For those of you who know me from old you will know how many variations of build this frame has been through – its been rebuilt more times than Triggers Broom! I can’t bear to part with it so It keeps evolving.

I’ve had it built up for a month but tonight was the first time I’ve ridden it*. Got the 700C rims as NOS of eBay and had them built on some old Hope sport hubs. Really does shift for a hybrid, especially with a fat knacker like me riding it!

(*its the first ride I’ve done in 4 months!)

my old charge forks 🙂

Very interested as I commute on mine at present with 26inch slicks and am thinking about rebuilding the wheels with 700c rims. Does it make a noticeable difference going to 700c that makes it worthwhile in your opinion?

Hi GingerOne

Sorry missed your post last night. IMO its worth it (depending on how much you spend on the wheels of course!). Over the same 16m route I was 4 mins faster on this than the 26″ slicked up MTB I rode last winter, and there’s room for a quicker time as I’m not very fit at the minute.

The lighter rims, tyres and tubes make a difference to the rolling resistance.

It does depend on how far you are planning to ride – for a 5-10 mile commute I wouldn’t bother, but if like me you are using it as a alternative to a road bike its worthwhile.

i need to get some slicks for my hybrid hybrid mtb 😉 700 x 32c houffalaize CX tires on it … – 22miles each way so slicks FTW – also need to up the gearing…. 38-16 on a rohloff = spin city !

Cheers for the info. My commute is just under 10 miles and pretty flat, so it sounds on the edge of being worthwhile, but as I don’t have a road bike it would certainly be cheaper and better to get them for other road riding as well as just commuting.
I think I am quite similar to you as I also feel the frame is a keeper as it is good and versatile. Mines done everything from the Tour de Mont Blanc to a 100 mile road sportive!! It’s currently got Reba’s on instead of the RC31’s and its 1×9.

Really does feel like it shifts for a hybrid

the-muffin-man – very nice I like that alot, trouble is it now has me thinking about going 700c on my slick wheeled mtb 🙁

Ha, funny that. I spent last Sunday afternoon tinkering with a spare 456 frame and Crmo 29er forks and made something vaguely similar. I decided there wasn’t really enough clearance for the back tyre but that was with 35 small block 8s on. Might be ok with a gatorskin 🙂

Are the forks standard 26″ corrected for 100mm of travel or are they specific 700c forks?

They’re just standard 26″ MTB forks – 100mm corrected, 440mm axle to crown.