My next build. Maple leaf content...

Nice bike...reminds me of the early Full Suss Konas...looks good.

Barneyballbags":1gwhzin2 said:

See... Here it is, looming out of the morning fog..

Click to expand...

A great picture.

So, I've been busy and the Hustler is now wearing a few new bits, with some more to come.

- I scored a pair of Fox F32 RLCs for the princely sum of £97 , so the RC40s have been sold.
- The RP3 rear shock (180 x 45) has been replaced by a slightly longer RP23 (190 x 54), so the rear travel has been increased.
- The disc rotors have been changed to some Alligator Windcutters (see the pic below).



I had to get an adaptor for the forks so that I could use my IS mount brakes. My first port of call was Evans Cycles in Cardiff, who managed to sell me the wrong adaptor, despite me showing them a photo of the caliper and showing them the actual fork I wanted to mount it to. But the less said about those glorified sales reps the better.

I've now sourced the correct adaptor from CRC (getting an adaptor to fit an IS caliper to a post mount fork isn't easy!). The only trade-off was that the adaptor required me to get a 20mm larger disc rotor. So now I'll be running a 203 front, 160 rear. I bought a pair of Windcutter rotors so that they matched


I'm toying with the idea of having the frame soda blasted, re-decaled and clear laquered. I wouldn't mind doing the same with the fork lowers & crown but can't be doing with the faff of taking them apart and putting them back together again!

Here are a couple of pictures of the bike as it is for now. I'm waiting on the new rotors to arrive, as well as the brake adaptor. As you can see, the longer rear shock has hardly made a difference to the angles

Sorry about the picture quality - I had to compress them quite a bit!

looks smart mate! glad the wheels and brakes are getting good use!

konaben82":1r7jaobk said:

looks smart mate! glad the wheels and brakes are getting good use!

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I LOVE the wheels mate

CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK!!! Now at least walkers can't say that they didn't hear me coming, and can't moan that I don't have a bell

Nice work on the forks...what a total bargain. I'm a big fan of Fox forks despite all theguff spouted about stanchion wear. My 2005 36's are fine, on their original stanchions and I never stick to the service intervals.

Did you nick th up on eBay?

The bike would look good raw and rough rather than polished to a shine.

Mindmap3":r1k06u2p said:

Nice work on the forks...what a total bargain. I'm a big fan of Fox forks despite all theguff spouted about stanchion wear. My 2005 36's are fine, on their original stanchions and I never stick to the service intervals.

Did you nick th up on eBay?

The bike would look good raw and rough rather than polished to a shine.

Click to expand...

Yep, a raw finish was what I was thinking. I thought I might get it soda blasted and then clear lacquered without polishing it up first. I really want to do the same with the forks to give it a nice industrial look!

The forks didn't come from eBay, I got them from a police auction website. Most of the stuff on it is garbage but every now and again, a bargain comes along.

My best bargain from there was a mint condition 2011 Lapierre Zesty 514 frame, some Fox 36s with a FIT upgrade (which costs a fortune on its own) and a set of Hope Tech X2s for £400 :shock: - I made that money back just from selling the frame alone

Barneyballbags":1p24onhw said:

konaben82":1p24onhw said:

looks smart mate! glad the wheels and brakes are getting good use!

Click to expand...

I LOVE the wheels mate

CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK!!! Now at least walkers can't say that they didn't hear me coming, and can't moan that I don't have a bell

Click to expand...

hahaha ...if carlsberg made hubs eh?

Barneyballbags":1161fkd8 said:

Mindmap3":1161fkd8 said:

Nice work on the forks...what a total bargain. I'm a big fan of Fox forks despite all theguff spouted about stanchion wear. My 2005 36's are fine, on their original stanchions and I never stick to the service intervals.

Did you nick th up on eBay?

The bike would look good raw and rough rather than polished to a shine.

Click to expand...

Yep, a raw finish was what I was thinking. I thought I might get it soda blasted and then clear lacquered without polishing it up first. I really want to do the same with the forks to give it a nice industrial look!

The forks didn't come from eBay, I got them from a police auction website. Most of the stuff on it is garbage but every now and again, a bargain comes along.

My best bargain from there was a mint condition 2011 Lapierre Zesty 514 frame, some Fox 36s with a FIT upgrade (which costs a fortune on its own) and a set of Hope Tech X2s for £400 :shock: - I made that money back just from selling the frame alone

Click to expand...

That's ace.

There are a few guys on STW who have rawed their frames and then used a scourer to give it a really industrial look to good effect. There is a guy with a Reign who has done it and it looks ace. They've got away without the clearcoat but I think that depends on the type of aluminum. My other half's Chameleon is a pain and tarnishes really quickly whereas bikes I've previously stripped have been fine.

My bad about the Lapierre frame I mentioned before - it was a 2010 Zesty 314. Still a bargain though, and look how quickly it sold when I put it up on here after being messed about on Pinkbike!

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