how do i explain this? do you know the feeling when you are almost, but not entirely, happy? and the feeling that things could be just a little better slowly pushes itself into the foreground, until you completely forget that things are actually basically really good, and there is only one way forward and one thing to do: change it. no, i’m not talking about my job and most certainly not about my wife.
so after a lot of reading & comparing (thank god for the internet), calculating and – in this case – especially checking the vertriders.com web site i came up with a relatively short shopping list.
and this is what i got home with. to the uninitiated a heap of junk metal, to me hours of fun on what would otherwise be a rainy weekend. and of course years of fun on all sorts of tracks, preferably with gravity working my way.
let me elaborate a bit on the ‘why’ & the ‘what’.
i am happy with the giant vt, it works fine uphill, and decently downhill, too, but especially downhill on somewhat more technical tracks i became increasingly anxious about the way the bike handled. even with the (longer) pike fork the steering angle is still too steep, and somehow i did not find enough room to move around to compensate for this. on the other hand, maybe i’m just making all this up because i wanted an excuse to get a new bike. i’ll let you know when i find out.
the plan, however, was not simply to get a new bike. i wanted two bikes: a bike for the rough bits, maybe with a bit more weight, but better, more downhill oriented geometry, and another, lighter, one for more relaxed touring. since i had changed some bits & pieces on the giant, i had stuff lying around. a set of wheels, for example, the old manitou black, a rear derailleur etc. with these bits it should be possible to build the best part of the second bike …
some of the new bits. here the xt crank & bottom bracket. i know, not exactly what you would call a dh / fr part, but apparently a good compromise between weight and stiffness.
please all bow: a real chris king no thread headset. the one, the only, the best, although certainly not the cheapest. 10 years warranty.
and the heart of the new bike, the proceed fst light frame.
i selected this frame for two reasons: everyone describes it as a good solid freeride frame, but light enough to climb well. the frame geometry can be changed significantly, from 130mm rear end travel to a max of 170mm, so it can accomodate several different fork lengths and frame settings. the second reason is that i got a 30% discount on this 2005 model.
bottom bracket & loads of grease.
the new xt bracket has external bearings for increased stiffness – which i am told is good in bicycle frames.
half the crank is in.
i hope mr king will never ever see this picture. since i do not own a headset installation tool i had to make one myself. worked pretty well, too.
and this is what you could call an organ donor. over the next couple of hours it would generously contribute to the new bike: the fork, a set of wheels including brake disks, the x0 triggers and rear derailleur, the hayes nine brakes, the crank brothers pedals, the chain and the seat & post. a few of these items will go back on this frame, though.
ah, it’s got wheels! the headset is in, and the fork stem is just the right size. lucky me.
a few hours of fun later. all the bits are in place, the bolts tightened to the right torque specs (thanks to my little 1-10 nm torque wrench). the seat post is too small, even with a spacer.
and this is what is left of the giant. the end?
i don’t think so. the giant frame with its old manitou fork and giant steer. most of the other bits are in the cellar waiting to be re-discovered.
and this is the new steed, live and in colour.
i can’t wait to take it for a spin.