peetee
Senior Retro Guru
Hi, first post, don't tread on me! :?
Still riding my 1990 build custom MTB. Designed by me and built by Dennis Field an ex-Condor bloke who retired to Cornwall and set up his own frame building business. it was the only MTB frame he ever did. It was so different to the road bike he was used to he said he had to "throw the book away".
I specced the dimensions, braze ons and tubing. It's 531 Designer Select. Basically you get a list of all the tube profiles they have and choose each tube individually. I went for a combination of maximum strength down tube (tandem guage, no cable guides) and as light as sensible everywhere else. It has fork blades for the chain stays to allow the narrowest possible bracket (keep the pedals close together because of my dodgy knee). The bottle cages are located to allow for shouldering the bike. Cables routed along the top tube. Pump peg on seatstay.
Kit is XT 21spd with M231 rims. They are bloody light and the bike really shifts. I had a Ridgeback 501 before which was a real thumper on the rough but this bike is much more compliant. Nevertheless, a few years ago i fitted a Flexstem and sus-post cos i'm gettting old and can't float the bumps like I used to :cry: .
Todays full sus kit is streets ahead but this old thing is so efficient. I did a 10 mile hilly TT on it once and turned up 2 mins after I would have done on my road bike :shock: . If your used to riding rigid then it's no hardship and on the climbs you're way ahead. I hankered after loads of bike since getting this but I just can't bear to part with it.
Still riding my 1990 build custom MTB. Designed by me and built by Dennis Field an ex-Condor bloke who retired to Cornwall and set up his own frame building business. it was the only MTB frame he ever did. It was so different to the road bike he was used to he said he had to "throw the book away".
I specced the dimensions, braze ons and tubing. It's 531 Designer Select. Basically you get a list of all the tube profiles they have and choose each tube individually. I went for a combination of maximum strength down tube (tandem guage, no cable guides) and as light as sensible everywhere else. It has fork blades for the chain stays to allow the narrowest possible bracket (keep the pedals close together because of my dodgy knee). The bottle cages are located to allow for shouldering the bike. Cables routed along the top tube. Pump peg on seatstay.
Kit is XT 21spd with M231 rims. They are bloody light and the bike really shifts. I had a Ridgeback 501 before which was a real thumper on the rough but this bike is much more compliant. Nevertheless, a few years ago i fitted a Flexstem and sus-post cos i'm gettting old and can't float the bumps like I used to :cry: .
Todays full sus kit is streets ahead but this old thing is so efficient. I did a 10 mile hilly TT on it once and turned up 2 mins after I would have done on my road bike :shock: . If your used to riding rigid then it's no hardship and on the climbs you're way ahead. I hankered after loads of bike since getting this but I just can't bear to part with it.
