Kirk Precision MTB / Ranger?

grarea

Dirt Disciple
Hi all,
I was on here years ago for a short while and then life changed.
Just starting back into cycling again, it isn't pretty.

Anyway, years ago, when they were first out, I had a go at a Kirk precision road bike.
Rather liked the stiffness of it.

I came across a kirk frame and thought it would be fun to put together to try it out.
I was going to do a hybrid type job on it.
I wondered if there were Kirk officianados on here, I see a few people have them.

Anyway I have a bunch of questions about it that I can't quite work out.
It is missing a bunch of bits.

I am trying to work out whether it was the Precision MTB or maybe the ranger (a hybrid)
Also, whether that makes any difference at all? Were they all made exactly the same but with the odd different lug?
I ask as I don't have anywhere for the rear brake to sit, so was curious if they just put a 27" or an MTB 26" or a 700c and that was it?
That is my first question really, did they make different frames for a different wheel size????

Cheers.
 
are you sure its a cable stop and not a shift mount? It looks like a road bike...but who nows.

Anyway, you sure you want to ride it, Kirks seem to have a tendancy to be very stiff...then after a short amount of time, very un-stiff.
 
danson67 has a very early Kirk:

danson67":3k8us5a5 said:
Basildon's finest! Should be a British icon along with the Austin Maestro and anything Sinclair... :D
Sure, the Revolutions were heavy, and flexy once the corrosion set in, but just for their sheer weirdness and notoriety I think they're cool.
I have the earlier Precision mountainbike version of the roadbike frame. To be honest, although it's pretty stiff, it only comes in one (too big for me) size and the tyre clearance and BB height are more cyclocross than mudplugger, but it rides well:

All the best,

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Hmmmm,
I have sat and read for a few hours now.
(I really should be doing something else instead, but shhhh)

Cheers for the photo, nice one.

I know that the bottom bracket goes and that the frame cracks.
It being unpainted, I could see that there were no cracks anywhere.
So I thought I was on to a goody.
I didn't know about the brake bridge. I was thinking that it was missing a bolt on part.
Also, the tricky parts are the 'thing' to connect the front derailleur. (which is missing)
Plus it is missing the errrr 'thing' to connect the rear derailleur. All a bit tricky to sort out.

I didn't think it would be this much work.

I liked the idea of feeling that stiff bottom bracket, to see if it was how I remembered it.
It just felt so efficient, pushing you up the hill.
Not sure that I can be bothered with this after all.

Then I was reading about a guy designing frames for hill climbers and he said they don't make them as stiff as they can be.
Then I read somewhere that the actual efficiency is not as good as you might think.
Then I add in that I am softer than I was, so perhaps I don't want such a stiff ride.

Hmmmm, seemed like a good idea at the time.

Thanks for your input guys.
 
Do you reckon I could get some help picking a frame type from you gents?

I kind of want something that is an all rounder.
Nothing too fragile, but something i can do a few miles on.
Something i can lock up at the shops, commute, go for a decent ride but have triple rings at the front as there are some mighty hills around here.
Then I can change wheels for knobblies and go on tracks and bridleways.

I already have an MTB for proper playing.

Perhaps if I start a new thread somewhere?
I could do with a retro hybrid section really eh?
What section should I start it do you reckon?

I am more used to the muddy part of the world than the flat tarmaccy stuff.
 
Sounds like an early 90s steel MTB with rigid fork and 1.6" Schwalbe Marathon tyres. They make brilliant 'go anywhere / do anything' bikes.
 
I was thinking this myself.

Might be ideal.

I was toying with an old CX frame or a touring frame or an old hybrid frame.
I can fit the things I have and like on an old MTB frame for sure.

In an ideal world I would have three bikes. MTB, town type shops hybrid, and a road bike.
But space is a but of an issue, so I reckon I can make a decent hybrid and that will still work in town easily.

I am using an old Raleigh Pioneer frame as a test bed at the moment.
This has helped a lot.
I like my stx Rc brake levers, so can use those.
I like the idea of V brakes with these hills and some wet weather.
I have got some shimano friction shifters so I can use any derailleurs and not faff with indexing.
I realised very quickly that I would like triple front rings.
26" wheels are a dime a dozen aren't they?
I don't want dead skinny wheels as the roads are pretty rough especially in the lanes. (Although I love the lack of friction, I need to be practical as well)
I like my Brahma bars. (Gives another position for hills and over the miles)

Hmmmmm

So, the negatives of an old MTB frame would be:

Weight.
I am hoping to do a bunch of miles on this.
I wonder how much heavier they are?

Tyres.
What is the skinniest you can put on a 26" wheel?
Or can you get skinnier rims for a 26" wheel?
I am using Schwalbe marathon 35c at the moment. You can really notice the friction of those compared to a proper road tyre, but I probably wouldn't go any smaller for all of the above reasons.
But can you go that slim on an MTB 26" or do i fit 700cs and find some brakes???

Boy it would be fun to just throw in a pair of knobblies eh?


Boy, sorry for the long post, you really got me thinking there.
I am quite excited.
 
since your were looking at the Kirk->stiff... what about an old aluminium frame, GT, cannondale... if you went for a later 90's 'Dale frame, you can run discs, then you can run all sorts of stuff (I remember at some race thing years ago the "Dale team ran road disc wheels on some criterium thing/plus training, but regular 26 nobbies in the mtb race
 
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