[rick rocket]

Frame Size & Color: medium silver h/l rear and new dhx-air shock
* Fork: FOX TALAS RLC 2006
* Brakes: HOPE M4 BRAIDED HOSES AND FLOATING ROTORS
* Cranks: RACEFACE ATLAS SILVER 170MM
* Front Derailleur: DEORE
* Rear Derailleur: SRAM X9
* Pedals: CRANK BROTHERS CANDYS
* Stem: HOPE XC RISER 10 DEGREE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN FOR LOWER POSITION IN SILVER
* Handlebar: RACEFACE XC LOW RISER IN SILVER OVERSIZED
* Seatpost: RACEFACE CHEAP ONE
* Saddle: MY OLD TRUSTY SELLE ITALIA MAX GEL FLOW
* Bottom Bracket: RACEFACE X TYPE EXTERNAL CUPS
* Cassette: XT
* Headset: HOPE SEALED IN BLUE
* Grips: LIZARD SKIN LOCK ON - VERY GOOD GRIPS!
* Front Tire: PANARACER 1.95
* Front Rim: MAVIC 717 SILVER
* Front Hub/Skewer: HOPE BULB IN BLUE AND HOPE SKEWER BLUE
* Rear Tire: PANARACER 1.95
* Rear Rim: MAVIX 717 SILVER
* Rear Hub/Skewer: HOPE BULB TITANIUM BLUE HOPE SKEWER
SHIFTERS - SRAM X9 TRIGGERS
CABLES - NOKON SEALED SILVER
SEAT COLLAR - HOPE Q/R BLUE
COMPUTER - NEW POLAR CS200 HEARTMONITOR AND SPEEDO ALL IN ONE VERY GOOD AND VERY ROBUST REALLY DOES HELP WITH THE MILES!!
TOTAL COST AROUND £3400
OK SOME NEW PICS!!!

first ride today!!
was extremely looking forward to it apart from the weather, i mean who wants to take their brand new ferrari out in the rain?
but its what i bought it for so on went the wet weather gear and i got out there.
was a bit apprehensive at first over the shock , did i have enough pressure in, all the adjustments etc, so i took my shock pump for out on the trail....anyway i reckon i must of nailed it first time it seems well dialled to me!
needs a little more compression might take a bit of pressure out of the booster, and a little quicker on the rebound maybe one notch.
i weigh 173 togged up, i got main chamber 170 boost 70 bottom out 2 rings rebound 3 clicks from fast.
BUT OH MY GOD!!
what a ride, she eats rocks, she nails trails, she climbs like a mountain goat!
this bike did not dissapoint me at all im so glad i chose a spot, its incredible. the forks {talas rlc} seem to get a bit of a hard time on here but i have to say theyre amazingplush and responsive what more could you ask for?
the weather was a bit harsh very windy on very open terrain so not the fairest of days to get a good feel, but as i was riding out and back i soon had the wind behind me and scorched the trail. ive never ridden a bike that has been so plush yet so responsive almost all at the same time its gonna be very easy to get a false sense of "i can do that easy!" on this bike.
im made up with the spec and the build quality so big thanks to chris over at
www.life-cycles.co.uk .
most of all she drops like a demon and this is my achilles heel, back in 96 whan i was a fairly decent roadie i had the mother of all high speed falls, 60mph in a line of 6 lost the bend resulting in 1 broken fence, 1 snapped crank, 1 cracked top tube, 1 broken thumb, 1 broken pelvis and........1 small fracture in my lower vertabrae, thats right never have been able to descend well after that!!
until now....just flown down one of the fastest cobbled and rocky drops that we ride out here in rochdale, anyone who knows it {rooley moor road, part of the mary townley loop} will know how fast and how demanding it is its not very technical but doesnt allow for any mistakes. well today was the first time i dropped without touching the brakes, massive achievement for me!! and im dead proud of myself!!
anyway all i need now is one of them there turner jerseys, so me first guys, please??

just to let u all know how the weather was today check the pic of the waterfall...that water really is flowing uphill

check my pimped up ride!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mr Bling]

nice rig, you've got the British-looking touch going on there.

 

[jaco]

nice rig, you've got the British-looking touch going on there.

nice, real nice....although you should consider streightening that handlebar . its way too far down towards the seat tube. thatll compromise your steering. you should try for the bar to be parallel with the ground.

 

[be350ka]

Frame Size & Color: medium silver h/l rear and new dhx-air shock
* Fork: FOX TALAS RLC 2006
* Brakes: HOPE M4 BRAIDED HOSES AND FLOATING ROTORS
* Cranks: RACEFACE ATLAS SILVER 170MM
* Front Derailleur: DEORE
* Rear Derailleur: SRAM X9
* Pedals: CRANK BROTHERS CANDYS
* Stem: HOPE XC RISER 10 DEGREE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN FOR LOWER POSITION IN SILVER
* Handlebar: RACEFACE XC LOW RISER IN SILVER OVERSIZED
* Seatpost: RACEFACE CHEAP ONE
* Saddle: MY OLD TRUSTY SELLE ITALIA MAX GEL FLOW
* Bottom Bracket: RACEFACE X TYPE EXTERNAL CUPS
* Cassette: XT
* Headset: HOPE SEALED IN BLUE
* Grips: LIZARD SKIN LOCK ON - VERY GOOD GRIPS!
* Front Tire: PANARACER 1.95
* Front Rim: MAVIC 717 SILVER
* Front Hub/Skewer: HOPE BULB IN BLUE AND HOPE SKEWER BLUE
* Rear Tire: PANARACER 1.95
* Rear Rim: MAVIX 717 SILVER
* Rear Hub/Skewer: HOPE BULB TITANIUM BLUE HOPE SKEWER
SHIFTERS - SRAM X9 TRIGGERS
CABLES - NOKON SEALED SILVER
SEAT COLLAR - HOPE Q/R BLUE
COMPUTER - NEW POLAR CS200 HEARTMONITOR AND SPEEDO ALL IN ONE VERY GOOD AND VERY ROBUST REALLY DOES HELP WITH THE MILES!!
TOTAL COST AROUND £3400
OK SOME NEW PICS!!!

first ride today!!
was extremely looking forward to it apart from the weather, i mean who wants to take their brand new ferrari out in the rain?
but its what i bought it for so on went the wet weather gear and i got out there.
was a bit apprehensive at first over the shock , did i have enough pressure in, all the adjustments etc, so i took my shock pump for out on the trail....anyway i reckon i must of nailed it first time it seems well dialled to me!
needs a little more compression might take a bit of pressure out of the booster, and a little quicker on the rebound maybe one notch.
i weigh 173 togged up, i got main chamber 170 boost 70 bottom out 2 rings rebound 3 clicks from fast.
BUT OH MY GOD!!
what a ride, she eats rocks, she nails trails, she climbs like a mountain goat!
this bike did not dissapoint me at all im so glad i chose a spot, its incredible. the forks {talas rlc} seem to get a bit of a hard time on here but i have to say theyre amazingplush and responsive what more could you ask for?
the weather was a bit harsh very windy on very open terrain so not the fairest of days to get a good feel, but as i was riding out and back i soon had the wind behind me and scorched the trail. ive never ridden a bike that has been so plush yet so responsive almost all at the same time its gonna be very easy to get a false sense of "i can do that easy!" on this bike.
im made up with the spec and the build quality so big thanks to chris over at
www.life-cycles.co.uk .
most of all she drops like a demon and this is my achilles heel, back in 96 whan i was a fairly decent roadie i had the mother of all high speed falls, 60mph in a line of 6 lost the bend resulting in 1 broken fence, 1 snapped crank, 1 cracked top tube, 1 broken thumb, 1 broken pelvis and........1 small fracture in my lower vertabrae, thats right never have been able to descend well after that!!
until now....just flown down one of the fastest cobbled and rocky drops that we ride out here in rochdale, anyone who knows it {rooley moor road, part of the mary townley loop} will know how fast and how demanding it is its not very technical but doesnt allow for any mistakes. well today was the first time i dropped without touching the brakes, massive achievement for me!! and im dead proud of myself!!
anyway all i need now is one of them there turner jerseys, so me first guys, please??

just to let u all know how the weather was today check the pic of the waterfall...that water really is flowing uphill

check my pimped up ride!!!!!!!!!!

i got main chamber 170 boost 70 bottom out 2 rings rebound 3 clicks from fast

Be careful. 75 PSI is the minimum in the boost valve.

 

[tscheezy]

Beautiful spec, but WAAAAAY too shiny.

I highly recommend you invest in a little armor. No sense in doing more damage to yourself than the fence.

 

[Bikezilla]

A stunningly beautiful rig! the silver and blue highlights rock!

Some nosy observations ignore me if it was pre-ride setups or if you just don't care.

You may want to turn that seat collar around. The split in the collar should match the split in the seat tube, otherwise it may not hold the post well over time.

Jaco is on to somethig you might want to work on gradually rotating your bars forward, while moving your seat foward if necessary. It'll help center your weight and you could save your shifter paddles from accidental knee strikes.

You may also want to consider raising the stem with the spacers, again a little at a time. The idea is to get the grips within an inch or so from your pedaling seat height (if it's not already there). That can give you more technical leverage and manuverablility...Note: it took me time to get used to that kind of setup coming off an XC oriented bike though. ...Is that fork set at 80mm?

I really dig the Hope stem!

 

[dyst0pia]

nice, real nice....although you should consider streightening that handlebar . its way too far down towards the seat tube. thatll compromise your steering. you should try for the bar to be parallel with the ground.

I know this isn't my bike, but your comment makes absolutely no sense to me?


I am not trying to be critical, but I would just like to be able to understand exactly what you mean? Are you trying to say that he should rotate his bars so his brake levers are flatter?

Am I the only one who doesn't understand what Jaco is trying to say?

Anyways, beautiful bike!! I love the brakes!!

 

[Bikezilla]

Check my post above. I think Jaco is saying rotate the handle bars forward. BUT the owner should also adjust the controls to compensate. Rotating the bars is mostly for weight distribution, control and leverage. It is not to adjust the lever positions. That you can do independently.

You generally don't want flat levers . (level with the ground.) You want them pointed down in a sort of 45-ish deg angle. The idea is to make them parallel or in line with your wrists/forearms. Most people have more control and are relaxed enough to steer and operate the levers w/o one interfering with the other. Consider the angle while seated and standing leaning back as in a decending position as you definately want to have as much control as possible then. It's also a matter of personal preference, so YMMV

 

[dyst0pia]

Ah, I see. I have always just kind of put my bar/controls wherever looks good. I am kind of odd in that I have a really hard time finding an uncomfortable bike. For some odd reason, I find it really hard to find a bike that I don't like to ride. Meh.

 

[Bikezilla]

Yeppers, most people can get used to almost anything. After I made some of the oft-recommended setup changes, I found I started clearing things that used to beat me more often than not. While you may not feel much difference all the time, there can be circumstances where it will be a clear advantage even if it's just a better feeling of comfort or balance...which can make all the difference in the world.

But the only way to know for sure is to give it a try.

 

[rick rocket]

Jaco is on to somethig you might want to work on gradually rotating your bars forward, while moving your seat foward if necessary.
You may also want to consider raising the stem with the spacers, again a little at a time. Note: it took me time to get used to that kind of setup coming off an XC oriented bike though. ...Is that fork set at 80mm?

I really dig the Hope stem!

first of all cheers zilla, tscheezy and all the guys!
its great to get some feed back and your opinions really do count !

ive struggled with positions for over 2 years, after cracking the bones ive been left with a real need to keep as close to possible to my original road position, seat behind the bracket lower drop on the bars etc. its taken a long time to get comfortable on the bike and i need to stretch out ive ridden more aggressive setups and im laid up for days with a stiff back, at the mo im riding the seat as far back as it will go on a medium frame with a 110 mm stem, and it works, im only 5ft 7!! i was going to try flat bars but i thought if i get a low riser then i have some adjustability, ill try turning the bars up but i dont wanna ride too high. i find that im well balanced between the front and back wheels, evenly disributed. i see a lot of guys too far over the front or hunched and they lurch, some guys ride they're saddles right back and sit on the tip, i just dont get that?! other guys dont ride their seats high enough so they're robbing themselves of optimum pedal stroke, but then again it all depends what kinda riding ur doing. personally i like getting the miles in long challenging rides lots of technical uphill and downhill but not big drops etc!! got no bottle after the crash! so i need to be comfortable and this works for me. i also like the low bar look, it looks sleek , im sure you'll appreciate that after coming from the xc side, and to be honest a good rule of thumb is if it looks right it cant be far off!
if i get any pics of me riding the damn thing ill post and u can see what u think.
thanks again guys aswell glad u all like the customised look!

 

[jaco]

Check my post above. I think Jaco is saying rotate the handle bars forward. BUT the owner should also adjust the controls to compensate. Rotating the bars is mostly for weight distribution, control and leverage. It is not to adjust the lever positions. That you can do independently.

You generally don't want flat levers . (level with the ground.) You want them pointed down in a sort of 45-ish deg angle. The idea is to make them parallel or in line with your wrists/forearms. Most people have more control and are relaxed enough to steer and operate the levers w/o one interfering with the other. Consider the angle while seated and standing leaning back as in a decending position as you definately want to have as much control as possible then. It's also a matter of personal preference, so YMMV

yeah, definately, rotate the bar forward so at some point the grip area is parallel to the ground giving you the best control and weight distribution. And of course you have to adjust your controls since they will be way forward after you adjust the bars.

 

[rick rocket]

yeah, definately, rotate the bar forward so at some point the grip area is parallel to the ground giving you the best control and weight distribution. And of course you have to adjust your controls since they will be way forward after you adjust the bars.

hey jaco cheers man, but they only very shallow 5 degree sweep xc bars im experimenting at the mo, i know the pic makes them look like they're tilted back tremendously but only slightly, ill try on next voyage out tilting them back up parrallel and proper riser style see if i notice any difference.
thnkas again bud!

 

[jaco]

hey jaco cheers man, but they only very shallow 5 degree sweep xc bars im experimenting at the mo, i know the pic makes them look like they're tilted back tremendously but only slightly, ill try on next voyage out tilting them back up parrallel and proper riser style see if i notice any difference.
thnkas again bud!

hey, sure thing...enjoy that sweet ride! cheers.

 

[rick rocket]

110mm zilla dude!!

A stunningly beautiful rig! the silver and blue highlights rock!

Some nosy observations ignore me if it was pre-ride setups or if you just don't care.

...Is that fork set at 80mm?

I really dig the Hope stem!

hey zilla forks set about 110mm there but out on the trail i had them all over the place locked out on the climbs at 90mm and lastly at 130mm on way back, the whole bike handles beautifuly and WAY better than the gary fisher sugar 3 disc catalogue bike i had previously!!
i know hope stuff gets a battering on here next to chris king etc but they really are the business. here in the uk we get every type of weather imaginable including the best medium {mud} to play around in and it stands up, the price is good and its all servicable.
the stem which you particularly like is machined out of one solid billet of alu and is a work of art, you wouldnt believe the weight of it!!
im just made up with the whole build its taken 12 months but hey i got what i wanted...eventually!
cheers again for the kind words guys!
when i get a chance ill pic up my road bike a real nice handbuilt steel light weight i just know u guys will love it!!

outta here....the rocket!

 

[jokermtb]

nice bike - like the blue accents, especially the master cylinder covers and bar end caps!

that trail certainly looks steep - the photo only hints at it.

don't quite understand the lingo "got no bottle after the crash! " so maybe you need the bottle during your 5-spot ride! Really, the only proper way to ride a spot...!

 

[rick rocket]

no bottle - im yella!

nice bike - like the blue accents, especially the master cylinder covers and bar end caps!

don't quite understand the lingo "got no bottle after the crash! "

allow me to translate.........i cant hold my speed and/or slow down or take big drop offs for fear of wiping out!
to lose ur bottle means to become "yella" a little like post traumatic stress in this case...dont wanna another bad fall!!

any tips are welcome by the way!!

cheers for the blue nod!