It's first owner did some mileage on it for it's first several years, then hung it up in the garage where it sat ever since. Waiting for me to go and collect it.
Still wearing degraded Tioga City Slicker tyres, most of it's first brake blocks still smeared around the Mavics. It's chain lube set to a tar and an absolute war to remove from the frame. It'd seen no love, just use and storage. He was keen for me to know what i was buying, and i told him it was in good hands...
I lied. And so the strip-down began. First of all i stripped it to the bare frame, and built a Marin Alpine Trail frame up with all the parts. Effectively then, this is the same bike, just with a Marin frame. Then flogged that off. The reason behind this was that i didn't want the Marin or the GT's 21-speed SLX kit, or the non-disc Rock Shox, but i could make a bike with it all that someone would want...
With the LTS-3 cleaned up, i found it was a bit of a minter. Most importantly, no wear or damage. So it was time to build it up as my new workhorse - a soft-riding e-bike used for everything, from the school run to shopping. With a kid on the back, two 15ah batteries, and up to 50mph capability from 1,900 watts (when she isn't on the back), i needed to do a rear disc conversion. I've found 180mm adequate though it has 203 up front.
I first ran it with the standard yellow elastomer, but this wasn't working out too well with all the extra weight. Flat at first, quickly running out of travel, into an early hardness. I needed a coil conversion. So i fabricated a pair of spring seats, allowing me to fit a 65mm 1000 lb spring. The result is fantastic, so much travel and comfort.. it can bottom-out with the kid, rear battery and shopping all on board if i drop a high kerb, but that's fair, it's a good compromise.
At first i used coffee'n'cream Schwalbe Fat Frank tyres because that's what i was sent, but i soon changed them for toffee.
There are quite a few changes made from it's first outing. Note the bigger controller sticking out the bodywork, since upgrading a few hundred watts, adding cruise control and energy regeneration. The new bags are huge, the brat fits in them, and they're incredibly strong canvas. The front chainring had to grow too (2x10-speed Deore XT Dyna-Sys).
It won't be most people's cup of tea, but it's in another world to ride. It's so smooth it's like riding on air, it's so well engineered it feels bomb-proof. It's a daily work horse and my best ever thing, it's all i need. But i daren't take it to show the old boy i bought it off - he'd have a stroke.
Still wearing degraded Tioga City Slicker tyres, most of it's first brake blocks still smeared around the Mavics. It's chain lube set to a tar and an absolute war to remove from the frame. It'd seen no love, just use and storage. He was keen for me to know what i was buying, and i told him it was in good hands...
I lied. And so the strip-down began. First of all i stripped it to the bare frame, and built a Marin Alpine Trail frame up with all the parts. Effectively then, this is the same bike, just with a Marin frame. Then flogged that off. The reason behind this was that i didn't want the Marin or the GT's 21-speed SLX kit, or the non-disc Rock Shox, but i could make a bike with it all that someone would want...
With the LTS-3 cleaned up, i found it was a bit of a minter. Most importantly, no wear or damage. So it was time to build it up as my new workhorse - a soft-riding e-bike used for everything, from the school run to shopping. With a kid on the back, two 15ah batteries, and up to 50mph capability from 1,900 watts (when she isn't on the back), i needed to do a rear disc conversion. I've found 180mm adequate though it has 203 up front.
I first ran it with the standard yellow elastomer, but this wasn't working out too well with all the extra weight. Flat at first, quickly running out of travel, into an early hardness. I needed a coil conversion. So i fabricated a pair of spring seats, allowing me to fit a 65mm 1000 lb spring. The result is fantastic, so much travel and comfort.. it can bottom-out with the kid, rear battery and shopping all on board if i drop a high kerb, but that's fair, it's a good compromise.
At first i used coffee'n'cream Schwalbe Fat Frank tyres because that's what i was sent, but i soon changed them for toffee.
There are quite a few changes made from it's first outing. Note the bigger controller sticking out the bodywork, since upgrading a few hundred watts, adding cruise control and energy regeneration. The new bags are huge, the brat fits in them, and they're incredibly strong canvas. The front chainring had to grow too (2x10-speed Deore XT Dyna-Sys).
It won't be most people's cup of tea, but it's in another world to ride. It's so smooth it's like riding on air, it's so well engineered it feels bomb-proof. It's a daily work horse and my best ever thing, it's all i need. But i daren't take it to show the old boy i bought it off - he'd have a stroke.
