Rock Lobster Team Tig SL *NEW PICS*

adb1006
adb1006 Posts: 938
edited August 2011 in Your mountain bikes
My custom-built Rock Lobster Team Tig SL 8)

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Frame: Rock Lobster Team Tig SL (2008)
Forks: Rockshox Reba Team Dual Air (2008)
Bars: Ritchey WCS Carbon flat
Stem: Thomson Elite X4 90mm 0deg rise (ti bolts)
Headset: Hope XC (and carbon spacer)
Tensioner: Exotic Superlight wedge and Carbon top-cap
Grips: Bontrager X-Lite Foam

Brake-set: Hayes Stroker Carbon (alu & ti bolts)
Pads: Superstar Gold Sintered
Front Rotor: Alligator Cirrus/Aries 180mm
Rear Rotor: Alligator Cirrus/Aries 160mm

Shifters: SRAM X0 Gripshift (alu bolts)
Front Mech: Shimano XT M770 (limit bolts removed)
Rear Mech: SRAM X0 carbon medium cage
Cables: Alligator i-link sealed

Seat: Selle Italia SLR
Seat Post: Thompson Elite 7deg layback (ti bolt kit)
Seat Post Clamp: KCNC SC11 Ultralight

Cranks/Bottom Bracket: Shimano Deore XT Hollowtech II
Chainrings: TA Specialites Chinook 40/28
Chainring bolts: Brand X Alu shortened
Chain: KMC X10 SL
Cassette: Shimano XTR 11-32
Pedals: Shimano M520s

Skewers: KCNC ti QR
Wheelset (front & rear): Shimano Deore XT M775, UST, 24 spoke
Tyres: Front = Specialized The Captain S-Works 2bliss 26x2.0 / Rear = Specialized Renegade S-Works 2bliss 26x1.9 (both with Stan's No Tubes sealant)

Weight: 21.91 lbs :D

Other info:
DT Swiss 6-bolt to centre-lock adapters to run the 6-bolt rotors on M775 hubs.

Future plans:
Lighter wheels and lighter shocks/carbon rigids...

Should see it nearer the 20lbs mark :D
«1345

Comments

  • Stoo61
    Stoo61 Posts: 1,394
  • pdid
    pdid Posts: 1,065
    Nice, will get round to posting mine one day. Fantastic bike :D
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    Stoo61 wrote:
    Beauty....love those things.

    Cheers, me too :D
    pdid wrote:
    Nice, will get round to posting mine one day. Fantastic bike :D

    Thanks. Glad i took your advice and went for the Lobster! What length stem are you running on yours?
  • pdid
    pdid Posts: 1,065
    Yeah, still got the standard 90mm that Merlin supplied with it. It can feel slightly cramped on longer rides, but not significantly enough to warrant buying a longer stem.

    Glad you bought one, enjoy it :D
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    It feels OK when i'm in the saddle, but i feel like i'm over the front wheel too far when i'm out of the saddle. It's wierd as i'm sure it has a longer top tube than the Hardrock it replaced when i looked at the geometry.
  • pdid
    pdid Posts: 1,065
    One other thing, i`m running the same forks as you and lost the rebound adjuster after a couple of rides. Do up your front QR like Nick in his tip here:

    http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/forums/vie ... t=12608892
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    Good tip, thanks. I've been using these forks for about 4 or 5 months - the rebound adj is pretty much welded on - but i'll head the advice just in case!
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    Updated initial post with some more pics 8)
  • adb1006 wrote:
    Updated initial post with some more pics 8)

    Grrr I wish you wouldn't!!! that bike is one of my fav's on here, and everytime I see it I want one!!
    I'm very impulsive too :lol:

    how much did it set you back?
  • Andy B
    Andy B Posts: 8,115
    Nice bike 8)

    Front mech looks like it's set up too high though, should be a 2-3mm gap between it & the outer chainring.
    2385861000_d125abe796_m.jpg
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    Andy_B wrote:
    Nice bike 8)

    Front mech looks like it's set up too high though, should be a 2-3mm gap between it & the outer chainring.

    Cheers :D

    I thought the same thing when i looked at that pic - doesn't look that high "in the flesh" - maybe the angle of the pic, not sure. It changes fine though, no problems, nice and smooth - and is the first front mech i've ever set up that doesn't rub, so i'm well chuffed!
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    bigbenj_08 wrote:
    adb1006 wrote:
    Updated initial post with some more pics 8)

    Grrr I wish you wouldn't!!! that bike is one of my fav's on here, and everytime I see it I want one!!
    I'm very impulsive too :lol:

    how much did it set you back?

    He he - sorry mate 8)

    It came in at about £1300 (or just over :wink:), but that was buying bits as and when they were on offer!
  • adrianb
    adrianb Posts: 1
    Nice bike, what do you think of the Shimano M775 wheels?

    I was considering upgrading my OEM Alex TD24 from Scott Scale to either those or a set of handbuilt Mavic 717s on either hope 2 or XT hubs....
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    I really like them. I was going to go for Pro II's and Mavic XC717 at first. Then decided i wanted to go tubeless so it would have been XM819's. The XT's came in lighter and about £70 cheaper than those so it had to be done. For a "factory" build they're dead true and have remained tight so far!

    Prices have gone up now though - i managed to get them for under £200 off Merlins.
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    Updated at the bottom of my initial post with a couple of new pics from Dunwich Woods at the weekend 8)
  • RD_SMB
    RD_SMB Posts: 2
    Thats a nice ride.

    The Rockhopper looks pretty sweet to me :wink:
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    RD_SMB wrote:
    The Rockhopper looks pretty sweet to me :wink:

    Nah, it's crap - my mate's an absolute gayer :lol:
  • Thats a sweet ride you got.

    You two been having fun in the woods!
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    Thats a sweet ride you got.

    You two been having fun in the woods!

    Yeah - we went out a while ago and this fat ginger lad fell off his bike and slid into a ditch :wink:
  • Chaz.Harding
    Chaz.Harding Posts: 3,144
    Nice. Love the fact there are still hardtail riders around 8)
    Boo-yah mofo
    Sick to the power of rad
    Fix it 'till it's broke
  • RD_SMB
    RD_SMB Posts: 2
    adb1006 wrote:
    Thats a sweet ride you got.

    You two been having fun in the woods!

    Yeah - we went out a while ago and this fat ginger lad fell off his bike and slid into a ditch :wink:


    Wasn't he that American Kid on Vacation :lol:
  • jairaj
    jairaj Posts: 3,009
    adb1006
    What is the frame like to ride? Im looking for a new frame to go with my rigid carbon forks and the Rock Lobster is on my shortlist.

    The problem I have is that the forks are designed to replace 80mm of suspension while the Rock Lobster is designed for 100m forks. Do you think I would upset the handling too much and make it too steep?
  • Chaz.Harding
    Chaz.Harding Posts: 3,144
    I can't resist saying this - the stickers on the XT wheelsets make the wheels look all bent!!

    I can't be the only one who thinks this, surely! But they look coooool when you're rolling 8)
    Boo-yah mofo
    Sick to the power of rad
    Fix it 'till it's broke
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    jairaj wrote:
    adb1006
    What is the frame like to ride? Im looking for a new frame to go with my rigid carbon forks and the Rock Lobster is on my shortlist.

    The problem I have is that the forks are designed to replace 80mm of suspension while the Rock Lobster is designed for 100m forks. Do you think I would upset the handling too much and make it too steep?

    I'm really not sure about the fork length mate - i would try emailing Merlin and asking them, they should be able to tell you.

    The frame is nice to ride - i have no complaints with it. It's nice and light but well put together.
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    I can't resist saying this - the stickers on the XT wheelsets make the wheels look all bent!!

    I can't be the only one who thinks this, surely! But they look coooool when you're rolling 8)

    They get a lot of comments - they're painted that way, not stickers though 8)

    Not sure what they look like rolling - i have enough problems trying to stay on the thing without looking at my wheels on the go!
  • chorscroft
    chorscroft Posts: 254
    Yea, I put that XT wheelset on my bike too and as much as I try to convince myself that it's a great improvement over my old set, and I can run tubeless if i want, I know I bought them for the looks! 8)
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    chorscroft wrote:
    Yea, I put that XT wheelset on my bike too and as much as I try to convince myself that it's a great improvement over my old set, and I can run tubeless if i want, I know I bought them for the looks! 8)

    I bought them because they were unbeatable value at the time - got them for £199 - and was set on going tubeless as i was a puncture magnet, getting at last one a ride. Had them for about 3-4 months now i think and haven't had a single puncture (touch wood). If you haven't gone tubeless yet, get yourself some UST tyres and go for it - you won't look back! It's a very straightforward process and i don't think i'd ever consider going back to tubes 8)
  • chorscroft
    chorscroft Posts: 254
    Yeah although the shimano prices have skyrocketed I managed to get the wheelset for £170 in near perfect condition.

    I seem to be near immune to punctures although as the technicality of my riding increases I guess the likelihood of pinch flats and other punctures will increase...

    Currently running a race king 2.2 out back and a speed king 2.1 up front with continental tubes but they're getting swapped for Flyweight's at 100g each.

    I would consider tubeless in the future but I don't know an awful lot about it.

    What tubeless tires are you using? Weight?

    do you still need a rim strip with proper UST tires or just some sort of valve core and sealant?

    Conor
  • adb1006
    adb1006 Posts: 938
    You need the tubeless valve that comes with the wheelset, no rim strip if you're using proper UST rims and tyres, and you don't need sealant apparently - although i wouldn't risk it without personally.

    My tyres are Spesh 2bliss S-Works The Captains - not sure what they weigh but they're supposed to be pretty light for tubeless tyres - plus you're losing the weight of the tube.
  • chorscroft
    chorscroft Posts: 254
    I'm thinking of trying to convert my current tires into tubeless.

    I don't have the original tubeless valves so can I just buy a couple of these:

    http://www.freeborn.co.uk/shop/componen ... valve-stem

    Some stans no tubes sealant, and then use a compressor to seat the bead.

    This should work, right?