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New Whip? New toys for the dependable steed?

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,195
4,419
The Sovereign is still running great. This is officially its 10th season!

Minor updates on components: Elixir CR on the rear finally failed after 10 years. The front is still running however. Dropped on a Formula that I picked up a couple of years ago (someone posted CRC having a blowout). After using the Formula, and even though I never really thought I was a lever preference guy, the pivot point makes the lever curve quickly to the bar – it's going to end up on the DJ bike ultimately. Hopes are on the way.

Since this bike has been around for a while, there are a handful of components that have been amazing and been on there pretty much throughout:

- Thomson 50mm stem: strong, simple, stout. This stem will probably easily go another 10 years w/o issue.

- Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5
: The most versatile set/forget tire. If you're not getting grip with these tires, it's not the tire.

- ODI lockons
: once again, set, forget. Solid and dependable.

- HUGI/DT Swiss rear hub
: I bought this thing used about 12 years ago and it's been running amazing since. I rebuilt the freehub once in that time. It doesn't get much better than this.

- CK 20mm front hub
: Solid, rebuildable... the hub is probably 17 years old and still running smooth. Overhauled it about 5 years ago. What more do you want?

- My wheel-building skills
. Amazing. Just thought I'd let you know!

IMG_4398.jpg


IMG_4397.jpg
 
Last edited:

slimshady

¡Mira, una ardilla!
The Sovereign is still running great. This is officially its 10th season!

Minor updates on components: Elixir CR on the rear finally failed after 10 years. The front is still running however. Dropped on a Formula that I picked up a couple of years ago (someone posted CRC having a blowout). After using the Formula, and even though I never really thought I was a lever preference guy, the pivot point makes the lever curve quickly to the bar – it's going to end up on the DJ bike ultimately. Hopes are on the way.

Since this bike has been around for a while, there are a handful of components that have been amazing and been on there pretty much throughout:
- Thomson 50mm stem: strong, simple, stout. This stem will probably easily go another 10 years w/o issue.
- Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5: The most versatile set/forget tire. If you're not getting grip with these tires, it's not the tire.
- ODI lockons: once again, set, forget. Solid and dependable.
- HUGI/DT Swiss rear hub: I bought this thing used about 12 years ago and it's been running amazing since. I rebuilt the freehub once in that time. It doesn't get much better than this.
- CK 20mm front hub: Solid, rebuildable... the hub is probably 17 years old and still running smooth. Overhauled it about 5 years ago. What more do you want?
- My wheel-building skills. Amazing. Just thought I'd let you know!

View attachment 125469

View attachment 125470
Pfff... It's because of people like you The Bike Industry™ is targeting dentists and doctors nowadays. :D
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,480
4,720
Australia
- Thomson 50mm stem: strong, simple, stout. This stem will probably easily go another 10 years w/o issue.
Mine made it to 8 years before cracking at the steer tube clamp. Stuff fatigues eventually I guess.
 

dump

Turbo Monkey
Oct 12, 2001
8,195
4,419
Mine made it to 8 years before cracking at the steer tube clamp. Stuff fatigues eventually I guess.
Good to know – I'll keep an eye out. I know they redid that clamp area between the two of these that I have... they went with smaller bolts & heads on the new one...
 

toodles

ridiculously corgi proportioned
Aug 24, 2004
5,480
4,720
Australia
Good to know – I'll keep an eye out. I know they redid that clamp area between the two of these that I have... they went with smaller bolts & heads on the new one...
Yeah they're not flimsy or anything - just saying nothing lasts forever. Especially with my gracefull gazelle-like descending technique....
 

bdamschen

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2005
3,377
156
Spreckels, CA
How do you like that Ragley? I have a buddy that's interested in one.
I'm having way more fun on it than I thought I would. The frame geometry is pretty dialed.

I'm around 200lbs and ride with all the gracefulness of a runaway dump truck, so we'll see how long before things start breaking.
 

canadmos

Cake Tease
May 29, 2011
20,192
19,158
Canaderp
A current picture of this years bicycles, that I conveniently keep in my living room.

Don't worry, I've done the hard work and sorted the bikes by wheel size, fun size, utilization amount, travel, seat angle, suspension travel, head tube angle, weight and tire size. Maybe MOAR; IDK & IDGAF.

They all have some sort of knobby tire though, that's what counts....right?!
 

'size

Turbo Monkey
May 30, 2007
2,000
338
AZ
A current picture of this years bicycles, that I conveniently keep in my living room.

Don't worry, I've done the hard work and sorted the bikes by wheel size, fun size, utilization amount, travel, seat angle, suspension travel, head tube angle, weight and tire size. Maybe MOAR; IDK & IDGAF.

They all have some sort of knobby tire though, that's what counts....right?!
how do you get grass to grow in your living room?
 

manhattanprjkt83

Rusty Trombone
Jul 10, 2003
9,644
1,214
Nilbog
It's a medium, i forgot to post it's on 27.5 plusminus. I am about 5'9 and it fits just about perfect, absolutely couldn't ride a different size. I love the bike, it's rock solid.
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
In all seriousness, I'm by no means sold on a lot of Chris Porter's ideas, but I do think this bike will work well for me. I'm moderately tall (6'), but I'm also all arms and torso, so long reach/short seat tube suits me, and I'm running a size smaller than Mojo would have edged me towards. I also tend to run my bars really low, owing to an old shoulder injury that makes that a lot more comfortable, and I've struggled a bit with getting the bar position where I want it on my Megatrail. I did a few goofy things like run a super negative rise Syntace stem for a while, but that wasn't a great solution for other reasons and I moved away from it. The stack height is a fair bit lower on the Mojo/Nicolai, so the hypotenuse of the reach/stack triangle is only about 15mm longer than my Megatrail. Not huge. The suspension kinematics are really good. I am a little wary of the chainstay length, but I'm willing to give it a go, and kind of see some logic to the idea that making them longer as the front end gets longer helps even out weight balance.

Is it an experiment, and a bit of a risk? Definitely. It's out there geometry wise, and I'm sure it's not for everyone, but I'm cautiously optimistic that I can make it work really well for me personally.

As built it's 30.4#, according to my ultra accurate bathroom scale. I'm running 26" wheels, which nets a BB height of 12.9", so actually a bit higher than my Megatrail in gravity mode (~12.6").
 

trib

not worthy of a Rux.
Jun 22, 2009
1,458
388
In all seriousness, I'm by no means sold on a lot of Chris Porter's ideas, but I do think this bike will work well for me. I'm moderately tall (6'), but I'm also all arms and torso, so long reach/short seat tube suits me, and I'm running a size smaller than Mojo would have edged me towards. I also tend to run my bars really low, owing to an old shoulder injury that makes that a lot more comfortable, and I've struggled a bit with getting the bar position where I want it on my Megatrail. I did a few goofy things like run a super negative rise Syntace stem for a while, but that wasn't a great solution for other reasons and I moved away from it. The stack height is a fair bit lower on the Mojo/Nicolai, so the hypotenuse of the reach/stack triangle is only about 15mm longer than my Megatrail. Not huge. The suspension kinematics are really good. I am a little wary of the chainstay length, but I'm willing to give it a go, and kind of see some logic to the idea that making them longer as the front end gets longer helps even out weight balance.

Is it an experiment, and a bit of a risk? Definitely. It's out there geometry wise, and I'm sure it's not for everyone, but I'm cautiously optimistic that I can make it work really well for me personally.

As built it's 30.4#, according to my ultra accurate bathroom scale. I'm running 26" wheels, which nets a BB height of 12.9", so actually a bit higher than my Megatrail in gravity mode (~12.6").
it looks like a good solution to all of your problems - I'm a big fan of the industrial looks of the Nicolai, it looks super long with the 16" wheels. Toe overlap will never be a problem for sure
 

HAB

Chelsea from Seattle
Apr 28, 2007
11,580
2,006
Seattle
it looks like a good solution to all of your problems - I'm a big fan of the industrial looks of the Nicolai, it looks super long with the 16" wheels. Toe overlap will never be a problem for sure
It is super long, but the smaller wheels definitely accentuate it. 50.3" wheelbase.
 

Udi

RM Chief Ornithologist
Mar 14, 2005
4,915
1,200
Thoughts?
Did you ride the Scout?
Is the Anvl stuff decent?
I had really poor CS from Anvl (no replies to emails, except one from the web guy apologizing for the lack of responses, and then still no response) before I bought anything, and was not impressed with the machining of the parts after buying either.

There were some holes that bolts would not fit into because the hole for the bolt head wasn't big enough (random sizes on single part), and the machining was questionable. I didn't even bother emailing them about the problems.

Shame because the design and material choice was good. I wouldn't recommend them and that experience (esp. the machining errors) would make me shy away from Transition too. YMMV.
 

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
I had really poor CS from Anvl (no replies to emails, except one from the web guy apologizing for the lack of responses, and then still no response) before I bought anything, and was not impressed with the machining of the parts after buying either.

There were some holes that bolts would not fit into because the hole for the bolt head wasn't big enough (random sizes on single part), and the machining was questionable. I didn't even bother emailing them about the problems.

Shame because the design and material choice was good. I wouldn't recommend them and that experience (esp. the machining errors) would make me shy away from Transition too. YMMV.
Sorry about your holes but I will add this: I just got an anvl stealth saddle and it is probably the most comfy butt holder I've ever owned in 25 years of road and mt bikes. Stems are stems for the most part but happy ass is happy.

#buttgrin
 

Jm_

sled dog's bollocks
Jan 14, 2002
18,855
9,559
AK
Haha, fuck you lizards. Just used a hope I-spect adapter on my 785 to adapt an Ispec B lever to Ispec II shifter, had to drill out the adapter, but then it fits over the IspecB bolt, put a couple spacers in and golden.