Hi all,

Just thought I'd show one of my Bullses.

I bought the bike after I got fed up with my 2007 Cannondale F6. The F6 was a good bike, but had some handling issues and I simply never bonded with it.
This one however was different. As soon as I got on it for the first time, it felt like I've been driving it for years. Maybe it's because of my other Bulls, or maybe it's just because these bikes are excellent to begin with.

Due to medical reasons (I'm recovering from stomach surgery) I can't do much off-roading, so I slapped on a pair of slicks. I also fitted all the necessary stuff for long-distance riding. I used to do 35-50 miles/day, and plan to get back to that level in a year or so.





I'm not too happy with the grips yet and the seat will need to be replaced with something more touring-friendly.
I'm also worried about the pedals after seeing a similar set in which the axle was sticking through the side of the plastic body, so I'll be looking for a pair that is a bit stronger.

Apart from those small things, I'm quite pleased with it.

I know it's not a hyper high-end carbon fully, but at £1125 it's a bargain really. A lot of bang for your buck.

EDIT : removed some pics because they're now obsolete.

Added better pics to first post.

I REALLY like that.

Not heard of Bulls before but im going to have a look into them now

seems great value

Great value indeed. The frame is strong, the geometry is good, the paint and finish is flawless ... and then there's the speclist. Mostly XT (the crankset is a mere Deore) for £1100-ish is excellent if you consider that magazines nowadays are testing £1500 entry-level hardtails that weigh the same and have lower spec components.

I can imagine that these aren't selling well in the UK because it's a lesser-known brand and therefore not fashionable, so you may be able to pick up a bargain.
My LBS still has one 2011 Copperhead 3 in his showroom and is selling it at the equivalent of £956 to make room for the 2012 version.

reminds me of cube bikes.

looks great though, my favourite colour, i run a badboy with slicks in the summer, great tool

I replaced the riser bar with a flat bar and some bar ends, which enabled me to put my old headlights back on the bike.

Also bought a decent camera, so I can now take better pics.

Sweet ride!

They have to do a model named 'Hit'.

I would buy one.

I like the colour scheme.

what did you do to make it more touring friendly?

sam

The bottle cages were the first bit. The bike comes with mounting points, but without the cages. (as do most bikes)
Seeing as touring means you spend a lot of time on the bike and will need to drink at some point, I really wanted to mount 2 big bottles on the bike. I could have gone for a Camelback, but I prefer the oldfashioned bottles on a bike.

The bar and bar ends certainly help too. I was sitting too upright with the original handlebar, and always found myself grabbing the end of the bar much like I now grab the bar ends. On short rides the upright position was fine, but on longer distances it really annoyed me.

Then there's the (huge) slicks. These roll like any other road tyre, but provide more grip in most conditions without sacrificing mileage.
I experimented with several road tyres on my previous 2 modern bikes, and found these to be the best. Excellent grip under most conditions, good mileage and very puncture-resistant. The rolling resistance is also surprisingly low for tyres of that size and they absorb bumps a lot better than any 1.50 - 2 inch tyre.

Time for an update, I guess.

Did a lot to the bike lately, which resulted in a 2.65 lbs weight loss.
The goal was not light weight as such, but better performance in general.
The discs for instance are heavier than the original ones, but they handle the heat from city racing a lot better.



Speclist so far :


Frame : Bulls Copperhead 3 (2011, 47cm or 18.5" C-T)
Fork : Rock Shox Reba RL (100mm with remote poplock)
Hubs : Shimano Deore XT M770 (centre lock)
Skewers : KCNC Ti QR
Rims : Alex DP-17 Disc, destickered
Tyres : Bontrager Hank 26 x 2.2 full-slick

Headset spacers : KCNC Hollow headset spacers
Headset cap : KCNC Lite
Stem : KCNC Team Issue 110mm
Handlebar : KCNC SC Bone 600mm
Bar ends : KCNC BE1
Grips : Aerozine XG1.0 Lock on

Seat : fi'zi:k Tundra 2
Seat Post : KCNC Ti Pro Lite
Seat clamp : KCNC Z6 QR

Bottom bracket : Shimano Deore XT
Pedals : NC-17 S-pro
Crankset : Shimano Deore M552 42-32-24T (still looking for a decent replacement, but can't find anything I like)
Crankset bolts : KCNC alloy
Chain : Shimano HG-94
Cassette : Shimano Deore XT M771 11-34T (10-speed)
Front mech : Shimano Deore XT M770
Rear mech : Shimano Deore XT M770
Shifters : Shimano Deore XT M770

Brake masters : Formula RX20 Rotwild Edition, with Lever Reach Adjust and Feeling Control Unit.
Brake calipers : Formula RX20 Rotwild Edition
Brake pads : Kool Stop
Brake adapter : Formula centrelock to 6-bolt adapter
Discs : Hope SAW floating discs (180/180mm)

Headlights : Smart E-line white, modified
Rear light : Smart E-line red, modified with transparent cover
Computer : Topeak Panoram V12 widescreen, wireless
Bottle Cages : Lezyne
Bottle cage bolts : KCNC alloy
Mirror : Zefal Spy

Weight (stock) : 25.35lbs
Weight when new : 27.78lbs (with empty bottles)
Weight now : 25.13lbs (with empty bottles)



Considering that the tyres are more than a pound heavier than the originals and that mine also carries lights, bottles and a speedo, I'm quite pleased with the result.
Any further weight savings would necessitate the use of carbon (which I'm no fan of) or would require such light parts that I'd be afraid to ride it hard. I'd rather lose some weight myself.

It can still cruise all day and is very comfortable, and it'll still race just as happily as before.
However it's certainly gotten better at the racing bit without sacrificing any of its cruising capabilities.

The only thing that bothers me a bit is the rear mech. Way too much silver on there.
I might get the 2012 XT version, as that is nearly all black. Then it's a matter of finding a better crankset and a black BB to finish the bike off.

Little update.

A little while ago I took the City Jets off my 728 and decided to put them on the Bulls, just to see what it looked like.
However I quite liked the result, so they'll stay on. This is one of those few modern bikes that actually gets away with skinwalls without looking ridiculous.



By changing the tyres, the entire bike has been dropped by nearly half an inch, which does make a difference. Now I can actually get on and off the bike without feeling like I need a ladder.

No idea on the current weight, but I think the removal of lights and computer and the difference in tyre weight shaved around 1.5lbs off the bike's weight. It should be somewhere in the mid-to-high 23lbs region now. .

Sweet


Im still reading it all.Lovely build

Some changes and new pics.

The M770 rear mech is replaced with an M780 (2012 XT). That solved the "too much silver" issue I had with the 770.
The forks have been lowered to 80mm, which sharpened up the handling and made the entire bike lower and more aggressive.






Nice view of the Formula RX20 master cylinder, with Lever Reach Adjust and Feeling Control Module. Excellent adjustability and way too much braking power.




Next up is a new crankset, probably a KCNC one.
I'm also considering swapping the seat out for a 1990 Selle Italia Flite Ti re-issue.
And finally I'm considering taking out one of the 10mm spacers (or both) below the stem and/or swapping the stem for a 0° rise one.
Unfortunately that also means that I'll need to shorten the cables and hoses yet again.