Votec V.SX 'AbsoluteBlackLyrik' *update p8 17/03/15*

JMcP92

felix.london wrote:

Seems the Superstar 12x135mm axel is too short as there's hardly any thread coming out the end to screw the nut onto. Will have to order a 150mm on the next round...

Sounds more like a 142x12 to me, Superstar offer the 150mm and a 150mm for XL dropouts, I'd be inclined to get a standard 142x12 from CRC or similar, just keep it standardised

The Rookie

Looking tasty, let us know how the tubeless goes....

Kowalski675

Looking forward to seeing it finished. Is there a reason for the valves being so long?

felix.london

Kowalski675 wrote:

Looking forward to seeing it finished. Is there a reason for the valves being so long?

Yes! - I think Superstar sent me the wrong ones! - they do an Extra Long version, which I didn't order or pay for but when you live in France and order your bits from the UK you generally just have to let these things slide...

Kowalski675

I see, lol. Can't think why anyone would deliberately choose valves that long though? Any particular reason they make such hooge ones?

*AJ*

For deep triangular section rims?.....

felix.london

Kowalski675 wrote:

I see, lol. Can't think why anyone would deliberately choose valves that long though? Any particular reason they make such hooge ones?

"Extra long 55mm length, perfect for rims deeper than 25mm such as our AM Carbon"

felix.london

One very small box turned up on Friday but it made all the difference...



It allowed me to do this...






Which made it easier to do this...






and this...




Looking sweet! Bring on August...

Kowalski675

Looking good. Dennis The Menace themed headset spacers, I see.

stuartfung

That is sick!!

The Rookie

Ooh tyre and wheel logos aligned......

Shame it's more freewheel than freestyle!

I know you've raken it for a roll on the road though!

felix.london

legs outstretched to the sides - the real way to ride a bike!

The Rookie

I knew it......remonds me of that scene from Goodnight Mr Tom....

felix.london

OK....I have a Single Speed Enduro Rig :?

Saint Dual/Bash £138 from Merlin


Cranks, pedals & chain on


Pedalable!



£140 away now, 2x mechs, a shifter and the cables...bring on payday!

Kowalski675

Looking good - very mean and moody in that black anodised finish (I'll try ignore the gold bits, lol). Won't the buget stretch to new pedals? Shame to spoil the looks with those scuffed and faded old ones (I know new ones will end up scuffed too, but it'd be nice to see it all mint to sbegin with, at least).

felix.london

Just want to ride it now but yep, I think (know) a set of Gunmetal Nano's will be on October's list.

Gold bits?...it's Saint. That's all.

Kowalski675

felix.london wrote:

Just want to ride it now but yep, I think (know) a set of Gunmetal Nano's will be on October's list.

Gold bits?...it's Saint. That's all.

I have a major aversion to anything gold, wouldn't have any gold on my bike. Even went to all the effort of removing and stripping the brake calipers on my StripleR and having them anodised black, 'cos their OE gold anodised finish offended me so badly, lol.

The Rookie

That's looking really sweet........

I'd have liked it single ring up front but appreciate you have to crank it up before throwing it down!

Komalski, if you hate gold that much if youm ever end up with Kashima coated suspension, I'll happily replace it for you for nowt......

Kowalski675

The Rookie wrote:

Komalski, if you hate gold that much if youm ever end up with Kashima coated suspension, I'll happily replace it for you for nowt......

The aesthetics of it would certainly put me off buying a bike so equipped, lol (I was going to buy a Nitron shock for my Triumph, but I just couldn't face looking at the gold anodised parts). Maybe I could live with it, since it's a darker bronzey gold, but I'd much rather have a set of those all black new Pikes...

felix.london

The Rookie wrote:

That's looking really sweet........

I'd have liked it single ring up front but appreciate you have to crank it up before throwing it down!

Yeah me too - on the upgrades list is a Lyrik and a 1x11 setup...in that order. Possibly Lyrik next year and maybe 2015 for the 1x11 ? - presume they'll be the default option by then with more realistic pricing for us normal folk

felix.london

Kowalski675 wrote:

but I'd much rather have a set of those all black new Pikes...

Black stanchions would indeed be sweet as! Pike with a slackset is an option instead of the Lyrik as the first upgrade. By this time next year hopefully we'll get a better idea of how they perform

Kowalski675

felix.london wrote:

[ maybe 2015 for the 1x11 ? - presume they'll be the default option by then with more realistic pricing for us normal folk

What, £1100 isn't realistic?...

Kowalski675

felix.london wrote:

Kowalski675 wrote:

but I'd much rather have a set of those all black new Pikes...

Black stanchions would indeed be sweet as! Pike with a slackset is an option instead of the Lyrik as the first upgrade. By this time next year hopefully we'll get a better idea of how they perform

I was looking at a set of the new pikes the other day in my LBS (on a new 650b Orange they've just got in). They do look very cool with those black stanchions.

Why the slackset if you went with Pikes, but not the lyrik? Would that be 'cos they shorter axle to crown than the lyriks?

felix.london

Yeah wouldn't really want to steepen the HA (or lower the BB) anymore than it is now with the 180mm Doman's

The Pike would knock 1kg off the current front end though :shock: but think I'll probably end up going for a 170mm Lyrik RC2 DH (coil) which will reduce the weight by 500g and keep the angles similar (if I can find one second hand when the time comes)

Kowalski675

felix.london wrote:

Yeah wouldn't really want to steepen the HA (or lower the BB) anymore than it is now with the 180mm Doman's

Figured that must be the reason. I'm getting my head round these MTB things bit by bit, lol. Wouldn't the shorter fork and slackset still lower the BB slightly though, despite preserving the head angle?

The Pike would knock 1kg off the current front end though :shock:

That's a hefty saving, especially when the majority of it's unsprung weight.

felix.london

So, so close now...just waiting on a Zee shifter from Merlin. It's driving me mad!

Yesterday's delivery;

...wrong front mech!..what a tool. Replacement should be here tomorrow

Reverb (off the 'hopper) installed and hose cut to length. That £10 Charge Spoon was handy!


Shadow+ XT rear mech on but not connected, waiting for shifter. Chainstay protector pinched off NP Snap. Chain chopped.


She looks the part, can't wait to ride her...

mike hunts alpine

"lady in black" ... Thing of beauty that all black beast is.

felix.london

First ride on Sunday!

Very happy...even with my old 9sp Deore shifter controlling my shiny new XT clutch mech...for now!

Climbs surprisingly well even with the 180mm fork, slack HA and 50mm stem. There's just so much grip climbing steep loose stuff (coming from years of climbing on my hardtail there is anyway) - the Propedal setting works very well indeed.

Although the Monarch RT3 seems to go through all of it's travel pretty easily. Have it set up with about 190psi which equals about 25% sag but maybe I'll see what it's like at 20%. Super plush at both ends though. The Domain 318 is a great fork - really wasn't expecting it to perform as well as it does. I'm sure at some point it'll be upgraded to a Lyrik but this will basically be a weight saving operation as opposed to a performance one. The fork is really excellent - £150 well spent!

Just waiting on the Zee shifter from Merlin and it's pretty much job done...

pesky_jones

That is a seriosuly nice bike man I bet your stoked. Good that you live somewhere that will get the full use out of it. I missed this thread starting, this is the first I've seen of it - good to see it come to fruition.

felix.london

Stoked it right! Taken a while but very happy with how it's turned out.

Cheers!