WTB Phoenix SE - blacky is ready for the OW

Elev12k

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It had already been my ride for last year's OW edition, but it was still project then. I did some final fine tuning and no it is even more ready for the most enjoyable rides!

This was how it looked when I picked it up >>>

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Setup as commuter for someone who used it to pedal between his home and his work: musician at Amsterdam philharmonic.

I decided I wanted it to look different and setup for another surpose.

Good inspiration >>>

1938-bugatti-type-57c-atalante-fron.jpg

Bugatti T57c Atalante. Old Bugatti stood for Arte - Forme - Technique. Actually the WTB Phoenix is its equivilent on two wheels and human powered.

The result >>>

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Deep gloss black with mouse grey lower section of Type II fork.

The lettering is sprayed on in mouse grey with for the downtube a 0.5mm silver outline.

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For people not familiar with the WTB: The Phoenix frame is handcrafted by Steve Potts, one of the three founders of WTB. The other being Mark Slate and Charlie Cunningham. Frame design of the Phoenix is heavily influenced by the later. From late70s/early 80s on Charlie Cunningham contributed a lot to the way how our mountainbikes looked like in the upcoming decades.

The frame is extremely slooping. A 15" counts as Medium. The philosophy is that the slooping top tube delivers clearance for manouvrability and that the configuration of the relatively short OS tubing in the tight triangles deliver efficient power transfer, while the long seatpost offers some vertical forgiveness. Viola.

The frame is put together using the welding and brazing technique. Brazing for example with the fillet brazed chin at headtube-downtube connection for improved impact resistance and durability.

Of course the WTB comes with WTB's own patented Grease Guard system. Through the Grease Gooser gun the grease enters through ports, travels through circuits, presses old grease out ...and viola your bearings run with fresh new grease :)

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The following parts use Grease Guard:
- WTB New Paradigm hubs
- WTB New Paradigm headset
- WTB New Paradigm bottom bracket
- WTB Toggle- and Rollercam
- Suntour XC Pro pedals (Suntour acquired license from WTB)

The tail of the frame is 140mm wide and the hub is the matching example for this frame. This is done to reduce dish and creating a stronger wheel. They initiated this with the introduction of the 8 speed system.

The fork is a Type II with Speedmaster studs for in this case the Toggle cam brake. The rear uses a Roller cam that sits mounted under the chainstays. The Phoenix with studs for the cams was officially denoted with 'Phoenix SE' (SE for Special Edition).

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A Race Face EX 4130HT stem is holding a Groovy Cycles custom bend ti bar (thanks Rody :cool: ). The Race Face stem is not the only Canadian touch to this bike. The other is the Syncros crankset.

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best bike i've seen on here in a long while.....not that the others are cr@p but yours is just exceptional
 
that's a good looking bike; love the colors and overall setup. Just a couple questions:

What seatpost are you using?

Why did you choose those Syncros cranks for this build?
(I ask because they don't seem to match the quality or rarity of most of the other parts)

Thanks, and again, great looking, (and I imagine riding), build :D
 
fingers":u618e6v2 said:
I like it. And that is a big old seatpost!

31.8 diameter and 500mm long. There is still a substantial bit inside the frame. Slooping tt, long post: That is how the Phoenix-concept is meant to be.
 
GoldenEraMTB":1e21ng73 said:
that's a good looking bike; love the colors and overall setup. Just a couple questions:

What seatpost are you using?

Thank you. The post is the original American Classic 500mm 31.8mm post.

Why did you choose those Syncros cranks for this build?
(I ask because they don't seem to match the quality or rarity of most of the other parts)

It is an elegant crankset. The quality of this set is okay. The ones that sometimes had issues had the engravings at another place and another design spider. Rarity? What should I have choosen alternatively? XC Pro?

Another factor that made me decide to go with this crankset is simply because I had it laying around. Applies to the entire build actually. I hate to source single parts. Too expensive.
 
Elev12k":k1mmbdy0 said:
GoldenEraMTB":k1mmbdy0 said:
that's a good looking bike; love the colors and overall setup. Just a couple questions:

What seatpost are you using?

Thank you. The post is the original American Classic 500mm 31.8mm post.

Why did you choose those Syncros cranks for this build?
(I ask because they don't seem to match the quality or rarity of most of the other parts)

It is an elegant crankset. The quality of this set is okay. The ones that sometimes had issues had the engravings at another place and another design spider. Rarity? What should I have choosen alternatively? XC Pro?

Another factor that made me decide to go with this crankset is simply because I had it laying around. Applies to the entire build actually. I hate to source single parts. Too expensive.


Oh! Nice; that American Classic post is perfect.

Yes, I was referring to the cracking issues, but you are right, there were two types, both similar. I guess the non-cracking ones are rare and nice enough; just not Syncros best; didn't mean to offend :)

Alternatives? (Since you asked ;) )

a nice polished set of
CAMPAGNOLO RECORD OR
e_campy_or.jpg

or
MAVIC V.T.T. 637 MTB CRANK
v_mavic_atb.jpg

Though the Mavic also had a reliability issue.

and yes, I also agree, piecing a bike is rather pricey; much better to buy donor bikes; resell what you don't want; keep the nice parts you do, but that's tricky and a requiring of much time and patience....or you can just use what you've got, as you stated :)

again, thanks for sharing and responding; appreciate it.
 
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