Dave Lloyd 753

[NeilM]

Re: Re:

Thanks guys.

I just cant get over just how good this has come out..!

Bar ends, it NEEDS pink bar ends. :mrgreen:

 

[Giom6]

Re: Re:

Thanks guys.

Before:



After:

I just cant get over just how good this has come out..!

Thanks mate

A lot of time, patience and a bit of cash is all it took

Let see how the next one turns out

 

[longun]

i had the fortunate chance to ride a cats wiskas bitd, fitted with the first hope mechanical disc brakes. it had the similar paint as yours but with p2,s. it felt so lively and agile, and the brakes were unreal!!!!!! (compared to my old cantis) may do some digging and see if i can find out whos got it locally. i may even have the video somewhere( it was used to complete a mates PE exam project thingy)

love these old handmade bikes!!!!!

 

[Giom6]

Re: Re:

Bar ends, it NEEDS pink bar ends. :mrgreen:

You're right it does. Do you know I never even noticed the bar ends

X-lite do we reckon?

 

[longun]

Re: Re:

Bar ends, it NEEDS pink bar ends. :mrgreen:

You're right it does. Do you know I never even noticed the bar ends

X-lite do we reckon?

silly question lol

 

[NeilM]

Re:

They appear to have rounded ends, so may be very early X-Lite, or the more familiar stubbies, with rounded plastic ends. They made both as I have pair of each here, just look at my DB thread and also my silver Cats and you can see them.

 

[sinnerman]

Re: Re:

Having ridden three different Cats Wiskas, including the one in the MBUK article above, I can say that they are all different from one another.

One is very fast and lively, one feels very similar to my 1992 DOGS BOLX and the third is a bit of both.

From this I conclude that if you wanted a meaningful comparison between the DOGS, Cats and DONKIS, then you would need three frames of near identical dimension and very similar weight, what you would then be comparing would be both the skill of the framebuilder and the characteristics of the tube, for instance Columbus MAX OR feels totally different from Reynolds 853, and both those frames were made by Dave Yates.

It would be great to get a bunch of these bikes together and to ride them all and compare notes, but I don't think it would prove much, other than each bike is different and what one rider likes another may not.

Shouldn't stop us trying though, so I'll volunteer a DB and a couple of Cats (the third is shortly off to a new home).

One proviso: You break it, you fix it!

I guess this was a gripe of many with magazine reviews bitd.

I think the truth of the matter with your own C.A.T.S is none will ride similarly due to the way choices made in the build specs, for example the fork options and frame sizes will leave massive differences in how they ride, even the most subtle of changes like seatpost height and stem length would make each bike feel like a totally different bike. Comparing rigid to suspension will also contribute too.

For me, the only true way (as you say) is to have all three in the same frame size/age, with near as dam it a similar spec, or at least a similar performance of spec, so each fork having the same travel, the same stem length and height etc, gear train/component choices I think can be overlooked to a degree as this can be judged on there own merits and flaws without compromising the overview of the frame build and characteristics.

By the time these frames became available, geometry had largely settled down, each builder had there own thoughts on how to best use different brands of tubing in different parts of the bike, to give the best results for weight/strength and ride feel.

all three frame builders specifically mixed Columbus and Reynolds on these models, it would be real nice to finally have a relatively unbiased opinion of each build, and not necessarily to confirm or deny which one is better, but how they do differ.

 

[NeilM]

Re: Re:

I guess this was a gripe of many with magazine reviews bitd.

I think the truth of the matter with your own C.A.T.S is none will ride similarly due to the way choices made in the build specs, for example the fork options and frame sizes will leave massive differences in how they ride, even the most subtle of changes like seatpost height and stem length would make each bike feel like a totally different bike. Comparing rigid to suspension will also contribute too.

For me, the only true way (as you say) is to have all three in the same frame size/age, with near as dam it a similar spec, or at least a similar performance of spec, so each fork having the same travel, the same stem length and height etc, gear train/component choices I think can be overlooked to a degree as this can be judged on there own merits and flaws without compromising the overview of the frame build and characteristics.

By the time these frames became available, geometry had largely settled down, each builder had there own thoughts on how to best use different brands of tubing in different parts of the bike, to give the best results for weight/strength and ride feel.

all three frame builders specifically mixed Columbus and Reynolds on these models, it would be real nice to finally have a relatively unbiased opinion of each build, and not necessarily to confirm or deny which one is better, but how they do differ.

I agree with every word.

From my own experience I can say that in VERY general terms the Cats and the DONKIS (mine was not strictly speaking a DONKIS, but same tube and same dimensions with different fittings) both offer a lively ride, all the Cats I have ridden have a sort of go go go feel to them and ride better the faster you go. The Yates is just a point it anywhere, go anywhere, bundle of fun kind of ride, with a very slightly nutty side to it.

The DOGS is a different matter and is my 'go to guy' whenever I am riding unfamiliar trails, hence two Mayhems; 2013 (night laps only) and 2014 (day and night laps), HONC 2014 (50k) and MADORC 2014 (60k). When I need to be concentrating on where I'm going and not what the bike is doing and whether it'll dump me on the floor, then it's the DOGS that gets pulled out of the rack every time.

 

[sinnerman]

Re:

I would love to know a little more if im honest, whilst all three frame builders did mix Columbus MAX and Reynolds 753 Chas Roberts did take it a margin further by having the Two piece Horse shoe rear wishbone, which took this mix tubing theory a step further in an attempt to consider brake flex etc, whilst Dave yates would also machine the head tube (after prototype) Roberts was also doing the same with B/B and internally with seat tubes too. With Lloyd being one of the first to add things like rear disc mounts.

For the X-Lite barends, if you struggle to get NOS in pink, get silver and can I suggest Rampage for a re anodise....? (topman by the way).

 

[sinnerman]

Re: