'97 saracen hardtrax 'pics with manitou mars on now'

Few updated pics.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yoll7917/sets/72157631886912637/

With Alivio chainset (and raceface bolts) and mechs, Lezyne bottle cage, lizardskin, chrome/black pedals, boggo bikehut black handlebars, altus shifters and etc bmx brake levers.
Need a slimmer saddle now (nukeproof? selle italia?), also MAXXIS and black rims.

Don't know if I can be bothered changing the seat post or headset/stem/forks. :?

I found the San marco rolls I had n mine brilliant till it came to the really rough stuff. My mate swears by his charge spoon

Fork seals are ordered from America, apparently it's just the seals that are knackered on ne leg of the forks, the internals are in very good condition

Really looking forward to trying it with suspension on

Well I was waiting for this.......some free bars and a stem turned up, unfortunately not what I wanted (a Thompson road stem with a 25.4 clamp and some 650ishmm flat bars that are alloy and both mirror polished) but a red bmx style stem with steel riser 680mm bars. Polished the top of the stem to gain some old skool points and painted the bars matt black instead of the White they were.

Well it's gotta look better than an adjustable stem with my bars!!!! Plus let's me try wider bars

Still waiting on the forks, the headset with probably be a fsa cheapo stripped of it's black paint.

Any advice on slx vs lx - got both cranks, ones going on a dirt jumper (which I'm looking for a 105 short cage mech for and 800mm bars) and one crank on this, I understand the slx is stronger yes? Probably gun a polish up the lx and stick it on this

Pics when you've got yer stem and handlebars sorted.

Btw - if anyone's tempted by Shimano Alivio chainsets (new) - don't be. The metal for the bolts is really soft and rounds out really quickly (plus the threads get stripped).

You sorted the brakes yet, btw - or are they still a bit soft? From your pics, it looks like the bit where the cable splits could do with being a bit higher, so the angle from there to each brake isn't so wide. Works on mine, so when I pull the lever (especially rear) the wheel clamps pretty easily and skids lol. I like this, but it's prolly not great for the tyres haha.

Front brake is spot on, rear is a bit squidgier but not sure it'll get better.

I'll get pictures up next time I go in the shed

Other way round on mine, lol! Rear is awesome, front is... acceptable.

Can I have your good rear

Possibly a question for the post 97 section but......shimano deore 525 brakes or Hayes 9?

Oh forgot to say, this is now having the deore lx hollow tech crank and almost new bottom bracket as well as a 36-12 cassette Can't wait!

Raleighracer":1ndsaglg said:

Can I have your good rear

Possibly a question for the post 97 section but......shimano deore 525 brakes or Hayes 9?

Click to expand...

No, you bloody can't! lmao. :twisted:
They're new but retro altus brakes lol.

Dunno about deore or hayes brakes mate, sorry.

Hollowtech bb sounds cool - id have to change my crankset again aswell as bb to do that. :*( Will have to wait for £££. Plus, I can't get my alivio crank off at the moment, cos the bolt's rounded. Bah.

Came to a decision the other day - was wondering whether continue doing this up over time (and rectifying any mistakes I've made with it). Or... save up for a new bike. Decided to go with the Saracen, lol. Would need above £500 to get a decent new bike, so might aswell splash out on this instead.

Wishlist?...
New seat post n seat.
Rockshox forks and new headset (hope or fsa) and stem (planetx?)
maxxis

Plus, possibly black rims at some point - and a respray (and new 'original' graphics) in the far-distant future.

Cost me £60 for my slx crank and a brand new bb

I'm going to cut my bike stash down, keep the Saracen, keep the GT road bike and keep my kona dirt jumper bike. The rest are to be raided of good parts and sold!

Costing me £40 for my my manitou mars forks to be serviced and I got them by swapping for 2 dmr moto tyres, headset is £15 quid, bars and stem were free, which are now polished up beautifully!

This will be on getting done slowly as the previous post states

Kona is to have the rear wheel trued, road cassette 23-12, and a 5600 mech, Teflon gear cable, serviced brakes, 800mm bars and lizard skin grips

GT is to get new Teflon cables, 28c gatorskins and new bar tape.

Then I'll build a beater bike - an old road bike, riser bars, San marco rolls seat, lizard skin grips, 1/2x5/6/7 gear system, v8 pedals Bmx brake levers and new road calipers with Swiss stop pads

Actually that sounds expensive but I hate shit brakes!!!!!!! And want something comfy and fast for possible commuting duties and satisfying my love for old road bikes