2008/4 Last Rufus fun bike. Curious 24s

Yet another build happening, the only bike not in bits is my commuter!

Its modern. I think it was 2002 I began reading MBUK again and pondering getting into MTB's. I left MTBing in 1993 and went onto BMX for a couple year till Uni, I had a retro Marin for odd commutes and gave that a rebuild in 2002 then started getting ideas, and was liking the look of the Identiti bikes. A tough cool looking bike that was half MTB half BMX, almost a retro BMX like vision. Ideal, so in 2003 I picked up their pov version with Tectro discs and Ballistic blade forks. not best, so upgraded to the great value BSX one in 2004 as it was well specced and didn't want to spend 4 figures going custom...

I realised this heavy old thing I didn't even enjoy riding, but long for my liking despite being tall and a high BB and never really got on with the 24" wheels. After a blast round the BMX track I set about Single speeding it and lowering the 120mm forks. loss of weight and helping geometry a bit

I was gonna give up on daft fun bikes and go AXC steel bike route then got a go on a Commencal Absolut 4x race bike and was smitten

then put the 26's back on, But still a 14" BB height!


Still not happy I did loads research into lighter frames like the Absolut, I even went on Pink Bike! Everyone told me to buy a Giant STP. Seemingly wanting the moon on a stick I asked on here about these frames. Mainly cos everything is made overseas and theres a lot of talk about cracked alu frames.

I kept looking at dirt jump bikes on Pink Bike like the Blk Mrkt's light weight is back in fashion. partialy fancied summat small and nimble, then fancied summat all mountain like this http://www.transitionbikes.com/2007/ima ... inal_2.jpg but too expensive/unavailable.

I spotted summat else... Its heavier (than the Identiti 5.8lbs :? ) at 6.5lbs , its got good geometry like the 4.2lbs Commencal, its Cromo, its got a lower BB at 13", and its only a 13" frame! But worth a shot.


There was an incident with Paypal and co but after a month waiting I'm ready to start the build

With the Cane Creek S8 in the frame I can try the forks for size...

Looking good!
still need to seat the fork race rest on the fork somehow and cut down the steerer finally, one for that garage this weekend...
made a mess getting the old one off.

And getting an engineering mate to find me summat to replace this from the forks

a combo of supersoft alloy and possible bad tools on occasion. :?
Got some sexy Saints on order to replace the 1400g BMX set up! and gonna order a Thomson, should be plenty diverse with a long post in there.

So If people wanna see the build and if its not too modern I'll keep ya posted. Cheers

thats a reet tight rear end . thatl launch from the line nice and quick

neat chain tensioners too

a primo crank bolt or a bmx top cap might work in the axle

ill give ya £20 for the gussets

Yeah its super short, looking forward to grasping manuals on it and stuff the ID was really long by the time I'd added chain slack so losing about 30mm off the chain stays, and 18mm off the top tube. And of course a bit lower to the ground. should be sweet for mixing up local available terrain. Exciting.
Vital stats

That bolt in the forks is 10mm IIRC, thanks for the tip.

Thanks for the offer Gonna hang onto the cranks to either poss go on this in minimalist tank mode if i end up with something more grown up later or maybe the BMX which is still wearing Mongoose pov OPC's

To sell next in line is a very tidy Identiti frame and the 24" Tornado's for as much as I can get to recoup recent spends! I'm sure I'm gonna prefer this to the last build.

Well like busses, these completions come at once, or might be just the way I work paralell across too many projects!

A seed was planted for a new bike last year and the new beastie is done.

A couple of minor niggles getting it built up, most ironed out now I think.

Not sure about German (Jap) precision engineering, the Thomson post didn't go in so easily despite being the correct size. I filed any obscurities in the seat tube, but in the end the bottom of the post copped it too. Dare not push it much lower, tis the ideal versatile height anyway at mo, since I'm 6ft 2!






Custom and all new crank/ring/BB set up, its real smooth and less than a 1000g looks nice too. pricey combo but worth it.

Moved accross wheels and brakes and borrowed a gold skewer off the Muddy Fox build!


Best test it on terrain rather than round the block, its clearly built as an all rounder, so got down to the local BMX track last night on me bill, youth club were training but the nice chap let me on the section they were not using. I must say first impressions are woah! getting used to the short rear end is weird, I had to remember to keep some weight over the front. After a hour I was getting more confident on the lumps and bumps and happy chucking the bike about. It feels really nice, much prefer it to the Identiti. its chunky and sturdy but the CroMo is really soft and forgiving compared, the BB height is down to 12.5 inch which is nice, all in all very nice, best of a grown up BMX/kids MTB I like. I droppeed two teeth on the new gearing (38-16) and its a nice gear in a comfortable postion on the bike.
The BMX club turned up, and I decided to not join the club with minimal pads on and no lite alloy race BMX and a bit tired/thirsty. The offer was nice. Knees and muscles a little stiff today!

So there ya go, awesome its complete and was worth the effort, the only major thing I might do is lower the forks some, they work, but with that short end it might work better. Still undecided on tyres at mo, somthing light less than 2.2 and not over knobbly.

you might like the kenda small block 8

how is the dmr moto ? been thinking of trying one of those

might be worth seeing if a shop near you will hone the seattube

Good recommendation, seen a few tyres dotted around, MBUK, and forums/sites. I have the old Moto Its quite an old tired one and still a tad weighty for what it is but been a good tyre for mucking about and commuting. This knobbly one has been general rear tyre since I bough those wheels seems alright actually only let me down in silly wet mud which was more comical than painful! So yeah its good, big n squishy and rolls nice on all surfaces. The front I bought for retro XC bike, replaced the Minon DH I had on in a temporary bid to save weight, both great knobblies.

Maybe i should ask around the shops about the tube, didn't think of that. Doh!

The Thommy is super long at 410mm but not cutting it yet, it gained a scratch at the bottom, so some light filing under the Minimum insert line helped. will have to take it out and see what its like.

Cheers

Hi Perry!

I was in my spare parts grave yard at the weekend (remote loft) and figured i need to sell the 24" Halos off my Identiti to recoup some monies and poss get some more 26ers, but i need to double check I have no use for em, it probably wouldn't be right for me i reckon on the Santa cruz bullit FS frame, all though my mate rocks his on 24s and big 2.7/3.0 tyres :?

So i fetched em back to try on the Rufus, I CBA to swap cogs and brakes so just wolloped em on brakeless!


They don't feel bad actually very BMX like and manouverable

However i am fully aware this frame is (26 inch wheel only) and unlike the identiti the BB isn't super high so it left the BB on the Rufus at 11"-11.5 with current forks! Wow, that would bottom out a bit.


You can tell its 26" designed down at the yoke.

pondering testing the Rufus on an XC (trail centre(?)) loop at Dalby this weekend with the RB lot here, not sure I'll get by with just 36/16 and a short frame, but it is tempting to let it strech its legs... and mine!

hi

i used to use a 24" on the rear with 26" on the front , it was great for acceleration

i used 24s on a trailstar years ago , it made the bike feel large and unwieldy . better to use a 24 specific frame or a cruiser

been looking at dalby recently ( got a feeling the ssuk09 will be mostly black trail ) and it looks great , noticed they have a 4x track too , you will be fine with 36/16

Hmm, I hope this doesn't prompt a cruiser build! Cruisers are cool and ideal for ageing big kids

Bloody hell dunno what to do with em!

Yeah I know nowt about Dalby but I'm told its nice riding ground. Its the invite of "Modern or Retro" that has me tempted. and if theres a 4x track be nice to have a rumble round that.

Well Here I am on from the day at Dalby looking like a Timmy!


Cheers P20 for the pic. http://www.flickr.com/photos/66452821@N ... 704904877/

I rocked it with a 38 - 16 gearing! Which I figured would be good for the BMX track near home and the flat roads. At the trail centre though some torque munching up hills to actually get up, and a confortable gear getting back down and across. Obviously sitting down wasn't that easy and the stiff frame transmitted some vibes! TBH doing 20 miles on this (100 miles from home) and with 5hrs sleep seriously knackerd me out, but its a great ride, on the short side but lovely manualing off and over stuff, I really like it, got to know it well on this trip which is why I took it. A 5 mile blast yes i'd take it again. 20 mile? only for another daft challenge or if I had nowt else to take.

P20 noticed the forks were not giving on the trail, so did my arms, it was like riding a retro apart from the stance. I'm not sure If I have cocked up these forks in teh past. I need to either find someone cheap and cheerful to lower them a tad and service them for me, or attempt it myself somewhere clean. Or of course, buy some pimp rigids (not cheap with 20mm) or other sus forks.

I spent some time yesterday looking at the Cotics again, really fancy one for the trails, a sensible size, for all day whatever modern riding. one for a future build...

My mate text last night as he has bagged a cheap 24 bicycles frame, which got me thinking about my 24" wheels one more time as I looked on ebay.

Last do another frame almost identical to this designed to take 24" wide tyres and 26", same angles, height and everything (on 26ers and identical forks), its bizarre, only difference is gussets, an internal headset, BMX BB and a longer crazy looking yoke yo make way for those phat tyres. bearing that in mind, I guess they are expecting punters to run 2.5 or 2.7 tyres to get the height up.

http://www.last-bikes.de/specs/Specific ... _V2-06.pdf
http://www.last-bikes.de/specs/Specific ... _V2-04.pdf



The kids on chain reaction like it too so reckon its a keeper for a bit.
With a few bits of components to swap later.

Once my back is happy I'll have to get upto speed on the BMX tracks get me skills in order.