AM ROAR!!! RAAW Madonna V2.2

beeb

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
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Note the "Hope Hoops" laser-etching? Bought as part of a wheelset from CRC back in early-2018 when it was cheaper to buy a wheelset than individual hubs. o_O Been rebuilt with Nextie carbon rims and has had a run on several of my bikes since.
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Frame - RAAW Madonna V2.2 (Size L), '65' rocker link, 450mm length chainstay kit and 203mm brake mount.
Fork - Marzocchi Z1, Vorsprung Smashpot coil kit, 170mm travel, 44mm offset, Grip damper.
Rear shock - RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate Coil with 'HBO' 205x62.5mm Trunnion (because I had it already, can take 205x65mm...)
Handlebars - Title AH1 31.8 800mm, 'raw' alloy.
Stem - Deity Copperhead 50mm 31.8
Headset - Chris King
Grips - ODI Elite Pro
Saddle - Fabric Scoop Elite Flat
Seatpost - BikeYoke Revive 213mm 31.6
Front brakes - Hope Tech 4/V4, TRP 203mm dia 2.3mm rotor, UberBike Race Matrix Pads
Rear brakes - Hope Tech 4/V4, TRP 203mm dia 2.3mm rotor, UberBike Race Matrix Pads
Cranks - Shimano XT M8120 with 32T chainring
Chainguide - T.B.A
Chain - Shimano XTR M9100 12sp
Pedals - Chromag Dagga
Rear shifter - Shimano XT SL-M8100 12sp (bar clamp type)
Rear derailleur - Shimano XT RD-M8100 12sp
Cassette - Shimano XT M8100 10-51t 12sp
Front hub - Hope Pro 4 15x110 32h
Rear hub - Hope Pro 4 148x12 32h
Front rim - 29" Nextie Premium Trail 40mm (36mm internal)
Rear rim - 29" Nextie Premium Enduro 36mm (29mm internal)
Spokes - DT Swiss Comp
Front Tyre - WTB Judge 29x2.4 Tough Casing/High Grip
Rear Tyre - WTB Trail Boss 29x2.4 Tough Casing/Fast Rolling
Tubeless Sealant - Stans Tubeless
Total weight - Don't know, don't care. Feels light enough in use, doesn't feel so light I'm going to break anything.
Extras - WolfTooth Dropper Remote, RAAW front mudguard

Future plans/ideas:
I've ordered new fork decals (matte silver/chrome on black background) already, and have a set of silver Hope Pro 4's sitting aside waiting* to bring the matchy-matchy up to my normal (obsessive) standard.

*I'm going to order some asymmetrically-drilled Nextie rims to try thinking the shallower rim height might increase vertical compliance of the wheelset somewhat... Not that it massively needs it, more "just because"...

I also have an extended lower headset bearing cup aside in case I want to slacken the thing off another half a degree, but I'm going to ride it in stock form for a bit first to get a feel for if it needs it.
 
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beeb

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
Build thoughts:
The first thing I noticed pulling this frame out of the box is how well made it is. BB threads and headtube all neatly cut and faced and no swarf (almost, just 1 tiny flake) found lingering in the frame. The suspension linkage moved almost impossibly smoothly through the whole range of travel, suggesting the frame alignment is dead-on too. So as you can imagine, the assembly was pretty straightforward. I will admit, the brake hose and dropper and shifter cable clamps are a bit fiddly when installing them as they're split into two plates - so trying to get the hoses and cables in place, aligned, clamped and not have the clamps rotate while trying to do the screws up left me feeling like I needed a third hand. The routing of the of the cabling also leads to having to install some zip-ties in some awkward places (like the shock "tunnel" clearanced downtube, and between the BB and chainstays) but fortunately this all pays off with a bike that's practical silent on the trails. Building this thing up I was really impressed with the small details - like how (despite how fiddly they were to install) the cable guides actually help to route the cables and hoses (some other frames I've built were woeful for this), how much thought the designers have put into routing/positioning everything to protect it from collecting dirt and mud out on the trails, how neat the "adjustable" (interchangeable would be more accurate really...) the rear axle setups are when installed, and even just little quality details like the seat-tube being bored to the perfect dimension and truly round for the full depth of insertion. I came away really impressed.

Ride Report:
(Will be added once I've had a chance to take it on a few rides, but initial impressions are good...).
 
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beeb

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
slowmick said:
Stunning. You do such a clean build sir. How much bar spin do you allow for when setting the cable lengths? I feel like I allow for far too much
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I allow for roughly 130deg from centre in either direction, as I figure if it's spun past that I've just had a huge crash and the state of my cables will be the least of my worries... :p They're normally starting to pull taut around the headtube around that kind of rotation. A little more length would be sensible in some ways, but I hate cables rattling on each other which seems to happen more the longer they get.
 
Chriso_29er

Chriso_29er

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Looks magnificent Dr
It will absolutely monster your high country trips. Awesome build. Great shots too!


ozzybmx said:
Very nice ! You must be able to find some knarly lines down the rock in that paddock to do the suspension and brakes justice.

EDIT: Here you go BeBe MacAskill, we want the video too ;)

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That was the first thing I thought of when I saw that photo lol. Looks to be a couple of freeride lines over there haha.
 
beeb

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
ozzybmx said:
Very nice ! You must be able to find some knarly lines down the rock in that paddock to do the suspension and brakes justice.

EDIT: Here you go BeBe MacAskill, we want the video too ;)

View attachment 404283
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I'd be keen if it wasn't for that ledge (shown just above the grip in your pic) at the end. It's bigger than it looks after a lot of loose, low-grip rock with a weird lump right onto the ledge off it. A more confident/skilled rider would probably hit it, but it'd be right at my skill limit and I don't feel like picking bit of my face off the rocks when I'm out riding there by myself (There's also a bunch of sharp babyheads hidden in that "patch of grass" at the bottom).

Naturally I wouldn't try and alter any of this as it's technically a rock formation adjacent to a climb trail and "not part of the descent trail", though I note there seems to be an informal walking trail ;) where I've marked in red, but it's a bit of an unnecessary diversion for no excitement/challenge. If only it evolved to where one of the yellow lines are marked, or off out of frame down the RHS of the pic where there's a nice longer slab line with a real booster of an exit... ;)
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yuley95

yuley95

soft-arse Yuley is on the lifts again
Great build @beeb

Love the spec choices and looking forward to hearing you thoughts on the whole bike but also some of the parts like the dropper and the brakes.
 
beeb

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
yuley95 said:
Great build @beeb

Love the spec choices and looking forward to hearing you thoughts on the whole bike but also some of the parts like the dropper and the brakes.
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Still waiting for the pads to bed in fully on the brakes. I find the Race Matrix a bit cheeky on new rotors, they feel like they lack bite for a while until all of a sudden they've got heaps of it. But the lever feel of the new Tech 4's is sublime. I think they'll be very tasty once they're grabbing right.

I've had a Revive 185mm for years that's been trouble-free and still feels better than most droppers on the market, so I'm hoping the 213mm lives up to its precedence.
 
ozzybmx

ozzybmx

taking a shit with my boobs out
beeb said:
Naturally I wouldn't try and alter any of this as it's technically a rock formation adjacent to a climb trail and "not part of the descent trail", though I note there seems to be an informal walking trail ;) where I've marked in red, but it's a bit of an unnecessary diversion for no excitement/challenge. If only it evolved to where one of the yellow lines are marked, or off out of frame down the RHS of the pic where there's a nice longer slab line with a real booster of an exit... ;)
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Local reserve/park ? Factor some lines in to to each ride, some nice rock there. Won't be long till skill levels get up there, fluffs an old blokes ego clearing stuff ;) Perfect bike for it, enjoy !
 
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