Bails' Carbon 456

bails87

What do you get when you take a box of old bits and a box of new bits,


Rev RLT Ti's,


A Carbon 456 frame,


And a box of tools

?

This:

Spec:

Frame: 18" On One Carbon 456
Forks: Rockshox Revelation RLT Ti Maxle
Bars: KCNC SC Bone
Stem: Raceface Evolve XC 70mm
Headset: On One Smoothie Mixer
Grips: Superstar

Brakes: Formula Oro K18 180mm Rotors F&R

Shifters: SRAM X9
Front Mech: Shimano Deore
Rear Mech: SRAM X0 9 speed

Seat: Fizik Gobi XM
Seat Post: On One Twelfty
Seat Post Clamp: Hope QR

Cranks: Truvativ Stylo
Cassette: SRAM PG980
Pedals: Shimano M520

Wheels: On One Max 32H wheelset. Maxle front, 10mm QR rear.
Tyres: Maxxis Advantage 2.1"

Weight: Don't know!

Other info: A lot of (okay, it was meant to be 'a lot' but turned into a few) bits came off my 08 Boardman HT Pro. Namely the drivetrain, pedals, stem, saddle, tyres and grips.

Everything else is new.

I'm sure people will think the tyres are narrow, but I had them already and really like them, so thought I'd get used to the bike before I change them.

The rear brake hose has got a strange route, because it's a bit too long, so I'll sort that at some point. Also, the front brake is on a 160mm rotor until I can get a mount for 180mm, the brakes came with IS, I need PM on the front.

The steerer is obviously too long, but I want to be sure that's how I want it before I go chopping it off.

I'm off for a quick test ride now!

I was super stoked by this gnarcore rock garden.






Special credit goes to Mazda for making a car that can do the cause enough injuries to lead to compensation, without going over the top and killing me to death!

cat_with_no_tail

That is frapping nice. I love the look of those wheels! I love the look of the whole thing actually.

Congratulations on being soft enough to get injured and hard nough to not get dead.

Gazlar

I'm glad that the bails signature innertube chainstay guard has stayed. That looks the danglers though, although I'm not sure how quickening you up will help the rest of us!!!

The Northern Monkey

That looks spot on!

Anonymous

Nice, except for the cranks. Wouldn't touch them with someone else's rusty bargepole.

dc71

Nice!! I've been waiting to see a 456 with those On-One wheels, and they look great. Let us know how they ride and hold up. Mine's just been feeling better & better since I got the wider bars on.

bails87

yeehaamcgee wrote:

Nice, except for the cranks. Wouldn't touch them with someone else's rusty bargepole.

I know,.but functionally there's nothing wrong with them, when the rings are worn I'll go with something nicer.

lawman

Very nice Bails, gaz has a point, you'll leave them for dead on that, might even catch me :P

Will be intersting to see how it compares to the mojo actually, builts are pretty similar in places

Beardface

Looks lovely mate, really well built... I had the same chainstay protector on mine!

Top job though, and they ride like a dream.. enjoy it buddy!

sheepsteeth

i have 2 main problems with that bike:

1- it is a hardtail

2- it is made by one of the 2 hippiest ventures since bikes were invented.

however, i think it looks the business and i really want one.

Pudseyp

Sweet..love naked carbon...

VWsurfbum

Pudseyp wrote:

Sweet..love naked carbon...

he he you said Naked

Anonymous

VWsurfbum wrote:

Pudseyp wrote:

Sweet..love naked carbon...

he he you said Naked

Hehe, so did you!

getonyourbike

yeehaamcgee wrote:

VWsurfbum wrote:

Pudseyp wrote:

Sweet..love naked carbon...

he he you said Naked

Hehe, so did you!

FAIL


Bails- The bikes looknig lovely, mate. They seem really nice frames.

bails87

Cheers guys, so, some thoughts after a couple of short test rides:

Weight-wise, it must weigh about the same as, maybe a smidge more than, the Boardman, but I've got no scales so can't check. The difference in (claimed) frame weights (~250g difference) is partly cancelled out by the heavier wheels on the 456 (~100-150g diff). The On One seatpost is heavier than the old Exotic one, and the forks must be heavier. But, I can't feel the difference. The 456 feels damn quick, and that's compared to the Boardman, which was certainly no slouch.

In terms of sizing, it feels spot on, a bit shorter, but wider across the top, and I've got plenty of seatpost still in the frame. I like the bars, I think I've got the shifters and brakes set up right now, but they don't quite fit together like the Juicys off the B'man did.

The Twelfty seatpost feels like a real quality bit of kit btw. I've gone from an alu frame and flexy carbon seatpost to carbon frame and alu seatpost, and the ride seems smoother, so yay for carbon.

I'm glad I kept the same tyres because it's let me do a proper comparison of the handling....which is brilliant. It feels like it's on rails when I turn. I don't know if it's the frame, the forks, the wheels or the fact that it's got bolt thru's at each end, but I like it. It doesn't feel like a 'big' or heavy bike, it feels quick, but stable, which is exactly what I wanted.

The forks are brilliant, really supple, although I'm still tweaking the pressures to get them just right. There's not much here to really 'push' them though, in terms of repeated medium/big hits, so I'm looking forward to getting over to Cannock Chase to give the whole thing a real test.


In short, I love it!

bails87

Another update:

Rode the Monkey at Cannock Chase at the weekend and overall I was very impressed.

I took a little while to get used to the slightly 'longer' feeling at the front due to the the slacker, longer forks (caused some problems initially on the tight switchback climbs), on the Boardman I never had to think about my weight distribution/ CoG while climbing, it just stayed planted and mountain goat-ed it's way up stuff.

It had just tipped it down as well, so the start of the ride was a bit sketchy while the polished pebbles were still wet. For the first half hour or so I just couldn't get my brain in gear and kept riding into stuff in completely the wrong gear, which meant I got stuck and had to stop. Also I was on flats for the first time in ages.

But despite all that(!), once I actually started paying attention it was great. The forks were fantastic, the extra 50mm really helps on the braking bumps, the Oros were good too, in as much as they just did their job and I didn't really notice them. The whole frame/fork/wheel setup feels really stiff and precise. The carbon may take out some 'buzz' but you wouldn't forget you're on a HT, and side-to-side it's rock solid. It was going right where I wanted it to and I was getting the back wheel out on the fast stuff, even got a couple of two wheel drifts going.

I got some aching in my lower back towards the end of the ride, so need to tweak the bars and stem to see if I can get rid of that.

I took it down the new black stuff on the Monkey, and did more of it than I did on the Boardman (again, new bike, new pedals, wet rocks, dozy brain!).

Halfway round I got chatting to a guy on a Zesty and spent the rest of the ride trying to get away from him, and for a poor little HT it did a damn good job!

The only weak link is me! I might try to do a skills session because I can do most stuff, but steep rocky stuff really fazes me, I know the bike can do it, and I know I probably can, but my brain screams "NOOOO" as I approach it.

bonezy

Hi bails, very nice steed you have!
How was the Monkey at the weekend? I'm planning to go up sometime in the week, just wondered on the condition of the course etc...

bails87

It was fine, you can tell it's well used, and there are plenty of braking bumps, but it's not muddy or anything.

joshtp

nice bails.... needs big tyres though... aggro HT's NEED big tyres...

bails87

joshtp
Depends if you ride with a little finesse or not

Round Cannock I could understand it, to be fair, but then I'd be hauling a load of weight and drag with me on my smoother local rides. When these tyres are well worn, and I've sold some of the Boardman stuff I'll go for something wider.

bails87

A little update: new wheels fitted, after a slight malfunction. Top marks to On One, excellent customer service from Chris and James, so thanks to them

I bought a pair of 2.25 Nobby Nics, I just went out for a local ride so put a Racing Ralph on the back, but if we get any rain the NN will be going back on.

SLX chainset, double rings, Blackspire chainguide and ODI Troy Lee grips all fitted. The steerer has been cut down, and the rear brake hose has been trimmed and rerouted.



Before all these changes I rode at Whinlatter and Grizedale and the bike was fantastic, super quick, stable, controlled and stupidly, stupidly good fun

thepha5e

Looks great, those forks are awesome

Good to see you got bigger tyres and new cranks

dc71

Looks great.. What went wrong with the wheels, and what do you think of the wheelset generally?

bails87

dc71
The rear went way off true riding stuff that really shouldn't have been beyond them...and then a spoke snapped. On One sorted out a courier to collect them and sent out new ones without too much encouragement, so hopefully it was just a freak dodgy build.

I haven't put that many miles on them tbh, but while they were working they were stiff, free-spinning and lighter than I thought they'd be. I weighed them at ~1750g.

kdawg74

That is a really good looking build GOOD JOB, love the plain carbon look these frames seem to be getting some rave reviews.
Have been thinking about building a new hardtail and this is now top of my list for a frame.

bails87

Added a Reverb:

There it is posing on top of Worcershire Beacon with Gazlar's Focus.

xstrathyx

I likey

bails87 wrote:

What do you get when you take a box of old bits and a box of new bits,


Rev RLT Ti's,


A Carbon 456 frame,


And a box of tools

?

This:

Spec:

Frame: 18" On One Carbon 456
Forks: Rockshox Revelation RLT Ti Maxle
Bars: KCNC SC Bone
Stem: Raceface Evolve XC 70mm
Headset: On One Smoothie Mixer
Grips: Superstar

Brakes: Formula Oro K18 180mm Rotors F&R

Shifters: SRAM X9
Front Mech: Shimano Deore
Rear Mech: SRAM X0 9 speed

Seat: Fizik Gobi XM
Seat Post: On One Twelfty
Seat Post Clamp: Hope QR

Cranks: Truvativ Stylo
Cassette: SRAM PG980
Pedals: Shimano M520

Wheels: On One Max 32H wheelset. Maxle front, 10mm QR rear.
Tyres: Maxxis Advantage 2.1"

Weight: Don't know!

Other info: A lot of (okay, it was meant to be 'a lot' but turned into a few) bits came off my 08 Boardman HT Pro. Namely the drivetrain, pedals, stem, saddle, tyres and grips.

Everything else is new.

I'm sure people will think the tyres are narrow, but I had them already and really like them, so thought I'd get used to the bike before I change them.

The rear brake hose has got a strange route, because it's a bit too long, so I'll sort that at some point. Also, the front brake is on a 160mm rotor until I can get a mount for 180mm, the brakes came with IS, I need PM on the front.

The steerer is obviously too long, but I want to be sure that's how I want it before I go chopping it off.

I'm off for a quick test ride now!

I was super stoked by this gnarcore rock garden.






Special credit goes to Mazda for making a car that can do the cause enough injuries to lead to compensation, without going over the top and killing me to death!

bails87

xSTRATHYx
Biggest. Quote. EVER!
Shimano XT Trail pedals added

So it's pretty much spot on at the moment:

Finally got the forks just right, every time I ride it somewhere interesting I seem to get more confident and find myself launching, rather than dropping,off more and more stuff, and flying through sections at speeds that are definitely not sensible.



But then that's why we do it

fat_homer

Lovely bike, I've never liked white rims before but they look just right on this! You weren't at Cannock on Saturday where you?

bails87

fat_homer wrote:

You weren't at Cannock on Saturday where you?

I was, and I recognise that green Cube of yours. Did I pass you at the top of the final descent on the Monkey? then you were sitting around at the bottom with a couple of other guys?

crazy88

Bike is looking great! I really can't wait to get my build started on mine.

Just out of interest, how tall are you? I notice you also have an 18" frame with the seat post out quite far, which no doubt i'll have to do on mine. I'm 6'3, but not got the longest legs ever, so think the 18" frame should be ok.

I am also liking your double chainring. I was all set up for a 1x9 setup, but may consider a 2x9, and convert my current deore chainset as it's nearly new.