howdy,

yesterday, whilst riding in the Ardeche mountains in France, my On-One Inbred finally snapped/died.

it had been suffering from the well-known problem of damage caused by chain-suck for a while.

i’ve got another that had the same problem (but is now set-up as single-speed) and sold my 853 Inbred after having that repaired due to the same problem.

but…..you can’t really complain about the lifespan of such a cheap/great frame but it has left me bikeless and in the market for something new (and hopefully improved).

so i’m looking for:

– something along the lines of the same geometry of the Inbred.
– steel
– has to have v-brake bosses

any ideas….?

i’ve looked at the cove’s, cotic’s, dialledbikes’, kona’s, orange p7’s etc… and they’re all now disc only and so i’m stuck.

any/all suggestions welcome and appreciated.

thanks, gairy.

Might be best to try and find another Inbred frame 2nd hand. Why the need for V-brakes though?

the short answer is because discs are dumb.

a small increase in performance at 10 times the price with the loss of easy maintenance/self-suffiency.

bleeding the lines, changing the pads every other ride at great expense and the constant squeak – i hate ’em!

not for me!

bleeding the lines, changing the pads every other ride at great expense and the constant squeak – i hate ’em!

Sounds like you must be the worlds worst at setting up disk brakes. I’ve got them on most of my bikes and they rarely need any maintenance – certainly a lot less than I get with V-brakes (in the winter I’ve had new V-brakes pads wear down to the metal in a single ride).

the short answer is because discs are dumb.

a small increase in performance at 10 times the price with the loss of easy maintenance/self-suffiency.

😯

I have not had to bleed my cheapo deore disc brakes in 7 years

I think I’ve only ever had to bleed mountain bike disk brakes once over all the years and bikes I’ve been using them, and even that was because I’d replaced a piston on a very old set of Hope Mini’s. I mostly use Shimano hydro’s and all they ever needs is the occasional pad change (and that at a massively lower frequency than V-brakes do).

Cable discs then, solves both your dislike of hydraulic discs, and lack of v-brake mounts on modern frames problems…

have you thought about trying an avid bb7 brake? None of the issues you suggest that hydrolics have, probably more reliable than v-brakes in every way I can think of.. Would open up a world of frame options. even work with your current levers. For £40 you can’t really complain about the price either

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=31347

Handsome dog frames had V bosses.

None of the issues

“None of the non-issues” would be more correct!

hydro disc brakes have to be the single best development in the last 20 years.

Give them another go. I got avid elixers and have not touched them since i put them on 2 years ago. I do need to change the pads but it will be easier than any v brake pad change.

ok, ok, i admit i’m a bit of a Luddite and was tainted by being there right through the emergence/evolution of discs and i always hated them – maybe it’s time to get over my phobia???

i’ll take a look at the handsomedog frames too – thanks.

i did have some hope mono minis on the 853 Inbred and they were absolutely trouble free but i was going through pads way too quickly and the squeal really annoyed me.

i also hate the fact that if there’s a problem on the trail i’m unable to take it apart and fix it myself (as i do a lot of very isolated and remote riding).

hmmmm…..

thanks for the responses so far folks – appreciated.

gairy.

If you decide you want to stick with Vs, you could keep your eyes out for something 2nd hand. retro bike, p’raps?

You might even pick up something classy like a dekerf for not much money if your luck’s in.

sounds like you can’t set up discs or maintain a drivetrain 😉

bb7 are great, I ran them for ages but in the end got fed up with adjusting pads and just got some magura louise

If you decide you want to stick with Vs, you could keep your eyes out for something 2nd hand. retro bike, p’raps?

You might even pick up something classy like a dekerf for not much money if your luck’s in.

yeah, that’s what i’ve been looking at doing.

i had a ’97 kona lavadome for a while (which i loved) until some f**ker stole it while i ate pizza!!!

keep in mind that i only begrudgingly use suspension forks (and ride fully rigid on my single-speed) and so i am really all about reducing my reliance on new technology (and it’s low quality and built-in-obsolescence etc…).

in my opinion 7 speed worked better than 8 and both were twice as simple/reliable than 9 speed (who needs 27 gears with too much overlap in ratios) – modern cheap (manufacture not price) rubbish as far as i can see.

sounds like you can’t set up discs or maintain a drivetrain

no, that ain’t it – i just like to keep things simple. i can hold my own mechanically but don’t want to ride around with flimsy/temperamental components which let me down when i need reliability (too rare these days – not like when i were a kid etc…).

i realise i’m coming across a little bitter and twisted but i’ve been riding long and hard enough to know what i like and just want to keep riding something similar into old age (as it works/worked).

any more ideas on new v-brake compatible steel hardtails….?

Avid BB7s are the one, great mechanical disc brake and so easy to set up and maintain.

If you do want a v-brake frame then perhaps an older Trailstar if you’re not above about 5’10”?

i’m 6’2″ – bugger!

Lots of older frames for sale 2nd hand that suit your want. Ebay is full of them.

Lots of older frames for sale 2nd hand that suit your want. Ebay is full of them.

Yip. Perfect I’d have thought, given you’re giving the impression that you like old cr*p… 🙂

Yip. Perfect I’d have thought, given you’re giving the impression that you like old cr*p

given the choice i’d rather just stick with helpful advice as opposed to ignorant criticism but it’s all good (don’t worry i know you didn’t mean anything by it but i get that all the time).

i don’t like anything just because it’s old – i like things that work and that will work well for years – let me know who’s still making high quality reliable bikes/frames/kit that suit my size/riding style and i’m sold on the idea but all i see around these days are bikes made to last a couple of years and then be replaced by even more fad-inspired techno-gadgetry which doesn’t interest me in the slightest.

am i the only person who thinks this….?

Stell Wanga has removable v-brake bosses. Then you can put BB-7s on later.

Got BB7s on my Wanga and my Turner flux for precisely the reasons you state, after crappy Hayes HFX-9s and then Avid Ultimates that need a air pressure line to service properly. Too much hassle when BB-7s are as good (better than HFX-9s…) with decent pads/rotors/cables and levers.

am i the only person who thinks this….?

I’m sure there are plenty of other luddites about.

I’m sure there are plenty of other luddites about.

you say Luddite like it’s a negative thing – i’m more than a little proud of ‘keepin it real’.

but each to their own etc…

here’s what i want:

– steel
– hardtail
– v-brakes (although i like the idea of the BB7’s)
– simple blisteringly fast on singletrack geometry

i don’t think it’s a lot to ask.

While I’d agree not everything new represents progress, however it’s also true that not everything new is bad either!

On the BB7’s – I ran those for a while when I transitioned from V-brakes and they’re a massive leap forward by comparison. Overall hydros are more powerful and require less maintenance in my experience though, which is why all my sets of BB7’s live in the spares bin now.

If you do go for BB7’s then it’ll open up the options a lot. I used to run them on a Soul.

agreed.

yeah, the Cotic Soul’s definitely up there as a top choice if i make the move to discs.

the others i like are the Dialled, Prince Albert and the Genesis, Latitude 853 – anyone got any info on a comparison of those frames….?

The biggest advantage of BB7s with speed dial levers is that you can run with a bigger gap between rotor and pad, although I think the Shimano servo-wave system gives you a bigger gap than other disc systems.

As soon as you ride in winter and have muddy water, etc splashing up over your rotors, you will appreciate the lack of rubbing.

Killing off the brakes squealing when the rotors/pads are wet is a bit of an art as well.

I take it you have given up on the V-brake bosses idea?

that bigbmx thing that was kicking around the other year would tick the boxes..

26″ wheel
v brakes
singlespeed

I take it you have given up on the V-brake bosses idea?

NEVER!

it’s just that i’m still struggling to find something i like that has them.

Voodoo doesn’t seem to do anything steel in this years range but an older model isn’t too bad an option but i’ve never been convinced by the build-quality of the Voodoo’s.

it’s a pickle!

We could add v bosses to virtually any frame, you’d need to get it resprayed though

Just a thought
Matt

Personally I’d get yourself another Inbred and run 2×9 as it’s much less prone to chainsuck

(I do understand the 853 chainsuck thing as I’ve had one for 4 years, indented the chainstay for more clearance, switched to 2×9 and keep an eye on the rings and the problems almost completely go away….you can bet mine will snap now I have said that!)

We could add v bosses to virtually any frame, you’d need to get it resprayed though

interesting…..who is ‘we’?

i thought that the old braze-on bosses were a bit of a short-lived gimmick that never really worked (correct me if i’m wrong) but this option would certainly appeal if it’s a real possibility.

Personally I’d get yourself another Inbred and run 2×9 as it’s much less prone to chainsuck

it’s an option but all of the 2nd hand Inbreds i’ve seen are already damaged and the new ones are (once again) without v-brake bosses.

the worst part is that i’m now here for another week without a bike an no matter what solution i end up choosing i’ll still be without a bike for the next week (don’t worry about me too much though as i only live two hours away and so get to ride in the French mountains 24/7/365).

18 bikes….

am i the only person who thinks this….?

Nope, completely agree with you on brakes.. infact, I find it quite tragic the amount of people who seem to think they absolutely must have disc brakes to bimble around riding XC.
Eventually all disc brake seals fail/pistons stick and fixing them is infinitely more of a PITA than any V-brake fix. switching pads is easier/faster with V-brakes, changing a cable is less hastle/quicker than bleeding a hyrdo system and a slight wobble at the rim will true easily and once tensioned stay true whereas a bent/warped rotor will have a tendency to bend/warp again in use.

7 speed did/does work way better too.

I much prefer Alloy frames tho. 😉

Nope, completely agree with you on brakes.. infact, I find it quite tragic the amount of people who seem to think they absolutely must have disc brakes to bimble around riding XC.
Eventually all disc brake seals fail/pistons stick and fixing them is infinitely more of a PITA than any V-brake fix. switching pads is easier/faster with V-brakes, changing a cable is less hastle/quicker than bleeding a hyrdo system and a slight wobble at the rim will true easily and once tensioned stay true whereas a bent/warped rotor will have a tendency to bend/warp again in use.

7 speed did/does work way better too.

brilliant – i am not alone!

and…..i know 18bikes in Hope – been there many a time!

but i’m now living in France (although will be over in a couple of months) and so Hope isn’t as local as it was when i grew up in Sheffield (Rotherham actually but i don’t like to talk about it).

Looked at Surlys 1×1 or Troll ?

I went with a Karate Monkey frame because it has v-brake bosses, i have a set of rim brake 700c/29er wheels already, for me it was cheaper to buy v-brakes than a new wheelset disc ready and new discs.

Inbreds still have V brake bosses, it’s the 456 that doesn’t

Inbreds still have V brake bosses, it’s the 456 that doesn’t

for sure but they’re out of stock and i’d need to be thoroughly convinced that they’ve fixed the chain-suck issue before i bought one again.

update:

i went mental and just bought a Cotic Soul on ebay (brand new) for 300 quid!

i’m just going to have to suck it up and get me some BB7’s.

thanks for the advice, criticism, suggestions and other wisdom – appreciated.

now i’ve just got to find a way to the little bugger to france…..

can’t wait!

cheers, gairy.