Twellys BFe

Twelly

TwellySmat wrote:

it's perfect for me as it is.

Ok, so that was a lie. There is always room for improvement...

The mech hanger was slightly out, causing minor shifting issues, not really noticable when out on a relaxed ride but I am going racing on Saturday at the QECP Gravity Enduro so my steed must be ship shape! I was in Sheffield with work today so popped in to see Paul and Cy and pick up some new hangers (yes, I got a spare this time). The new hanger was making the old XT mech look a bit shabby so obviously a brand new Shadow+ had to be ordered right away and while I was browsing the Merlin website, I got a bit trigger happy and ordered some XTR shifters. Something I have been meaning to do for a while but couldn't really justify while my old SLX ones were still alive.

Anyway - new XT chain (the old one was bearing many scars and quick links from the recent Wales trip), clutch rear mech, XTR shifters, cables and a good clean later...







oh and I am trying out a new rear tyre - Smorgasbord (hard compound) I have the softer trail compound as well for the front but I think I am going to leave the Minion on for the Enduro on Saturday.

Ready to race!

Twelly

Might as well do this now I have got it pretty much exactly where I want it to be.

Frame: Cotic BFe - Large - Bright Green
Forks: Rockshox Revelation RLT - 150mm
Bars: Superstar Descent - 780mm
Stem: Exotic - 60mm
Headset: Nukeproof
Grips: Superstar Excel

Front Brake: Shimano Deore
Front disc: Superstar 180mm
Rear Brake: Shimano Deore
Rear Disc: Superstar 180mm


Shifters: Shimano XTR M980
Front Mech: Shimano Deore Triple (lots of play has developed so will be replaced soon!)
Rear Mech: Shimano XT Shadow+

Seat: Charge Spoon
Seat Post: Rockshox Reverb
Seat Post Clamp: Cotic QR

Cranks: Shimano XT Double HT2
Chainring(s): 38/24
Chain: Shimano XT
Cassette: Shimano Deore 11-36
Pedals: Superstar Delta - Ceramic/Ti axles
Bottom Bracket: Shimano XT

Front Wheel:
Rim: Stans Crest 26"
Hub: Superstar Switch Evo - 15mm
Tube: None!
Tire: Maxxis Minion DHF Super Tacky

Back Wheel:
Rim: Stans Crest 26"
Hub: Superstar Switch Evo - QR
Tube: Schwalbe
Tire: On One Smorgasbord - Enduro (60a) compound

Weight: 13.39kg/29.53lbs

dusk

Looking good, I switched from SLX shifters to XTR too, I was amazed how much better they are

fizik

Nice build, but I wouldnt be surprised if your crests fail at some point. My rear arch ex developed fatigue cracks around the spoke nipples after a few months riding similar on my BFe, granted I had been using them on various full sus bikes before that, but I think riding hardtail is what finished it. I only noticed the cracks when washing the rims, they werent noticeably out of true. Crests just arent designed for anything other than xc unless you are stupidly light.

Twelly

They have held up so far, although there were some pretty big hits and lumpy rock gardens at the enduro last night.. maybe I'll go round and check the rims..

When they do go I will invest in some Flows probably, I'd like something a bit wider as well as stronger as I seem to be using bigger tyres at the moment.

In other news, the race went well for me last night. 26th out of 36 finishers in my category which is better than I was expecting. Some seriously steep drops and a rock garden that pictures don't do justice. Good fun though and no offs. Seriously hard work though, my fitness really held me back. The climbs were pretty brutal and by the time I had got to stage 4 I was shagged. Stage 4 was just the final descent on the red trail at QE which I know very well and can usually nail it much quicker. I was so tired though I couldn't really stand up and support myself properly, hence the lame picture on the final berm:

Twelly

Big pay rise = big update for the BFe. Should have everything sorted by Saturday.

As well as the shiny bits in the picture, I have had the rear wheel rebuilt, gone tubeless front and back and some XT brakes are currently with Royal Mail waiting for me.

My Reverb died at the ripe age of 6 months so Merlin kindly sent me a replacement under warranty, hopefully this one holds up better or I may have to consider a Fox/KS/Thompson alternative.

Once all this is fitted and running properly, the only thing left on my list is a Pike! Would really love the new Fox 36 but it is twice the price and according to user/media reviews, the performance difference between the two is negligible. Might have to wait till next year for that one.

I have been riding and loving this bike for almost a year now, which is a record for me! I don't see it being replaced anytime soon.

The Northern Monkey

Awesome, lovely bike!

Twelly

RIP



Would like to say a big thank you to Shimano for using a particularly soft variety of cheddar for their chainring bolts and then using plenty of locktite just to be certain that removing the chainrings from an XT chainset is completely impossible....

Hopefully LBS can drill the bolts out for me. I have used my old non series cranks in the mean time. Pictures when the sun returns.

Twelly

Twelly

Very sloppy ride today

Twelly

The Bfe has been reborn.

Had the frame hanging in the shed for a year, I dismantled the bike when I got my Banshee frame. Had a go on a Bird hardtail a few weeks ago and it made me miss my hardtail so I started collecting bits.






The frame, fork and Reverb are all the same but I have got some cheap On One wheels, On One tyres, Truvativ stem and a very nice looking Sunrace 11 speed cassette. XT 11 speed gears and new SLX brakes.

Just need to sort all the hoses at the front out and it will be sorted.

leythervegas

Love this bike, great thread, good inspiration for my new Bfe 27.5.