'97 VooDoo Erzulie
- Thread starter IDB1
- Start date
imho
I love the original colour but fair enough on ditching the finishing kit. The Titec bar and stem look worthwhile keeping though. Do you think it needs a respray?
As for the person who said modern voodoo's are...poor..I read a review of the Bokor and it won a £700 hardtail review in WMB a month or two back. Not that that means its decent but I would think there are worse bikes around for the money?
Everything is Asian made these days so not being US shouldn't be seen as being poor. I hate Halfords as much as the next person who has to go in to buy car windscreen fluid but they don't make Voodoos they just flog them.
BIt off topic, apologies. In short good bike, hope you have fun building it up and look forward to seeing it again
I love the original colour but fair enough on ditching the finishing kit. The Titec bar and stem look worthwhile keeping though. Do you think it needs a respray?
As for the person who said modern voodoo's are...poor..I read a review of the Bokor and it won a £700 hardtail review in WMB a month or two back. Not that that means its decent but I would think there are worse bikes around for the money?
Everything is Asian made these days so not being US shouldn't be seen as being poor. I hate Halfords as much as the next person who has to go in to buy car windscreen fluid but they don't make Voodoos they just flog them.
BIt off topic, apologies. In short good bike, hope you have fun building it up and look forward to seeing it again
I love it too.. definitely needs a repaint but will be the same/very similar colour (maybe a candy??..dunno yet)..superstu":n7ahdizd said:
The Titec stuff is going on the bike I'm building for the kids, what I'll save on that is not far off what I paid for this so that's all cool...
Oh I don't, was just wondering.. for my own curiosity and so that I know what I havesuperstu":n7ahdizd said:
And I don't care where it was originally purchased either.. makes no odds if it were Halfords or Dagenham Daves'
Adjusted seat height, tightened up stem and I reckon the stem length etc. is just about right for me.. very comfy, didn't feel cramped or overstretched at all....
I would say from the kit on it that it is almost certainly a 1997 frame. It looks to be size 17.25. I have the 1997 catalogue and all the parts I can see are consistent with the STX build option in that catalogue. It would be interesting to know the serial number (should be under the bb shell) as that may well confirm.
The Erzulie was a Taiwan-built bike, essentially equivalent in quality to a Kona Cinder Cone. The Bizango, Wanga and Hoodoo were built in the USA at that time, but I know of no evidence that that means they were in any way better made. However it certainly meant that they were very expensive, and for that reason along with the custom-build basis of marketing them, few US-made frames were sold in the UK.
Voodoo were basically sold by the importers Cycle Motion at that time, although some small dealers also sold them. They then went bust for a while, and it was well after they were resurrected that they did a deal with Halfords. So Halfords is a complete red herring as far as your bike is concerned.
I personally think you would be unwise to remove the cable stops, as that would destroy the value of the frame and you never know, anyone can change their mind about something from time to time.
It's a great-looking bike, if anything better than an equivalent Kona, as its designer Joe Murray was the spirit of Kona until he left in 1993, and then transferred his golden touch to Voodoo from c1995.
The Erzulie was a Taiwan-built bike, essentially equivalent in quality to a Kona Cinder Cone. The Bizango, Wanga and Hoodoo were built in the USA at that time, but I know of no evidence that that means they were in any way better made. However it certainly meant that they were very expensive, and for that reason along with the custom-build basis of marketing them, few US-made frames were sold in the UK.
Voodoo were basically sold by the importers Cycle Motion at that time, although some small dealers also sold them. They then went bust for a while, and it was well after they were resurrected that they did a deal with Halfords. So Halfords is a complete red herring as far as your bike is concerned.
I personally think you would be unwise to remove the cable stops, as that would destroy the value of the frame and you never know, anyone can change their mind about something from time to time.
It's a great-looking bike, if anything better than an equivalent Kona, as its designer Joe Murray was the spirit of Kona until he left in 1993, and then transferred his golden touch to Voodoo from c1995.
Thanks for that Anthony
Just had a good ol' look for a number and can't see anything at all..
I can see me being 'guilt-tripped' (by myself) into building this back into 24-speed (iirc they were produced with 8-speed cassette?) and just uprating all the components..
Still going to have a hankering for an SS then.... and probably needing a new place to live
Just had a good ol' look for a number and can't see anything at all..
I can see me being 'guilt-tripped' (by myself) into building this back into 24-speed (iirc they were produced with 8-speed cassette?) and just uprating all the components..
Still going to have a hankering for an SS then.... and probably needing a new place to live
I think what you have there is the basic STX-spec rigid, which sold for £500, but there was an 8-speed 'LX' option for an extra £100, or you could specify a choice of forks. e.g., STX with Indy XC would cost £670, or LX with Marzocchi Z2 would cost £940.
I expect you have a 7-speed Alivio hub, which you may feel doesn't quite live up to the nice Mavic 238 rims. Having said that, my commuter Orange C16R has guess what STX 7-speed shifters, just like yours, and Merlin-built Alivio hubs in 230 rims, and that has the best, most positive gear change of any bike I've ever owned. Now loaned to a friend, and he says the same. If you want to throw your wheels away, please throw them in my direction.
I don't see why you shouldn't run it as single-speed without removing the cable stops. If after a while you are sure you want to keep it that way, go ahead and remove the stops. But I just suggest that you could come to regret removing the stops as part of an experiment.
Incidentally, I just looked at your Eldridge Grade, and I notice that is much bigger. If I'm right and the Voodoo is a size 17.25 (centre of bb to top of seat tube), it should have a c-c top tube of 55cm(?), 'effective' top tube of 22.5" and according to the catalogue it is designed for a riders of 5-5 to 5-9.
I expect you have a 7-speed Alivio hub, which you may feel doesn't quite live up to the nice Mavic 238 rims. Having said that, my commuter Orange C16R has guess what STX 7-speed shifters, just like yours, and Merlin-built Alivio hubs in 230 rims, and that has the best, most positive gear change of any bike I've ever owned. Now loaned to a friend, and he says the same. If you want to throw your wheels away, please throw them in my direction.
I don't see why you shouldn't run it as single-speed without removing the cable stops. If after a while you are sure you want to keep it that way, go ahead and remove the stops. But I just suggest that you could come to regret removing the stops as part of an experiment.
Incidentally, I just looked at your Eldridge Grade, and I notice that is much bigger. If I'm right and the Voodoo is a size 17.25 (centre of bb to top of seat tube), it should have a c-c top tube of 55cm(?), 'effective' top tube of 22.5" and according to the catalogue it is designed for a riders of 5-5 to 5-9.
It is 17.25", the Marin is 20", the GT is 19.5"..
I feel most 'at home' on the Voodoo, once it's bolted back together and I'm spinning the pedals I guess it could be a different story altogether.
The GT is now wearing the 238's since its' tyres were fubar, the Marin has the rims off my old '93 Cinder Cone (which was, iirc, 17" frame - and I was 2" taller back then for some reason)..
Have removed a few bits (had to break the chain off) and it's now sitting on those manky GT rims (well, there rear is new, but budget from CRC) for ease of movement
I feel most 'at home' on the Voodoo, once it's bolted back together and I'm spinning the pedals I guess it could be a different story altogether.
The GT is now wearing the 238's since its' tyres were fubar, the Marin has the rims off my old '93 Cinder Cone (which was, iirc, 17" frame - and I was 2" taller back then for some reason)..
Have removed a few bits (had to break the chain off) and it's now sitting on those manky GT rims (well, there rear is new, but budget from CRC) for ease of movement
MikeD
Senior Retro Guru
If you think you might ever want to fit the fork to a frame with a longer head tube, add spacers. Otherwise, cut it down. You might want to cut it down anyway, there's quite a lot sticking out there. I'd be tempted to leave it 10mm too long and run one spacer above the stem just to give yourself a bit of spare later on, whether for a different frame or to tune riding positions.
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