So after much searching, I finally found a Mk1 Chameleon frame at a decent price for the condition. For the sum of £25, I picked up this beauty. Properly battered in need of a respray and had a seized BB but for £25 you can’t grumble! I took all the parts off the Planet X build, with a few other bits which I accumulated, the nicest being the X-Lite DH stem which I loved back in the day.
Built it up to see how it rode before I start to renovate it with a re-spray, but still unsure how im going to go with it. There is a vapour blaster round the corner from where I work which would give it a lovely finish and I could polish it to look even nicer, or just bead blast it and then re-spray in the same colours. I do like the Mango and it is growing on me. I have tasked the wife with sorting out traditional decals (she is into vinyl cutting) to get it back to as original condition as I can.
So far it rides superbly, nicer than the Planet-X too. Manuals easier and jumps pretty nicely too. I have another crown for the forks which is a slightly longer steerer tube, and I am looking at getting some other bars too so I can keep a similar bar height (Yes the forks are slightly twisted, i think its the Arch). If I can locate one, I will look at the Disc conversion kit for these, and go down the Hope C2 route I think, or maybe some DH4s. Also a blackspire arch woudl be nice if one comes up to straighten up the front end. Some hope hubs are on the way for the wheels, which I will lace up over the weekend. The single speed at the moment is OK, but where I ride I think I need to go down a 1x9 set up. I will keep an eye out for a slalom MRP guide, and also an XTR mech to set it up with some gears. Maybe even find a good old Mr Crud DCD if I’m lucky.
Current pics of the shabby chic:
Built it up to see how it rode before I start to renovate it with a re-spray, but still unsure how im going to go with it. There is a vapour blaster round the corner from where I work which would give it a lovely finish and I could polish it to look even nicer, or just bead blast it and then re-spray in the same colours. I do like the Mango and it is growing on me. I have tasked the wife with sorting out traditional decals (she is into vinyl cutting) to get it back to as original condition as I can.
So far it rides superbly, nicer than the Planet-X too. Manuals easier and jumps pretty nicely too. I have another crown for the forks which is a slightly longer steerer tube, and I am looking at getting some other bars too so I can keep a similar bar height (Yes the forks are slightly twisted, i think its the Arch). If I can locate one, I will look at the Disc conversion kit for these, and go down the Hope C2 route I think, or maybe some DH4s. Also a blackspire arch woudl be nice if one comes up to straighten up the front end. Some hope hubs are on the way for the wheels, which I will lace up over the weekend. The single speed at the moment is OK, but where I ride I think I need to go down a 1x9 set up. I will keep an eye out for a slalom MRP guide, and also an XTR mech to set it up with some gears. Maybe even find a good old Mr Crud DCD if I’m lucky.
Current pics of the shabby chic:
