Picked my frame up last year 2nd hand and been riding it for about a year now. Really loving it. Running it with some old Vanilla 130's and it's perfect for general trail riding, but wondering what it would be like with some 100mm forks on? would that turn it into a bit more capable for light xc racing duties?

Also how many other out there?!

still got mine from new, runs fine with 100mm, better with 120/30 though

Thanks for opinion Rocketdog, seem to be doing more XC races for fun and don't really want to add another bike especially, but wanted to make the PA a bit more rapid. By better with 120/130 i'm guessing you mean more fun?

Had mine from new running 150mm 😯

One of only 4 green ones made….

200 Mk1 frames were made. Had 2 back broken, so there's 198 of them still out there.

You still need to make a Ti one mike 😆

Mines a Pinky one – will have to get a decent photo sorted

I have one of the British racing green mark ones with Pikes on, still going strong!

with 105mm forks

commuter duties

with 130mm forks

i wouldn't say one was more fun than the other, but more travel suited the downhills more, maybe gave more confidence but for xc racing courses the shorter travel would probably be ideal

I have a black one. It's been in dressed up in all guises. Currently with Pikes. I love this bike. It's looking a bit tatty now, maybe I'll get it resprayed while I'm off the bike…

I have a small grey one.

love it to bits.

My Blue Mk1 is currently was sold on to a mate once I got my Morning Glory, but I've got first refusal should he decide to sell it.

I thought the Morning Glory was essentially a Ti PA, maybe I'm wrong though.

I got one second hand last year as a disposable winter bike. Love it though, so it's being looked after a bit more than I thought I would (whilst being ridden hard). Definitely a keeper now.

In baby-entertainment mode at the moment. Will soon be in svelt racer mode (well, not really) for the Bristol Bike Fest next weekend…

My Blue Mk1 is currently was sold on to a mate once I got my Morning Glory, but I've got first refusal should he decide to sell it.

I thought the Morning Glory was essentially a Ti PA, maybe I'm wrong though

Just moved from a MK1 PA to a Morning Glory too. Certainly rides the same. Only significant difference to me other than weight is less tyre clearance on the MG.

No idea what they would be like with short forks. I'm still running old tall 130mm marzocchis. I'm even scared to put a new shorter 140mm fork on it as I've ridden it like this for so long. Only similar fork seems to be 150mm 32s which have the roughly the same A2C but 150mm seems like overkill! PAs are short and heavyish so would you not be better ridding something else for racing?

I've gone from Marz AM SL's at 130mm to Pikes at 140mm on my MG and it is a wonderful thing 🙂

I think the A-C measurement on Pikes is shorter than on the SL's so it meant that the Head Angle was unaffected.

I think the initial recommended travel was 125mm but it certainly rides well at 140mm.

Slight frame hijack – Anyone know how many mk1 853 PA's were made?

I'm on my second one (battleship grey) having sold my nice red one for no good reason. I've currently got a set of coil pikes on it but managed to pick up some Fox 32 talas to try a bit of travel adjustment.

powder blue one here with vanilla 140mm, excellent bike has taken so much abuse and refuses to break have raced DH on it too. 😀

I have one, running 130mm Marz Z1 FR. It does not get ridden as much as it should due to the FS, but when I do its nice and nippy and makes me smile! 😀

Mike says above that only 200 were made

Ah, but he wasn't referring to the 853 PA 😉

Running a 130 Vanilla on my new version (same geometry) with too soft a spring in it. Climbs as well as anything else I've ridden (weight excepting) and I'd guess it's feel is similar to having a properly set up set of Rebas at 115mm or thereabouts.

It has a slight tendency to tuck under at the moment but I'm belting through the travel and I don't have a lot of compression damping.

Loads of fun despite this but I can't help thinking that the proper spring weight will make it even better without undermining the climbing ability and I'm thinking it'd be perfik with my bolt through 130mm (tall) Shermans.

Really pleased with it as a frame. In comparison it's a better climber than the, admittedly smaller, Inbred it replaced which had the same forks set at 100mm. I can stay seated without shuffling forward on pretty steep loose stuff.

For XC racing though something lighter would be quicker/less tiring. It was a good choice for the CRC Enduro last weekend though.

'pologies, saw Mk1 and my brain shut down. was there more than one run of the 853 PA's? I thought there was only the one.

Absolutely no idea…hopefully Mike will pop up again soon..!

Where is Mike (at-dialled-bikes) when you need him? 😀

I have a mate who has a MK1, small, in grey for sale if anyone is interested?

About £110, IIRC.

Email in profile 🙂

Where is Mike (at-dialled-bikes) when you need him?

he leaves work early on friday afternoons to attend a capoeira class.

Good stalking MrSmith 🙂 What is he having for his tea tonight? 😉

why don't you ask his wife?
if i had to guess i would say fish and chips.

Tch. Chicken pie tonight. Looks like garden peas and baby carrots. That gravy looks a bit thin.

pedalhead, what is the make of that child seat you've got on the PA? Look ideal for what I'm after.

I've still got my 853PA. Ideally the front end could be a bit slacker for the gnar around here, but then it wasn't really designed that that sort of riding. I still really like it and I'm sure I'll have it for a while yet.

hugo rune, only 100 Prince Albert 853s were made.

I skipped capoeira class this week to do the NPS 4X round at Harthill.

pedalhead, what is the make of that child seat you've got on the PA? Look ideal for what I'm after.

It's an iBert Safe-T-Seat.

That means I've owned 2% of all the 853 PAs ever made 🙂

Does any one fancy selling me a Morning Glory (preferably 19") just so I can go a bit more niche?

Cheers pedalhead – did you buy it in the UK or order it directly from the states?

I've got one, running 140mm revs and an alfine with a twin ring set up and really like it.

Cheers pedalhead – did you buy it in the UK or order it directly from the states?

I bought it from here… http://www.safe-t-seat.co.uk/order_safe-t-seat.html

Thankyou 🙂

Sorry about the hijack

Mike – if you're still around, how many Morning Glories were made?

Just 40. 20 x 17.5" and 20 x 19.5". I think 3 died (cracked seat tube/top tube junction) can't remember what size they were though.