Noticing a few slightly more modern builds creeping in, and under slight pressure for outside influences, here's my 2004 Rourke.
This is my summer bike, so although the build was completed a little while ago, it was only last week that I managed to try it out.
The frame (and forks) were bought on this very forum, and had recently been repainted at Bob Jackson, my good fortune was that I wanted an 853 Rourke in black, having seen the demo bikes at both 2012 and 2013 Bespoked Bristol.
I have replaced the original steel forks with all carbon Mizuno forks, to help keep the weight down. Running gear is 11 speed SRAM Force22, bars, stem and seatpost are USE, headset Ritchey WCS, pedals Speedplay, saddle is a Madison Prime (I liked the look of it) and the wheels, which were built for me by Malcolm at The Cycle Clinic, are Miche hubs with KINLIN XR 200 rims all held together with Sapim stainless spokes. Total weight of the bike is 8.2kgs, which was part of the aim.
Obviously the colour theme is black. :mrgreen:
The first shakedown run was not without incident, when the forks came loose! Sorted at the side of the road and now permanently fixed. I took it up a climb I have been avoiding for the last year, Burrington Combe, which runs up onto the Mendip Hills. The lightness of the bike combined with the stiffness of the frame meant that the climb was not as bad as imagined and it also allowed me to return home by riding down the Cheddar Gorge, which was a lot of fun.
Here's hoping for another long dry summer, so that I can put in plenty of miles, as the Rourke is a real pleasure to ride... uphill, or down.
On top of the Mendips, near Charterhouse and Priddy.
This is my summer bike, so although the build was completed a little while ago, it was only last week that I managed to try it out.
The frame (and forks) were bought on this very forum, and had recently been repainted at Bob Jackson, my good fortune was that I wanted an 853 Rourke in black, having seen the demo bikes at both 2012 and 2013 Bespoked Bristol.
I have replaced the original steel forks with all carbon Mizuno forks, to help keep the weight down. Running gear is 11 speed SRAM Force22, bars, stem and seatpost are USE, headset Ritchey WCS, pedals Speedplay, saddle is a Madison Prime (I liked the look of it) and the wheels, which were built for me by Malcolm at The Cycle Clinic, are Miche hubs with KINLIN XR 200 rims all held together with Sapim stainless spokes. Total weight of the bike is 8.2kgs, which was part of the aim.
Obviously the colour theme is black. :mrgreen:
The first shakedown run was not without incident, when the forks came loose! Sorted at the side of the road and now permanently fixed. I took it up a climb I have been avoiding for the last year, Burrington Combe, which runs up onto the Mendip Hills. The lightness of the bike combined with the stiffness of the frame meant that the climb was not as bad as imagined and it also allowed me to return home by riding down the Cheddar Gorge, which was a lot of fun.
Here's hoping for another long dry summer, so that I can put in plenty of miles, as the Rourke is a real pleasure to ride... uphill, or down.
On top of the Mendips, near Charterhouse and Priddy.
