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My 03 Heckler.
Was lucky enough to have the spare cash, and also put together a specification that's meant I've had a class all round bike since. I've had a couple of hard tails since then, and a DH bike, all lovely. But if I had one bike that would be it. I'll be devastated when it dies...
Spec:
* 03 Heckler - large (IIRC!) - 5th Element coil shock (I've upped the spring as I'm 'bigger' now).
* 03 Marzocchi Bomber Drop Offs - with ETA flicky switch thing.
*XT Groupset.
*Hope Mini Discs - probably the only poor component. 185/165
*EA70 Finishing kit, risers, 90mm stem.
*Hope hubs
*521 rims - v-brake ones - tougher (and they have some gouges in them now!)
* Fizik saddle.
* 959 pedals.
Tis an excellent bike, with the platforming shock, and the front ETA'd down to 30mm it climbs amazingly well (better than I am able basically).
At the top, drop the saddle, flick the switch and it's 130mm all round and a manic descender.
Only gripe would be that it's not prima-donna light but that's fine,nor am I!
Over here in Aus (now) it's probably overkill as trails round me are either flat as or so technical that it's trial bike land (so a hard tail is fine) and of course with it being so dry rim brakes are pretty much all that's needed.
Swapped components:
* Middleburn slick shift rings on front - why not!
* New rear mech, mech hanger and re-laced rear wheel following a trail mech meets wheel moment. Bike still rode off the hills with three gears and also several spokes missing.
* the fizzik saddle - had a WTB but that wasn't comfy for me.
* a new chain at some point I'm sure...
I've never had the forks serviced, and had the shock done by Tim Flukes before I came over here. Bought a bearing kit, and changed shock bushes when I refitted the shock, swing arm bearing still A1 (thanks in part to a little bit of a palstic milk carton acting as a mud guard at the swing pivot).
I like my bike.
Raleigh Dynatech SX. The one with the steel and titanium tubes glued in. ****ing rubbish in every way, but it was my first bike and I loved it. Still in my shed with ancient azonic "dh" handlebars and marzocchi xc600 56mm travel air forks. Phat.
My custom853 Chas Roberts Genesis, bit of an old sled now but having had disk mounts and a respray is now kitted out as a singlespeed with a newer fork. Does more work than my other 2 mtbs combined!
My Cotic Simple
Without a doubt my 2004 Orange MsIsle.
Followed closely by a GT I-Drive which I still regret selling.
My Orange 5 AM
Hoping my ti456 will be the best bike I've ever had but until I thrash it off road I have to reserve opinion.
other than that its the Summer Season Inbred i bought off Ton last year. I was a hooligan on it...
Got a nice alp 'd up S-Works enduro (its a frame now with a few bits on it) but like teatosugars and his Heckler, can't put my finger on why I can't seem to chuck it about more but technically, it should be the best bike I've ever ridden.
It has to be my Intense 951 as it's the bike I enjoy riding most
Cotic Soul, replaced with a full sus, just not as much fun, saving for another, one day.........
Still loving my '08 Meta 5, it's a cracking bike 😆
My first real MTB an 04 Stumpjumper FSR (started MTB at 38), wasnt a mag test those bikes didnt win that year and quite rightly so, other than eating sus bushes it was absolutely flippin ace, changed most bits to a fairly bling spec and it rode lovely, bought an 05 frame a bit later and I never quite loved it the same.....
Also really loved my Tinbred, finally got it into dream spec after about 3 years of haggling and buying and selling bits 1 week before it was stolen. But if I had to choose to have 1 frame back the humble FSR would probably be it.
I think it was my '98 Intense Uzzi SL. I snapped the frame twice but still loved it. I ordered a medium, I didn't notice for moths that they'd delivered a large. However, with a 70mm stem it actually worked perfectly for me! Also, it was the first bike I ever rode in the Alps and it was a lovely hot week. Very fond memories of that bike.
Well surely my 2002 or 2003 rocky mountian switch, as I can't get over the fact that I will get rid of it...
Probably the Airborne Lancaster that I cracked last year. I bought it second hand as a complete bike (admittedly with a crap build) for 550 quid on ebay in 2004 and I probably did about 10,000 miles on it.
Mind you the Independent Fabrication Deluxe that I replaced it with is pretty special. 😉
I'm with Samuri. My £300 second hand Inbred was excellent and I really do regret selling it. Put a massive smile on my face everytime I rode it.
But for all round fun and a bike I think will stay with me for a long time, my Blur 4X does everything I want of it, just as I'd want it to.
'95 Explosif. Many others have come and gone, but 15 years later this one still gets ridden most days.
My Pipedream Sirius has been absolutely fantastic over the last 3 years. The new Prophet is great, but I'm getting used to riding a full suss, so it may take a while. I'm hoping, though, that it'll be up at the top of my list before long.
was that columbus andyp?
Have had loads of bikes over the years from hardtails, light weight AM full sus bikes to full on DH bikes and have never been attached to any of them other than the two below:
DeKerf Team SL, 853 frame with disk mounts brought new from Recycle/Vince (anybody remember them?) such a nice looking and riding bike, really wished I had kept it, sold it to buy a Cove Hummer which again was a nice bike but sold to buy a Curtis FR.
My 575 is the best specced bike I have ever owned (Vanilla RLC's, Fulcrum Red Metal 3, Avid Juicy Ultimates, XT/XTR, Thomson and Easton CNT finishing kit)and I love the way it rides, BUT I can't say it rides that much better than my Giant VT that I ran with Pikes, M4's, Hope Hoops and XT, in some ways I prefer my VT even though it looked like a shed by comparison. (Sadly stolen Jan 08)
[i]was that columbus andyp? [/i]
columbus max, aye. Lovely 🙂
Five
[i]jeez, what's wrong with you people. The obvious answer is...
inbred.
[/i]
So the best bike I've ever owned is er, something I've never owned. Ah, right 😕
Yamaha TDR250 - hilarious to ride. Bicycle - my brew bmx race bike. Mountain bike - the 456 i've just sold ..oh!
'96 Kona CinderCone chromo frame, was excellent until the drop-out snapped, think I would still be riding it if it hadn't. 🙁
My old GT Zaskar, built up with pace forks front disc brake and a mixture of xt and hope wheels, amazing bike!! I rode this everyday for about 5years! Then sold it to Wozza.
andyp i remember working in a bike shop that year and knowing that would be a vintage.
should have bought one.
Raleigh Chopper 1970 , now a Orange 5 pro 😀
Jointly:
Orange 224dd
Rocky Mountain Thin Air
Each and evry time i rode either of these bikes I came home smiling like a buffoon.
Having said that, my new Nicolai Helius ST is impressing me far more than any bike I've owned in the last couple of years.
with Rusty here, best was my Ducati Pantah
My old P7 was a great bike. I sold it to get an inbred which was ok but didnt inspire me as much at the P7. Only really sold it as it had a 1" steerer and couldnt get a modern fork for it. The old Judy XC on it was basically just a heavy rigid fork.
My current HL 5 spot will be with me till either it breaks me or I break it. Cant ever see me getting rid.
My Soda. Loved the Cotic geometry since the start and my Soda feels like the ultimate incarnation of what an all round mountain bike was always meant to feel like. After riding off road for the best part of 20 years it seems like it woulda made sense at any point in that time and makes sense now. It's timeless.
Currently rigid singlespeed with a 29er fork, it's spot on with 120 mm forks which are spot on for all round hardtailering. It feels 'right' everytime I sit on it. It fits me perfectly and is virtually identical to the frame I'd build myself if I was designing. I *might* change the cable routing, but that'd be it. And all this gushing is unheard of for someone as finickity as I am. 😳
Loving my zesty this past year but the new Yeti 5 thats coming out next year looks like i could find a space for it in my heart too.
I do enjoy the wee Yeti 4x i have as well in a different way to the zesty. All good though. Been my faves out of the many i have got through.
sunn bmix
£299 of pure fun. way way way ahead of its time
hey just out of interest >>>> if you still have an original raleigh Chopper bike ( wud they be worth a bob or two now ? ) remember the tassles we used to have dangling from the handlebars ! hahahahha
and that 'clunk 'clunk' gear change thingy in the middle of the frame (nice one ) teeheeee.....i wouldnt mind another go actually ! lol
either my Parkpre Team TI framed XC bike or my Cnanondale F900SX with the original Lefty fork