Another build............ Rourke 853 MTB First ride page 5

[The History Man]

Re:

See, that looks better for a lighter saddle. Done. Subject to a fork swap or chrome powder coat of these maybe. happy.

 

[raidan73]

Re:

I think it looks great as it is THM - unless you chrome just the lower half of the fork legs?

 

[The History Man]

I think a pair of black 517s would suit it better than the SUPs

 

[NeilM]

Re:

That would be XC717's. They superseded the 517's a while ago.

I luv em and have them on three or four of my bikes.

What hubs? Silver or black?

Spokes?

Gonna build them yourself? You should give it a go, very therapeutic.

Here is is with black Shimano XT hubs, black sapim spokes and black XC717's.

 

[The History Man]

:shock:

 

[The History Man]

Re:

Just returned from the regular loop. Dry with a bit of wind. Have done this the last couple of times on the Broom so a bit of a change. First of all set four strava PRs so must be a better climber, much as I thought. The way to describe the ride is communicative. You feel every bump, but not in too harsh a way, both up and down. Rides a bit like an ally frame but nowhere near as dead, I really could feel the subtle changes in surface and grip. On the usual climb I found it to be far more efficient with nothing wasted, everything transmitted into drive with light but sure steering.When pushing downhill on dirt roads at 25/30mph or so, I had the confidence to flick it about just to see if it would. Other bikes track more but this turned and jinked with ease and accuracy, despite the loaded front end. This is the perfect bike for fast fire roads or single track with sharp changes of direction but without too much technical bumpy stuff.

If i was comparing my rigid mtb ride characteristics from relaxed to engagingly edge of your seat mental:

Orange - Cheese Sandwich
Alves - Steak and Ale Pie and Chips
Roberts - Surf and Turf with Garlic Bread and Side Salad
Rourke - Chilli Con Carne, Apple Pie and Ice cream
Overbury's - Chicken Vindaloo with a Scotch Bonnet on top, while a circus clown blows a trumpet in your ear and pours ice water down the front of your trousers........(But not in a bad way)

One of these has to go as i'm keeping the Kona and the Broom. Can you guess which?

Cheers THM

Make me an offer I can't understand............

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

Would you flog the Roberts frame buddy ? If it's my size that is

Mike

 

[The History Man]

Close but no cigar..............

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

Not even for a big box of biscuits and a track pump I won today ?

 

[velofrog]

Re:

you could always chrome a stem instead of the forks, that's what i did with Alves number one many many moons ago.......