Well, I'm riding the Tour Divide in a month and the number of bike/part failures I have had in the run-up has been astounding. I guess that's what comes from the volume of riding. But the most recent failure has really thrown me… Last night, the sliding dropouts of my frame failed.

My budget for the race is about gone, so I can't just go out an buy some bling. At the moment, I'm bewildered by unappealing choices…

Risk riding my existing frame with the dodgy dropouts.

Try to warranty the frame, but last time it took weeks and I don't have weeks.

Fit a normal fork and buy some 29er wheels for my Pugsley. The down side is that it will have a number of non-standard parts which will be hard to replace in the arse-end of nowhere.

Borrow the Surly 1×1 that sold to a mate a few months back. It's quite heavy, but does the job. Unfortunately, he rides it more than his Specialized Stumpy so might not want to lose it for a month.

Buy something else… but what? Got to be singlespeed and (for other duties) take a 130-140mm fork. It's also got to have 2 sets of bottle-cage mounts.

Any thoughts from the assembled experts? I don't read magazines any more so I don't know what frames could work…

that the voodoo ? not had much luck with that have you ?

just go get an on-one inbred 29er – its up to the task?

if you dont mind me asking (and feel free to email if you dont want to broadcast it) but all in what do you think the event has cost – and what are you budgeting for actually doing the race ?

fwiw id take the 1×1 over the pugsley – whats a few lbs when you add on your kit ?

Best of luck what ever you get !

very jelous !

29er
SS
Singular Swift – talk to Sam..
Would favour the EBB option after having had sliders
J.

inbred?

The Story of Eight – Tour Divide 2009

FYI
J.

Can't help with frame advice, but best of British! 🙂

One-One – Race proven on the divide by Carl Hutchings. 🙂

Good luck dude, I'll be following ya! (Edit – Not stalking, like)

Aidan … ygm

Thanks for the replies all…

trail rat: It was my Voodoo that died. I've had a whole heap of gear wearing out or failing in the past few months and it's getting pretty maddening. I suppose the answer is not to ride so much! I'll drop you an email with a rough budget if you like. Are you thinking of doing the TD?

I'm not much taken with the idea of 29ers. The only one I've ridden was pretty awful (and will remain nameless but isn't one suggested above). Plus, I know various Tour Divide riders have got stuck waiting to get hold of a 29er tyre in a two-horse town. But both of the above options sound reasonable in their 26 inch versions.

Hmmm…

What size 1×1 would you need?

Hi mocha, gate-sized: 20"

aiden, got a 21'' 2 month old rockhopper frame going cheap.
pretty tough and durable.

The 16 inch I have lying spare wouldn't be much use then eh? Sorry I'm so short. You probably don't want another as you sold it but if you end up wanting one new then give me a shout and we'll 'sort you out'. I'D have them in stock.

Er, which voodoo is it that's broken and is it the slidey bit or the frame that's goosed?

Hi ton, thanks for the offer but I've got a 2001 Rockhopper frame in my loft and I know beggars shouldn't be choosers but it's so rigid it would beat me to death over 2700 miles (and it needs a tensioner for ss).

Mocha, it's the slidey bit on a D-Jab. You could run it with gears and have the wheel at front of the dropouts, but there's nothing to tension/adjust for singlespeed anymore. And I know from experience that you need the adjuster bolts to work as chain-tugs or the wheel does slip under power.

If it were me I'd be looking to get the same frame again or the one I already have repaired.

I wouldn't want to do 2500+ miles on a frame I'd only ridden for a month unless all the contact points exactly matched the old one.

Could a local machine shop fabricate a replacent dropout?

… or could you just buy a replacement dropout? From what you say I assume it's part of the frame that is goosed rather than a bolt on component.

if short on budget, 1×1 or inbred sounds like the go

good luck. You're mad but mad is good in so many ways!

is it just the tensioner bolts that have gone ? – echo comments about repair job – i thought it had snapped again ! – photos ?

I only suggested 29er as you were talking about 29er wheels

who was it – fausto coppi ? who said somehting like "the only way to get fast is to ride bikes"

looking with all seriousness at it for 2012 when i break out of my training at work

hey Aidan, can't help you with a bike but hope you find one asap and good luck.

I'll drop you an email with a rough budget if you like. Are you thinking of doing the TD?

any chance of sending me the costings too?

fausto coppi ? who said somehting like "the only way to get fast is to ride bikes"

Merckx said something similar

when asked for his training secret he said "ride a bike … lots" although probably in dutch

You don't wanna go flatfish … there'll be bears, BIG HUNGRY BEARS!

"there'll be bears, BIG HUNGRY BEARS! "

not much eating in me and the bears cant be any worse than the birds on a saturday night out in aberdeen ….

I can lend you the dropouts of my Voodoo Bokor if you're stuck. I won't be needing them again until November.

I have often thought of getting them helicoiled because I always worry about stripping the threads when clamping them down.

still s8tannorm – Member
You don't wanna go flatfish … there'll be bears, BIG HUNGRY BEARS!

whats your reason for not doing it? not enough tea stops or not enough bothies for weird, bearded folk like you?

I'm not as lucky as you to have a loving wife (I don't have a wife, well I do but it's a long story) who'll drive me to the start and pick me up again when it's over … and you're right, Americans can't make a decent brew and a country without bothies is just wrong 😉