Sunn Xircuit Plus 998

[S8-Tom]

That one in the link was a bit of a bargain though!

Cetainly was. Kicking myself for missing that. Would've gone nicley with my Sunn Roader (that I collected from Southampton coincidentally).

 

[magas]

nice frame, with a bit of cleaning it will turn out nice

Those Sunn's needs an Obsys fork

 

[jsbean]

Sorting out the forks? Marzocchi Bomber Z3 Light 1998/1999

I've cleaned everything up and it is already looking a million times better.

I'm going go have a crack at sorting out the forks. Currently it takes a lot to compress them and even then I only get a couple of cms. If I popped the stanchions out of the sliders, cleaned everything, and replaced the oil, would that sort things out? I would rather not have to pay for new seals and springs.

I've looked for replacement steerers and can't find any, so a stem and bar change it is.

Also, there is a Xircuit on Ebay going cheap, buyer collect from Leeds.

 

[S8-Tom]

Those black knobs on the top are spring pre-load adjusters. Perhaps you've got them wound all the way on which would make the fork very difficult to compress? Try turning them anti-clockwise. I suppose the adusters could have seized in which case you'll need to undo the top caps and have a look. Although they'd probably benefit from an oil change I doubt if it'd make much difference to the current situation.

For the steerer, try UKBIKESTORE. They're in Gosport so not far from you. They're on the same business park as Windwave so can get Marzocchi bits easily. They're listing the Dirt Jumper steel steerer on their site but that's a reinforced heavy lump. Give them a call.

Saw that ebay listing and even looked in to cost of flying as the Leeds airport isn't far from the location indicated in the listing. Bit costly though.

 

[jsbean]

The knobs are already as anti-clockwise as I can get them: seized?

With my full bodyweight (11st) bouncing on them I can only get just over an inch of travel, which doesn't seem right.

Or are my expectations of a 70 mm travel fork too high?

(i'll check out the suppliers in gosport - cheers)

 

[coomber]

JE James sell new steel steerers (300mm) for £19 last time I bought one (in March).

How long do you need? I have a 200mm in the shed.

 

[S8-Tom]

The knobs are already as anti-clockwise as I can get them: seized?

Here's the exploded view of the adjuster

Part 2 is the knob you turn on the outside. Part 8 is a threaded part that moves up and down as you turn the knob(2). Sometimes, usually when the knob has been wound fully one way or the other, part 8 gets stuck. I've got a PDF of a service manual that explains how to get it apart etc. PM me if you want a copy. Might not be your exact fork but it'll be the same inside.

Undo the top cap (21mm socket?) from the stanchion (undo crown clamp bolts first).

Remove the screw(3) holding the knob(2) on. You might see a circlip under the knob you'll need to remove.

The top cap(5) should pull off leaving parts 7, 8 and 8A free. Grease those bits and re-assemble. Parts 8 and 8A might look like a one-piece hexagonal thing that goes inside the top cap(5). I could be completely wrong though. Let us know how you get on. And just a final word of warning, if the springs have been fully pre-loaded then they might be itching to get out launching the top caps in the process.

 

[jsbean]

It's been a while since I've been on here. Other, non-bike-related stuff got in the way of my plans to sort out the front end position (forks/stem, etc.).

This is my only bike and most of the time is used for the 30 min commute to work, so reliability is key. Well, I have reached the point where I need to sort the drivetrain out.

The picture, if it works, shows the current situation. But now I have a dilemma and your input would be welcome.

The chain snapped on me the other day. It was old, so needed replacing anyway. When I then looked at the cassette and chainrings it became obvious they would need replacing too, so it would be a waste of money putting a new chain on knackered teeth. I know in the grand scheme of things this won’t cost me silly money, but I don’t have a lot of money to throw at this. Chains are cheap, and cassettes are cheap, but chain rings will bump the cost up.

As far as I can tell I’ve got three options:
a) Replace everything.
b) Go single speed.
c) Go 1x8.

SS really appeals and I can do the SS conversion cheaply, but this is my only bike, not an N+1 bike and I do have one hill to climb every day. I’m struggling to see the point in running three chainrings as I only ever use the top two (42 and 32t). A 36t would be a good compromise, if I kept 8 cogs at the back. And the old XT rear mech still shifts OK. At least, it will once I’ve tweaked it again.

Thoughts?

As far as niche bikes go, I reckon late 90s steel French hardtails running 1x8 is pretty rare.

 

[Exeter Man]

Nothing wrong with running 1x8 if it meets with your needs. If you're running off road, you will probably need some kind of chain device to stop the chain from jumping off the front ring on the bumpy stuff, or at least reuse the front mech to provide that function.

Regards

 

[jsbean]

Right, I've bitten the bullet and decided to ditch the gears. The kit is on order from Charlie the Bikemonger in Dorset and with any luck I might get it before the weekend. I ride to get to work and to cross train for long distance running, so anything that provides a little extra leg-strength is no bad thing. More pictures when I'm done.

Also, if anyone has a short (ie 420mm) rigid fork with a long 1.125" steerer going at a decent price, please get in touch. I'd happily settle for an Obsys though...