For this edition of Readers’ Rides, Roland and Jon both share their titanium hardtail mountain bikes.
Roland L’s Cove Hummer
Why this bike?
The Hummer is my lifer bike , others may come and go but this one will be with me to the bitter end! The pic below (excuse the glare ?) the first trip overseas with it, I rode the Kamikaze course at Mammoth on it, it’s been to Morzine, Whistler (caused a lot of jealousy there ! ) it’s even been in the mag (I think) many moons ago on the Quantocks with Chipps. It took my Airborne Lucky Strike to get written off to get it as an insurance replacement, the frame went back to Litespeed for a new rear triangle (the courier managed to misplace it ?) after a chainsuck issue – triple chainsets! So yep, we’ve been through a lot together ❤️
Fork:
Fox 32 (not original)
Suspension Set Up:
???
Wheels:
Hope Pro 3 (collector’s items!)
Tyres:
Continue [sic] and Maxxis
Chainset:
Shimano XT 3 x 9
Drivetrain:
Shimano XT
Brakes:
Shimano XT
Bars & Stem:
Syncros / Whyte
Grips:
Onza
Seatpost:
Thomson
Saddle:
SDG
Size and Weight:
18” / pass
Additional Comments:
It’s been like this for a couple of years , like long married couples we only go out together now on special occasions or if I do a Sustrans workday. Covered a lot of the history above, I could go on for hours about the scrapes we’ve been through together!
Jon C’s Smokestone Bow-ti
Why this bike?
I’ve had a medium Smokestone Henderson for a few years, which is the alloy version and is an amazing trail fatbike. It’s been my one bike, quiver killer and I love how it rides however I’ve always found myself between sizes med/large. I should be on a large but prefer a longer dropper than that would allow me so theres always been a little niggle there.
I’d managed to save up enough cash over the last year (no holidays etc.) for a Bow-ti, the titanium version. I’ve always wanted a custom ti frame since the days of flicking through the mags in the early 90s lusting after a Merlin, Moots or Dean and Graham at Smokestone provides frames to order, so you can go with the standard geo or order a complete custom for around the same price.
I already had AXS on my Henderson, and the plan was to do a bit of parts transplanting, wanting a clean looking bike so I ordered a custom geo frame with minimal guides and routing – its standard large geo but with shorter seat tube length for my height & 170 drop Reverb. I did get a dropper guide installed on the seat tube incase I revert to a cable dropper at some point, and also and a additional bolt on the down tube for bolt on guides if I need them – a bit of backwards future proofing. The back end is 177mm wide so my existing wheels could swap over – 197mm is the standard for wider 5″ tyres, but I don’t plan to go that wide.
The frame is incredibly versatile, it can take fat bike tyres 26 or 27.5 as well as 29r wheels – and can be set up in a variety of ways from bikepacking to trail, some have even created dropbar versions. I already ran my Henderson with the option of rigid forks & RockShox Bluto sus forks & an alternative set of 29r and fat wheels so most of the parts just swapped over. I just pick they type of riding im going to be doing and swap bits over for 10min before leaving. SRAM AXS is a game changer for this. I’ve a set of Ritchey Kyote swept bars for long days in the saddle but bought a new set of bars and stem for general trail riding – 77designz which are super light weight 35mm bars and matching stem which only weighs 85g!
Other parts include the fat version of Cane Creek eeWings, because, well, more titanium & as I was waiting for the frame to be built I managed to save a bit more.
Fork:
Rockshox Bluto & Carver Popeye rigid
Wheels:
Tune hubs built with Sapim CX-Ray ray spokes on Light Bicycle carbon rims & hHope Fatsnow built on Nextie carbon 29r rims
Tyres:
26″ Surly Nate & 29″ Vittoria Barzo
Chainset:
Cane Creek eeWings
Drivetrain:
SRAM XO AXS with Garbarkuk 10-52 cassette
Brakes:
Hope Tech 3 E4 front / X2 rear
Bars & Stem:
77 designz 45mm stem / 35mm rise bar
Grips:
ODI Dreadlocks
Seatpost:
RockShox Reverb AXS
Saddle:
Brooks C13 Carved 145mm
Accessories:
Paracord wrapped chainstay, 76 projects storage, Fidlock bottle
Size and Weight:
5’10” and too heavy….
Want to share you bike with the group?
Whether you’ve got a special new bike or just a bike that’s special to you, this is where you get to tell us about it!You send us your submissions, and then we cast ourjudgementalexpertlustful eyes over them and bring them to the world to ooh and ahh over. We’re picking the prettiest, the most curious, and the ones with a good story for you to appraise, praise, and maybe look wistfully at.
Replies (3)
Comments Closed
I’d like to love my ti hardtail more. But a 12yo Lynsey Ridgeline 29 is outperformed by its modern FS stablemate in all areas, out of the saddle climbing aside.
Aww… My 27.5 Lynskey Summit got stolen. Was so chuffed to get hold of a Ti full bouncer. At the same time this was nicked, my full XTR Zaskar LE went too.
Bad times.
My litespeed built Hummer lasted 4 years before it cracked. Got a Linskey built replacement under warranty, however 29ers were starting to appear, so that was that!