Sub 25lb '98/'99 Orange Clockwork 10th Anniversary Edition

[Andy B]

Latest Spec list & photos, scroll down in this post

Original spec

Finally got round to going retro with my mountain bikes

Work in progress, a 17" 1998 Orange Clockwork 10th Anniversary Edition in green

Spec:
Individually butted 7.6 Cro-mo tubing
Knackered Spinner forks (searching for a replacement) 410mm A2C, 170mm Steerer
Ritchey Logic headset (a little notchy but a good service will sort it)
Orange green ano stem, 110/10°
Easton EA50 high rise bars, 685mm wide
Avid AD1.0L brake levers
Cane Creek Direct Curve 3 V brakes
Deore 9spd shifters
Front Mech Shimano Alivio MC 18
Rear mech Shimano LX M570
Sram cassette (maybe a 950)
Sram PC951 chain
Shimano M582 LX chainset with external BB
Deore LX pedals
Mavic X221 rims laced with double butted spokes to a XT M752 front hub & a Deore M510 rear hub
Panaracer Fire XC 2.1" wire bead tyres (will swap out for Kenda Nevegal folding tyres & shed approx 200g)
Unbranded seatpost & clamp
WTB Rocket V saddle
Gold Hope headset spacers
naff Avenir grips which will do for now, until I find the grips I took off the Orange 5 when I fitted new new to it
Weight approx 29lbs on a dodgy set of fishing scales!

EDIT: 20/07/10 Latest Spec & Pics

Individually butted 7.6 Cro-mo tubing
RockShox Reba SL 85mm
BBB sealed cartridge headset
Hope stem, 90mm/10°
X-Lite XC2 low rise bars
Avid Speed Dial SL levers
Cane Creek Direct Curve 3 V brakes
Sram X7 shifters
XT Front Mech
Sram X9 Rear mech
Shimano XT cassette
KMC X9L chain
Shimano M582 LX chainset with external BB
Deore inner & middle chainrings, Middleburn slick shift Hardcoat outer chainring
XT SPD pedals
Mavic Crossland wheelset
Schwalbe Racing Ralph tubeless tyres with Joe's no flats sealant
Thomson Elite seatpost
Unbranded seatpost clamp (OE Orange one I think)
WTB Rocket V Ti saddle (not shown on pics)
X-Lite silver headset spacers (not shown)
Charge Sponge lock on grips (not actually sponge!)
Hope bar end plugs
X-Lite Top Cap
Goodridge brake & gear cables
Weight 27.2lbs

click to see large pic

 

[Pickle]

Interesting mix of bits on there :shock:

Get some RC35's on there

 

[lewis1641]

Much improved with that stem dude.

It will be some kind of paint as you can't anodise steel.

Bet you can't wait to get it dirty

 

[Andy B]

Interesting mix of bits on there :shock:

Get some RC35's on there

Yes it is an interesting mix of parts, but the modern stiff does show that it has been maintained quite well, although saying that I serviced the headset this morning (3am!) and it was full of what looked like pink toothpaste!

The parts I have swapped out are the brake levers & brakes, stem, found my old lock on grips & fitted them too, prob going to swap out the LX pedals too for SPD's

I also have a modern Sram X9 rear mech & X7 shifters too, I might go the whole hog & be a complete blasphemer!

I am still deciding on which forks to use for this build, & seen as it's a little unconventional, I may well not go for Pace forks, dunno yet :?

I do like the look & feel of Marzocchi's from the late 90's.... maybe some weight weenie Sid's... retro Fox, or maybe even a set of modern forks :shock:

lewis1641 yeah does look loads better with the original stem, I was tempted to have a blast round the block @3am this morning, but decided against it & went for the duvet option @4am

The paintjob is very similar in look & feel to the ano stem, hmm wonder what it actually is!

 

[lewis1641]

I'd say it is a matt or satin powder. Having said that, that would have a smooth finish where as yours has a bit of texture?

 

[Andy B]

I'd say it is a matt or satin powder. Having said that, that would have a smooth finish where as yours has a bit of texture?

Yup it has a slight texture to it

I've sent an email to Orange so I'll report back if I find owt out.

Edit: 1200 posts :shock:

 

[Pickle]

Edit: 1200 posts :shock:

Pah, lightweight

 

[Anthony]

I doubt whether it can weigh anything like as much as 29lbs unless the fork is extremely heavy. With a decent fork, folding tyres and a better post you'd have a really good bike there.

 

[Andy B]

well it was weighed on a set of dodgy fishing scales, but it does feel like a 29lb bike, front heavy to, so yeah the forks are prob to blame

tyres weigh in @ 690g each (according to Panaracers website), could shave about 200g with lighter folding tyres. Cassette is quite heavy too, could save another 100g with a XT or SLX one

I almost had my hands on some '06 RS Reba forks, but the seller sold them on another forum :evil:

Considering putting a modern Sram X9 rear mech & X7 shifters on the bike, seen as it is a mix of modern & retro, dunno yet, might sling em on to have a look

Also serviced the headset, but it's still notchy, so popped into work & picked up a Cane Creek headset

Seatpost is ok, but nothing special, might swap for a nicer one as funds allow

 

[Anthony]

I thought Rebas were 100mm, or are they switchable between 80 and 100? You might find 80 was fine but 100 could be too much.

If your tyres weigh 690 and you use standard tubes, that's 1,740 for two wheels. I've got a pair of folding Speed Kings here and with my tubes they weigh 1,260 for two wheels, that's over a pound less. Too fat for me unfortunately so must be sold, but my 2.1 Explorers weigh much the same.

You could knock up to 100g off each of the post, saddle, bb and cassette and with a decent fork you'd be fine. I don't believe in being a weight weenie, but you just shouldn't waste weight that's all. You could get it down to c25lbs and it would be a great bike, but beyond that some of the things that make bikes lighter make them slower. e.g., skinny tyres, flexy forks. And some other light things are just stupidly expensive IMO.

There's nothing wrong with a 25lb steel hardtail, especially if it's an Orange.