1996 DiamondBack WCF 4.0

Pyro Tim

Retrobike Rider
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This is the reason I am on this site. I bought it as a NOS frame in 1999 in a bike shop in Houston, TX, when I was on holiday. I was skint at the time, but it was so cheap I had to have it. I couldn't really afford the forks either, so got some Indy S as they were the cheapest.

I had most of the parts from my old Jamis, that hadn't been rideable since 96 when my mate got knocked of it, snapping the chainstay (he was fine). He never paid for the replacement, and we fell out over it. I haven't seen, heard, or thought of him since, until now. Luckily the wheels and some of the parts survived so I was able to transfer them over. That being said, I had run out of money when finishing the Jamis (I was still at school then) and it had an STX chainset. I also seem to remember buying Deore V brakes for the WCF when I got it too. I know I've just taken them off, so I must have. Unfortunately in 2000 I folded my front Stheno in half landing a 6' drop off I landed everyday for 5 months (but never again ;) ), and replaced my wheels for Hope front and M750 rear on 517s. I had also long ago put M739 front and rear mechs on her. She did have M740 shifters, Ules grips, a 45cm handlebar, a tatty Black Kalloy seatpost, all gone now.

Today she looks like this, the build I always wanted, although there are still things to do, as always. I bought the forks, chainset, seatpost on here. M739 brakes and lever/shifters from members on here, but on ebay, and the bars were passed to me by way of karma. I also got Tim (justbackdated) to fully service my forks. I also bought the rear wheel on here, but my old M750 wheel is stripped, and will be rebuilt with the M737 hub on the wheel pictured. This mainly because the wheel pictured is built incorrectly, and is black, not silver. I will eventually put a ti stem, and seatpost on her, and I have some Stheno rims, so may build them up on some old Hope hubs and throw them on for weight weenie-ness. I also think she deserves a new paint job, as she's covered in chips, but no rust.

Weightwise, she's lighter than the Axis and R, and I've ordered the means to weigh them, so will update in due course.

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Spec
Frame: WCF 4.0 19"
Forks: Pace RC35 MXCD
Mechs: M739 XT
Brakes: M739 XT
Shifters/levers: M739 XT
Bars: Ti
Stem: Acor
Headset: Acor
Seatpost: X-Lite ZE360
Saddle: Flite Ti
Wheels: Hope Suspension Ti & M737 on Mavic X517
Cassette: M737
Chainset: M737
BB: Can't remember :oops:
Pedals: Onza HO Ti
Tyres: Dart II & Smoke
Grips: Onza Porcipaws

As always, comments and critiques welcome :)
 
Another classy bit of mid 90s kit :cool: Not a fan of Pace forks but they look spot-on here.

Swap those brake pad spacers around to tuck-in the Vs (pet peeve). Needs a black big chainring too when funds allow, then leave as-is ;)

Scores bonus points with me for having a load of Acor bits!
 
I have a black chainring on way, but I like the silver, actually, I really liked the chromica of STX rings on the frame. :oops:

I want to get rid of my Acor bits, stem headset and seatbinder
 
Pyro Tim":12wgllei said:
I want to get rid of my Acor bits, stem headset and seatbinder
True, some of their bits look cheap but it's light and well made stuff. They do a fair bit of Ti frames and kit but rarely seen on these shores.

My Klein is proudly rocking an uber-light Acor stem and bars that cost peanuts :cool:
 
Very nice again Tim. Expected the Axis R to be nicer than this when comparing the two together but I really like the black and orange frame and it is well put together
 
The carbon fibre is bonded to steel, about 2-3 inches from the joins. The head tube and stays are steel, and the bulk of the main tubes are CF. Basically the orange bits hide the join and the steel. There is cracking in the paint at the joins closest to the head tube, but I've had CF experts look at it and assure me it's only the paint that has cracked, due to the different flex properties of the different materials.
 
Never heard of a Specialized Ultimate, and don't know what they cost. But at this spec, it would have been the Pro, at $2799 retail, according to Bikepedia. In the STX/LX spec the 4.0 originally came in it would have been $1150 according to same site. The frames were the same throughout the range. From looking at the cheaper bikes on there, you can safely assume that the $=£ there abouts, no need for exchange rates. I don't think they can possibly have been cheaper
 

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