Viewing 40 posts - 41 through 80 (of 90 total)
  • Building a bike and then not liking it
  • BigDummy
    Free Member

    do I take it up to Woburn on Sunday and ride it round trails I know and risk having a poo ride coz I don't like it or just take the 5Spot as I know that'll be fine

    You HAVE to give the Curtis a chance, otherwise that'll be it, you'll sell it before the end of the summer.

    Big-Bud
    Free Member

    100 bikes gw i hope you do know what works for you after that figure. 😀
    im guilty as sin at this .mainly with off the peg bikes rather tha nbuild ive done myself.

    flog it where only here once & for a short time .

    also second asking ton

    cynic-al
    Free Member

    Can someone translate that?

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middling Edition

    Fresh Goods Friday 696: The Middlin...
    Latest Singletrack Videos
    ken_shields
    Free Member

    cynic-al – Member
    Can someone translate that?

    I would but I only understand English and he appears to be talking b0ll0x 🙄

    BigDummy – Member
    You HAVE to give the Curtis a chance, otherwise that'll be it, you'll sell it before the end of the summer.

    The way I feel about it it'll be lucky to not up for sale by the end of the week

    mangoridebike
    Full Member

    Have you talked to Curtis about it? They may have some suggestions about possible spec or riding styles?

    Buying a Curtis is rarely a complete impulse, you must have thought about the purchase and chosen that frame for a reason, if its not matching your expectations I would think Curtis would be keen to help resolve it.

    From what I know about Curtis they may be able to tweak the frame a bit if there is something wrong there.

    mildred
    Full Member

    When I spoke to Gary, he couldn't slacken the angles for me, which prevented me buying one. They are custom but only within quite tight parameters. I know this prevents them building to a punter's spec', and that then being a dog with their name on it.

    ken_shields
    Free Member

    mangoridebike

    I bought it on impluse s/hand off here so there has been no Curtis involvement. I would have been back to Gary before coming on here if I'd bought it new

    mangoridebike
    Full Member

    Whoops – sorry Ken, I thought it had been a work in progress for you. At least as a S/H purchase you've not an emotional investment in it.

    From looking at the picture of your bike again the BB does look high, I'd try some lower travel forks and maybe a higher rise stem / bars?

    I've got a new (to me) FS frame in the garage at the moment and my excitment about building it up is tempered by the knowledge that it may not work out an I'm hoping. I guess that's part of the buzz of new bikes 🙂

    drunkenmonkey
    Free Member

    Ken,

    Been in a similar situation when I killed a full sus and had to replace with a hardtail, rode the HT and thought what a load of s**t. Bought a new full sus frame, built it up and thought I would be in heaven again. Not so. The riding style is just sooooo different you really need to give it some time. There are defintely routes I would choose to take the HT on now and some things I would take the full sus on. Give it some time and be open minded. Saying that if after giving it a real go you may just need to get rid and don't be afraid to do just that.

    Dm

    mamadirt
    Free Member

    Anybody else had this doubt over a new bike and what did you do?

    Yep 😉 . Chalk it up to experience, sell it on at a massive loss then move on. There are plenty more fish in the bike shop 😉 and experience is great 😀 .

    I've been a bike-buying wreck this last month since some potential thieving scumbag tried to nick my Slopestyle from outside work (yes, I know, I know, but I love it to bits and want to ride it everywhere). In my quest for a new commute bike in the last month I've tried a Schwinn cruiser, folding shopper, BMX cruiser, Halfords full-susser (all gone the way of the big 'E') and last night I built up a Cove Sanchez with budget bits and pieces. I was not sure about bonding with this one, especially as the top-tube decal was lacquered over and not removeable (funny, the Handjob and Stiffee never bothered me) but today's ride home via the scenic route was pretty good . . . and it's orange 8)

    hora
    Free Member

    Santa Cruz Blur4x. After this it will be a LT2, the next/closest thing to a 4x.

    Mint.

    Wookster
    Full Member

    Got a mojo that I'm falling out of love with………the Bloody five just feels too good…….stil one good long spin may sort it out or ebay here I come…. 😳

    Kit
    Free Member

    yup, just bought a Cannondale Bad Boy and it's way too small for me 🙁 Hoping the seller (local) will take it back as I've only ridden it a few miles in the dry. *crosses fingers

    Filthy
    Free Member

    Yes, just built a Chumba VF1 up and it's too short for me… that will teach me to buy a bike without test riding it. Brilliant bike though, I'm debating wether to just put a long stem on it or stick it on the classifieds.

    Inbred456
    Free Member

    Hated my 456 when I first built it up. Seemed really slow compared to my old giant yukon. Took about two months and some really hairy technical riding to get the point of the bike. It's more stable and composed a lot more comfortable. Slacker head angle and extra weight needed a bit more fitness to get the same performance speed wise out of it. Now I love it. It really is a Do It All Bike.

    Candodavid
    Free Member

    Nothing wrong with my Curtis
    😆

    mundiesmiester
    Free Member

    Ken wind the pikes down to 120mm and accept that it does not like pointing down anything steep. I found it was perfect for uppy downy sweeping natural single track. If you want something slacker with a lower BB have a crack on a Sovereign

    ken_shields
    Free Member

    mundiesmiester – Member
    Ken wind the pikes down to 120mm and accept that it does not like pointing down anything steep.

    😯 not accepting that

    Here's the bike, it's fitted with non-adjustable travel Marz Z1 Light forks which are set at 150mm travel. I'm going to change the travel to 130mm but I need to get a 130mm travel ETA unit.

    Was going to look for a solution but I think I'll cut my losses and sell it 😕

    and save up for a Heckler 😀

    oldgrump08
    Free Member

    I've wanted a Curtis for ages…. I agree the forks look too long. Could you try it with a more xc setup – shorter fork/longer stem? Seems a shame not to give it more of a chance.
    Let me know if you're thinking of selling….not that I need a HT!!!

    Olly
    Free Member

    BB is way higher than the axel isnt it?
    looks like it would handle badly just from the photo.
    lower the fork to level off the chainstay, and less of a bonkers sweep on the bars?

    when you say sell it, i presume you mean sell the frame and swap it for a new frame for the original parts

    same build as my summer season pretty much, which i got in "a bit too small" size, and its rad 🙂

    ken_shields
    Free Member

    Yes Olly sell the frame and swap the bits over to another frame

    I have been looking through my spares box and what's fitted to other bikes in the garage to see what I can change

    been looking at the Dialled Alpine, Ragley Blue Pig, Sanderson Blitz and Cotic BFe and similar that I can get in a bigger size

    Coyote
    Free Member

    Built up a Kona Stinky and it took me a while to get used to it but when I did, I loved it. Stupidly sold it to fund another build and missed it ever since.

    Built an Alpine, 15.5" model. Fantastic bike, just not "right". I think I am probably between the 15.5" and 17". Mike tells me that they are now available in a 16" but I try not to listen to him. 😉

    Rode a Norco DH bike and hated it, just felt wrong. And like the poster above, tried my bro-in-law's Pitch. Great bike that I wanted to love but just couldn't feel anything for it.

    Currently building a DMT Trailstar LT :fingers-crossed:

    _tom_
    Free Member

    ^hope you like the Trailstar, I'm loving mine 🙂 It's a little short for steep climbs but I've managed Cannock (FTD and monkey) and a 25km'er round The Long Mynd with it, so I think it does ok! Currently contemplating putting a longer stem on but think it might make it crap for jumping.

    u-turn pikes go very well on it. Wound in to 110mm for climbing/singletracky stuff then wound out to 140mm (and seat dropped) for descending and jumping! Perfect.

    IvanDobski
    Free Member

    I was looking at a Curtis build earlier this year and they were happy to build whatever I asked for so long as I understood that if it was a complete dog to ride it was my own fault.

    I bottled it tbh.

    rickmeister
    Full Member

    Cube Ltd Race here… un loved from the second shot out.. gave it to my nephew. Problem solved…

    walleater
    Full Member

    I've always loved the look of Curtis frames, but like above, the angles are just retarded. 'Freeride'? WTF….Maybe in 1996. Why are UK frame builders (not designers) so behind the times? Maybe they need to actually try and ride a gnarly trail with a 71 degree head angle and see how it feels.

    Conversely, I just built up a Chromag Stylus frame, and holy crap does that thing shift!!

    ken_shields
    Free Member

    I've put a longer stem (90mm up from 70mm), put some EA70 bars on and with the forks running on 40mm sag on 150mm travel fork it feels loads better.

    I'm going to take it to Swinley tomorrow and see how it goes 😕

    showerman
    Free Member

    ken by your standards thats ugly take it to swinley dig a hole and leave it there 😆

    druidh
    Free Member

    rickmeister – Member
    Cube Ltd Race here… un loved from the second shot out.. gave it to my nephew. Problem solved…

    Is your nephew using it for cycling to work then 😉

    ken_shields
    Free Member

    showerman – Member
    ken by your standards thats ugly take it to swinley dig a hole and leave it there

    Yes, I call this bike "Terry" 😉

    pop-larkin
    Free Member

    I know exactly how you feel- I had always wanted a Blur but rode it 3 times and sold it as just didn't bond with it- just had an orange 5 and clicked with it straight away. tbh i think the problem with the blur was the rear shock but couldn't risk spending more money on it and still not liking it

    TooTall
    Free Member

    You have to give it a fair whack – then get rid if it isn't right for you. A couple of months would be reasonable and try just riding that and not your other bike(s). You might get it – you might not – but it might be a grower.

    benman
    Free Member

    Looks like the forks are way too long, causing the high BB. What length forks is it designed around?

    Rickos
    Free Member

    I've done this a few times – EBB model Chameleon, Inbred, Dialled Love/Hate – so I just sold them on. Bizarrely I still hanker for a Chameleon (but a medium this time) even though I know I didn't get on with it. How weird is that?

    rickmeister
    Full Member

    Druidh.. Absolutely.. He is over in August on an Internship organised with the help of folk on here… so he will be on it to Loanhead from Musselburgh…

    If you know what I think you might know about this your probably still laughing…. Me, I'll stick with the Marin…

    Daffy
    Full Member

    Yup. Ti456 – I hated it with a firey passion.

    Cotic Soda – Possibly my fault, I was "in-between" sizes and ended up buying a Large. Should've bought the medium.

    hora
    Free Member

    Yup. Ti456 – I hated it with a firey passion.

    Why? I bought a Ti456 in 18"- I should have bought the 16".

    ken_shields
    Free Member

    All is at peace with the world 😀

    Yesterdays ride round Woburn was a success with no problems (although riding with flatties was a bit weird) so this ones staying in the man cave

    A big hi to Tim Drayton, let me know when you're next going to Woburn and we'll meet up

    mamadirt
    Free Member

    All is at peace with the world

    Always good! My world is an absolute mess of bike bits and unfinished projects again now 😕 . The Inbred frame is sitting there begging to be built back up, the Cove Sanchez I bought last week is on ebay 🙄 (cracking ride just a little too long . . . and I'm waaay too picky), still haven't received the tiny Orange Zero frame I bought off ebay over a week ago, and if I'm totally honest the only bike I really want to ride is my completely impractical, but so much fun it should be illegal, Slopestyle . . . sigh.

    timdrayton
    Free Member

    will do ken!

Viewing 40 posts - 41 through 80 (of 90 total)

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