The frame is a medium, do you think I should leave the crowns lower as is or put them back?

Excuse me, but it's obvious and plain stupid to say that the geometry of the bike is "out" - it's a 13 year old bike, for chrissakes!!! What did he think it should be like? Barel's Summum from last year? Geesh!

Anyway, I'd like to act like the expert and tell from looking at one single picture what is, errr, "wrong" with that geometry but I'd be a damn liar. I set up my Lobo, when I was riding it, through painful trial and error, as it was my first "real" suspension bike. I took it to Schlaming right after building it up and rode it on the World Cup DH track in the worst set-up one could imagine: high, hard rear, kinda undersprung front and mechanical MX-2 brakes. Luckily Schladming is such a fun place to ride, regardless of all a bike's faults and one's sheer stupidity, because otherwise my trip would've been a disaster. Back home, the first thing I did was threading the rear as low as possible, putting the bars down as much as I could, swapping the mechanical discs for Juicy 3's (amazing value brakes at that point), changing the rear spring and playing with the oil level in my works Super T up front. I kept this set-up virtually unchanged as long as I used the bike and the two other guys that rode it after me did just the same.

I can't tell you what the geometry is like just from looking at that picture, but consider the above, keep in mind that I had a flat crowned Marzocchi, not a Boxxer and that if I was you I'd look for a lower Azonic bar (maybe 50 mm rise?) and keep this for a nice dirt/street hardtail.

I will look up some pictures of my own GT while I am still around here. Stay tuned and tell me if you mind that there are quite a few of them.

Cheers,
Mx

Ah dude it no problem, I'm just listening to others advice as you say the first ride will help the set up. As for the bars we'll see about them because I like a high front end to be honest.

Right after the build:





In Schladming:



















After the makeover:





At the end of my 2 years of use and abuse, battled and scarred:

After riding the Lobo for two years in our local competitions I switched to a fully new bike and figured the best thing to do with the Lobo is to keep it but to give it away. Like, it wasn't gonna bring me money anyway, so why not give it to a talented kid who can't afford a ride? I told my young pal Gabi that he can ride the bike wherever and however he wants and that I don't care if breaks it, but that he will have it just as he will take care of it. He did a pretty good job and managed to catch a sponsorship from a local shop after doing a pretty good season (third junior overall I think). Pictures:







A NOS shock from the U.S. that cost a mere 25 USD and that is nowadays sold for obscene prices by some wankers on eBay. Here are the differences to the old shock:



Gabi shredding the Mogosa track, one of the gnarliest and harshest in the country:

After Gabi gave me the Lobo back, I gave it to another kid who didn't have a gravity sled and rode mostly street and dirt because of that.

Cezar was the third guy to race a then 11 year old bike in 4 years in some of the roughest. Here he is at the race on Postavarul, our local mountain, that had the longest and most difficult track in the country. It was so rough that it wasn't fun riding anymore. Steep fields of roots, jumps into rocks, a lot of vertical drop and crazy high speed sections - just imagine riding this on a bike from the other century that uses a rag to prevent the oil from leaking on the front disc! Cezar took an amazing 5th in the Elite category on this very bike and confirmed its status as a living local legend. He beat most guys riding newschool bikes while at it; actually everybody except the 4 before him. In the rest of the year the took another 3 fifth places in major competitions riding various borrowed bikes. In 2011 he became an Expert Class National Champion on my old Commencal Supreme V.2, after I managed to sneak him in our team and after I got myself another new bike. He actually rode so good that he would've been well placed in the Elite UCI top ten if he only had a license.





Sorry for the long post, but it's only a part of the story of this amazing bike that was raced for more than 10 years and could be still running.

Cheers,
Mx

Oh my god, I think I need more pictures, it really is not clear!

Hehe, dude, nice stuff, always good to see how others had it. Really very nice to see that you have used it hard, passed it down and it has continued to provide a good ride. Further to the west we would have retired it well before it was worn out.

How tall is Cezar because he makes it look like a childs bicycle?

I think the pics show the front high attitude the bike naturally has, I'm not sure it needs anymore. I'd either get a flat crown or 0 rise stem/more suitable bars. I got a crown for $20 on eBay US. Personally I just can't stand the forks poking out the top and the flat crown helps there.

Ultimately it does not really matter, if it feels ok when you ride it then stick with it

Thanks for the reply Mx that bike looks awesome, and well done to the guys! As for my bike I'm gonna get her built up and see how she rides and if it feels good them leave it, if not start to play around with other parts then. Just out of interest will any older flat crown fit or do I need a one for the 151's?

Heya, guys! Thanks for the nice words, really!

Cezar is almost as tall as I am and I am 1.91 m high. It doesn't matter, though, as this was the only bike I could afford at that point and actually I made a plan with a friend in order to split the costs and share the bike. In the end he got another bike that he found pretty cheap and I paid him off gradually. I don't want to bitch and whine about how wages and how it is a bit harder to have a bike over here, but as you see it makes for a cool story and this bike deserves its accolades. Before I got it it was ridden to two national championships by a friend of mine and it was damaged by the uninspired idea of having a Shiver upfront. Before it got its championships the bike came from the U.S. where it was received as some sort of sponsorship deal by another friend of hours who moved over there and used to ride NORBA nationals. I know the bike almost since it was new and with full stock parts.

if you wonder why it has these funny colors, well, it's because it was repaired and painted fully flat black. I kinda saved it from somebody who didn't quite appreciate it and I put it to a few more years on the racing scene. I always smile when I read about the Lobo's bad reputation as a bike that breaks easily. Do you think any of those guys could imagine this one lasted for 12 years of racing, ridden as it's meant to be? Doesn't matter!

Anyway, maybe you should try the low Boxxer upper crown and see how you can get the bike lower and slacker for best riding results. I am sure it will turn out just fine...

I don't know if I mentioned it, but last summer I bought another Lobo, this time pretty stock, from the UK, because I just couldn't let my hands of it. It was around 300 quid and came with a perfect Jr. T. Now I'm trying to sell that fork and get a Boxxer to put the legend where it belongs: on the trails. The old frame and fork will be cleaned and framed themselves, don't worry!

Cheers guys!
Mx

Well since its been nice and warm I got the decals fitted today.

Love these bikes but the saddle is way too big for my liking and when you get the post cut down it will look much better. Otherwise a perfect build!

Its a spec build (or well as near as I can get it) and that saddle is spec so its staying, yeah not gonna cut the post down properly just jet gonna get cranks on and take it for a ride first. cheers tho.

More work done on her, got the rear wheel back from the shop today and fitted, also got the front brake serviced and fitted. Silly little bits done too like all brake bolts changed for stainless ones.

A massive thanks to big eck for helping me out with a 130mm big un axle. cheers man!

Top job big eck!

Coming along nicely that. Looking factory fresh while you at it too.

Is it a retoration? If not, how about some low rise bars?