Recent content by hawkhill97

Ooh this sounds fun 😀 watching with interest!

Interesting thoughts! I'm pretty happy with the head angle as it is, I think, and it's nice to have the bike retain it's 90s character. If I could change anything about the bike, it would be to add about 10mm-20mm to the top tube, but that in turn would probably affect all sorts of other...

Compared to the drop bar MTB it's replacing, it's pretty much a wash between the dropper post and U-Turn fork on the drop bar bike, and the fixed post and short travel fork on the flat bar bike. They're both more or less equally capable off-road - I'm much more confident slinging this bike...

Following the trail eventually leads to one of the local woods, where a number of "proper" MTB trails have been built by the locals. I didn't ride any of the groomed bermy jumpy sections, but there is a really fun line that runs down the valley bottom - very rooty and rocky, but not...

Went out for a more testing loop recently, taking in the toughest bits of local riding available to me. Started with a pretty brutal climb right from the front door on the back lanes, but was rewarded with some lovely flowy gravel style singletrack along the ridge. Dropping down off the...

Really smashing build, great work! Would absolutely love a go on it, though it'd probably ruin me forever on my comparatively pedestrian/workhorse builds 😂

I am very lucky, live just South of Bristol and have loads of good mixed terrain riding, with the Mendip Hills within riding distance if I'm making a big day out of it 😁 plus Forest of Dean, Cwmcarn, Bike Park Wales all within an easy drive.

Managed to get out for another couple of local rides, this time a nice mix of bridleways, back roads, and a couple of "proper MTB" steep rocky bits. The bike rides beautifully in it's latest build. I don't know if it's just because I learnt to ride a bike on similar (though less nice!) frames...

One of the best back handed compliments I've had about one of my builds was that this bike "looked exactly like the most perfect, awesome bike my ten year old self could have thought of" 😂 Pretty on the nose!

Now up on eBay (and regrettably, also FB marketplace, not quite sure why I bothered with the latter).

Should probably also have said, it's a size M frame, 19" CTT seat tube or about 17.5" CTC (as Marin would have measured it for their sizing). I'm 5'9" with long legs and a short torso and it fits well for me. Pics are with the fork wound down to 85mm travel for road use, the bars go up a...

Looking to move on this monstrosity at the moment, which I think fits quite well here! https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/2010-marin-hawk-hill-monstercross-mtb-gravel-monstrosity-%C2%A3250-ono.496112/

Errr, and that's about it! Brakes, gears, bearings etc all nice and smooth and sharp, fork has just had new seals and a lowers oil change prior to sale. Can throw in a pair of narrower road slicks if desired. Been riding this for the past 5 years around Somerset and it's been great fun...

Ritchey Venturemax trendy flared drop bars, which are really nice off road when in the drops. Fresh bar tape.

100mm dropper post - yes it's a cheapy hand actuated one, but works just as it should and has lasted several years with no issues - I think the rear mudguard really helps with this.