner? 10 foot drop into a very stinky gooey ditch and of course bramble lined for that extra tingling sensation!
If you have that VHS tape .....I'd love to see it again
Moral of the story?
Don't mess with Badgers...they always win.
Wonder if my paints dry yet?
It's all about ......
Part 1......
"Bad badger"
Now seeing as I had a decent bike and I'd get £4.50 everyday for a train fare and lunch at school it didn't take long to figure out that if I rode to and from school and skipped lunch I'd have £22.50 in my pocket by Friday
....well about a mile from home there was a pub ....a real den of mayhem....if you were tall enough to see over the bar and had means to pay you got served Sweeeeeeeet.....so no surprise Mickey would stumble in late Friday night right royally slaughtered
Now just below my old house was some steps up an old cliff....great fun riding down them and sometimes up if you got the technique right....and after these steps was a very narrow steep path with really high banks either side....basically a gulley. As usual when slaughtered I'd stop at the top of the steps to see if the world would stop spinning for a bit...it never did ! so push on ....it's dark I've got no lights I'm pushing the bike with one hand and using the other in a bump and go fashion to make forward progress and I hear a sound....it's getting louder... a kinda grunty noise with the sound of claws on gravel....hhhmmmmm..
.I've no idea where from I don't even know which ways up or down let alone left right forward back....then bang!!I just got barged by a badger and it's coming back for another go
I can see teeth now it's close enough .....so for a while I'm wobbling around stuck in a gulley bashing a badger on the bonce with my bike and kicking it to not get bit!Evidently I woke up some neighbours as I'd started to roar thinking that might help
Well I won that scrap ...grumpy badger buggered off!
Moral of "bad badger" always be prepared ! ....a good stout bike made of steel.... obviously I'd recommend a GT ....can and will serve you proud when you need it most.
Part 2....
"Badgers revenge"
So like most of us muddy MTB riders I did fancy myself as a bit of a racer
this season I was gonna get me a win...oh yes we'll at least a podium....top ten then.....anything but middle of the field ....again... Race prep was key wasn't it? Couple of good night's sleep induced by heavy sessions...sound diet of a greasy Chinese on the stumble home and of course hours and hours of fettling the bike!
Ooooh look at handsome.....damn that bike was good looking....dunno about the silly tw@t riding it tho...
Four finger levers! What a Wooossieee...
So at that point the photo was taken I was doing rather well for myself....yes! My race prepping and tough training regime was paying off
I'd deployed the gentlemanly tactics at the start of elbows and bar ends.....great way of softening up the opposition nothing wrong with a bit of argy bargy ! I was third.....and coming up to the first lap....only two more after that.....confidence was high....I'm having it
So let's recap .....race prep!
The night before race you got smashed of course and woke up late....turn up ...sign up ...line up and go!
Hmmm no walking the course then? Huh?
Now someone out there has a VHS tape.....92 yew tree farm? .....camera man said that was the most spectacular stack he'd ever seen....
So I'm third....I'm huffing I'm puffing I'm going full beans...better to burn out than fade away.....
Sharp left down a really steep hill all slimy sticky clay ....hold your speed into a sharp 90 degree right.....
Hit it....drop inside leg let it slide catch it and get back on the crank.....that was the plan....at this point possibly for a millisecond the idea of walking the course popped into my mind before flight.
At 45° across the corner is ......a collapsed....... badger set..........front wheel axle depth.....outside of corner? 10 foot drop into a very stinky gooey ditch and of course bramble lined for that extra tingling sensation!
If you have that VHS tape .....I'd love to see it again
Moral of the story?
Don't mess with Badgers...they always win.
Wonder if my paints dry yet?
Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
So it was all built up and nearly ready for ride late Sunday evening ....I stood back and thought damn that paint really needs more attention!
Pulled it all apart for a bit of wet flatting ...top tube had a little squirt of lacquer then loads of t cut action.
About half a dozen lathers of wax and it's now got a shine of sorts!
Finally did the last mucky job cleaning up that old chain this morning....it's on and lubed and now it's piddling down with rain...... typical!
Dry patch later...itll be the first ride in 5 years....which was attacking Mt Afan in Wales in proper foul weather.
Chips clonks sticker burns....but a bit of a shine...even see a colour reflection of its mate a Karakoram!
Always me makes think of a ripe bit of roquefort cheese for some reason..!? Yum.
Itching to go on it.....I'll get decent pics then
Pulled it all apart for a bit of wet flatting ...top tube had a little squirt of lacquer then loads of t cut action.
About half a dozen lathers of wax and it's now got a shine of sorts!
Finally did the last mucky job cleaning up that old chain this morning....it's on and lubed and now it's piddling down with rain...... typical!
Dry patch later...itll be the first ride in 5 years....which was attacking Mt Afan in Wales in proper foul weather.
Chips clonks sticker burns....but a bit of a shine...even see a colour reflection of its mate a Karakoram!
Always me makes think of a ripe bit of roquefort cheese for some reason..!? Yum.
Itching to go on it.....I'll get decent pics then
Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
A tune for the mood....damn it's so good to ride it again and so near to original spec 
non of that junk 9 speed deore..
In the grave yard....it rode out
Quick little spin out through the ranges and had to play around on some rocks........uh oh...
Hello shiny cranks...
Bye bye shiny cranks...
Oops
On your knees and worship...
No heel strikes on cantis....pleased with that
Rides great....nothing failed other than my skills
Loving the stem.....any eagle eyed GT lovers spot that it's shorter than the standard size for that frame? Foolishly I sold the original years ago after fitting a shorter zoom stem.....found this one on eBay few years back.....lucky me! So much more comfy. And actually a really good match on the paint....they were meant to be together!
Next stop chuck it in botm!
non of that junk 9 speed deore..
In the grave yard....it rode out
Quick little spin out through the ranges and had to play around on some rocks...
.....uh oh...Hello shiny cranks...
Bye bye shiny cranks...
Oops
On your knees and worship...
No heel strikes on cantis....pleased with that
Rides great....nothing failed other than my skills
Loving the stem.....any eagle eyed GT lovers spot that it's shorter than the standard size for that frame? Foolishly I sold the original years ago after fitting a shorter zoom stem.....found this one on eBay few years back.....lucky me! So much more comfy. And actually a really good match on the paint....they were meant to be together!
Next stop chuck it in botm!
Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
Cheers good man! if I can figure out how to recreate a certain "event" in a photo ....there'll be a hot pic to come
