In opposition to what many have done with their Blur TRC’s I am sticking with my 26″ set up and gone for a little more travel. I’m not sure if it has been mentioned on here before but I have gone from the stock 51mm stroke RP23 to a Canecreek DBAir CS with a 57mm stroke. This boosts the travel to ~140mm.

It has turned the bike into an absolute beast- with no difference to the geometry except at full bottom out. I should point out that there is no contact with anything on the frame- no detrimental effects at all. EXCEPT I did remove the bulk of the front derailleur cable stop with a cutting disk and file. There is now just a small smooth aluminium square bump where it stood- I stopped shy of going completely flush as this would have contacted with the carbon. As it is now I have not touched the carbon at all- only the aluminium cable stop (which I’ll never need anyway).

I just thought it worth a mention as this has made a bike that was amazing for me simply unbeatable. For the money, in my opinion there’s nothing better. I could have changed to a LTC or something else, but I didn’t see the need. This has just made my current frame do what I wanted it to.

The newly found ability of the bike has however forced a change of fork- I found the standard fox 32 too flexy as speed in rough conditions (I’m just over 200lbs). I’ve upped this to a 150mm 2015 Pike. If needs be I’ll change the external Lower HS cup for a flush fit, this will mitigate the little bit of additional A2C height. However, I don’t believe it will be noticeable.

Hope that helps someone thinking of boosting their Blur! You won’t regret it.

Sold my blur a year ago but with 160 Pikes and a Cane Creek Double barrel with titanium coil, it was pretty awesome at standard travel. I thought it was 140mm rear travel anyway?

125mm rear end travel buddy. The LTc was the 140mm model. I’d guess the ride of mine is similar to that now.

#26aintdead

Nice one buddy, happy shredding!

If needs be I’ll change the external Lower HS cup for a flush fit, this will mitigate the little bit of additional A2C height. However, I don’t believe it will be noticeable.

How will you manage that with a tapered steerer fork like the 2015 Pike? Am I missing something, I’d have thought the only way to reduce A/C would be to drop the travel of the fork.

For the money, in my opinion there’s nothing better.

Given the price of it, it should have been that without you having to hack it to bits and fit other bits to make it so…

Still an interesting bit of info though.

How will you manage that with a tapered steerer fork like the 2015 Pike? Am I missing something, I’d have thought the only way to reduce A/C would be to drop the travel of the fork.

You are quite right! I forgot the fact it’s a tapered fork- so it’s 8mm higher A2C…I think that will barely be noticeable.

Given the price of it, it should have been that without you having to hack it to bits and fit other bits to make it so…
Still an interesting bit of info though.

I don’t get what you mean? You have no idea what it has cost me. Suffice to say everything I have has been sourced at bargain prices. For a pretty much unbeatable spec bike- that does exactly what want it to its cost me less than something average on the classifieds.

Also, hacking to bits? Please, I’ve removed 4mm of aluminium cable carrier. No need to be dramatic.

I’m saying that for the price you paid (whatever that is as that is irrelvant), you’ve still decided to chop bits off the bike – why not get a bike that does what you need instead of changing a bike to something it wasn’t intended for? It kind of defeats the statement as for the money (again, the actual amount if irrelvant) you could get better as you could get a bike that does exactly what you turned that one into doing without the need of the chopping and buying ‘non-standard’ parts…out of interest, how does that stand with any warranty? I’m assuming the bike is new enough to have a warranty, if so, I’m pretty sure it will be voided with the chopping of bits and putting non-spec parts on it…if it is out of warranty then even better – that would have got it for a lower price as well.

Not being dramatic, but you have described it as a electric device that will remove aluminium without going near the carbon so it isn’t damaged – that doesn’t sound like something simple like removing some helitape as it was clouding the look of the bike, that requires a bit more thinking and a desire to try something and altering the bike – you’ve said yourself you won’t be able to run a front mech now.

I’m impressed with what you have set out to do and achieved, even if it is unconventional. I’m just slightly amused at your statement of it being so good that you have to doctor it in such a way to make it better – if it was that good, why did it need changed?

Sounds nice mate and got to admire anyone so committed to their 26er (like me)! Though mine is from a different stable.

Any pics bud?

Dick- no point me explaining further. You clearly don’t get it. If there’s nothing in my price range which does what I want then I’m from the stable of making what I have work for me. Removing a part of a cable stop is hardly hacking anythjng. If I had the money for a new Bronson, then yes there is something that will do what I want. However, I don’t so I’ve added a shock that’s cost me a few quid and 5mins with a file. Then, the end result for me is a Bronson level bike for peanuts.

Cheers Poops- I’ll post a pic later. Pikes are in the post though!

Oh and of course no warranty- not even I’d go off-spec on a bike with some warranty. It’s a second hand 2012 frame!

Yeti, I could be wrong (usually am) but does dickB think you’ve just gone out and bought it to modify rather than it being a bike you already own and wanted to improve?

Perhaps that’s the confusion? Or perhaps you did buy it to modify? Damn, I’m confused now. Lol.

Either way, would be great to see pics, the Pikes when they arrive will sure as heck stiffen the front end out, I run then too. Love them.

I’ve had the bike a year. Ridden extensively- just felt a tad more squish would improve it- which it has!

Just waiting on the pikes but this is it now in uphill and dh mode..

I had the tough choice of the TRc or LTc when I got mine. I think at the time the LTc was the same weight so was a no brainer as there were a nice set of 160mm forks sat in the clearance part of my LBS…
Only thing I would need to do is reduce the stroke on the shock by about 5mm of travel so I can run 650b in it…

The TR and LT are deceptively capable bikes for all their unfashionable angles and geo charts 😉

Looks nice with the CC fitted!

The longer Pikes will slacken her off a little, perhaps that will be a positive side effect too?

I thought that the TRC was a fashionable bike in terms of geometry? It’s very low, it has a longer wheelbase than the LTc but has a shorter back end so is a little snappier.

All I know is, it shreds for me even more than it used to now.

Cheers all.

125mm rear end travel buddy. The LTc was the 140mm model. I’d guess the ride of mine is similar to that now.

Ahh, mine was an LTc

FWIW

I bought a s/h 2011 carbon Cube Stereo 26er late in 2014. I’ve added a set of Pikes, a stealth Reverb and 1×11.

All in it ‘owes’ me about £1.5k.

I was originally looking at +£4k for something new, but couldn’t decide on wheel size nor travel/application…

It’s far better than I am.

Neat. I’d be tempted to put one of these headsets in too:

http://www.workscomponents.co.uk/10-degree-ec44–ec44—tapered-steerer-tube-headset-740-p.asp

Just waiting on the pikes but this is it now in uphill and dh mode..

Lolo, you mean seat up and down?

Glad you’re enjoying your modified bike. It’ll shred 100 times more (to the max with any luck) once you replace those non-gnar forks with Pikes.

Poopscoop – Member

Looks nice Liar! (or bad eyesight)

Liar! (or bad eyesight)

Not at all!

I love Blurs. Almost, almost considered getting a second-hand frameset a few days ago.

They are great looking bikes imo.

You are quite right! I forgot the fact it’s a tapered fork- so it’s 8mm higher A2C…I think that will barely be noticeable.

Looks like you’ve maybe got the option of dropping the stem/bars a little if it does feel slightly chopper-ish assuming you’ve as much steerer out on the Pikes.

Nice. I was on about similar on another bike, it was suggested by a shock tuner suggested that some frames linkages may put the back wheel path all to cock in the final extra travel and put extra stress on the linkages etc but we’ll worth trying. I’m sure SC themselves do similar on the prototype frames.

Are you sure it’s the extra travel and not the change of shock that has made the difference…

Are you sure it’s the extra travel and not the change of shock that has made the difference…

Nail:Head!

YETIboyJAY – Member

I thought that the TRC was a fashionable bike in terms of geometry?

tiny top tubes iirc, they were short even before long was fashionable.

scruff – Member
we’ll worth trying. I’m sure SC themselves do similar on the prototype frames.

I’m sure they’ll do some maths first though. I’d assume that the increase involved here is very small, worth remembering that SC don’t like to supply parts for 2nd hand frames though

Too much to reply on here but in brief.

Euro- beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I LOVE the Blur as do many other people. The bulk of the cycling media have only ever been amazed by this bike.

You can’t tell from the pic but with the seat up the forks are locked out, the CS is on the shock. Smart arse.

Amedias- that could well be the case. I wrote that on other threads, the RP23 really was poor in comparison.

A mech engineer friend as had a look at linkage and can’t see any issues with a 6mm longer stroke shock.

Cheers everyone!

Hmm..interesting project – Bit of left field thinking…nice one!

I mainly ride 29ers these days, but still have my Blur TRc….which now has Pikes on it:) Cos of a shoulder injury, I really struggle to get comfortable on the Blur for longer rides, and can’t really ride it aggressively enough to get the best out of it – but it still makes me smile when I go out on it. The Pikes really take the bike up a notch – I think you’re going to have a riot with the 150/140mm setup!

Thanks for posting 🙂

Cheers buddy. I don’t really rack up the miles on it so it works for me. I can see how it could niggle injuries or weaknesses as its not a comfy mile muncher.

I have however ridden Enduro loops/trail centres run after run on it and hit some pretty meaty gaps/jumps. The latest a decent size road gap.

Happy trails

Done and finished. It’s epic!