POS The Thing: Cyclo/Monster/29er cross thingymabob/commuter bike.

[takai]

After some deliberation last year I made the jump across to a cross bike of some form for commuting on, rather than my SS converted to gears Larry. Based around an Avanti 29er hybrid frame, and some garish "Mosso" fork, it seems like it will be a good thing (tm). Its made up of the drivetrain from my old commuter, plus some BB7s i scored cheaply, non-true wheels from eGay, and other bits of bling lying around the house. The Hones are off the 4X/DJ bike, and may go back there or just be replaced by the SLXs im getting from Moorey.

Take one Avanti frame

Apply paint stripper.

Aquire garish fork

Purchase poorly built eGay wheels

Assemble

Should be a good thing its setup fully. Plus the mismatch of non-standard parts is at least just limited to bits off the shelf now.

Still needs a NW ring, which is in the post. Using a spare 34T from the DH bike atm, non NW, just single speed. Anyone want to make predictions on losing chains....

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Has potential! Mine has a 40t hope single ring up front - not NW. X9 Type2 down the back. It rarely drops the chain and it is mostly not keeping a pedal load going when hitting short sharp bumps that does it. Tree roots most often...

 

[wkkie]

Bloody monster..... :tape2:

I like the cranks though, blast from the past!

 

[takai]

Hahah, got ya again. The Hones are pretty sweet, tempted to leave them on there and put the SLXs on the hardtail. They were pretty damn good cranks for their day... oh wait and still are.

 

[mitchy_]

chain should be safe... i was running a normal 44t ring on my CX with no guide, no clutched mech and no issues. a bigger ring with have better chain retention due to more teeth though... just get that chain as short as possible.

 

[takai]

chain should be safe... i was running a normal 44t ring on my CX with no guide, no clutched mech and no issues. a bigger ring with have better chain retention due to more teeth though... just get that chain as short as possible.

Yeah... 'should be' Knowing my luck ill derail it at every set of lights. Have ordered a RaceFace 38T NW, just waiting for it to arrive.

 

[pink poodle]

Holy fucking frankenbikes!

How much of this project was conducted under the influence of endone? Still who doesn't like a bit of space to be creative? Looks like a bunch of fun pulling it together. Are you going to get all gravel CX style on this thing?

 

[takai]

Holy fucking frankenbikes!

How much of this project was conducted under the influence of endone? Still who doesn't like a bit of space to be creative? Looks like a bunch of fun pulling it together. Are you going to get all gravel CX style on this thing?

Haha, none of it actually. I didnt even fill my script for Endone.
Mostly it is about fixing minor issues with the commuter i had already. Little things like having a horizontal dropout bike converted to 10sp, and having so much bloody toe overlap that the front fender missed the pedal by about 5mm. Oh and having almost zero clearance to the fenders with 25c tyres, which made riding on gravel paths and rail trails a nightmare.

Not planning on doing much CX stuff, considering whether i do some offroad stuff on it with the RaRas i have, but currently i have no 29er tubes, only 700c road tubes, hence no fatty tyres.

Rode it in to work this morning, and it rides well. A few annoying little rattles, and with the panniers on it feels a bit sluggish, but it pedalled nicely. Its a bit more stretchy than the other bike, so im considering a short stem, or flipping it. Its a fairly nice ride though, just the usual niggles with a new bike.

Oh and the tyre aren't puncture proof. Front puncture going through the bush next to Carlton oval in Parkville. Then again im not sure anything is puncture proof to a bloody hypodermic syringe.

 

[pink poodle]

Where is the pic with your paniers on? What are they load rated to?

 

[hifiandmtb]

For another frankenbike, see below:

They are all the rage...

 

[takai]

Lol, that is hardly a frankenbike, way too coordinated. Just a rigid 29er

Picture of bike with panniers coming later. Just basic 25kg alloy things.

 

[pink poodle]

Lol, that is hardly a frankenbike, way too coordinated. Just a rigid 29er

Picture of bike with panniers coming later. Just basic 25kg alloy things.

Can you work out a volume measure from that? Maybe litres...

 

[pink poodle]

Hi-Fi...what stem is that? Looks tidy.

 

[takai]

Can you work out a volume measure from that? Maybe litres...

Oh size of bags? NFI, they are these things:

 

[hifiandmtb]

Hi-Fi...what stem is that? Looks tidy.

Easton Haven.

Frame is an XL, a bit too big for me so I'm running that short stem to compensate.

 

[takai]

Got around to taking a pic of the bike yesterday:

Really needs the NW, lost the chain twice on the way home, damned potholes.

 

[Boom King]

Got around to taking a pic of the bike yesterday:

Really needs the NW, lost the chain twice on the way home, damned potholes.

Have you flipped those SLX cranks already?

 

[takai]

Have you flipped those SLX cranks already?

Yeah, flipped them out of my panniers and into my shin when i got home :S arrgh.
Promptly put them down on the bench and will be giving them the silent treatment for the next week

 

[takai]

New stem and a bit of bling for the thing.

Sums up one of the reasons that i ride... so i can drink more (and better) beer.

 

[takai]

Still going strong:

Raced it briefly at a Dirty Deeds this year, but was too enthusiastic at getting back on the bike after a chest infection. But it does make an excellent bike for pedalling with the family.