project idea..... but what are the pitfalls?

jax13

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following on from my '93 shimano-free clockwork build, I want to start plotting the rebuild of my gringo for next year.

it is currently sitting as a bare-ass frame (plus seatpost) and i have a couple of ideas for it. I want something very clean, minimalist but cool looking - something for short sharp jaunts through the woods rather than long drawn out treks.

problem 1 - forks.

do I keep hold of the (slightly too long) 100mm travel bombers i already have or, do i look for a straight bladed rigid fork?


problem 2 - 1x9 or SS

for the extra weight of a rear mech & cassette, i'd prefer to go down the 1x9 route for the simple reason of me having knackered knees but there is something clinical about a SS build that i really like. this is probably worth solving before i decide on a solution to #1!


problem 3 - would i suffer without a front brake?

with trying to keep things smooth, i could run a V on the back (i've got an avid sd 5 sat here already) and assuming i go for the bomber i already have, there aren't any V bosses on there and the front would look nice and tidy. not running a disc also gives me a lot of options on wheel choice especially as i'll be buying secondhand. the big question though, would i suffer without a front brake?


problem 4 - shimano / sram?

i like my shamano-free clockwork build a lot. do i build this in a similar vein to avoid the 'normal' done thing and to have a semi-matching stablemate or do i go the other way and stick on some nice, slightly older XT or XTR bits on it (depending on available budget)?


problem 5 - scrap the lot and sell-up?

if i were to sell the frame & forks i could afford a better set of wheels for my clockwork, stick a better crank on it (to match the shiny syncros bits) & have a very, very nice build that would work just fine on the short trips the gringo would be used for with potentially enough cheddar left for a fresh layer of powdercoat if i drop lucky in the sales section.


i have no idea if funds are going to be tighter than a ducks backside for this build early next year and if i should cut my losses and get the clockwork perfect first.


aaaaarggh! :LOL:
 
problem 1 - forks.

do I keep hold of the (slightly too long) 100mm travel bombers i already have or, do i look for a straight bladed rigid fork?

Try both... and see what works for you.

problem 2 - 1x9 or SS

I think you already know the answer to this. Bad knees + single speed=Stupid idea.


problem 3 - would i suffer without a front brake?

An MTB needs 2 brakes unless it's hangning on the wall.


problem 4 - shimano / sram?

Only you know the answer to this one.


problem 5 - scrap the lot and sell-up?

If you're not happy with your main bike and are short of cash, I'd go for this one TBH.
 
jax13":3gzuvt5q said:
problem 3 - Would it be a matter of days or just hours before my luck ran out and I wrapped myself + bike round a tree if I tried riding without a front brake?

EFA
 
I ride a BMX and a cruiser with no front brake reasonably regularly but do have the occasional scrape when I need to stop quickly on the road but wouldn't do so with a mountain bike as I favour a little front wheel control.

As far as non Shimano goes my current Trek has only a Shimano front mech because I already had it and have to say I prefer the 1:1 SRAM stuf for the rear. took a bit of getting used to but wouldn't do anything else now.
 
Your front brake provides the majority of your braking effort.

Removing it and only leaving the rear brake will look nice, but might seriously hinder your ability to stop, which on a mountain bike is pretty important.

If this were just a street/pub cruiser, then you might get away with it, but if you're going to use it to ride trails, you need a front brake!
 
While I was building my Giant, I didn't have a front brake to start with. I commuted on it for three days through Bristol traffic and scared twelve shades of poop out of myself.

For some reason that I can't fully explain now, but that made sense at the time, I took it off-road on some kind of relatively middling woodland downhills, and am still washing my pants to get rid of the smell three weeks later.

If anything, you can do without the back brake. I don't think you want to do without the front. I have learnt, through the University of Hard Knocks (from which I graduated with First Class Honours, and at which I have gone on to do post-graduate study) that the ideal number of brakes to have on a mountain bike is two...
 
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