Recently acquired a 2004 SC Bullit for a fair price as a cheap retro big bike for the odd day of rad gnar.

Frame is in excellent condition, has been sat in a garage for the past 6 years and from what I can tell wasn’t ridden much before then (still got original chain rings, jockey wheels and grips).

On further investigation though, I think its only got 150mm travel forks on it, they are triple clamps, but they’re QR?!? They’re manitou sherman sliders, turns out there was a random model that only had 150mm travel.
This also means that the front wheel is QR, so would probably need changing if I got some 170mm+ forks like it supposed to have.

Drive train is 9sp, original from the era, with a triple up front so not bothered about keeping that on it.

Brakes are hope mono minis in good order.

Question is, do I take my chances and ebay the shermans and wheels (and groupset if it’ll sell) and get some more suitable forks / wheels – ie. just keep the frame and brakes or just ebay the whole bike and keep looking for something else.

I really don’t want it to turn into a money pit, but equally I know the frame is sound, unlike something else I might end up with for the same money.

hmm, what would you do (don’t say “not buy it in the first place”!)

Spend your money on some nice beefy single crown forks second hand
You will want a 20mm axle so a new front wheel as well if you cant modify the hub. But front wheels are much cheaper than rear wheels.

Nothing wrong with 9 speed – keep all that
Brakes are good too – maybe a bit under powered for the bike but prob fine for uk.

The forks will make the bike – go for fox 36 or similar rockshox

My mate has one, it’s a proper marauder.

He’s swapped out the coil shock for a RP23 but is still coil 36’s up front. It’s really not a light bike and it’s a bitch to pedal up hill but it gets there.

On the way down it’s amazing to watch though, it just tracks everywhere and soaks up everything. It makes my Mega look like a kitten.

I had a bullit for a few years and to be honest I didn’t really get on with it. For myself it was too big and heavy for a trail bike and too steep and short for a DH bike.

I bought it to use for DH and Alps stuff. It was fine in the alps but I would have been better off on a full DH bike.

I suppose it really depends on what you want to do with it?

I’d do as cheaply as possible – keep the drivetrain, take off the big ring and whack a bashguard / chain device on there. Swap the forks for something big and beefy (old 66s would be good if you can get some cheap maybe) and a wheel to match.

Or just go ride it as is and see if you like it!

Are you riding it uphills or more of a playbike?

1deg Works slackening headset and maybe some offset shock bushing to drop the BB and further slacken it. 36s, 55s, 66s, or Lyriks or maybe even some Totems. Maybe get a clutch mech (can do 9spd bodge with 9spd sram shifter and 10spd shimano mech) and NE ring as its be a chain dropper without full chain guide.

Thats what I wanted to hear! 😀

Not planning on riding it up any hills, i’ve got a 150mm carbon full sus for that, this is just for playing and learning how to crash.

I’ve read that the brakes are a little weak, but i’m only 10.5 stone wet through, so not even sure i’ll need 205mm rotors with them, but i’ll put some on if they’re lacking.

I’d love to go ride it as is, but currently got a broken rib, this was supposed to be a project to keep me out of trouble till its fixed!

Does it have a fifth element shock? Amazing thing that has a platform better than anything you can buy today -cane creek included.
The Sherman is actually not a bad fork.
9 speed is fine.
I rode a bullit for 6 years as a do it all bike and loved it.
I rode many Dyfi enduros on it with marzocchi 66RC forks. Bloody heavy but so much fun.
Enjoy it.

I loved the one I used to have, bomb proof and simple. I had it paired with Some old Marzcochi 66s which were ace too.

It did have quite a steep head angle so I would echo the comments above slackening things off somehow.

Enjoy it!

I think it might have a DHX rear shock, didn’t look at that, got home late last night and put it straight in the garage. I’ll have a look later.

Interestingly, this seems to say that the rear travel is different depending which shock option was chosen.
I’ll have a look at whats on it and the dimensions of it.

It’s 7 inches with 5th element. 6 inches with Fox (wasn’t called DHX but I cant remember what)

A mate had one, quite possibly that year and sold it last year to ‘calm down a bit’ (new dad etc) As with most things, the rider is the most limiting factor not the frame. That bike is more than capable of some terrifying stuff in the right hands.

As above, you could treat it to some better forks if you had to. I still use 9 speed/triple- nowt wrong with it.

You can’t blame the technology!

If it’s an 04 I think it should have 170mm or so and clearance for a bigger rotor on the rear if I remember correctly. The early ones with the a fox Van RC were 150mm travel and you couldn’t use owt bigger than a 180mm rear rotor.

By modern standards they’re steep but I remember them being good bikes. Plenty of my mates used them in the Peaks as heavy duty trail bikes.

I’d get a pair of old school 66’s. They should be cheap now are damn tough and easy to service. Chuck on so e offset bushes, a cheapo set of Deore brakes with big rotors (only because I hate all Hope brakes with the Mini lever) cheap chain device and have some fun.

Yep, its deffo the revised frame, it has a straight seat tube and gusset between the top tube and down tube.

Not sure what your carbon 150mm bike is, but I’d sooner be going down hill on a modern 150 bike than an old Bullit with old shock and old geometry.

You an slacken it, put a new shock on it, you can do all sorts to it, but none of that will be cheap – I suspect putting bigger forks/tougher wheels on your 150 bike would be a better idea.

I used to ride one as my only full sus bike, it was great for what it is! I didn’t find it too bad for climbing in the Peaks, yes it bobs about a bit and is quite heavy, but in a lwo gear the rear end gives it so much grip that it’ll climb anything you point it at.

I ran it with Lyriks for a while, but then they went on to a 456C and I put some 170mm 888s on it. Used to use it for DH and trail rides that had fun descents, so it’s been all over the Lakes and the Peaks.

I got rid of it when I bought a Banshee Spitfire for the trails and used the money to fund a proper DH bike. It couldn’t compete with both those bikes, but as a one-bike solution it was brilliant.

Ideally I’d be looking at Totem 2-step Airs for one now, but you won’t get them at a sensible price given the value fo the bike etc. If you can find some 170mm 888s they’ll probably be pretty cheap, so might be a good option too. Or some older 66s would work too.

Not sure what your carbon 150mm bike is, but I’d sooner be going down hill on a modern 150 bike than an old Bullit with old shock and old geometry.

You an slacken it, put a new shock on it, you can do all sorts to it, but none of that will be cheap – I suspect putting bigger forks/tougher wheels on your 150 bike would be a better idea.

Don’t spoil it, it was going so well!

Other bike is a titus FTMc, can’t go longer than 150mm and is only 135mm on the rear.

Why slacken it at all? My 2001 bullit lasted until last years Mega where the swing arm cracked. Great bike on any forks, it’s been run on monster T’s, z1’s and stratos MX 6 forks. Just ride it off stuff and down stuff and upgrade stuff that breaks, it’ll never be that light though.

@mrjimt

I have some RS Boxxer Teams (2004) – 170mm travel – that might suit the front of the frame?

Direct mount stem (plus crown), and original non-DM crown included.

Interested?

xiphon, they are perfect for that bike. OP, buy them.
As said, don’t bother slackening.

Boxxers

Stem

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/AlXlRNICQAEiLya.jpg

xiphon, YGM.

BB chain device and single ring up front. That should make it more usable for DH. Keep the rest standard then sell on and upgrade if it warrants it.

The only time Hope Mini’s struggled for me was in the alps really so no need to drop them.

It’s 7 inches with 5th element. 6 inches with Fox (wasn’t called DHX but I cant remember what)

Good news! its got a 5th element. Unfortunately I don’t think there’s anyone left that will service them.

Checked the wheels last night, they’re Mavic F219 on Hope XC hubs so unfortunately aren’t convertible to 20mm front. They look pretty much as new though so I think I’ll see what they go for on ebay.

They still have Marzocchi Bomber tyres on them, reckon they’re the original tyres and they still have the hairy tab bits on the side tread, so I reckon the bike was hardly ridden.

Got some ebaying to do this weekend!

Put some 170mm 66’s on it (2005/6 for optimum price-to-reliability, 07/08/09 were iirc the unreliable years), try not to think that they weigh 2.8kilos, some proper big sticky tyres (maybe on wider rims that 219’s!!) and you’ll be reet. Good fun bike, and unless you are already downhill-racing standard, the rider will be the limitation not the bike. Certainly is with mine.