new alpine.

sorry no pics uploaded yet.

swapped everything over from ‘old’ frame so not yet complete, but, first proper ride today and really pleased.

shorter TT makes it really compact. can get right over the front on the climbs and stick your arse right off the back on the downs.

the slacker head angle gives me a bit more confidence over steep sections and drops even though the forks are the same, 130mm. waiting for some lyriks. think i’ll need to lower the handle bars. lower and wider i’m thinking…

be interested to see how others have theirs set up.
show me your alpines…. yay, bikes!

i’ll get a photo up later…

J

Its all about retro 😉

My new bike was dispatched today!

Should be here tomorrow/Wed
😀

recaros in the living room,coool!

Seat now moved out of the way of the rear wheel.

loveley lovely bike

rode it at cwm carn yesterday and nearly had s3x wee in my own shorts

i have never ridden a bike that corners like it, brakes like it or descends like it

by the way the saddle is further back than in that picture.

it climbs surprisingly well, struggles with the REALLY steep stuff but i cleaned the cwm carn climb on it

enjoy

oh and yes to wider bars

the only thing i would change on mine is to have travel adjustable forks but the all mountain SLs are too good to warrant the change

think i’ll need to lower the handle bars. lower and wider i’m thinking

Just back from first ride on a set of Easton Havoc bars. Very impressed with the shape and feel of them.

The more I ride the Alpine the better it gets, it’s a great bike, climbs well and descends very well, confidence inspiring to ride.

nice forge

someone else who has the saddle way back over the back wheel

i find it REALLY helps on fast descents as you can push the back wheel down under braking even when standing

doesn’t having the saddle so far back leave it a little wandery on the climbs? can understand what you mean about the downs though….

current bars are 640mm wide. was looking at a pair of 685mm. surprising how much difference two inches make.

J

yes it does, but only on the very very steep bits, it does well in the peaks (i’ve been riding there for 20 years on at least 6 different bikes so am a fairly good judge) it only really falls apart when you need a combination of front wheel grip and big back wheel power (say a 6″ step up on a steep rocky pitch) then the front wheel will buck

you get used to it and forget all about it when HOONING back down

also, on things like steep uphill switchbacks the slack head angle makes it corner much better than it should

i couldn’t move the saddle forward really as the TT is too short and i like a slightly longer cockpit

out with the old 🙁

in with the new 🙂

Nicolai Ion, in Metallic BRG with a white rear.
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This is mine

Ive change a few bits since then, got some 2005 130mm marzocchi z1’s coming for it since I found I never really used the 150mm travel setting on those forks unless I was riding at proper downhill tracks.

Think its a bit more fun to ride with 130mm forks, especially for all the stuff round where I live. 150mm is prehaps a bit unessecary unless all your riding is downhill.

Mine is a 17/22, 65mm stem, 711mm sunline bars. Ive got the bars as high as they can go because it feels easier to jump and bunnyhop it like this.

The only downside with the frame is perhaps the long back end, its tricky to hop and manual. I found having the bars higher helped this a bit though. The long rear probably makes it better at descending and the like

Nice Nicolia… it’s like the credit crunch never happened!

My new bike

and proper bike [not new obviously]

I have since tried it with a non-layback post not entirely sure which I prefer 😕 It’s still up for debate. Still rides ace with either 🙂

Just built this up over Xmas and to say Iím over the moon with it is an understatement. This thing just makes me want to ride faster and faster, flippin love it.

Trick green bits


Yes the front mech is missing since the my old one didn’t fit, same with the seatpost, new jobbies on order.

sorry about the mud guard??? the sweetest ride ever 🙂

I’ve got some of those havoc bars – rate them very highly – very much an ea70 monkey bar but a bit longer.

If you only want 685mm, then you can’t beat the ea70 monkey bar – IMO

That Nic Ion is schweeeet 😀

Thanks Bigsi – it rides as good as it looks. Oh and yes it wasn’t cheap, but it was financed through the biggest eBay extravaganza one private seller has ever initiated! I sold absolutely everything I could to finance it – bike bits, Hifi kit, old mobile phones, I even took out a new 2 year contract on my current mobile and ebayed a brand new Nokia to raise the funds. The deal with the wife was that I had to raise at least 80% of the new cost before I got the green light!

i cant afford one this year! 🙁

Not the best shot of my new Epic, shouldn’t take them in the half light! It’s awesome though, very quick, excellent handling. Not fallen apart yet!

Work in progress, gotta Ti that spring and replace those forks.

This is in the process of being built, please feel free to dis my garage…

mrmichaelwrights qr furks r gey.

still gey.

Mr MW, glad to hear you’re now at one with your Alpine.

It’s a beauty to ride, I love it.

New here and about to move to Dorking. Very much looking forward to learning the forests! Any regular meets happen that anyone knows of?

Best

Matt

Mattrivet: Nirvana in Westcott do guided rides, and All Biked Up offer guiding services in the Surrey Alps too. Nirvana sell trail maps too.

Alternatively, head to Peaslake, sit at the bus shelter eating cake and ask the hordes as they turn up where to ride – someone will tell and/or show you. Drop me a line and I will too if you like.

My new steed after her first thrashing in Wales!

Just arrived today, still in the box so no actual photos as yet.
Will go and start putting together in a minute….

nearly forgot. mein rad.