[FM]

Fortuitous timing this summer.... for years I have been putting out the feelers looking for a dekerf implant. As my RFX's romic starting showing signs of going south, I got a call from up north that a used implant had been located.... My size and favorite color (rootbeer brown) no less! The romic lost the last of it's rebound damping the same day the implant showed up on my doorstep.

With summer riding in full effect, and whistler beckoning, I was curious to see how a steel hardtail would treat me...built it up asap!


The quick low-down:
dekerf 853 frame, gussetts golore, built for abuse. 16.5"chainstays and a 5" head tube on a medium!
Marzocchi Z1 FR (tried my Z150 for one ride out of neccesity, too slack as expected)
70mm thomsen stem
XT discs, 8" front rotor (not pictured)

So a few good local rides and up to whistler it went. did a few garbonzo runs at the bike park, then used the lift plus an hour of hike-a-bike to access Khyber ridge, a 5k' descent to the valley below. Hit cheap thrills and some other techXC trails on it the next day. This bike rocks! No prblems with stunts, drops, slabs, or climbing for that matter...

pardon the crappy photo!

 

[macrider]

Very nice - Steel is real!

you should find yourself a Fox RC and sent it to Push, stat!

I'm waiting on my steel frame (Evil Sovereign) - setting it up as a single-speed dirt jumper...

 

[FM]

Thanks I'm really enjoying it.

Riding a hardtail is always good for skills. I'm sure when I get the RFX running again, I'll be a better rider for having ridden this bike on stuff that's at the verge of my comfort level.

PS, got my romic back already, 13 days total turnaround, not bad! Now I just need new shifters and bars for it...

Very nice - Steel is real!

you should find yourself a Fox RC and sent it to Push, stat!

I'm waiting on my steel frame (Evil Sovereign) - setting it up as a single-speed dirt jumper...

 

[CrashTheDOG]

With summer riding in full effect, and whistler beckoning, I was curious to see how a steel hardtail would treat me...built it up asap!

Nice! Definately not your daddy's HT. Just curious how much a rig like that weighs.

Every time I pull the Spot out of the garage I look over at my custom Seven HT that sits in pieces collecting dust and think I ought to do something with it. I've toyed with the idea of sending it back to Seven to get disc brake tabs and the SS treatment and turn it into an ultralight SS'er, but I just can't find the motivation after I return from riding the Spot.

 

[kpicha]

PS, got my romic back already, 13 days total turnaround, not bad! Now I just need new shifters and bars for it...

Nanner, nanner - I beat ya'. Got mine in 7 days and that's East Coast, too! Too bad it rained the whole time it was gone. I haven't ridden my Hardrock in a couple of years.

Cool Rootbeer color, too! Sounds like you had an awesome time!

 

[FM]

I haven't weighed it, but it's fairly light... last time I talked to dekerf, they said the frame was "about a pound heavier than our team frame" (which was my last hardtail) so probably 4.5-5lbs. It's plenty beefy. Built up as is, it feels like its maybe 28lbs? That's 10lbs lighter than my RFX!

I tell ya what, I just don't see drops bigger than about 6' on most trails, and the implant can handle that. Did a few 4' to tranny drops up in whistler with no problem.

A little movie from "cheap thrills".... (save before viewing please)

http://www.bikesandmusic.com/cheapthrills.MOV

Nice! Definately not your daddy's HT. Just curious how much a rig like that weighs.