I used to have a 2001 SC Bullit and sold it coz I didn't ride it nearly enough. Now I'm living in Innerleithen, right next to some of the country's best selection of techy downhill trails, I'm missing it for days when I just want to play.

Here's my old one:

I couldn't help myself last week and picked up a bargain 2005 frame on ebay which I collect this week 🙂

Not sure how to build it, but it'll need to be pedallable to the top of the hill at inners as well as the odd uplift day.

Thinking:
twin rings and bash
Lyriks or Domain forks
tough but not DH heavy wheels.
50mm thomson stem
wide bars.

Any thoughts ?

Haven't got a picture handy but mine is built with 22/36 cranks, Totem forks, Mavic 721 rims, 50mm stem + 28" bars, and the Saint 810 brakes and it is a real joy to ride down at Inners. The 180mm forks feel spot on for the bike, as does the short stem and wide bars.

It pedals pretty well for a 7" bike if you put reasonable pressure into the tyres, though pedaling it all the way up at Inners would not be my idea of unrivaled fun.

Ohh Ohh I've got two of them, I'll take some pics tonight.

Two of them !!!

Does Toy19 mean you have 19 toys? Clearly, you have two many!.

like to see the pics though – assume they're different kindsa builds?

tf: Sounds nice man… I was wondering about 180mm forks, but can't see me needing more than 160mm. depends on whether it needs the extra for a slacker head angle. What year is your frame ?

170mm 66's 45mm stem and 710mm bar. I have been switching between proper dh rims (atomlab) and mavic en521/dt en540 (about 490-520g per rim IIRC) with much lighter tyres. Its really quite pedallable with the lighter wheels. I have been airborne and over rock gardens etc on them a few times. Seem to be bearing up quite nicely.

IIRC specialized big hits used to come with DT en540's which I suppose was a carefully considered spec choice were it not for the rubbish wheel builds of so many 07/08 spesh bikes.

I bought a medium frame in 2006, last of the old style. I was in two minds whether to buy a small as I'm only 5ft6, in the end I regretted the medium because I found that for more downhill based stuff or anything jumpy (afan/alps) it seemed too big for my midgetness so I bought a 2nd hand small frame last year. Trying to sell the medium frame revealed a low 2nd hand value (£300 at a push) so I decided to build the medium up as a more cross country type bike to see if it could be done.

Small frame.

TF tuned shock
Van 36 R (I love these, seem bottomless and really plush)
Avid code – mucho power
Short stem wide bars.
Hollotech crank, truvativ bashguard, blackspire stinger chain device.
Halo freedom wheels mega stiff.
37lbs

I'm 14 stone (what your thinking effin hell he's 5ft6 and 14 stone, must be rounder than he is wide, which is true) and the halo wheel are still straight after 2 years of abuse). Excuse the dirt, washing night is tonight..

I love this bike, its like a magic carpet, I climb whytes level on it and it feels like a 4wd, always grippy, heavy but so am I, no bobbing . On the down its phenomenal, quick turning and accurate, but planted. I have the shock mount shuttle thing set for the laid back angle as those van r's are only 160, I think it would benefit from 180's like totems which I might do next. As despite the short stem I still find myself too far forward at times..

The medium is now my lightweight, well 32 lbs (but then my 456 with vanilla 140'sis 32lbs) . With the pace forks, carbon bars and 160mm disc the front is mega light.

Superstar cheapo xc wheels still straight and reasonably light for £100
Pace fighter rc40 150mm
Easton monkey bars carbon
avid elixir R (wow really powerful even on 160's)
SRAm xo shifters and rear Der.
FSA carbon cranks

This bike feels so light and fast it's like it has an engine, the shock shuttle is set forward,and with the 150 mm forks it turns pretty quickly. Climbing is awesome, loads of grip light and easy. I've been riding this all the time recently for any of my local trails, haldon woodbury dartmoor. It's fast becoming my "all day" bike rather than the 456 as its just so much more comfy on the bumpy stuff.

BTW short stem, wide bars really suits these bikes.

Thanks for the info/pics Toys19… two lovely bikes you got there. I have to admit, when I had my old Bullit, I also had a hard tail and found the bullit was so good at everything depending on build, that I longed after two of them built as you've got there.

I've now got a nice light built Trek Fuel EX as my all day XC bike so the Bullit will be pure play machine. Prob build it up similar to your wee one, but with a twin ring setup so I can make it up the hill easy enough. I'm 5'8" so medium is spot on for me.

Still undecided about amount of fork travel I want… I think that will come down to what I can get cheapy second hand though. Thinking of looking for a set of Domains… they look like pretty good value for a 180mm fork!

My wee one is actually a double and bash, probs not obvious from the pic. I climb everything with it. I'm considering some totems for it, as I think the front needs to be higher, that's why I haven't cut down the fox forks steerer to save the resale value..

Interestingly I use this bike to eek out the reminder of life from any chainsets(cassette/chainrings and chains) on my other bikes that are worn and causing chainsuck (456 anyone) on the bullit, you don't get any suck because there are not any chainstays near the chain. I ride them till they snap or the teeth are so worn they slip/jump.

EDIT: The stinger doesn't hamper shifting in anyway, cannot recommend this bit of kit highly enough.

Here is a sort of comparison, the bike on the left is my new Mountain Cycles Battery, it has 180 totems (unfortunately they are 1.5 steerer so I cannot try them on the bullit). But the battery is single pivot, five inches rear travel, I should have taken a side view as its visibly shorter in the top tube, by 1.5 inches! You can see how much higher it is.

Toys19.

Ahh – all interesting stuff….

Out of curiosity, why the new MC Battery when you've got the small Bullit ? How do they compare? My pal is selling a complete battery build pretty cheap and I considered that instead of the bullit.

That Mountain Cycle looks like its seen no use… is it that good? 😉

Can you adapt (shorten) the stroke on the shock so its a shorter travel bike?

Umm desire? Stupidity? Cheap frame and forks? Dreaming that I am a better rider than I really am?
No actual reason. I'm not into justifying good reasons to own bikes, I saw this frame and thought effing hell I want it.
Especially after this review: pink bike Watch the videos.
Not that I would ever get rid of the bullits. I'm a serial bike owner. I've drawn up plans for a floating brake kit for the bullits and the battery, thinking of getting them made up, let me know if you are interested.

That Mountain Cycle looks like its seen no use… is it that good?

1) This is a single pivot love in if you've come to piss on our chips then naff off. 😈
2) I havent finished building it yet
3) Do you think there is enough time in the day to ride two FS bullits and a hardtail? Now you want me to ride another FS bike???

Hora do you mean the MC Battery? Its only 5 inches of travel anyway..

Floating brake kit sounds interesting… don't they do one for the new bullit frames?

Older frames would def benefit from that.

Hora…

Aye – the Battery is a burley 5" travel slopestyle type frame. Designed for big forks. I like the idea, but reckon they're too short for much uphill pedalling for me.

The bullit has an adjustable shock mount that allows you to change the head angle together with BB Height. Nice feature so you can slacken the head angle if you're running shorter forks.

Toys19

Totally with you on the SinglePivot love in…

I've had a couple of VP and Horstlink frames but still love the simplicity of single pivot with a clever shock to sort the pedalling out.

That said though, I've become a big fan of my Trek Fuel EX with it's floating shock, giving great pedalling and loads of small bump sensitivity… it is just a glorified single pivot though really. 🙂

I think SC are offering the floating brake kit for new bullits, there was/is some company in the states making them, they quoted me 400 dollars..

So I have drawn up a couple of versions one for 203 mm disc and one IS mount to take disc adaptors. There is also the question of wheel compatibility but really that's just making a spacer to replace the non drive side hub spacer. I have had the CNC parts priced -, spacer/wheel pivot brake mount plate, and seat tube clamp. Comes to about £60 if I make 10 off of each.. Then there is a rod with rose joints at either end, I want mine bent to fit the small and I haven't measured the battery yet but I think that will need to be bent too. So that might be a bit more expensive..

So you were one of the blighters who outbid me 👿 😥

Woody – so, did you bid on bullit frame too ?

Sorry mate – it's crazy how a higher bid than yours got me the frame… lucky huh… it's almost like they have a system for this… man, imagine if you'd put in a higher bid… maybe I wouldn't have won the auction! wow, that would be crazy

😉

How much did you pay then?

I bought a medium bullit for my friend last year marz 66's hope hubs with sunn rims all good kit on it for £850.

2005 frame and Manitou air shock for just over £200. I'd rather have a fox shock, but can't complain at that price. Like you said – going rate is usually around £300.

Yeah loads of cheap ones about. Mine is/was mint when I was trying to flog it.

I was wondering about 180mm forks, but can't see me needing more than 160mm. depends on whether it needs the extra for a slacker head angle. What year is your frame ?

Mine's 08/09 frame. I had some crappy 66 SATA 180 forks on that to start with that really were more like a 165, and while it climbed a bit better, the geometry feels generally much better with the Totems, particularly somewhere steepish like Inners.

I don't think I ride it hard enough to have to worry about a floating brake; sure you definitely feel the suspension stiffen up under rear braking, but there is a very simple non-technological solution to that … 😀

very simple non-technological solution to that …

Brake less? Don't brake over bumps?

I do this, which is why I haven't really moved much further on the floater conversion. I think it might look bling though..

http://www.diverse-mfg.com/mtb/duelercoilshock.html

One of these will give you some more adjustability.

Mail in profile 😉

Well I've got the 5th element which is just ruddy awesome adjustable as can be. I like the idea of a floating brake for bling factor, but the so called brake jack problem doesn't bother me massively..

piccy as IMG button didnt work for me boo

forks now swapped for 170mm 66rcs and DH stem fitted

ah it works

Stompy, that looks like a lovely build… Pretty much the sort of thing I'm aiming for.

I may stick a twin ring chain device on too.

They both look excellent, I like the red one with yellow wheels. Although that Battleship grey looks uber cool.

I need to go for a ride now!

This thread is making me really want a Bullit.

How much travel do the older ones have?

The old ones have 7 inches. Do it. Mega cheap for very good. Try and get a later older one, with a gusset between headtube and downtube and no V brake mounts on swingarm, the later swingarm is slightly more burly.

6inch travel pre 04 i think (vanilla rc models ) went to 7 when they put the 5th element on though in told a 7 inch shock will fit the old 6 inch frame! checkout kranked 4 on dvd for what a bullit can do!!

I might have to (very) slowly try to build one up as a single crown DH bike maybe running a double crank and 66s.

Other bullit owners here know what size seatpost and seat clamp they use ?
Think it's 30.9 post and 34.9 clamp ???

Cheers

my old frames take 28.6 post. I bought this clicky from an ebayer in france – he did me a deal on two and postage. I think clamp size is 34.9. I did buy this from santa cruz but its effing crap, plastic washer for gawds sake it just deforms every time. I have since purchased this chromag one but haven't fitted it yet.