[Instigator]

Thanks to Motionboy2 for selling me such a fine rig. I change a few things when I received the bike. Mostly to suit my personality. I put on the avid mechanicals and the 888, other than that the bike just went through a complete teardown, cleaning and rebuild. One ride so far and it feels pretty good. The only other plans for it, is the rear shock. I would like a platform shock on it to help out the pedaling, so I might get the fox pushed.

First pic

 

[Instigator]

other side

 

[Instigator]

how many anodized colors can you have on one bike???

 

[Instigator]

nice clean simple setup

 

[Instigator]

last one, need to show off the rotor

 

[eastcoastzigzag]

very niceeeeeeeeee!

 

[Matt D]

Wow, that's a very clean looking rig! Is that a 7" or 8" 888? It looks very un-choppered.

 

[Incubus]

NIce!

Lots-o-room for stickers.

 

[mcA896]

mmm clean! that actually looks like it has a decent head angle. is that a galfer rotor or what?

 

[Instigator]

Originally posted by Matt D
Wow, that's a very clean looking rig! Is that a 7" or 8" 888? It looks very un-choppered.

8" travel. It even has a 24" rear wheel and still isn't chopper styling!

 

[Echo]

Originally posted by Instigator
8" travel. It even has a 24" rear wheel and still isn't chopper styling!

That's cool, I didn't even notice the 24" wheel when I was riding it.

 

[tartosuc]

Avid Mechanical on a dh rig?

are they strong enough?

 

[Matt D]

Originally posted by tartosuc
Avid Mechanical on a dh rig?

are they strong enough?

yes from what everyone says. Some equate them with Hayes power.

 

[Lexx D]

Originally posted by Matt D
yes from what everyone says. Some equate them with Hayes power.

Oh they have plenty of power. Just not modulation.

 

[ChrisRobin]

it looks cool...I like it.

 

[Kornphlake]

I've yet to blame my brakes for a crash and I use avid mechanicals.

Best bang for the buck in my book.

I wonder how a platform shock will make a bike like that handle. Most of the bikes that really benefit from a platform shock are pretty affected by pedaling forces, with a high single pivot the chain is extending the suspension while your body wieght is compressing. The forces kind of cancel each other and the shock just makes up the differance. With a concentric pivot the pedaling force and your body weight both work to compress the suspension which may be too much for a platform shock to really overcome without sacrificing the plushness of the suspension. I'm sure that bike rails and a platform shock may help the suspension settle it its travel on the downhills.

 

[DHS]

nice job there Ralphy.
love the rotors.

have you done anything to the 888, spring wise?
or is it stock?

 

[Tweek]

Originally posted by tartosuc
Avid Mechanical on a dh rig?

are they strong enough?

Hee hee. That question pops up every time Instigator posts his latest DH rig.

 

[MMcG]

Ralph,

Did you make the rotors and is this an addition to your stable or does it take the place of something??

 

[Instigator]

DHS: the fork has the heavy springs in it. no other changes yet.

Tweek: yep, that question always pops up

MMcG: I bought the rotors, but can't remember the maker. I had purchased Spomer's IH SGS last fall and by the time I put a leg over it, it ended up being to small for me.

 

[Motionboy2]

She is a beauty!! I miss it already.

You may want to look into a new rear wheel? How does the guide work with the small outer plate on there?

 

[Fulton]

i think they are hope gothic 203 rotors

 

[Motionboy2]

Originally posted by Kornphlake
I've yet to blame my brakes for a crash and I use avid mechanicals.

Best bang for the buck in my book.

I wonder how a platform shock will make a bike like that handle. Most of the bikes that really benefit from a platform shock are pretty affected by pedaling forces, with a high single pivot the chain is extending the suspension while your body wieght is compressing. The forces kind of cancel each other and the shock just makes up the differance. With a concentric pivot the pedaling force and your body weight both work to compress the suspension which may be too much for a platform shock to really overcome without sacrificing the plushness of the suspension. I'm sure that bike rails and a platform shock may help the suspension settle it its travel on the downhills.

I don't think it would be bad it would help a bit. I thought that bike pedaled pretty decently for a long travel bike. Much better than almost any other single pivot bike that I have ridden!

BTW Ralph what does it weigh with your new parts on there?

 

[stuntmatty]

Rides as good as she looks my man!

 

[Motionboy2]

Originally posted by Incubus
NIce!

Lots-o-room for stickers.

Seriously, they just started making carbon fibre inserts that cover that hollow area so you can make HUGE stickers. A few ot the teams that they sponsor are using those to put 9 inch tall logos on their frames that will extend from the shock bow to the headtube!!

 

[mplutodh1]

MMM Lenz

The platform shock does make a difference. That frame will need a SLIGHT bit of modification to make it fit but I ran it by Devin before I made the mods to my frame and he said it wouldnt be a problem. I now have a 5th on mine and love it, pedals a little better (although I never had a problem with it, just have to be smooth when pedaling) and makes it even more active in the rear. If you need help fitting a 5th to it let me know, not sure how a Swinger would fit because of the slightly different shape but I am sure it's about the same.

 

[Incubus]

Originally posted by Lexx D
Oh they have plenty of power. Just not modulation.

You can set them up to modulate better than some hydros. They're, in essence, a single piston brake. You can back the stationary pad far out enough to allow better modulating. Better than some 2 piston brakes that clamp equally on both sides.

 

[Curb Hucker]

Originally posted by Incubus
You can set them up to modulate better than some hydros. They're, in essence, a single piston brake. You can back the stationary pad far out enough to allow better modulating. Better than some 2 piston brakes that clamp equally on both sides.

not hopes, they reign supreme over all

but yea, a buddy of mine has avids on the HT and hayes on the DH, the avids do modulate much better

 

[thaflyinfatman]

Originally posted by Lexx D
Oh they have plenty of power. Just not modulation.

I get so sick of hearing this (not about Avids in particular). Do you even know what modulation means? It's another one of those words that everyone throws around, generally talking ****. A lot of people claim Hayes have no modulation because they have a very solid lever feel, but turn around and tell me their grabs-like-hands-to-tits ______ (insert Hopes, XTs, Avids, Grimeca, shoes, imagination etc here) has "awesome modulation" when in fact they mean "less firm lever feel".

If you can't properly control any popular brake on the market right now, then you're the one with the problem, not the brakes. I've ridden pretty much all the brakes out there (Hopes, Hayes [both hydros and mechs, old and new], Grimecas, Avids, XTs, Deores), owned a number of those, and whilst some definitely had more POWER than others, not a single one of them was hard to "modulate" so that I could either keep the tyre near lockup, or nosewheelie down the hill, or whatever it was that I wanted to do. Tarred-up HS33s are the only brakes I've ridden that grabbed so suddenly that they did actually lock before I could control them, but I run a HS33 on my hardtail and have it set up so it's powerful but also easy to use.

I owned a set of Avids a while ago, and they are probably the best of the lot when it comes to precise control - but it's nitpicking at best, to be worrying about it nowadays.

Oh, I have heard that Navigator 6-pots are pretty hard to control properly though... but I haven't ridden or even seen a set of those.

 

[anarchyUK]

I ride "for lenz" (team sponsor)
Devin make nice bike and is hella cool
enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Instigator]

Originally posted by Motionboy2
I don't think it would be bad it would help a bit. I thought that bike pedaled pretty decently for a long travel bike. Much better than almost any other single pivot bike that I have ridden!

BTW Ralph what does it weigh with your new parts on there?

A little late, but oh well

The bike weighs in at just a hair under 42 lbs. (biggest weight change was swapping the DH tubes for standard)