96/97? Ballistic first ride

Built only as i saw the frame cheap on STW and thought that looks nice.
Full M737 XT transmission and mainly Ritchey components where i could find suitable parts at a sensible cost.
Rides really well apart from an annoying top out on the forks (any clues on how to tame this?) and a slightly lazy shifting rear mech which i think is the B tension spring having gone a bit baggy.
The pics are from a little road ride over the chrimbo period along the N. Cornwall coast road to see that it worked prior to doing a full on cyclo-cross race with it this last weekend as i broke my CX bike.
This thing rides really,really well and may become my ride of choice.

Nice bike you've got there. Love the XT 737 especially the chainset.

The top out on the forks if probably due to insufficient oil.

Both sides:
Remove safety ring if fitted. (part 1)
Remove the adjusters with a 1.5mm hex-key. (part 2)
Pop off circlip beneath. (part 4)
Remove plug from top of leg with 21mm(?) socket. (part 5)
Carefully compress the fork fully.
Remove springs. (part 9)
Push exposed bits of cartridge into fork. (thin bit of part 11)
Fill oil to 55mm from top of leg.
Reach into leg and pull cartridge up, pump to cycle oil.
Check oil height is still at 55mm.

Reassemble.




Hope that helps

I love the ride of Ritchey Logic Prestige...

Mr K

Interesting how you feel a need to be half-apologetic about even building up such a frame as a Ballistic. I know what you mean because there are many who’d be snooty about a Ballistic compared to their own frame which has such a big name. Of course it may be heavier than yours, and made of cheap generic tubing not sporting a classy Ritchey Logic sticker like yours, but it’s got a big name so it must be better and yours must be crap. The reality is that they were all made in the same factories to the same standards and it’s the ones with the best tubesets that are the best frames. Ritchey Logic was a slightly improved variant on Tange Prestige. It’s a heat-treated tubeset, so it’s stronger than unbranded 4130, so you can build a lighter and springier frame with it. That looks to be pretty much a Rocky Mountain shape, and it’s really a very elegant frame for such a large size.

The serial number might give a clue to the date. The slightly snaked stays might suggest not much earlier than 97, but then again although it might be a trick of the photographic angles, it does look to have very little bottom bracket drop. That would suggest that the fork is slightly longer than it was designed for, so maybe frame a bit earlier. Could possibly indicate a need for a shorter stem to liven up the handling, if need be and all other things being equal fit-wise etc.

I’d be interested to know how you get on with S8-Tom’s sage advice. I have an identical Z2 to that, plus several others and I can’t get more than two inches of travel from any of them, if that, let alone topping out. Mind you I’m ten stone, so if the oil doesn’t do the trick maybe we should swap springs? Maybe you’ve got a soft spring and mine are too hard for me.

Show us some more pics, including side-on. What does the frame weigh? Is that really a Ritchey Logic sticker or is it just my poor old eyes and wild imagination deceiving me again?

Right i've added a few pics of the frame only as i foolishily didn't/haven't taken many during/post build. Needless to say i didn't weigh the frame either!
I was worried about the length of the forks especially as they are running a travel increase kit to about 75mm. I have the standard bits which i may refit if someone has any pointers on how to do it, i could combine this with S8-Toms pointers. As for actual travel i get about 45mm at a guess and it's not bottoming out thats the problem, it is when the forks are unloaded they top out with a fair clunk.
I'll dig out the serial no when i get home to see if that helps with the dating as the only info i got from the previous was that he bought it from Merlin in the mid nineties.

Nice set of Ritchey Logic cranks would go nicely with this. See my post in the ebay forum...

One of my friends had one of those from new back in '97. It was a decent frame, although very bendy

Beautiful frame - is it clear-lacquered steel?

Lovely elegant frame.

Re the bombers, can you wind in a bit more rebound damping???

I have the same frame (check the link in my pic)

From checking the serial number I figured mine is a 96 frame, check your s/n and you may find a '95' or '96' in it?..

These ride superbly although mine comes up just a tad short for me. Dont suppose youd be interested in a swap, your 20" frame for my 19"?