When I spoke to Gary, he couldn't slacken the angles for me, which prevented me buying one. They are custom but only within quite tight parameters. I know this prevents them building to a punter's spec', and that then being a dog with their name on it.
mangoridebike
I bought it on impluse s/hand off here so there has been no Curtis involvement. I would have been back to Gary before coming on here if I'd bought it new
Whoops - sorry Ken, I thought it had been a work in progress for you. At least as a S/H purchase you've not an emotional investment in it.
From looking at the picture of your bike again the BB does look high, I'd try some lower travel forks and maybe a higher rise stem / bars?
I've got a new (to me) FS frame in the garage at the moment and my excitment about building it up is tempered by the knowledge that it may not work out an I'm hoping. I guess that's part of the buzz of new bikes 🙂
Ken,
Been in a similar situation when I killed a full sus and had to replace with a hardtail, rode the HT and thought what a load of s**t. Bought a new full sus frame, built it up and thought I would be in heaven again. Not so. The riding style is just sooooo different you really need to give it some time. There are defintely routes I would choose to take the HT on now and some things I would take the full sus on. Give it some time and be open minded. Saying that if after giving it a real go you may just need to get rid and don't be afraid to do just that.
Dm
Anybody else had this doubt over a new bike and what did you do?
Yep 😉 . Chalk it up to experience, sell it on at a massive loss then move on. There are plenty more fish in the bike shop 😉 and experience is great 😀 .
I've been a bike-buying wreck this last month since some potential thieving scumbag tried to nick my Slopestyle from outside work (yes, I know, I know, but I love it to bits and want to ride it everywhere). In my quest for a new commute bike in the last month I've tried a Schwinn cruiser, folding shopper, BMX cruiser, Halfords full-susser (all gone the way of the big 'E') and last night I built up a Cove Sanchez with budget bits and pieces. I was not sure about bonding with this one, especially as the top-tube decal was lacquered over and not removeable (funny, the Handjob and Stiffee never bothered me) but today's ride home via the scenic route was pretty good . . . and it's orange 8)
Santa Cruz Blur4x. After this it will be a LT2, the next/closest thing to a 4x.
Mint.
Got a mojo that I'm falling out of love with.........the Bloody five just feels too good.......stil one good long spin may sort it out or ebay here I come.... 😳
yup, just bought a Cannondale Bad Boy and it's way too small for me 🙁 Hoping the seller (local) will take it back as I've only ridden it a few miles in the dry. *crosses fingers
Yes, just built a Chumba VF1 up and it's too short for me... that will teach me to buy a bike without test riding it. Brilliant bike though, I'm debating wether to just put a long stem on it or stick it on the classifieds.
Hated my 456 when I first built it up. Seemed really slow compared to my old giant yukon. Took about two months and some really hairy technical riding to get the point of the bike. It's more stable and composed a lot more comfortable. Slacker head angle and extra weight needed a bit more fitness to get the same performance speed wise out of it. Now I love it. It really is a [i]Do It All Bike[/i].
Nothing wrong with my Curtis
😆
Ken wind the pikes down to 120mm and accept that it does not like pointing down anything steep. I found it was perfect for uppy downy sweeping natural single track. If you want something slacker with a lower BB have a crack on a Sovereign
mundiesmiester - Member
Ken wind the pikes down to 120mm and accept that it does not like pointing down anything steep.
😯 not accepting that
Here's the bike, it's fitted with non-adjustable travel Marz Z1 Light forks which are set at 150mm travel. [s]I'm going to change the travel to 130mm but I need to get a 130mm travel ETA unit.[/s]
Was going to look for a solution but I think I'll cut my losses and sell it 😕
and save up for a Heckler 😀
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=126jrg&outx=800&quality=70 [/img]
I've wanted a Curtis for ages.... I agree the forks look too long. Could you try it with a more xc setup - shorter fork/longer stem? Seems a shame not to give it more of a chance.
Let me know if you're thinking of selling....not that I need a HT!!!
BB is way higher than the axel isnt it?
looks like it would handle badly just from the photo.
lower the fork to level off the chainstay, and less of a bonkers sweep on the bars?
when you say sell it, i presume you mean sell the frame and swap it for a new frame for the original parts
same build as my summer season pretty much, which i got in "a bit too small" size, and its rad 🙂
Yes Olly sell the frame and swap the bits over to another frame
I have been looking through my spares box and what's fitted to other bikes in the garage to see what I can change
been looking at the Dialled Alpine, Ragley Blue Pig, Sanderson Blitz and Cotic BFe and similar that I can get in a bigger size
Built up a Kona Stinky and it took me a while to get used to it but when I did, I loved it. Stupidly sold it to fund another build and missed it ever since.
Built an Alpine, 15.5" model. Fantastic bike, just not "right". I think I am probably between the 15.5" and 17". Mike tells me that they are now available in a 16" but I try not to listen to him. 😉
Rode a Norco DH bike and hated it, just felt wrong. And like the poster above, tried my bro-in-law's Pitch. Great bike that I wanted to love but just couldn't feel anything for it.
Currently building a DMT Trailstar LT :fingers-crossed:
^hope you like the Trailstar, I'm loving mine 🙂 It's a little short for steep climbs but I've managed Cannock (FTD and monkey) and a 25km'er round The Long Mynd with it, so I think it does ok! Currently contemplating putting a longer stem on but think it might make it crap for jumping.
u-turn pikes go very well on it. Wound in to 110mm for climbing/singletracky stuff then wound out to 140mm (and seat dropped) for descending and jumping! Perfect.
I was looking at a Curtis build earlier this year and they were happy to build whatever I asked for so long as I understood that if it was a complete dog to ride it was my own fault.
I bottled it tbh.
Cube Ltd Race here... un loved from the second shot out.. gave it to my nephew. Problem solved...
I've always loved the look of Curtis frames, but like above, the angles are just retarded. 'Freeride'? WTF....Maybe in 1996. Why are UK frame builders (not designers) so behind the times? Maybe they need to actually try and ride a gnarly trail with a 71 degree head angle and see how it feels.
Conversely, I just built up a Chromag Stylus frame, and holy crap does that thing shift!!
I've put a longer stem (90mm up from 70mm), put some EA70 bars on and with the forks running on 40mm sag on 150mm travel fork it feels loads better.
I'm going to take it to Swinley tomorrow and see how it goes 😕
ken by your standards thats ugly take it to swinley dig a hole and leave it there 😆
rickmeister - Member
Cube Ltd Race here... un loved from the second shot out.. gave it to my nephew. Problem solved...
Is your nephew using it for cycling to work then 😉
showerman - Member
ken by your standards thats ugly take it to swinley dig a hole and leave it there
Yes, I call this bike "Terry" 😉
I know exactly how you feel- I had always wanted a Blur but rode it 3 times and sold it as just didn't bond with it- just had an orange 5 and clicked with it straight away. tbh i think the problem with the blur was the rear shock but couldn't risk spending more money on it and still not liking it
You have to give it a fair whack - then get rid if it isn't right for you. A couple of months would be reasonable and try just riding that and not your other bike(s). You might get it - you might not - but it might be a grower.
Looks like the forks are way too long, causing the high BB. What length forks is it designed around?
I've done this a few times - EBB model Chameleon, Inbred, Dialled Love/Hate - so I just sold them on. Bizarrely I still hanker for a Chameleon (but a medium this time) even though I know I didn't get on with it. How weird is that?
Druidh.. Absolutely.. He is over in August on an Internship organised with the help of folk on here... so he will be on it to Loanhead from Musselburgh...
If you know what I think you might know about this your probably still laughing.... Me, I'll stick with the Marin...
Yup. Ti456 - I hated it with a firey passion.
Cotic Soda - Possibly my fault, I was "in-between" sizes and ended up buying a Large. Should've bought the medium.
Yup. Ti456 - I hated it with a firey passion.
Why? I bought a Ti456 in 18"- I should have bought the 16".
All is at peace with the world 😀
Yesterdays ride round Woburn was a success with no problems (although riding with flatties was a bit weird) so this ones staying in the man cave
A big hi to Tim Drayton, let me know when you're next going to Woburn and we'll meet up
All is at peace with the world
Always good! My world is an absolute mess of bike bits and unfinished projects again now 😕 . The Inbred frame is sitting there begging to be built back up, the Cove Sanchez I bought last week is on ebay 🙄 (cracking ride just a little too long . . . and I'm waaay too picky), still haven't received the tiny Orange Zero frame I bought off ebay over a week ago, and if I'm totally honest the only bike I really want to ride is my completely impractical, but so much fun it should be illegal, Slopestyle . . . sigh.
will do ken!
*note to self: get ass down to Woburn to test new build this weekend*
After a long courtship i managed to get hold of a Ti Litespeed Unicoi.
.
.
.
Hated it. ****n awful thing, noodly out the back, steep angles, just weird geometry (for me). I mean, i knew all about it and somehow though it would be great. I was gutted.
Evil Sovereign was tolerated for a time but did not hack it on the technical stuff. Used it for the commute but it had to go.
Even tho' I've sorted out the riding position and the handling I'm still not feeling the love for the Curtis.
I've been out on it a few times but it just ain't happening. It's anew toy so I should be dead keen to ride it but everytime I look at it in the garage I just keep thinking how much nicer it would be with a Heckler frame (although that is probably not that big a departure from or significantly better than my 5 Spot).
I can feel the need to sell it coming on 😕
Here's another problem: liking your bike until you try an alternative!
I've always reckoned my Ti hardtail was the bees knees. Light, flickable, load it up for off-road tours, fit rigid forks for local routes and commuting. However, I was trying out an Ibis Tranny last night and it brought home to me how "sharp" the steering and handling on the Ti bike are. I'm now hankering after a replacement - mibbe a Ragley Ti?
druidh - Member
Here's another problem: liking your bike until you try an alternative!
Thanks druidh.......something else to think about
I'm ok with finding one I like more. I can always justify that. It's trying to convince myself that I like the Curtis that I'm struggling with
I spent about £200 converting a £300 hybrid to drop bars (and a few other things). It was crap, so I've converted it ALL back apart from the new wheels it got. Waste of frigging money and time that was!
Waste of frigging money and time
There's a huge amount of this happening on here everyday.
I could have stuck with my GT Avalanche 12 years ago and saved so much of the above I could have probably bought a really nice Porsche but it's not always about what you put in but what you get out that makes it worthwhile
Right descision is made. It's going.
I'm going to see if I can swap the frame and put all the bits onto something else
I just need to decide what I want to get
it's not always about what you put in but what you get out that makes it worthwhile
Yes but in my case the bike is almost exactly the same as it was to begin with.
