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Choosing a steel frame...

Old 05-26-19, 10:31 AM
  #26  
mstateglfr 
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Originally Posted by RyanAK
Thanks for throwing in for the BMC frame. I like it a lot and think it would make a great bike for what I want to do. How did/do you have your bikes set up?

Not crazy about the current Monster Cross or MCD colors though... Way down the list of priorities, but still a consideration.
Agreed on current MCD colors. Not loving them. The pink is out of stock in my size and while I don't like the olive oil color as a frame, I like it a lot more as a built bike like Benny's.

Mine is a v3 frame, so its before the cool Pacenti crown and 3rd bottle cage. Love the black cherry color though.

It's a 46/34 crank with an 11/36 cassette. 11sp 105 derailleurs mated to Gevenalle shifters.
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Old 05-28-19, 07:06 AM
  #27  
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No, mongol777.... you can't miss that Mr. Peptobismol! Really nice build. It makes your Gorilla Monsoon look rather plain by comparison. That's a great build as well! (The GM was on my list for a bit, too.)

BluesDawg, really nice. The Olive Oil MCD actually looks pretty great. It does look much better as a built bike than as a bare frame.

mstateglfr... that's a really clean build. 46/34 and 11/36 is pretty close to what I've been considering. Love the cherry cola color too. How do you like the Gevenalle shifters? They're on my list to consider when I start spec'ing out a build.

Color... Personal, and has nothing to do with performance. However... I have a big ol' red beard, wear a lot of plaid flannel and Carhartts, and often look like a page out of the Filson catalog. I live on 30 acres in an old brick farmhouse with a covered bridge in the front yard. I fish with bamboo fly rods, some of which I have built myself. My truck, 'Earl', is a '71 Chevy Suburban. I can certainly appreciate a lot of frame colors, but my life doesn't have a lot of hot pink in it.

Lilac might work...

List update:

1. Used medium National Forest Explorer.
2. BMC Monster Cross (canti) OR VO Polyvalent (I like what I've been reading on the Poly)
3. Pack Rat (I still need more info on this guy...)
4. Soma Wolverine
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Old 05-28-19, 06:55 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by RyanAK
No, mongol777.... you can't miss that Mr. Peptobismol! Really nice build. It makes your Gorilla Monsoon look rather plain by comparison. That's a great build as well! (The GM was on my list for a bit, too.)

BluesDawg, really nice. The Olive Oil MCD actually looks pretty great. It does look much better as a built bike than as a bare frame.

mstateglfr... that's a really clean build. 46/34 and 11/36 is pretty close to what I've been considering. Love the cherry cola color too. How do you like the Gevenalle shifters? They're on my list to consider when I start spec'ing out a build.

Color... Personal, and has nothing to do with performance. However... I have a big ol' red beard, wear a lot of plaid flannel and Carhartts, and often look like a page out of the Filson catalog. I live on 30 acres in an old brick farmhouse with a covered bridge in the front yard. I fish with bamboo fly rods, some of which I have built myself. My truck, 'Earl', is a '71 Chevy Suburban. I can certainly appreciate a lot of frame colors, but my life doesn't have a lot of hot pink in it.

Lilac might work...

List update:

1. Used medium National Forest Explorer.
2. BMC Monster Cross (canti) OR VO Polyvalent (I like what I've been reading on the Poly)
3. Pack Rat (I still need more info on this guy...)
4. Soma Wolverine
Thank you! Where I live and ride - pink stands out for sure. Aside from liking color as bright as peptobismol - I like that all sorts of people I meet on the trail are smiling and kids love it too, helps to spread positivity from cyclists. And if I ever get tired of pink - powdercoat typically runs around $100 CAD for the frame and $25 CAD for the fork. And speaking of clothing choices and appearances - we are pretty close, I am all business in the office but total Flinston character when out riding (function over looks!)
Curious - why GM is not on your list anymore? Front derailleur can be done on it (with shims to clamp, there are couple of builds in the wild and I was running 2x for some time but went to 1x and friction shifter for simplicity). All-City specs clearance as 27.5x2.4 or 700cx42mm but in reality there is much more clearance, right now I am running 27.5x2.6 (actual width at the casing). 73mm bb shell allows you to use many mtb cranks with wide range of gearing. Plus loads of braze-ons including top crown mounts for Surly 8 or 24 pack racks (which I really like). Just my 2 cents on GM - very versatile frame and current color is amazing, IMHO

I was really waiting for Pack Rat as I was thinking it will be more like Midnight Special. Great bike but limited selection of good 650B rim brake rims. Not that you need many but it is nice to have a choice, especially if you are going for wider tire with lower pressure and max float on country roads and trails.
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Old 05-28-19, 10:04 PM
  #29  
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Hey, man. Good on ya for keeping things bright and happy out there. I find that for the causes I advocate for (mostly water and land conservation issues and Autism education) that a positive attitude goes a long way. If a kid sees a smiling face on a cool pink bike, that will go a long way to getting small butts on saddles.

Honestly... I really don’t really know exactly why the Gorilla Monsoon dropped from a spot near the top. I think it was a combination of things as I rearranged the list and focused in on what I want to do - ‘gravel rando’ or ‘home territory adventure’ or ‘state forest explorer’ or something. Randonneur-style front loading on secondary county and state forest roads. I really fell hard for the GM the first time I saw photos. I mean, how could I not? Both the orange and green colorways are striking. I guess I thought there might be other frames that would handle high, front-load weight in a rando bag better? ‘Low trail’. Maybe I’m not as familiar or comfortable with current MTB components that the GM takes? Am I hip enough for All-City? Price for the complete is entirely out of the budget and the frameset is at the absolute top end.

Anyway, as I kept looking some other bikes came to the forefront and that gorgeous Gorilla Monsoon slid down and off of the Top 5 list. But maybe it deserves another look. How’s the front handle with a load up high? Any tendency to flop?

All-City responded to a query from their website with a really nice email and basically said Space Horse or Gorilla Monsoon. Space Horse for more paved/gravel riding or touring, GM for fire roads and single track. They see GM as more “dirt-specific/‘Monstercross’”. I found that interesting. That doesn’t necessarily come through in their ad copy.

The Pack Rat seems like it could be the sleeper here. I just don’t see a lot written about it, which is a shame because I think it might be excellent. When I pinged Surly about their thoughts on what I was looking for they actually sent a very lengthy and thoughtful email with some recommendations. They touted the Straggler and Disc Trucker, but then mentioned something about how if I wanted to carry my banjos over every hill and through whatever terrain I could find in the county - in a front rack - I should look hard at the Pack Rat.

I don’t own a banjo, but I get what they mean. Again... I feel their ad copy really aims that bike at urban commuters, rather than all-road randonneur. With ‘gravel’ and front-loading being the current thing, you think they’d be getting that bike into that segment of the cycling world. Could be it’s a ‘value’ NFE and they’d sell thousands.

Late night ramble. This is a fun conversation! Thanks all for the continued participation!

R
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Old 05-29-19, 12:02 PM
  #30  
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one of the many versions this has been...


My BMC Monstercross also is pink. The colour actually grows on you the longer you own it. My wife loves it and has named the bike Mr. Pink,after her dog,named for the character in the movie. It is the one bike I own that she "forbids" me to get rid of.... I have to agree..this bike is my favorite and the one that is the most versatile. Its been: an old school looking mountain bike with bullmoose bars, my commuter,with racks front and rear, my gravel bike,my road bike..lol

* As for pink, Mr. Varley's personal bike is pink I believe..which is one of the reasons he picked that colour..I think its a great choice..John
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Old 05-29-19, 12:33 PM
  #31  
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There is a lot of good steel out there.
My first bikepacking bike was a Foundry Broadaxe. Great carbon bike but they had some "issues". While I was waiting for the issue to get revolved, my LBS brought me in a Surly Karate Monkey. IMHO, you cannot go wrong with Surly. The KM was eventually replaced with a Foundry Firetower but remains my go to "Play" mountain bike.
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Old 05-29-19, 02:17 PM
  #32  
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One more recommendation for BMC. Most of my rides start on pavement. This build makes the transition to dirt or gravel very well. With a couple of hours wrenching I could make it a light touring bike. And I agree Mike is a pleasure to work with. Great communication.

-D



Black Mountain Monster Cross by djk762, on Flickr
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Old 05-29-19, 03:14 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by RyanAK
Hey, man. Good on ya for keeping things bright and happy out there. I find that for the causes I advocate for (mostly water and land conservation issues and Autism education) that a positive attitude goes a long way. If a kid sees a smiling face on a cool pink bike, that will go a long way to getting small butts on saddles.

Honestly... I really don’t really know exactly why the Gorilla Monsoon dropped from a spot near the top. I think it was a combination of things as I rearranged the list and focused in on what I want to do - ‘gravel rando’ or ‘home territory adventure’ or ‘state forest explorer’ or something. Randonneur-style front loading on secondary county and state forest roads. I really fell hard for the GM the first time I saw photos. I mean, how could I not? Both the orange and green colorways are striking. I guess I thought there might be other frames that would handle high, front-load weight in a rando bag better? ‘Low trail’. Maybe I’m not as familiar or comfortable with current MTB components that the GM takes? Am I hip enough for All-City? Price for the complete is entirely out of the budget and the frameset is at the absolute top end.

Anyway, as I kept looking some other bikes came to the forefront and that gorgeous Gorilla Monsoon slid down and off of the Top 5 list. But maybe it deserves another look. How’s the front handle with a load up high? Any tendency to flop?

All-City responded to a query from their website with a really nice email and basically said Space Horse or Gorilla Monsoon. Space Horse for more paved/gravel riding or touring, GM for fire roads and single track. They see GM as more “dirt-specific/‘Monstercross’”. I found that interesting. That doesn’t necessarily come through in their ad copy.

The Pack Rat seems like it could be the sleeper here. I just don’t see a lot written about it, which is a shame because I think it might be excellent. When I pinged Surly about their thoughts on what I was looking for they actually sent a very lengthy and thoughtful email with some recommendations. They touted the Straggler and Disc Trucker, but then mentioned something about how if I wanted to carry my banjos over every hill and through whatever terrain I could find in the county - in a front rack - I should look hard at the Pack Rat.

I don’t own a banjo, but I get what they mean. Again... I feel their ad copy really aims that bike at urban commuters, rather than all-road randonneur. With ‘gravel’ and front-loading being the current thing, you think they’d be getting that bike into that segment of the cycling world. Could be it’s a ‘value’ NFE and they’d sell thousands.

Late night ramble. This is a fun conversation! Thanks all for the continued participation!

R
I usually look pass marketing mumbo jumbo. I usually know what I want bike to do and how I want to build it and just look if frame would work for that.
All-City team is fantastic to deal with. I fell hard for GM as soon as it was released, same as you and put deposit down at my LBS the day it was announced only to find out a week later that it is sold out/not available in Canada in my size. I found it hard to believe and reached out to All-City direct. They got in touch with my LBS, cleared the confusion and errors in the system and I got my frame. I send them pic of all my All-City bikes as a thank you (and I got several, addiction started with their Big Block which I bought by accident when I lived in a big city :-)) and they sent me super nice box of goodies. All in all - top notch people and fella who started it is really into classic steel. I also appreciate that they don't hide the fact that frames are made in Taiwan, they even did special blog post to highlight their highly skilled hard working partners from far away. Same with Mike - what you see is what you get and I really appreciate it.
Front load on GM is no problem, no flopping and I used both big 24 pack rack for several rides and I use smaller one on daily rides with small porteur bag from Surly.
Anyway - you can't go wrong with MCD or GM, both excellent frames. With my builds - MCD is mostly road (any road) and GM is when I don't know what to expect (road, gravel, singletrack, coming across big Morel stash, you get the idea :-)). Like them both a lot and very grateful that I can have both.
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Old 05-29-19, 03:47 PM
  #34  
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One more thing - as you probably can tell I am a big fan of All-City. Between me and missus we own two Mr Pinks, two Nature Boys Disc (regular and Reynolds 83), Space Horse canti, Big Block and GM. In addition to that we have several Surly bikes. So MCD was one of my first forays outside of QBP mothership. And I really really like it. I don't know if it is Mike's tubing selection, geo or whatever else - it builds up and rides noticeably lighter/nicer vs All-City and Surly road/allroad offerings (I had Pacer and Cross Check at some point as well). Had I known before how nice BMC frames are - I would have probably bought Mike's road frame instead of Mr Pink. Again - not to take away from GM as it is different animal from MCD or from other All-City bikes, I was very pleasantly surprised by MCD's ride quality.
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Old 05-29-19, 04:44 PM
  #35  
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mtbikerjohn - great builds! Obviously a very versatile frame. But, if I buy a BMC Monster Cross or MCD... it won’t be that particular pink. Signal Yellow or maybe that blue for MC. Olive Oil for MCD.

Also... #bikesinkitchens. Ha!

djkashuba - that is a spectacular build. Seriously. Functionally just what I’m looking for. Is that the current blue color for the Monster Cross?

mongol - I like a lot about All-City, especially the fact that they did such a nice piece on the shop in Taiwan building their frames. Your praise has put the Gorilla Monsoon back on my list of frames. It’s an outlier since it’s pretty different from the rest, but it is certainly back in the running. Absolute top of budget for a frame though.

I’m impressed with the feedback y’all have given Mike and Black Mountain Cycles. One of those frames is a front runner. But I still want to see what I can find out about a few other possibilities. Specifically the VO Polyvalent and Surly Pack Rat.

This all might be a delaying tactic to see if a used NFE frame pops up... heh.

Yay, bikes!

R
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Old 05-29-19, 07:40 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by RyanAK
mtbikerjohn - great builds! Obviously a very versatile frame. But, if I buy a BMC Monster Cross or MCD... it won’t be that particular pink. Signal Yellow or maybe that blue for MC. Olive Oil for MCD.

Also... #bikesinkitchens. Ha!

djkashuba - that is a spectacular build. Seriously. Functionally just what I’m looking for. Is that the current blue color for the Monster Cross?

mongol - I like a lot about All-City, especially the fact that they did such a nice piece on the shop in Taiwan building their frames. Your praise has put the Gorilla Monsoon back on my list of frames. It’s an outlier since it’s pretty different from the rest, but it is certainly back in the running. Absolute top of budget for a frame though.

I’m impressed with the feedback y’all have given Mike and Black Mountain Cycles. One of those frames is a front runner. But I still want to see what I can find out about a few other possibilities. Specifically the VO Polyvalent and Surly Pack Rat.

This all might be a delaying tactic to see if a used NFE frame pops up... heh.

Yay, bikes!

R
I am so full of envy (good one!) - love the process of choosing the frame! Good luck with whatever you decide on. Poly is a great looking frame and threaded stem will add some nice compliance to the front. One of the consistent feedback I hear about them is that the frame perhaps a bit overbuilt and on the heavy side. Couple more places for you to check for feedback and just general reading, https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/internet-bob and https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/650b
Both have tons of opinions on various steel frames and good in depth reviews. You will also find plenty of praise for BMC frames there.
Pretty good youtube channel, Russ has review of Pack Rat and other frames you mentioned - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaT...21yRK4seqq3-Sw
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Old 05-29-19, 10:08 PM
  #37  
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I'm considering an Otso Warakin in gorgeous stainless steel.

Lacks front braze-ons which you seem to want, but ticks a lot of other boxes. Rode one the other night and found it much more lively than my Salsa Vaya yet has that magic carpet steel feel. For me it would actually replace my carbon road bike.

Good luck wth your decisions...
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Old 05-30-19, 05:15 AM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by RyanAK
mtbikerjohn - great builds! Obviously a very versatile frame. But, if I buy a BMC Monster Cross or MCD... it won’t be that particular pink. Signal Yellow or maybe that blue for MC. Olive Oil for MCD.

Also... #bikesinkitchens. Ha!

djkashuba - that is a spectacular build. Seriously. Functionally just what I’m looking for. Is that the current blue color for the Monster Cross?

mongol - I like a lot about All-City, especially the fact that they did such a nice piece on the shop in Taiwan building their frames. Your praise has put the Gorilla Monsoon back on my list of frames. It’s an outlier since it’s pretty different from the rest, but it is certainly back in the running. Absolute top of budget for a frame though.

I’m impressed with the feedback y’all have given Mike and Black Mountain Cycles. One of those frames is a front runner. But I still want to see what I can find out about a few other possibilities. Specifically the VO Polyvalent and Surly Pack Rat.

This all might be a delaying tactic to see if a used NFE frame pops up... heh.

Yay, bikes!

R
Its funny when I bought my frame I originally wanted to get the British Racing Green colour that was the other choice for my series frame, but Mike had run out of my frame size in that colour. I wanted that frame and fork so bad I took a pink one instead,figuring there's always powder coat later...but its grown on me and the pink stands out while riding in traffic,to state the obvious. My favourite colours he did were the early generation root beer and black cherry. I do miss the top tube decal he used to put on that honoured the workers building his frames..mine didn't come with that and I was a bit bummed about that..I can't speak highly enough to the quality you get for the $$ and that Mike V. is such a class act guy to work with! Good luck in your search..
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Old 05-30-19, 11:47 AM
  #39  
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mongol - thanks for coming along on the journey as I try to choose. It's fun. And I appreciate all the feedback. Which do you find more 'lively' to ride, MCD or GM? Seems like the Black Mt. Cycles MCD rides lighter from your comments. I've heard different opinions on the Polyvalent... some think it's a boat anchor, others seem to like it's light low-trail handling. I did the quill stem. The Radavist has a nice review if anyone is interested.

https://theradavist.com/2019/03/lila...morgan-taylor/

If the Poly would be a cantilever brake frame, I think I would have already pulled the trigger. I do think I'd prefer the canti BMC Monster Cross to the disc bike. djkashuba's blue bike is really growing on me.... or Signal Yellow....

zaxmalloy - thanks for the well-wishes. The Warakin looks fabulous, but I'm really looking for a steel fork with rack mounts. I appreciate your suggestion though!

mtbikerjohn - Some of the earlier colors were certainly more classic. I've seen a few online photos now of the yellow, blue and green canti bikes to be not so put off as I initially was. Some really look fantastic. Just can't do the pink. I wasn't sure what that sticker was on some of the bikes I've seen. Thanks for that info! Wonder why new bikes aren't coming with that now... Are those Gevenalle shifters on your drop-bar build? I'm likely going to try that setup. What are your impressions? +1 for the H PLUS SON rims, too. They seem like a great value/performance choice.
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Old 05-30-19, 12:13 PM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by RyanAK
mongol - thanks for coming along on the journey as I try to choose. It's fun. And I appreciate all the feedback. Which do you find more 'lively' to ride, MCD or GM? Seems like the Black Mt. Cycles MCD rides lighter from your comments. I've heard different opinions on the Polyvalent... some think it's a boat anchor, others seem to like it's light low-trail handling. I did the quill stem. The Radavist has a nice review if anyone is interested.

https://theradavist.com/2019/03/lila...morgan-taylor/

If the Poly would be a cantilever brake frame, I think I would have already pulled the trigger. I do think I'd prefer the canti BMC Monster Cross to the disc bike. djkashuba's blue bike is really growing on me.... or Signal Yellow....

zaxmalloy - thanks for the well-wishes. The Warakin looks fabulous, but I'm really looking for a steel fork with rack mounts. I appreciate your suggestion though!

mtbikerjohn - Some of the earlier colors were certainly more classic. I've seen a few online photos now of the yellow, blue and green canti bikes to be not so put off as I initially was. Some really look fantastic. Just can't do the pink. I wasn't sure what that sticker was on some of the bikes I've seen. Thanks for that info! Wonder why new bikes aren't coming with that now... Are those Gevenalle shifters on your drop-bar build? I'm likely going to try that setup. What are your impressions? +1 for the H PLUS SON rims, too. They seem like a great value/performance choice.
Yeah that's the first incarnation of my Pink..Gevenelle 10 speed running a 9 speed XT rear/CX70 front. That bike has been: 2x10 ShimanoXT/IRD 46/30 crank, 1x10 running a Rotor crank, 2x10 Rotor 46/30Shimano XT,and finally Campy Potenza / Campy CX 46/36 11 speed.. The wheels got changed over to White Ind./Easton R90 rims when I changed to Campy... These really are a swiss army knife kind of bike..

* the Gevenelles worked great..............
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Old 05-30-19, 01:16 PM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by RyanAK
I've heard different opinions on the Polyvalent... some think it's a boat anchor, others seem to like it's light low-trail handling.
.
Yes - one man's 'boat anchor' can be another's 'spirited and lively' ride. I am skeptical about the concept of the average steel bike 'planing' per Jan Heine's observations. Sure, riding one of his Rene Herse racing classics made with paper-thin steel tubes a rider might actually notice this planing concept in action.

But, for the frame/forks that you are considering I think that geometry/fit and tire choice is going to make a much more noticeable difference to you than the actual weight of the frame/fork/bike or the specific tubing used.

Concerning tires, if you want some float I can suggest Mr. Heine's (Rene Herse/Compass) tires. I have the standard casing Rat Trap Pass tires on a bike and they provide a nice, smooth ride. Although, at 55 mm width and 25 psi how could they not?!
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Old 05-30-19, 03:22 PM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by RyanAK
mongol - thanks for coming along on the journey as I try to choose. It's fun. And I appreciate all the feedback. Which do you find more 'lively' to ride, MCD or GM? Seems like the Black Mt. Cycles MCD rides lighter from your comments. .
MCD rides lighter but GM is not far behind. Keep in mind that my builds have quite different setups, GM often wears XC/Trail tires in 650B and MCD has lighter wheels and lighter 700c tires.
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Old 05-30-19, 04:02 PM
  #43  
t_e_r_r_y
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oh man, i was in this exact boat not too long ago. thing is, the more i read and looked around, the more i realized i couldn't pick a frame, haha. i was really in love with the crust evasion for a long time, and it was looking like it was going to be the winner.

but then what ended up happening was that i got on ebay one night kinda drunk and bought an old 90s univega 26" steel mountain bike frame for $20 and now i'm building it up instead. it's got those rad, dropped "max mudroom" chain stays and i picked up a surly troll fork for it and am collecting the rest of the parts now.

my thought at the time was i could build this thing dirt cheap and enjoy it this summer. then as the weather turns, i may pull it apart and convert it to 27.5.

i guess my point is, depending on how cheap you're willing to go, don't forget there's still a lot of awesome old school steel mountain bikes out there just begging to be reborn! that said, i really wish i could justify a new bike. nothing like being the first to make a particular bike their own!
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Old 05-31-19, 08:49 AM
  #44  
RyanAK
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Thanks, mongol. Appreciate the feedback.

Terry - I’m doing something similar with my ‘97 MUSA steel Trek 820. My old college bike that I just got back from my brother. (Slowly) setting it up with drops and giving it a general refresh. Should be fun. Only hiccup so far is the 1-1/8” threaded steerer is sorta limiting what I can do with stem options.

Still looking for a neat new frame to build up though. Something I can put my stamp on. Right now it’s VO Polyvalent or BMC Monstercross.

Unless an NFE frame I can afford comes along...

R

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Old 05-31-19, 08:58 AM
  #45  
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Had to wait until 10 posts to post this. Last Friday was an unexpected FIRST Bike Day for 4 year old Spencer. He went along with Daddy to the local Amish-owned bike shop to pick up a headset wrench. He’s been having fun helping to tear down my old Trek. Guys gave him a balance bike to try and he took to it like a duck to water. He’s on the spectrum, and I had been recently reading about autistic kids and bikes. Absolutely pumped to see the connection he’s made with his bike.



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Old 05-31-19, 10:39 AM
  #46  
mstateglfr 
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Originally Posted by RyanAK
Had to wait until 10 posts to post this. Last Friday was an unexpected FIRST Bike Day for 4 year old Spencer. He went along with Daddy to the local Amish-owned bike shop to pick up a headset wrench. He’s been having fun helping to tear down my old Trek. Guys gave him a balance bike to try and he took to it like a duck to water. He’s on the spectrum, and I had been recently reading about autistic kids and bikes. Absolutely pumped to see the connection he’s made with his bike.
Way to start em young!

Great to see him helping with teardown and rebuilds.
My daughter's do both for the bikes we built for them and its a fun process to see them gain ability and understanding thru each build and from one build to the next.

I spend most of my riding time with a mentorship program for at risk youth.
At risk is purposely a broad definition, so we have kids that come to the team with counselor recommendations for all sorts of reasons(lack social confidence, bullied, unstable/abusive home life, foster care, etc). Anyways, a few kids in the last four years have been on the spectrum and its been both fun and challenging to work with them. Really great experiences though. They really took to the routine(we ride 3x per week in the same days), the physical exhaustion, and the social aspect of the group being a team. All were(are) verbal and mainstream in school, so that obviously helped with the success.
Helping Youth Set and Obtain Goals

Good luck with the 'help' that kids offer! It's a blast.
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Old 05-31-19, 11:20 AM
  #47  
79pmooney
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Originally Posted by mtbikerjohn


one of the many versions this has been...


My BMC Monstercross also is pink. The colour actually grows on you the longer you own it. My wife loves it and has named the bike Mr. Pink,after her dog,named for the character in the movie. It is the one bike I own that she "forbids" me to get rid of.... I have to agree..this bike is my favorite and the one that is the most versatile. Its been: an old school looking mountain bike with bullmoose bars, my commuter,with racks front and rear, my gravel bike,my road bike..lol

* As for pink, Mr. Varley's personal bike is pink I believe..which is one of the reasons he picked that colour..I think its a great choice..John
I like! My Peter Mooney has done fast club rides, days to 140 miles both geared and fixed, toured, served as an exquisite farmer's market bike, and done gravel both geared and fixed. Looks like your bike can do all of the above! (And being steel, if it needs a braze-on or two for the next adventure 25 years from now when that sweet pink is getting tired, no problem!)

Edit: How do you like those Gevenalle shifters? Can they run friction mode?

Ben
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Old 06-01-19, 10:02 PM
  #48  
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Originally Posted by jlaw
Yes - one man's 'boat anchor' can be another's 'spirited and lively' ride. I am skeptical about the concept of the average steel bike 'planing' per Jan Heine's observations. Sure, riding one of his Rene Herse racing classics made with paper-thin steel tubes a rider might actually notice this planing concept in action.

But, for the frame/forks that you are considering I think that geometry/fit and tire choice is going to make a much more noticeable difference to you than the actual weight of the frame/fork/bike or the specific tubing used.

Concerning tires, if you want some float I can suggest Mr. Heine's (Rene Herse/Compass) tires. I have the standard casing Rat Trap Pass tires on a bike and they provide a nice, smooth ride. Although, at 55 mm width and 25 psi how could they not?!
Oh I’m with ya on geometry/fit + tires, jlaw. When I mention ‘light’, I’m more talking about feel and handling than weight, and I have no illusions about a steel bike like I’m trying to build ‘planing’. It is curious though how two people riding the same frame can have such different impressions. ‘Boat anchor’ vs. ‘light and responsive’.

Appreciate your thoughts!

R
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Old 06-01-19, 10:07 PM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by mstateglfr
Way to start em young!

Great to see him helping with teardown and rebuilds.
My daughter's do both for the bikes we built for them and its a fun process to see them gain ability and understanding thru each build and from one build to the next.

I spend most of my riding time with a mentorship program for at risk youth.
At risk is purposely a broad definition, so we have kids that come to the team with counselor recommendations for all sorts of reasons(lack social confidence, bullied, unstable/abusive home life, foster care, etc). Anyways, a few kids in the last four years have been on the spectrum and its been both fun and challenging to work with them. Really great experiences though. They really took to the routine(we ride 3x per week in the same days), the physical exhaustion, and the social aspect of the group being a team. All were(are) verbal and mainstream in school, so that obviously helped with the success.
Helping Youth Set and Obtain Goals

Good luck with the 'help' that kids offer! It's a blast.
Appreciate your thoughts. I’m blessed with the two best kids. Spencer has some challenges, but mostly he’s just a boy that wants to have fun. I’m learning so much from him. And thanks for your contributions by working with at-risk kids. The best thing we can do in life is to make a difference in the life of a child.

R
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Old 06-02-19, 06:23 AM
  #50  
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oops wrong thread sorry

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