Non-serious MTB Build Thread

[BulletMagnet]

So with the Zed now gone, I can now turn my attention to my second hand pushbike

This is the cheap MTB I have after swapping it with a ladies pushbike that I had been given by my mother-in-law.

 

First thing I did was to swap out the old Kenda tyres for some Continental Town & Countrys, which are more suited for riding around town.

Edited October 25, 2016 by BulletMagnet

[BulletMagnet]

Then decided that I didn't like the colour, so tore the bike down and got some matt black rattlecans.

 

Bike put back together

[BulletMagnet]

Looks like I have trace amounts of Zeditus in my system...

 

Felt that my forks were a bit harsh when riding up curbs.

Probably due to the basic epuipment the bike came with.

Some very basic SR Suntour forks, all the dampening is handled just by the springs.

 

So with a limited budget, I had a look around eBay and eBay Kleinanzeigen (german version of small ads).

After looking around I found a pair of Marzocchi Bomber Dirt Jumper 3 for an agreeable price.

 

Will install when I have some spare time.

[ZEUS]

Looks so much better in black, I was actually going to dig my mtb out today and go tor a peddle.

[Jay Kay]

I'm guessing the forks are worth five times the value of the bike

[coldel]

Nice one, I just picked up a second hand Giant Rapid 3 off ebay, not a MTB but already am eyeing it up wondering what to modify. Already gave it a detail and wax finish

[Randy_Baton]

Ha, should have started one on mine my Zeditis definitely spilled over on to my MTB, had it looking swish until the frame snapped 2 weeks ago…. I’d had the bike 6 years and put over 10k miles on it so it stood me well.

 

Someone pointed out that as it was a specialized frame it came with a lifetime frame warranty. Took it to my local bike shop, who sent it to specialized, they agreed it was covered by warranty and would replace it with a 2017 version of my frame.

 

Here’s where it gets amazing… as my bike was 6 years old it was running a 26†wheel size, specialized haven’t supported this wheel size for 2 years so they had no stock to match my current frame. My new frame will be made for 29†wheels. This means my old wheels and forks won’t match the new frame, therefore specialized have said they’ll included new wheels and forks with the warranty claim!

 

That is amazing customer service.

 

I'll have some Kenesis 26" max light wheels and rigid forks for sale soon + I'll throw in what ever tires and innertubes I have left over. The forks have never been used and the wheels are about 3 months old. The Wheels make an amazing difference http://www.freeborn....ight-vi-wheels. I'll stick a for sale thread up at the weekend.

Edited October 25, 2016 by Randy_Baton

[Payco]

Mark. Would look better if you put your Volks on it.

[BulletMagnet]

The forks I managed to get for €60, they have some marks from usage, but still think I got a bargain as most Bombers I have had my eye on have gone for over €100

[BulletMagnet]

Mark. Would look better if you put your Volks on it.

Yeah, but turning circle would have been pants

[Payco]

Yes but would have looked good.

[Jay Kay]

Bombers are heavy and very stiff as they are for dirt jumps. If its for road riding they may be ok as roads don't (well, shouldn't) have bumps, roots etc, but for cross country, you might not find them very comfortable.

[Floydbax]

http://bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=2004&brand=Schwinn&model=Rocket+3

 

I've got one of these, had it for over 10 years and it's used almost every day I'm in the UK. All it's had is one tyre and inner tube (nail) and a pedal and arm where I've stacked it. It shows if you do your research before pulling the trigger, you can buy right. I only paid £270 for it .New! - Having said that it's groaning a bit at the crank but I've got a replacement lined up:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371379517803?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&var=640481176223&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

And I quite fancy changing the gear set for one with a guard on the side:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SR-Suntour-CW14-XCR6-T424-Chainset-175mm-Black-/131396519460?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

 

I guess I owe it to the bike for its long efficient service

[GMballistic]

Looks so much better in black BM.

 

I'm not into bikes at all, heck I've still got my Raleigh Mantis MB from when I was like 14 or 15 years old and haven't ridden that in decades but one thing I'd do is get yourself some mud guards. Even if you're just riding it on the roads.

 

My old boss used to ride a bike to work everyday on the roads, I suggested to him that he might want to get mudguards but he was "too cool" for that apparently.

Week or two later he rides to work as normal and has lots of brown/black marks on his face plus loads up his back, ...yep dog sh*t all over him. Not so cool now I thought.

[BulletMagnet]

Bombers are heavy and very stiff as they are for dirt jumps. If its for road riding they may be ok as roads don't (well, shouldn't) have bumps, roots etc, but for cross country, you might not find them very comfortable.

Mine are adjustable so see what happens when I get them on.

In any case, they are lighter than the forks I have on currently.

 

The bike is not meant to tackle serious mountain paths, it's merely for the city, hence "non-serious" build

[Randy_Baton]

Well you might be interested in my rigid forks when they come up for sale. They've never been used

 

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/kinesis-maxlight-xlt-fork

 

Very light.

[ZEUS]

http://bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=2004&brand=Schwinn&model=Rocket+3

 

I've got one of these, had it for over 10 years and it's used almost every day I'm in the UK. All it's had is one tyre and inner tube (nail) and a pedal and arm where I've stacked it. It shows if you do your research before pulling the trigger, you can buy right. I only paid £270 for it .New! - Having said that it's groaning a bit at the crank but I've got a replacement lined up:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/371379517803?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&var=640481176223&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

And I quite fancy changing the gear set for one with a guard on the side:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SR-Suntour-CW14-XCR6-T424-Chainset-175mm-Black-/131396519460?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

 

I guess I owe it to the bike for its long efficient service

I've got a schwinn rocket 3 too. Think I've had it about 12 years, uprated wheels, forks, disc brakes, fox shock, gears etc. Quite a nice bit of kit in its day.

Edited October 25, 2016 by ZEUS

[SHEZZA]

Nice. I dusted off my old Trek Y3 which I've had about 17 years ! Now living next to a canal it's ideal for getting to the pub and back ! Haha

[Floydbax]

Nice. I dusted off my old Trek Y3 which I've had about 17 years ! Now living next to a canal it's ideal for getting to the pub and back ! Haha

 

That's what I use mine for lol Daily

[BulletMagnet]

Well, another few days have passed and eBay has yielded another item.

Found some used hydraulic brakes front and rear including discs.

Avid Juicy Seven with 180mm and 160mm discs

Just need some adapters to accomodate disc size on the front and an IS to PM for the rear, then I can get rid of the rear V-Brake.

Also never been a fan of grip shifter so....

 

Grabbed some new basic RapidFire shifters 3x8.

And since I am getting rid of the rear V-Brake, I needed a new rear hub that allows for a disc, but having a new hub added to my existing wheel would have cost too much, so perfect excuse to get a new wheel with the hub I needed

DT Swiss 466d

It's nice and black, even with black spokes.

And because I was at it already, I had a new 8-speed cassette installed on it, due to me getting the shifters for 8-speed while my setup was actually 7-speed...oh well.

Should all work together as its all Shimano stuff

[BulletMagnet]

Oh, question for the proper pushbikers out there.

I have noticed that the rim has a valve hole of 6,5mm, which is fine for a Presta valve, but the tube I have currently is a Schraeder valve, which is 8mm.

Question is, can I simply just take a drill and make the hole bigger or should I get a new tube with the right size valve?

Thanks for any advice

[gsexr]

Got a Kona Shred I might have to dig out and go for a pedal

[Randy_Baton]

Oh, question for the proper pushbikers out there.

I have noticed that the rim has a valve hole of 6,5mm, which is fine for a Presta valve, but the tube I have currently is a Schraeder valve, which is 8mm.

Question is, can I simply just take a drill and make the hole bigger or should I get a new tube with the right size valve?

Thanks for any advice

 

Depends on how wide the rim is, but for the sake of a few quid why not just buy a new tube. A decent tube is £4 budget ones are <£2

 

Wheels should be the most expensive thing on your bike, probably not worth the risk.

 

You should have said you were after some brakes, I've got an old pare of Avids sitting around somewhere, although they are end of life (can't buy brake pads anymore) and squeak something rotten. Although I always found teh squeaking breaks were better than having a bell.

Edited October 28, 2016 by Randy_Baton

[BulletMagnet]

Too late...got drilled

[BulletMagnet]

And onwards...

Managed to find the adapters I needed to mount the brakes

 

...plus an impulse buy at the checkout...

 

As mentioned before, the drilled rim

 

My workspace, removed the old rear wheel to take tyre off

 

And rear all ready for mounting

 

Just need to mount the rear caliper and remove the old V-Brake

 

Front end to be attacked next

 

And a while later it's all done...

 

So much nicer to have RapidFires again after them GripShifts.

Had to pop down to the bikeshop during the reassembly though because the lower headset collar was still on the forks from the previous owner and it needed a special tool to remove.

Shop popped it off free of charge.

 

The forks are actually quite nice, not stiff as somebody mentioned previously.

Had to bleed the front brakes to push the piston back, but other than that it all went quite smoothly.

 

Might think of silly things to add now.....maybe DRLs or something