Bought a 2nd hand BFe frame off someone from this forum back at the very end of May, here we are almost 5 months later and I’ve finally managed to build it up and ride it! Some of the bits borrowed off my Giant full susser, some bought specifically for it… Here’s a couple of (poor quality, sorry, will get some better ones soon) photos of it…

Got it thrown together last night, but the chain device proved a right faff to setup (big thanks to Mark in LL Cheltenham for giving me some useful advice on the setup, got it sorted alright in the end!), so only ended up doing a late afternoon shakedown ride. Coupld of hours round the FOD on it and I’m happy so far anyway. The 1×9 setup works well with a 32T ring and 11-32 cassette, certainly didn’t feel the need for a granny in the FOD anyway. Stem at 50mm feels perhaps a tad short, might try a 60, might just be the fact I’ve only ridden a lot more overtly XC bikes for a while now. Back end was stiff for sure, but not quite as unremittingly stiff as I’ve heard, or indeed my old ally GT Ruckus, perhaps a lot of this is down to the massive back tyre I’ve got in there (2.35 Bonty is about same size as a 2.5 Maxxis!) run tubeless, at about 25psi, I’m sure that helped!

All good anyhow, definitely a very fun bike (as I was expecting I suppose). Rode down Doughies on it and can’t really say whether or not I was faster down it on this or on my Maverick, but I can say for sure that it felt faster, principally cos the Maverick is so good at taming the terrain whereas the BFe seemed to accentuate the feeling of speed…

Oh, and it’s not the lightest, but probably not as heavy as it looks. Quick guesstimate is about 30-31lb. Dual ply tyres would of course bump that up, reckon I might replace the Saint cranks for SLX in time, and perhaps some lighter forks than the Pikes maybe (even my Float 36’s are lighter!).

Apologies for the orange grips too… It’s just an experiment, wanted to see how a little Orange other than just the frame stickers set the bike off. I think it looks ok, but I imagine they’ll get quite grubby quite quickly. Saddle underside is orange too just for that bit extra… 😉

Got those same drawer handles on my cupboard doors – keep catching my nails on the door behind them -drives me round the bend.

p.s. Lovely bike!!! 🙂

Rachel

Cheers, can’t say I have the same issue with my errr fingernails and the drawer handles! 😉

Looks good and a proper spec too (short stem, 1×9, fat tires etc.)

What was the faff with the chain guide? Did my advice turn out to be absolutely shit?

Something deeply unsettling about bright orange and grey in my opinion 😯
1×9 and Pikeys is a good shout though – I imagine it’s a right hoot.

Presumably, you don’t paint yours, though. (mind you, can’t be sure – there’s some funny old folk around here…)

Keep the grips – I like them.

Nice – loving the orange 8)

cheers davidtaylforth

No your advice was not shit at all, just turns out that on this frame, with my cranks, the spacing was different to how you had it setup on yours. The Saints have got a VERY chunky spider, with the chainring on the one way round nothing would fit at all. Turned the ring around so the chainring bolts (which are normal 2 ring ones, I was lucky they were ok!) went into the countersinks, created a bit more room, but the top guide is/was slightly out from the bottom roller. Got the bottom roller spaced out to where it needed to be (with some additional spacers), but still could not get the cranks to rotate properly in the top guide (yes, really, the top guide was dragging on the spider that much!)… Eventually realised the way forward was to put a couple of thin spacers between the top guide and the backplate, that did the trick…

Expect if I was using SLX or XT cranks, I’d have had no issues at all, but my old style Saints are very chunky.

1×9 and Pikeys is a good shout though – I imagine it’s a right hoot.

I had decided from the outset that was the way it was gonna go… I think whilst 160mm forks would be superb in the Alps, for the UK they’d lift the front too much.

Also, I hate front derrailleurs at the best of times, on a hardtail for chucking about I decided it was a no go… 1×9 with the 32T ring is ok for most eventualities I’ll use it for…

I have hone cranks and noticed that when the guide was slammed in the lowest position, it was very close to the spider, but it just cleared. Glad it works and your bikes sorted.

I think whilst 160mm forks would be superb in the Alps, for the UK they’d lift the front too much.

Yes, the angles on the one below look all wrong with 160mm forks.

I have hone cranks and noticed that when the guide was slammed in the lowest position, it was very close to the spider, but it just cleared

Dunno how thick the spider is on the Hones, but I’d bet money it’s thicker on these Saints. No way could I drop the top guide at all, not unless I filed the chainring bolt heads flat and smoothed off the edges on the spider tabs. Or opened the cage up and put spacers inbetween its two halves!

Another gratuitous pic… Post first ride, tyres covered in FOD mud, saddle at full pedalling height (thank god for 410mm Thomson posts!)…

Thinking as I’ve currently got 15mm of spacers on top of the stem and forks at 140mm, might drop 10-15mm of spacers under the stem and set the forks 10-15mm shorter, to keep the same ride height but speed up the steering slightly… What travel feels best up front on a BFe then guys?

Got those same drawer handles on my cupboard doors – keep catching my nails on the door behind them -drives me round the bend.

p.s. Lovely bike!!!

Rachel

Classic!

Although to be fair I’ve got a new kitchen in boxes right now, also including spookily similar handles. I keep my nails short, But thanks for the tip! 😉

Looks like a fun bike 🙂 Is that a Superstar guide? If so any good and what are they like for clogging with mud?

It’s an E13 LG1 not a Superstar. Didn’t clog with mud yesterday, though a bit got in and made it a fair bit louder for a short while…

That looks like a lot of fun, the sort that puts you in A&E. I think the orange/grey look goes quite well.

That looks like a lot of fun, the sort that puts you in A&E.

Pretty much the thought that was going through my head when I overcooked a jump into a turn on Sunday afternoon! Full sus may or may not be quicker, but it certainly gets you out of more sticky situations. Hardtails definitely make you sharpen your reactions…

Was worried about the Orange theme, but its actually turned out quite well I think too 🙂

hi mboy/other bfe owners – I’ve got a bfe on the way to me and wondered how wide are your bars?

I’m thinking 50mm stem/750mm bars.

I’m running 710mm Raceface’s. I’ve not got massive shoulders, I don’t really need any wider. 50mm stem on it though, possibly a bit short for me given my height and the size of the bike so gonna try a 60 soon…

cool, that’s useful ta

I’m not exactly the incredible hulk myself!

how tall are you btw and am I reight in thinking that’s a small?

Yes, my bike is a small. I’m a smidge under 5ft11, and with the 50mm stem on it is definitely quite short. My normal XC riding position would be a top tube about 1/2″ longer, combined with a 90mm stem, so a whole 2 inches longer cockpit. But that’s not what the BFe is about, it’s for messing about on.