Orange - Elite 1992

Well, the time has come to build my eldest a proper MTB.
He's outgrown his islabikes and shot past a 14" Kona I was going to build him.
So a nice Orange Elite should do for now.

It's been hanging up for a while as it's too small for me and the 1 1/4" headsets annoy me now.
It hard not putting XTR and such on it, but needs must a child is riding it and it will probably get knicked anyway.

So.

first thing was fitting a new mech hanger, iirc this came from a Marin late, 90/early 00's but not quite sure which.
The screws are a bit large in the head for this frame, so may have to grind them down or find some smaller heads.
A hammer and metal bar was needed as it was a tight fit


Bottom bracket already in and works well, so I'm going to use it, it's 113 in length, so some old CODA cranks I have are going on it. Oddly they sit very wide.

Good old collection of shims to try and the 31.4 USE one fits perfectly, but another that I haven't measured fits well with a 27.0 post in it. So i'll take that as I have plenty of 27.0 post


I have some SID air fork from the ~2002
May need a proper service, but being air I can drop the pressure for his skinny child featherweight, Also they'll bring the front end up.
Headset, I have a few MX one's and need to buy some cup reducers :-(
I was going to go 1 1/4" and some older forks, but a quality one is hard to come by and reducers are quicker, if expensive for what they are.

Wheels, '(pinched off I think my PACE)
Nice M737, DB spokes, pale blue anodised nipples and Mavic 230 TIB rims.
Scwhalbe tyres will end up on this, of some sort.
Stem and Bars are some modernish FSA/RaceFace flat OS setup, most appropriate length and width I have.
Either a Kalloy layback from 1993 or a similar era Silver syncros seatpost.
and this is where I got too.



Hoping to go 9/10 speed at the rear with some gripshift, perhaps drop the front to a single for now.
V-Brakes depending on what I find. (it had no bosses in the rear or front, not sure why but I found some that fit perfectly.
Some nice thin foam grips from china.
Find a nice seat too.

Re:

Good stuff mate, I have a 14" Clockwork tucked away for my lad. I also have an Elite I'm toying with building up as they're great looking bikes.

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Looking good, I do like this kind of build

nice one dude, ive some stx v brakes, full set here if your struggling. does this mean the pace has come down...........

longun":25grq8km said:

nice one dude, ive some stx v brakes, full set here if your struggling. does this mean the pace has come down...........

Click to expand...

Pace still stuck in the loft

I have M739, about four full sets I think i'll probably use. I'll be back on it in a week or so.
I may modernised the rear end to 9 or 10sp, coming from an islabike he's used to things just working nicely and no front shifter. He's not a suicidal rider on 25 year old bikes like his dad... Yet muHAHAHA, we'll get there.

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haha, my f8 has 27 and so did my dale. nowt wrong with gears be good to see you all out again soon.

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Minor delay, headset and reducers fitted (black MX)
Forks need a really good service and bushing change.

So going to fit some 98 Judy SL with X soft springs (even then they are technically too hard )

I prefer the black forks look though.

So in the distribution that is sunny weather and getting the family riding a bit.
I'm now building this up as a comfy bike for the misses, she rides the Helkama if really needed at the moment (i.e. never)
and so I found some 739 brakes that I had fixed up a long time ago, I was in search of some new brakes as the 739 I fitted wobbled everywhere and another set I had also wobbled more than I would like. but found the third set I had fixed.

So Now it had 739 Vbrkaes to the matching 739 STI as I have them all services as well. even I do think the shift lever is poor on the thumb.

Proper XT mechs front and rear, had them lying around.

Still not sure on the cranks, but I don't want to out RaceFace LP/TB or M900 on this.

Not sure if I need to bring the stem shorter, it 110 but hey I'm not riding it.

forks way too long , but sag will make it look better and keeps the front end up.

That's it for now, there's not to much to a bike.


Need to find a use for the disc mount in the forks and the canti hanger on the frame.
light mounts, something cool...

and some pics

Satisfing to use parts up, or parts not being used. Currently doing a similar thing with an aluminium o, building it up for my wife. With a mix of parts..