the new beast

On Wednesday evening, Rob and I headed over to Massey towers to try to build me a temporary full suspension mountain bike, with my Bianchi frame on its way to Italy, and Paul having an old Stumpjumer FSR XC lying about in his garage we decided to try and put my components onto the old 2001 (a guess it may be older or one year newer) frame. Our initial problem came before the build when it took us a while to decide how to set up the rear suspension was set up, eventually deciding that we would have to put it on upside down to enable me to get access to the switch to adjust the fox float rp23. After that decision it was time to try to remove the bottom bracket to try and get my FSA crank and BB onto the bike. this was not easy especially as Massey’s book as well as common sense meant we thought the BB would have to be turned one way, when after much brute strength (including Massey standing on Justin’s BB tool, with a monkey wrench attached and rob walloping it with a lump mallet) Massey thought we could try hitting it the other way to loosen it, this in fact proved to be the way it needed to be turned to be removed. so with the main bit removed we thought the bit it screwed into would just pop out, oh no that would be too easy. So we tried knocking it out but this didn’t work so Rob had to hacksaw and then chisel the rest away.
After this everything went pretty much as planned, apart from having to steal a seat post from Jo’s giant, and the rear part of the suspension having a bit of a strange set up when it came to doing the cables, but it was nothing that a bit of masking tape couldn’t bodge.
Well the bike went for its maiden voyage last night, just me and Paul out doing the normal short route, with me not setting the seat height correctly and neither Paul or myself having any tool, due to the stupid backpacks we both have, I could not adjust it. Combining the seat height with the fact that the bike weighs close to that of a small tank the ride was a slow one, well it wasn’t that slow as we did do the ride in 1hr 20 but it nearly killed me. The major plus point of the bike though is it is a mental downhill machine, it was firmly planted with the combined weight of me and the bike plus the suspension being excellent, so with the seat height adjusted for the next ride, I am looking forward to Tuesday’s outing.

Hope to see you there
Dave