[Closed] My Carrera Blast 24 rebuild

Yep, there is a cable guide underneath:
[img] [/IMG]

A nylon p-clip is just what I need. To the bat-hardware store!

You try to shop local... hardware store had neither 1" gorilla tape or any P clips.

eBay to the rescue, a pack of 6mm metal p-clips with rubber sleeves ordered. Will report back.

The 6mm metal P-clips with rubber sleeves arrived today. They fit really well to the bottom bracket mounting hole, and look like they'll hold the shifter cable well. Once it's all fitted I'll post some photos, and if anyone wants one then I've a few left over I can put in the post for the price of P&P.

Nice going on the build mate.

I like hoping into the thread for a bit of an upbeat read to be honest! 🙂

If the p clips don't hold, I have a pack of ragley cable mounts, and would be happy to stick one in the post.
I might actually use one on my lads blast, I hadn't thought about it before!!

It's looking good Ross!!

I'll photo how I did the cable routing on my lad's..... That the only thing I didn't like when buliding as the Carrera is poor on that front.

The best cable routing on a kids bike I have seen is on the Genesis Core 24 - no inner exposure as it's housed in the outer all the way to the Mech.

Here's the cable routing:

[img][URL= http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy77/johnski15/Carrera%20Blast%2024%20MTB/IMG_20170309_222319_zps8hl2hlev.jp g" target="_blank">http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy77/johnski15/Carrera%20Blast%2024%20MTB/IMG_20170309_222319_zps8hl2hlev.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL][/img]

[img][URL= http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy77/johnski15/Carrera%20Blast%2024%20MTB/IMG_20170309_222435_zpsrbruydcx.jp g" target="_blank">http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy77/johnski15/Carrera%20Blast%2024%20MTB/IMG_20170309_222435_zpsrbruydcx.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL][/img]

ads678, thanks for the offer. The P-clip looks like it might not quite be tight enough so I may well mail you after the weekend.

jonski15, I'm still in awe with your build. 🙂 I've drilled out the cable stops already so hopefully the shifter can run full outer through the existing stops and my P-clip. Somewhat concerned you needed an extra cable tie to hold it all in place though. The brake line is a bit annoying as it has a stupid chicane-style clamp on the chainstay which I doubt a hydraulic line will go into.

Hoping to find the time this weekend to do some building!

This shows when I 1st built the bike and how much the gear cable 'hung' away from the BB and frame - hence the tie wrap in the above photos.

[img][URL= http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy77/johnski15/Carrera%20Blast%2024%20MTB/IMG_20160823_110631043_zpsjxfbift3.jp g" target="_blank">http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy77/johnski15/Carrera%20Blast%2024%20MTB/IMG_20160823_110631043_zpsjxfbift3.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL][/img]

I'm running a hydro line through the chicane, works ok.
I'll try and take a few photos tomorrow...

Those pedals are awesome. Are they the Wellgo KC001? I'm seriously upset they don't come in green or purple.

Standard Halfords rims + Gorilla tape + Rocket Rons don't want to go up tubeless. Might be insufficient taping to seal, might be the rims don't want to grip well. Not bothered enough to struggle, I'll pick up some tubes tomorrow and go tubeless when I can find some replacement rims+hubs for My First Wheel Build.

Also, the Spank Grom grips are awesomely cute.

Here's my version for my 8 year old -

[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3884/32546765933_e2ff41ccd6.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3884/32546765933_e2ff41ccd6.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/RA3FAM ]2016-12-17 10.40.32[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/rick2/ ]Rick[/url], on Flickr

Spec is -
RST F1rst forks (nice proper air forks for 24" wheels)
Old style XT disc brakes
Renthal 50mm stem
BMC flat bars that came on my Trailfox - cut to about 650mm
XT 10 speed shifter and clutch mech
XT cassette and chain (old stuff of mine)
Wheels were some eBay bought hubs that turned out to be a bargain and some BMX cruiser rims - Alienation Deviant. Built up to a nice light set of wheels.
Schwalbe tyres
An old FSA seat post and SDG saddle of mine
Sugino XCT Jr cranks off Amazon. Took the rings off and put on a 32 tooth Middleburn instead.

Naturally the boy loves it!

rossburton - Member
Those pedals are awesome. Are they the Wellgo KC001? I'm seriously upset they don't come in green or purple.

I bought them as Wellgo KC001 but they came as MaLaGE

[img][URL= http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy77/johnski15/Carrera%20Blast%2024%20MTB/IMG_20160823_104513587_zpscxeuvimo.jp g" target="_blank">http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy77/johnski15/Carrera%20Blast%2024%20MTB/IMG_20160823_104513587_zpscxeuvimo.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL][/img]

Same thing though.... They were about £16! Bargain

Some lovely examples here chaps. Proper labours of love. Heres my daughters more modestly modded one. Just upgraded the truly rubbish bits - brakes, bars, stem, pedals and tyres. Didn't go mad as i reckoned she wouldn't be on it for long. She wasn't. She's now up to full size (26 is still full size, right?) on an upgraded Specialised Myka

[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/594/32560389883_681af6d3f3_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/594/32560389883_681af6d3f3_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/RBfvwt ]Blast 3[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/14162682@N00/ ]bin lid[/url], on Flickr

And, yes... I know I really do need to sort that wall out 😀

[url= https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/boys-carrera-bike.-24-wheels.-used.-needs-new-tyres./1222426619 ]24" Blast on gumtree for $1[/url]

I'm heading back to the UK for a visit and was thinking about picking up a blast.. but realistically, even with my parts box, I'd still end up spending this kind of money/time in the process
[url= https://www.evanscycles.com/en-ca/scott-scale-rc-junior-24-2017-kids-bike-EV286284 ]Scott Scale RC Jr[/url]

Some great looking kids bikes here.

Just a comment to make about the wheels. They really are worth spending the money on even if Crest rims seem a bit pricey as they make a massive difference to the weight of the bike and the way they ride.

Apart from the tyres and valves I lost virtually nothing on the wheels I built for my son so maybe worth spending the extra up front just on that item alone.

Everything else can be removed when you sell the bike and put on their new one.

I picked up Tom's 26" wheeled Whyte 403 today and will look to put on the XT running gear over the next week or so, all saved from the upgrades made on his Genesis.

The wheel upgrade is certainly interesting and I'm keeping my eye out for stuff on eBay to build them up bit by bit.

For reference I've just put Rocket Rons and a tube on the stock Carrera front wheel, without a rotor or skewer its 1.5kg (lets say say they're 100g each). I've been told that Crest rims can build up including rotor and skewer to 1.3kg for the front wheel, so that's 400g less.

So this weekend instead of bike building we went to soft play and watched Star Wars II. I did manage to spray the carbon bars black, and buy a pair of Superstar hubs off eBay for the slow wheel build.

Dude from Alexrims got back to me and said if I wanted 50 rims he could sort me out, but not two.

So how many people would be interested in a pair of ACE20 24" rims? (32h, approx 390g) I'm actually wondering if it would be worth getting 50...

ace20 rims are about 410-420g and not particularly great either. they are quite narrow and soft alloy. only good thing is that they are cheap.

Can I use that in my sales pitch?

This is my lads Blast.

[img] [/img]

I forgot I'm not actually running the brake hose through the chicane at the moment as i had to move it fit the rear mud guard. You can also see i'm using cable guides that bolt into the existing bosses on the frame for the brake hose.

[img] [/img]

Still don't know why everyone fixes on 32h rims at their age/size. I weigh four times as much as my 6 year old boy and I run 32h Crests (which are 350g ish) on my old-tastic 26er.

His next bike (photo thread to follow in May!) will have a 36h front, but that's cos it's a lefty hub and quite frankly the dish is very, very odd. 24h rear, as it's from an Islabike.

I'm just going with what hubs I can find for cheap 🙂

As did I. I bought some second hand wheels with decent rims on some shimano hubs. Then I had the rear rebuilt onto a superstar switch hub cos the shimano one died, but the front is still going strong.

My 8 year old lad and his sister when she gets it, are not going to kill those rims!!

As a weight weenie dad, I'd be looking at a 36h disc hub with 24h rim, 2 cross (double alternate? lacing)
Gen1 crests still available at $43us if you have a USA pal as shipping outside usa is shocking.
[img] [/img]
That's all the wheel a kid will ever need.

I have friends in the US, do you have a source for those crests?

[url= https://www.notubes.com/crest-rims ]stans notubes [/url]

odd.. i think I just broke the notubes site. I can't follow the link from here now.

Oh right fair enough. Hopefully the site comes back when you're not looking at it.

So yes, Stans want $100 postage for two rims to the UK. Which is basically UPS plus $8 in packing.

I'm wondering whether I can find a friend to mule two rims back for me, but the other option is that shipping is the same for four rims. Would anyone be interested in buying two rims from me at cost ($43 a rim + $100/2 + whatever to forward from me)

Ignore that: end cost would be a tenner less than buying from the UK.

See if you can find some BMX cruiser race rims. I got Alienation Deviant rims for £12.99 each in the sales. They're 36 hole though, so hubs aren't as easy to find. Light rims (400g or so from memory) and enduro wide at 25mm.

stans 24 inch crests are about £70 each in the UK.

Yeah, £70 each for the 24" mk3 Crest. The mk1 are on sale $43 each (£35) from Stans directly in the US, but want $100 shipping, so £150 for a single pair.

I wonder if the Deviant will go up tubeless... Alienation have new tubeless-certified rims, but they're also £70 each.

Following with interest.

Have a blast frame sat at home ready for a build and have been trying to figure out wheel options that don't cost the earth!

gravitysucks: I'm sticking with the stock wheels for now. Means using 7-speed but I'll keep my eye out for sales or used rims. The tyres that came on my Blast were incredibly heavy.

I've got a cyclist cousin in LA, and visit the states a few times a year in a C17, which is not short of boot space...

downshift: buy all the 24" crests you can and sell them here for a (small) profit!

Between all the moaning about wheels I actually did a little bit of work on the bike. I'm determined to do most of the build with my son so fitting it in means this is taking a while though.

New purple eBay seatclamp is on, stock seatpost with new Madison Y04 saddle. Mech (Sora medium cage) and shifter (Altus 7-speed) are on. The outer I bought was [i]just[/i] long enough to be a full outer, routing nicely through the existing cable stops (once drilled out with a 6mm bit) with a 6mm P-clip (metal clip with a rubber sleeve) screwed into the bottom bracket holding it in place. As discussed above I needed a cable tie to hold the cable tight against the downtube.

[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3719/33396507026_47269cd233_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3719/33396507026_47269cd233_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

Front brake (eBay Deore M615, picked because the lever has reach adjust) is on, although the hose "might" need shortening. Discovered that front 160mm PM/IS adaptors are not alike and the Superstar one I have touches the caliper. Luckily I also had a Shimano branded one which is ~1mm thinner in a critical place.

[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3773/32623039363_d89d8ecc64_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3773/32623039363_d89d8ecc64_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

The highlight of the day has to be the cranks finally arriving. Suntour XCT JR-T202, 152mm cranks with 104mm BCD and 9/16th pedal threads. So pretty much short adult cranks. The original big and middle rings attach as expected, with the granny ring riveted to the middle: there's no mounts for a granny ring. I want to mount a single ring and bash, so this is perfect.

[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/607/33054050730_9c130aa666_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/607/33054050730_9c130aa666_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

[url= https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3898/33437098325_cf7f6bbf00_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3898/33437098325_cf7f6bbf00_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/SWHSpg ]New cranks (rear)[/url]

The cranks weighed in at 900g out of the box, 580g with the rings removed. Adding my ring/bash/bolts it weighs in at 700g. Not exactly lightweight but not that bad. All I need are some purple anodised crank bolts...

Deviant will go up tubeless

I went ghetto as rim tape wasn't sufficient to get the Mow Joe to mount tubless due to the baggy and floppy nature of that specific tire.
The double wall rim bed profile however is absolutely fine for rim tape.

So the pedals just arrived, Stolen Thermalite plastic ones in hot purple. They might be a little too big, but more importantly they just don't seem to be spinning smoothly, it's like they forgot to grease the bearings. Turn the axle slowly and you can feel it "clicking".

that's cause they are shit pedals lol I bought a pair, they didn't last long.

Ha! I emailed Stolen to see if they can be opened up and greased, if they say no I'll just return them and find something else.