MS RACING pro comp XT. *prize*

well, you have to start somewhere eh?

i was going to attack this in spring but got bored and was in need of some summary of where i was with the parts search so i jumped in the shed, wielding various tools and grease.

here it is anyway for those not knowing i won this bike as part of the national series for most points accrued over the series. how chuffed was I!

The bike was probably stood a good while as some components were indeed, past their best. the idea was to salvage as much as i could then replace with whatever worked and didn't look too out of keeping.
No XT kit remains anyway but, the MT62 stuff is good enough for me and is serviceable. middle and granny chainrings were replaced for good measure.
once all the parts were removed from the frame i could see a lot clearer that the simple, even plain presentation was the order of the day. the pearlescent white and mustard front and forks do enough for identification.

The old cup, axle and lock-nut bottom bracket was a challenge to remove and, the new sealed type wasn't easy to install either! as though cross threaded but not? i have encountered this before on other steel shells, warping possibly. now it's there though and progress can resume.

the rims were toast too with pits and oxidisation to braking surface. i found a pair of vuelta on the 'bay cheap so no concern there.

so far, seat, seatpost bb, headset, forks, stem and bars are insitue to de-clutter the place. the bars and stem were a bargain and carry a nice brand too! the seat looks comfy and cost near nothing.
progress should be fairly rapid until i send the wheels away for true and tension(i cant do that bit) the thumbies fascinate me as i havn't used this shifting means in a long time. i mean, i had them on my raleigh mustang somewhere circa 1990.

how it was






i will update asap but here is a glimpse of the new ms racing.



i didn't get too close...this frame still carries a stack of chips , rub and scuff but i like it that way and just want to ride it!




more to follow.

Can't beat a bit of pre-Alpinestars-age.

Thats looking great Marc

Glad the old girl is getting back into shape I look forward to seeing it develop.

Another pic , this is it as it was when I collected it for Mark Sinnett

still go the sharkfin and onza barends. due for re-fit in the later stages

excellent

i have 2 of these , they ride really well
got a cr2 build on the go at the moment

Loving it
Especially like those forks with their straight blades but loads of rake mmmmmm nice
I have a stem and bars from my cromega if you need em ,bit scruffy but genuine ..1 1/4" though and your baby might be 1" ?

bang on. 1". a huge transformation for the later alpinestars in 1990.

suits me too, i have loads of 1" stuff kicking about.

thanks a million for the offer though mate.

One interesting one for you Marc, they were marketed as an XT but came specced with the Deore kit on it from the factory.

*UPDATE*

Within (only) 6 months, some progress. that whole "progress should be rapid".......er...

I've been busy


ok, the first job-stopper was the rims(poorly) but, now new ones laced into the deore hubs using the same spokes, all done!

next, fork/stem issues. my heart bled when i had to swap out the original forks but, the short steerer tube and forward off-set was causing concern for my compatibility on this machine. you see, i'm pretty tall and need a fairly long stem as i cant alter the top tube as easy ,. this meant a direct clash with the forks and their generous forward kick-out, the steering would have been rather twitchy with any stem over 120mm...

IF ONLY it was that simple! as i wanted to build from stock the chice of forks were plenty but, the right amount of thread? the ability to take the headset crown race i was offering up? you get the picture!

finally these chrome efforts had the 'juice' and look ok considering other silver flashes throughout the bike as a whole. my train of thought was if i can get the steerer above stock height then i can afford to jack the quill stem up to an acceptable height for comfort and within safety parameters. so far the gel of this is just right. i digress....have you ever had various forks, headset components and had to hybridise things to keep things moving forward? well, thats my story anyway. just as i assembled a good headset from stock, to realise the crown was way to tight for the forks. having then found a suitable crown....the lower cup won't mate with it very well. you know, the one you just spent 20 minutes installing. rant over.

some things you can just buy but i'm all for taking my time on this one and using my spares and time to get it how i want it. also it's worth mentioning that this never was going to be a bottom-up resto but, more of a make do and mend job.

stem. i threatened the bike with some nasty examples and was pleased with the one now installed as it has a good balance of practicality and elegance. after all we are dealing with canti brakes and the roller is a god send as it eliminated some hanger/spacer concerns i had beforehand.

cassette. this stood for a good clean up in white spirit and i'm hoping it marries a new HG chain that is arriving soon. hubs have had a strip out and rebuild too. some brake block are being looked at as well (needed).

i found a crud plug for the lower fork steerer too, nice touch i think no skin-walls either i'm afraid as i found some decent wolber tyres and have no skin-walls up for the punishment this bike will see on the moors and dales . the outer chain ring is more aesthetic really as i'm a middle and small guy, so to speak.

so, chain, blocks and a once over and, i'm riding! love the thumbies too. i can't get over how precise and clean the indexing is. sti. for conparison is way too complicated and prone to failure, less is more


some pics, thanks to vern (kaya) for the front crud guard. looks right and as mellow and faded as the rest of the paintwork, that's true in-keeping!













hopefully ready for the national ride in july in reeth, when my grounding is up.