[Closed] Ibis Bow-ti photo shoot (picture heavy!) - for those who are interested 🙂

Blinking flip psychle, that is so very, very nice.

She's mint. You can't ride her (or split her for components). Keep her to look at - perfect.

Are they basically a URT design with the pivot being a bendy bit of ti?

That rear mech is ace!!

Rear mech is neat, but that and the shifters clash horribly with the rest of the bike. Put them back in the boxes, flog for loads of money and put on some M950 XTR instead - would look pretty classy then IMHO. Would also benefit from a gold KNC chain (too modern, but who'd know) and some gold or green ano bolts I reckon, but that's just me!

What are the spokes on that? I'm sure I've never seen gold spokes (apart from alu ones, but those are steel aren't they?)

Did you ride it to the park to take pictures, or are you trying to preserve the mold-release tufts on the tyres?

Very nice.....summer only I should think.

Now beauty can be an end in itself but I have to ask.....why would you make a full suss out of titanium? I love my Ti hardtail for the feel of the ride but I cant see the point in full suss where the rear shock is working away.

I'd be really tempted to build that up with some top end modern stuff. The big question is how does it ride? It seems interesting, best case scenario its like a hardtail with travel worst it's like a Klein Mantra! I thought it looked very good when it came out and I still do.

Did you ride it to the park to take pictures, or are you trying to preserve the mold-release tufts on the tyres?

Walked down there 😳 tyres aren't retro (I don't think?), front is a Choir master and rear is a Nokian Gazzaloddi.

Rear mech is neat, but that and the shifters clash horribly with the rest of the bike. Put them back in the boxes, flog for loads of money

Yep, agree with you there, and that's the plan for them I think 🙂

Spokes are DT Swiss I think... not sure of type? Took this shot of the logo to try and ID them:

[img] [/img]

Now beauty can be an end in itself but I have to ask.....why would you make a full suss out of titanium? I love my Ti hardtail for the feel of the ride but I cant see the point in full suss where the rear shock is working away.

Titanium is what makes this suspension design possible, it couldn't be done with any other metal. The 'bar' you can see running from the BB up to the top tube acts as a spring and the whole frame flexs to give 5" of travel... it's very cool (and unusual!) 🙂

Ah OK.....maybe was a solution in search of a problem!

Great build....don't let it out of your sight.

Titanium is what makes this suspension design possible [...] it's very cool (and unusual!)

Agreed, it's a wonderful thing. I always used to fantasise about designing a none-URT pivotless Ti suspension bike (when most other kids were dreaming about Lamborghini Diablos, or having it off with bare ladies).

Ah OK.....maybe was a solution in search of a problem!

[url= http://www.castellanodesigns.com/diff.html ]John Castellano Designs, the man behind the 'Sweet Spot' suspension design[/url]

Oh, and whilst you're lining the tyre labels up with the valves, lose those valve caps.

What are the spokes on that? I'm sure I've never seen gold spokes (apart from alu ones, but those are steel aren't they?)

They're DT Titanium MMC spokes, eye wateringly expensive back in the day!

Agree on the mech/shifters, some M950s would look spot on. I've still got a rear mech kicking about!

I thought they might be Titanium spokes... how durable are they?

They're DT Titanium MMC spokes

Shame it's a clamp on front - I've got an unused NOS E-type M950 (anybody interested - carbon plate, lighter than current XTR?)

Those mechs were lovely, it's weird Shimano did that, and they did the carbon v-brake booster, then gave up on carbon altogether for years!

The spokes weren't known for being durable! They are light though (much more so than I thought!)

It needs new forks too, the Bombers look crap! Some 1999 SID SLs or something.

just wondering, would the bombers be worth much (brand new in their box with manual)?

Was thinking a modern fork might be nice, but not sure if any still come with v-brake mounts?

Seems a shame to put a modern fork on it, though I have to agree that those bombers don't entirely do the rest of the build justice. Still a gorgeous build, but I was thinking some old SIDs would be cool too.

would the bombers be worth much (brand new in their box with manual)?

Personally I disagree with Nick and think they go with the bike anyway (doidn't think early SIDs were that aestheticly pleasing, and certainly not brilliant functionally).

cool, that's kind of what I thought, maybe I'll just pop them up on the Bay and see what happens... would hate to see them go for nothing though, guess I could put a reserve on there 😆

doidn't think early SIDs were that aestheticly pleasing, and certainly not brilliant functionally

Which is why they'd be a perfect match 🙂

😆

😯 those wheels are worth a fortune then!

The spokes weren't known for being durable!

So the wheels will be coming off, only to be used for sunny and bone dry cruising/posing 😆

psychle thats mint. im not at all bothered by retro stuff but that is beautiful.

how much time and effort did it take to source the parts or did you buy it as a whole?

Some old school pre-2001 Crossmax would be nice on there. Before they went all bladed-spokes and what not!

Edit: it was an eBay special! It came up last week. Does look good I must admit.

This might be a stupid question (most of mine are) but...
...WHAT DOES IT RIDE LIKE? 🙂

how much time and effort did it take to source the parts or did you buy it as a whole?

I cheated... bought her as a complete build. full credit goes to a chap I only know as Jed who sadly passed away last year. He apparently owned/ran a couple of bike stores in Wales (out Rhayader way I think?), his widow found the whole lot in the attic and asked one of his former bike shop colleagues to put it all together and sell... and that's where I got lucky 🙂

This might be a stupid question (most of mine are) but...
...WHAT DOES IT RIDE LIKE? 🙂

I don't know 😳 haven't ridden her yet and I won't till I sort out a replacement for the rear shock (don't want to put any wear on that at all) and a new set of wheels and drivetrain... by all accounts it's an interesting frame to ride, some like it, some don't... there are a few reviews on [url= http://www.mtbr.com/cat/bikes/frameset/ibis/bow-ti/PRD_351298_119crx.aspx ]mtbr.com[/url]

does the down tube touch on - what are effectively - the seat stays?

that mech is gopping! can see it going for decent money if you were to sell it on.

and now i want gold spokes, too.

if you are looking to sell any of the parts then have a look at shifting them in Germany. they go mad for retro bits.

here would be a good place to advertise:
http://bikemarkt.mtb-news.de/bikemarkt/

if you want any help with the language then let me know.

well done with your purchase!

Funny you mention the Germans and the mech in the same post, I found a set on the bay with a guy asking EUR499 for them! blimey 😯

May well take you up on the language help, thanks 🙂

does the down tube touch on - what are effectively - the seat stays?

There's a 1-2mm gap between the downtube 'spring' and the seatstays, they don't touch.

A spoiler.

Don't ride it too much or else this will happen......

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

40000 miles over 11 years though.

That oval down tube is irreplaceable BTW. I'm still waiting to hear from John Castellano about this. Apparantly the tube can be replaced with a bar with holes cut out in a lattice form.

Compared to my Mojo SL, its not an efficient climber and the frame can't take a long travel fork. Its very flexy, but has that unique titanium ride quality.

Blinking flip psychle, that is so very, very [s]nice[/s] clean.

Don't ride it too much or else this will happen......

is that the same one on mtbr.com? yep, just checked and you're the same poster 🙂 40000 miles, not a bad fatigue life eh?

thats awesome. so jealous!

is that the same one on mtbr.com? yep, just checked and you're the same poster 40000 miles, not a bad fatigue life eh?

Yep, that's me. Not sure if John C can fix it or I find a really good frame builder/ TIG wizard over here.

Your Bow-ti looks like its never been ridden. Mine's covered in scratches and the decals look tatty.

Are those spokes titanium? DT Swiss used to make them. I was after some for my Bow ti but the importer said they were obsolete.

Very nice Ibis.
Would interested in those Avid brakes should you decide to split...

Your Bow-ti looks like its never been ridden.

It hasn't been. it's spent the past 11 years in an attic!

Are those spokes titanium? DT Swiss used to make them.

Apparently yes, they are the DT Titanium MMC spokes 🙂

That is fit.

End of transmission.

it's spent the past 11 years in an attic!

Someone spent $4500 (that's what I paid for mine) on a frame like that and stuck it in a loft? Insane.

Someone spent $4500 (that's what I paid for mine) on a frame like that and stuck it in a loft?

Apparently so... I do wonder why, maybe he saw it as an investment or maybe he just never got round to building it up? being a bike shop owner I guess he got it at a decent rate (I thought they were around USD$6000 frame only)?

I ordered mine through the now defunct Irvine Bikesource. I think $6000 was for a complete bike. Oops, were you ripped off?

They used to be imported by Dream Cycles. Based in Norfolk as I recall. The UK price was over 3000 quid.

Oops, were you ripped off?

Honestly, I think I paid a good price for it all, pretty sure the last frame I saw sold in the US went for around USD$3500 (frame only that is).

I still say split and flog..
Pretty but split and flog.

Ooh, no-one's mentioned the Cook Bros stuff. I used to lust after those cranks back in the day. Dark red ones. But the black will do! Lovely.

they're one thing I don't think I'll part with, they're fitted with very nice (and blingin sharp!) Egg chainrings and a Royce Ti BB as well, schweeeet as maaaate! 🙂

That does look very nice and all in incredible condition. Enjoy it.

can we please do a sweepstake if you split.

That is one absolutely stunning array of parts.

It has been suggested before but if it was mine I would definitely strip off all the parts, put them in a glass case to drool over, then build the frame up with a nice lot of modern parts and rag it round the trails with a huge grin on your face 😉

It has been suggested before but if it was mine I would definitely strip off all the parts, put them in a glass case to drool over, then build the frame up with a nice lot of modern parts and rag it round the trails with a huge grin on your face

you'll have more fun ragging a more modern bike round the trails

Debatable, in much the same way as saying Caterham R300 drivers will have more fun than someone driving a Morgan Roadster !

I would just [b]have[/b] to know how the frame rides - the parts are less important, to me at least.

I think I may know of some history of this bike - and why it ended up in a bike shop owners attic!

A guy I used to work with (who also passed away recently) had a house in Barmouth. He was mad about bikes - had dozens, rode loads and commuted every day to work by bike - a great bloke.

We would talk lots about bikes and he was always raving about the Ibis Bo Ti. He had only ever seen one of them - in a bike shop somewhere in Wales. The story goes that a guy went into the bike shop and ordered the bike to be kitted out with all of the top end kit - no expense spared. Given the extent of the purchase, some money exchanged hands prior to it being built (of this I have no idea how much). Anyway, the guy said he'd come back to pick it up soon, but apparently left no contact details.

The bike was built up and the bloke never turned up to collect. The shop owner apparently then hung the bike in his window for display for years and it was never collected. I am guessing that it then ended up in his attic.

It sounds too much of a coincidence that two such bikes would be around in pristine condition - so I am assuming they are one and the same!

A wonderful story Psycle, thanks for sharing, and it is indeed a lovely thing to behold.

But this remark above -

That is one absolutely stunning array of parts.

hits the nail on the head. It's not really a bike yet. Not properly. It's never been ridden, and that's the be-all and end all of it's existance, it's single sole purpose. And that's a crying shame.

It is a lovely thing to own for sure, but sometimes when something is just too good to ride, like that is, at that point it loses its appeal for me.

I would just love to know what it rode/rides like.

The bike was built up and the bloke never turned up to collect. The shop owner apparently then hung the bike in his window for display for years and it was never collected. I am guessing that it then ended up in his attic.

It sounds too much of a coincidence that two such bikes would be around in pristine condition - so I am assuming they are one and the same!

Interesting addition to the story Monkeyp, thanks for that 🙂

It's not really a bike yet. Not properly. It's never been ridden, and that's the be-all and end all of it's existance, it's single sole purpose. And that's a crying shame.

I agree that it hasn't achieved it's orignal purpose yet, but I wonder if it hasn't 'transcended' this and become something else, a work of art perhaps? All a bit wishy washy I know, it is after all a bike and it was built to be ridden and too have fun on, it was never built as a showpiece (say as a one-off custom jobbie for the NAHBS or somesuch)...

Received an email from John Castellano (the designer of the Bow-ti and it's ilk) this morning, in his words:

What to do - what to do... It would be a sin to ride it, and probably a bigger sin not to!

Hurrah he said ride it.... or did I read what I wanted.

lets have a go pshycle... 🙂

mmm - maybe the bike is cursed - buyer never collects (dead?), shop owner dies, lusting MTBer dies - I'd watch out Pshycle!!!

teleological, that's a big word isn't it! guess it does apply here, though isn't it normally to do with God?

Monkeyp, do you remember the name of that bike store by chance?

cheers 🙂

it's spent the past 11 years in an attic!

I think I may know whose this was, am I right in guessing its from Hampshire and he's got a lot more interesting stuff that loft, an unused Roberts Dogs Bollox for instance.

Chris had a house in Barmouth, however I think he knew some guys from Builth Wells Cycle Team/Club - to be honest it could have been anywhere in that band of Mid Wales! It does however fall within the Rhayader region you mentioned

I think I may know whose this was, am I right in guessing its from Hampshire

As far as I know, the chap lived in Wales. Googling around a little, I suspect he may have been Jed Ireland, owner (?) of Greenstiles Cyclery in Llandrindod Wells. Not completely sure of this, but it ties in with what I know so far...

That sounds like it could be the one as they have a place in Machynlleth - this was Chris's regular riding area. Jed obviously had an infallible concience to have kept it this long untouched - maybe in the hope that the owner would collect it at some point!

Or more likely he just didn't have the time/wasn't that fussed about it!

I think if I had several grands worth of unclaimed bike lying around for the best part of 11 years I would have considered selling it!

It's got to have cost in the region of £6k to build

I know that park!!!

have you put this on retrobike yet?
they're going to cream themselves...
you might also get some interested parties offering you money for parts

It's got to have cost in the region of £6k to build

No way, a lot of the bits at the time weren't that expensive. The notable exceptions are the frame and wheels.

new set of wheels and drivetrain...

Why oh why would you change what is a very nice bit of history, if you sell off parts and replace them, its not the same story / bike

Just get it riding and enjoy it, splitting it, changing it or the like would be a sin!

Why oh why would you change what is a very nice bit of history, if you sell off parts and replace them, its not the same story / bike

AFAIK, the spokes on the wheels aren't replaceable, so wouldn't want to risk damaging them... won't be selling them, they'll be kept for the occasional dry & sunny 'posers' pootle 😉

The SRAM shifters and mech, well I'm not a huge fan of them, as has been pointed out they do clash with the rest of the bike, plus they appear to be worth quite a bit of dosh (if I can find the right buyer) so they'll probably go to fund some nice XTR bits (maybe retro, maybe new...)

Cook Brothers cranks and rings, well I like these as well, but they're a bit too nice (to me) for general use, so they'll be kept but probably not ridden.

but they're a bit too nice (to me)

isnt that the idea of that build? the whole thing is nice, retro but nice. Just think it would be a shame to change it from what the original person did, imho and its begging to be ridden...

I think you need to buy a bike shop to hang that in.

😆 🙂

psychle - I ride mine all year round. I bought it fair few years ago and love it, even did the passportes du soleil on it a couple of years back, as somebody said before, just ride it. You'll change parts as they go and I agree with some, the mix of parts is a bit dodgy, altho some of very nice.

Mine rides just fine.

On mine, I've changed the alpes shock for new fox one and that worked a treat, I also sent mine to steve potts and had disk brake mounts added, he cleaned the frame and made it look like new. To the guy who has a broken frame, steve potts has built a complete bike to scratch recently and can replace all the tubes, even the thin one. I run mine with 100mm forks and they are fine but I wouldnt go longer.

Get in touch mate if you want any more info.

Thanks TPM, I've just had an email from John Castellano saying that he doesn't do that type of repair anymore, but for 6000 bucks he'll build me a 'Bow Ti 2'.

Excuse was that most of the other tubes on the frame would probably fatigue soon anyway.

I'll get this tube fixed, then see how we go. Steve Potts sounds a safe bet (or Enigma bikes perhaps)

I would only recommend steve, his work on my bike is awesome, totally a work of art.

psycle, please accept my apologies for the crude pic but I've just come accross your thread and thought this might be of interest..

your frame is the top-left of the four..

[IMG] [/IMG]

Greenstiles cycles in machynlleth sometime in '99.(I managed the shop for a few years). All the frames were bought by a guy called ray, a very colourful character! In the pic are 3 moots mootaneers and your bow-ti. We initially built him up a merlin xlm, sometime around '97 I think. He carried it down the road from the shop with a dustsheet over it so it wouldnt get marked! He then came in periodically with huge amounts of cash and orders for the frames in the pic, plus lots of high end parts. We talked about building them up, then he just disappeared! I've still got the negatives so could do you a couple of prints of the pics if that would be of interest?
Very sad to hear that jed has died, he was one of the nicest people you could ever meet.

man that bike is fantastic 😯 😀

Could do with a clean