my 98-00 Muddy Fox (freeride?) bike

Sorry for the long post but just wanted to explain how much this forum has helped me.. Its now been 2 months since I joined and posted my bike picture here. In that time I have made a few purchases from the sales thread in an attempt to re-create what I wanted my bike to be like back in the day (10 years ago).

The 3 main things I lusted after were Hope Big Un's (old fatter style), Hope DH4 disc brakes and 3.0 Nokian Gazzaloddi tyres.

Managed to get the old style Hope Big Un's (with rims, tyres and 205 discs) from the sale thread. Another forum member sold me a QR conversion kit for the front hub when I posted in the wanted section.

Then I got DH4 callipers with sport leavers from the sale thread. These came with a warning that they had not been used for a long time but I stripped them down and cleaned them and they’re great. Also no discs but the wheels I bought already had the discs fitted.

One of the clippers was for a Rock Shox Boxxer so I managed to find an online shop based in the US with a number 3 DH4 calliper half in stock! Cost me £27 posted (Fedex) complete with seals, bolts and pistons :D

Also had to get a couple of IS to IS adaptors, a +20mm for the front and a +40mm for the back. Still on the look out for a silver +40mm if anyone knows where I can get one?

Got the Nokian tyres I wanted separately off ebay, both nearly new. Ones an older style but both 3.0.

There are still a few more things I'd like to do; have the Big Un's built up onto my old blue Planet X BMF rims, see first page pics (what do you think?) and also an XTR rear mech etc..

Here's where I’m up to anyway;

Managed to take one outdoor pic before the rain started again.
nov1.jpg



Like new :)
nov3.jpg



Needs a silver adapter (and a proper bleed nipple)
nov4.jpg



nov2.jpg



Had to cut off my old Yeti grips so purchased some modern lock on style grips, 'Lizard Skins Peaty'.
nov6.jpg
 
i really love your bike man, it's all old school and is really clean and has everything that an old school DH/FR bike should have, the bright colours, the anodising and the sharp edged CNC'd parts like the cranks and brake calipers, lovely!
 
stauqmuk":2n9y0jaq said:
Great looking bike. looks a little like my 24 really just the stance (and with a whole lot more bling). I love the superman color scheme, not sure if that was what your going for but if you ask me t works flawlessly.

http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/4252283/
^a pic of mine^

Thanks, the Superman thing wasn’t actually intentional but I can see what you mean now, this bike has evolved from what I could get cheap at the time and colours working together is a side thing. I'd been thinking what sticker to put on the head tube and that’s given me a good idea ;)

That 24 is really nice, not sure I could pull off a pink frame where I live though. One thing I’m not keen on is the seat, never been a big fan of those massive DH seats. On your bike it even plays a trick on the eye because at first glance it makes your whole bike look very small.

sam264":2n9y0jaq said:
really love your bike man, it's all old school and is really clean and has everything that an old school DH/FR bike should have, the bright colours, the anodising and the sharp edged CNC'd parts like the cranks and brake calipers, lovely!

Thanks, glad somebody is classing it as 'old school' as that was my thoughts but I got the feeing most people here regarded it as modern. I really like the DH/ FR stuff from 98 - 00 era, it was a kind of bigger and chunkier is better without much thought for weight. This bike weighs just a smidge under 40lbs but doesn’t really feel it when riding (however due to weather I've only rode around the local streets since fitting the new wheels and brakes etc).

I rarely get interested in modern stuff, I’ve bought a few issues of Dirt recently but nothing much appeals to me, kit wise.
 
I'm only 18, so that seems pretty retro to me :D I do love my late 90's early 2000 stuff but i find i like having new kit, so right now i don't actually have anything retro. I sold my 2001 orange patriot quite recently for a 2007 scott genius, although i do hope to own some old orange bikes again when i can afford it. I LOVE old oranges with the chunky monocoque designs, especially the msisle, patriot, UFO and MR O, all classic designs :)
 
racedoctor":corwcfid said:
One thing I’m not keen on is the seat, never been a big fan of those massive DH seats. On your bike it even plays a trick on the eye because at first glance it makes your whole bike look very small.

That seat is probably my favorite part of this bike. It may even be my favorite part of all my bikes. I've got 2 of them and had a third that broke earlier this year. I always found them 1) incredibly comfortable and 2) fantastic for control on DH trails. But understand their aesthetic is not for everyone. As for it making the bike look small, It probably does but the bike is pretty small in actuality; its got a 24" rear wheel and only a 22" top tube.

On your new bits, I love the 8 blue bolts I'd never noticed that your frame had movable brake bosses. what size wheels is the top one for? not 29? right? Great way to emphasize a little noticed detail.
 
Sorry for digging up an old thread, but I used to have two of these bikes back in the day.

A bit of history for you.

Only 50 of these were made for Muddy Fox by Cortina, the blue ones are an almost identical design but were from the far east.
I used to snap the mech hangers on a daily basis, so had BETD make me up a handful, and they were much better.

One of mine had a cut down (crudely) rear booster plate so I could run the 3"Gazzalodi on the back, the other one I ran a 24" on the back with discs.

My 26"er had Green Z1 Drop offs, Hope Hubs on Planet X BMF Rims, Planet X 3 Piece cranks and Nokian Tyres. Goliath bars and XT rear mech, Hope brakes (before they called them O2 and C2).
The thing weighed a tonne!

Unfortunately, One was stolen (recovered and sold on) and the other was stolen by a shady Sheffield shop owner.

If you ever get bored of the frame and wish to sell it, I'm all ears!
 
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