Pace RC300 V3.0

[Fudd]

Just picked this up to replace my 18" RC300 -

Frame: Pace RC300 16.5" 2002

Fork: Pace RC39 80mm. Lock out removed and custom compression adjuster fitted by Tim justbackdated

Headset: Chris King Nothreadset
Stem: Pace RC45
Handlebar: Pace RC+130
Grips: Ergon with integrated carbon bar ends

Brakes: Hope M4 with Titanium Mounting bolts
Brake Hose: Goodridge braided
Brake Discs: Hope floating

Shifters: Shimano XTR M950 9sp
Front Derailleur: Shimano XTR M950
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XTR M950
Derailleur Cables: Gore Ride On sealed
Cassette: Shimano XT
Chain: KMC
Crank: Middleburn ISIS
Rings: Middleburn Slickshift Hardcoat
Bottom Bracket: Crank Brothers titanium
Pedals: NC17 magnesium

Skewers: X-lite
Rims: Mavic XC717
Hubs: Hope Pro2
Tyres: Panaracer Fire XC Pro folding
Tubes: Yes

Saddle: Fizik Gobi
Seatpost: Syncros Carbon

Other: Titanium seat clamp and stem cap bolts, anodized jockeys and bottle cage bolts, carbon headset spacers, Avid Rollmajig.


I've got to say I'm pretty happy with how it looks and rides . I almost didn't buy this frame because of its silver anodized finish, but now that its built I think it looks much better than I'd pictured. I thought I'd end up wanting to change the black cranks for silver and lose all the blue ano but I think I'll just keep it as it is . The only thing I plan to change is the flat bars for risers and lose the bar ends.
Comments and suggestions always welcome

 

[Fudd]

More pics -

 

[dbmtb]

Few things I'd change if it were mine....

Alloy seatpost bolt. Bad idea. TBH the blue ano is too much for my conservative tastes....
Downwards pointing saddle and ergo bar ends. Not pretty.
RC39s - don't know why but they look wrong on this. RC38 Airforce 2s or RC36s would look better. But RC39s are internally pretty much the same as RC38s,just without snappable magnesium braces.

 

[Fudd]

Few things I'd change if it were mine....

Alloy seatpost bolt. Bad idea. TBH the blue ano is too much for my conservative tastes....
Downwards pointing saddle and ergo bar ends. Not pretty.
RC39s - don't know why but they look wrong on this. RC38 Airforce 2s or RC36s would look better. But RC39s are internally pretty much the same as RC38s,just without snappable magnesium braces.

The seatpost bolt is titanium . I'm liking the blue ano more than I thought I would but I admit the derailleur is too much. Plus the non-floating jockey wheels do the shifting no favours . Putting it back to standard has been one of those things I've been planning to do for a long time.
The bar ends will be gone when I get some risers. These are the first ones I've had since 1998 but I've rarely put my hands on them... Seemed a good idea when I bought them and all that. I will say that the Ergon grips they're attached to are excellent and I have a pair on my Ibis without the bar ends which may get swapped over...
As for the saddle angle, it could be the angle of the bike in the pics or it could be angled that way to stop me suffering numb nob :shock:
Forkwise, I personally think that RC31's look best on these frames and I have a set with a crown race fitted so I can swap easily when the mood takes me. I disagree about the RC39's though. I think they look nicer than the RC36/38's with the mag braces. I think the RC39's were the nicest Pace xc forks since the RC36 with the gold stanchions, but those were before standard disc mounts unfortunately. I may try some later, mag braced RC36's some day as the plushness from a coil spring is hard to beat. Its a pretty sharp handling frame so the extra 20mm travel on the RC36 shouldn't have any negative effects....

 

[Awkward Kid]

They just look better in 16.5! Its a cracker mate. Welcome to the club

 

[Nick C]

Lovely bike and a thumbs up for the blue ano.

I too ride with my saddle lowered in this fashion, not because of some sense of aesthetics, but because of a previous accident, countless unwanted gropes by male doctors and one ultrasound by a nice lady and her young female assistant. Despite the latter, I'd rather not go through all that again!

 

[Fudd]

Ok a bit of an update....

Blue ano bolts removed for silver and black and derailleur put back to standard.
Changed the Middleburn's to a duo setup losing more blue ano from the triple spider.
Swapped the Syncros post for a USE carbon post.
Swapped the Pace +130 bars for USE carbon risers.
Changed the Fizik saddle for a USE carbon pro saddle.
And after searching for over a year for a black 100mm Pace stem finally found one

I have more changes planned and will update the final spec when they are made but here's some pics in the meantime -

 

[AdamAsh]

Looks a million times better without the blue bits.

Stunning looking bike. Well done

 

[dbmtb]

Looking awesome indeed. Apart from that saddle angle (yes I'm still playing that old record).

 

[Fudd]

Looking awesome indeed. Apart from that saddle angle (yes I'm still playing that old record).

LOL . After I took the pics I had to get the allen keys out to drop the seat slightly. That was my first time out with the new saddle and I was getting the dreaded numbness before I stopped for the pics :shock: