The Hope M4 brakes were perfect as were the new bars and stem!
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Trail - Hamsterley Forest
A few of us headed to Hamsterley Forest to ride the three newest trails (Transmission, Accelerator and Nitrous). After that, we hit the skills loop with the camera.
The Hope M4 brakes were perfect as were the new bars and stem!
The Hope M4 brakes were perfect as were the new bars and stem!
Wednesday, 18 July 2012
Hope M4 Evo Brakes
So, the first piece in the jigsaw are the Hope M4 Tech Evo brakes. The Hope M4s provide a level of adjustability which are second to none. In addition, you can't read a review without people talking about the awesome modulation. The downside of nearly every review seems to be the power, but a bikeradar test put them very near the top of their list, topped only by the Hope V2 and Formula The ONE brakes...fair enough.
The 2012 Tech Evo model has around 15% more power than the previous version and setup (including pad alignment) is critical. Oh, and did I mention the titanium hardware?!
These will be fitted to the Cube in the short term as I was on a trail recently and tried to use the Hayes Stroker Rydes, but nearly pulled the lever back through the bars. No better after bleeding or a service so I'm done with them.
The 2012 Tech Evo model has around 15% more power than the previous version and setup (including pad alignment) is critical. Oh, and did I mention the titanium hardware?!
These will be fitted to the Cube in the short term as I was on a trail recently and tried to use the Hayes Stroker Rydes, but nearly pulled the lever back through the bars. No better after bleeding or a service so I'm done with them.
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
Parts Parts Parts!
So I've spent quite a bit of time researching the parts I'm going to use for the build, and it currently looks like this...As I buy the parts, I'll take photos and explain my decision for choosing it. The eagle eyed amongst you will notice that the stem and bars are missing. The bars and stem will be taken off my Cube LTD Pro. They are an Easton Haven 711mm and Funn Light CNC stem.
P.S. I'm undecided on pedals at the moment, but they will probably end up being Shimano XT or XTR Trail affairs.
- Yeti SB-66c Frame
- Fox 34 TALAS 160 FIT CTD w/Trail Adjust
- Industry Nine All Mountain
- KS LEV 385mm Adjustable Seatpost
- Hope M4 Evo Brakes
- Shimano XTR M985 Shadow+ 10sp Rear Mech
- Shimano XTR M986 Direct Mount 2x10 Front Mech
- Shimano XTR M980 10 Speed Trigger Shifter
- Shimano XT M771 10 Speed Cassette
- Shimano M810 Saint Bottom Bracket (73mm)
- Shimano SLX M665 Double Chainset
- Cane Creek 40 Lower Headset Cup (ZS56/40)
- Cane Creek 40 Upper Headset Tall Carbon (ZS44/28.6)
- SRAM PC1091 10 Speed Hollow Pin Chain
- Fizik Gobi XM MTB Saddle 2012 (it's black and gold!!!)
- ODI Yeti Hardcore Lock-On Bonus Pack
- 2 x Continental Mountain King II ProTection 2.4
P.S. I'm undecided on pedals at the moment, but they will probably end up being Shimano XT or XTR Trail affairs.
Obligatory Introduction
Let me get the major bit of news out of the way first - I am planning to build a Yeti SB-66c super bike. There, I said it! So now for a bit of background...
I've been riding proper trails and single track for a few years now having bought my hardtail Cube LTD Pro on my workplace's Cycle To Work scheme. As my riding has progressed, I found myself adding more and more upgraded components and still envy the full sus crew that I ride with. I'm not an exceptional rider and I doubt I ever will be, but I do have a motto that I live by with every sport I practice; Buy The Very Best You Can Afford. Why? Well, I watch those YouTube videos with the likes of Brendan Semenuk doing tail whips at 1000fps and the like and I do not like the thought that the equipment I use is the excuse that I'm not reaching my potential. That's how I justify it to myself, but there's also an element that I just love riding nice bikes!
The other point is I don't have loads of disposable cash either (3 kids will do that to you) so I certainly won't be buying all the parts in one go. My plan is to purchase the frame this year, and complete the parts in January / February 2013. That way, it should be ready to ride for next season...how exciting!!!
So, why the Yeti SB-66c then? Well, I've ridden other people's full sus bikes and one of the characteristics I really like is maintaining the pedalling efficiency but without sacrificing ride quality. One in particular was the Specialised S-Works (can't remember which one). It felt like a hardtail until you hit something then the plush suspension kicked in, but it felt like there would be no advantage on climbs. On my much lighter and shorter friend's Trek Fuel 8, I felt like all my energy was being sapped when pedalling. What I wanted is something that could react to the terrain without reacting to my pedalling force...enter Yeti's SWITCH Technology. Their eccentric pivot is designed to do exactly that. I was researching components and build kits etc. when I saw the Fox CTD (Climb, Trail, Descend) adverts, and there was the most stunning bike I've ever seen. My mind was made up.
So there it is...I'll be documenting the build but don't expect posts every day and I'm sure I'll post something about the local trails and trail building we'll be undertaking.
Wish me luck!
I've been riding proper trails and single track for a few years now having bought my hardtail Cube LTD Pro on my workplace's Cycle To Work scheme. As my riding has progressed, I found myself adding more and more upgraded components and still envy the full sus crew that I ride with. I'm not an exceptional rider and I doubt I ever will be, but I do have a motto that I live by with every sport I practice; Buy The Very Best You Can Afford. Why? Well, I watch those YouTube videos with the likes of Brendan Semenuk doing tail whips at 1000fps and the like and I do not like the thought that the equipment I use is the excuse that I'm not reaching my potential. That's how I justify it to myself, but there's also an element that I just love riding nice bikes!
The other point is I don't have loads of disposable cash either (3 kids will do that to you) so I certainly won't be buying all the parts in one go. My plan is to purchase the frame this year, and complete the parts in January / February 2013. That way, it should be ready to ride for next season...how exciting!!!
So, why the Yeti SB-66c then? Well, I've ridden other people's full sus bikes and one of the characteristics I really like is maintaining the pedalling efficiency but without sacrificing ride quality. One in particular was the Specialised S-Works (can't remember which one). It felt like a hardtail until you hit something then the plush suspension kicked in, but it felt like there would be no advantage on climbs. On my much lighter and shorter friend's Trek Fuel 8, I felt like all my energy was being sapped when pedalling. What I wanted is something that could react to the terrain without reacting to my pedalling force...enter Yeti's SWITCH Technology. Their eccentric pivot is designed to do exactly that. I was researching components and build kits etc. when I saw the Fox CTD (Climb, Trail, Descend) adverts, and there was the most stunning bike I've ever seen. My mind was made up.
So there it is...I'll be documenting the build but don't expect posts every day and I'm sure I'll post something about the local trails and trail building we'll be undertaking.
Wish me luck!
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