My nephew suddenly shot up to 5’11 over lockdown and suddenly his 14” Kona L’anai (26er) looked ridiculous. No stock of the 1x10 Vitus Nucleus - or really any other Vitus / Voodoo Bizango / Calibre Line 10 etc under £1k. Mum took to hiring a hardtail at the local easy trail centre for £12 for 1 hour several times a week - so I said if she gave me some budget I’d piece one together. Cost £850 plus I donated some bits like cranks / handlebar / pedals.
Brand X HT01 frame, Recon Gold RL’s 130mm travel, Clark’s M4 brakes, then deore 5100 mech / Slx shifter / Sunrace 11 speed 11-46 cassette and an NX dub crank with steel 30t chainring. I had to build the wheels and they’re ‘robust’ with XT rear / Superstar V6 front hubs and straight gauge Sapim spokes - but I think they look nice enough.
Weight is just a tiny bit over 28lbs. I’ve not seen my nephew actually voluntarily smile before given he’s a 14 year old boy and often on his xbox with headphones on!
Really pleased with how it’s come out.
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Very tidy
Nice one.
Though I believe it is the law to post “needs dropper” whenever a bike is pictured without one.
Where's that like button again?
Yeah, the budget didn’t run to a dropper post. I would have been tempted to donate the one I have waiting for my new build (brand X) but it’s a stealth one and this frame doesn’t have that routing / drilling and it’s 150mm drop which I think would be too big. I reckon for Christmas he should get a 100mm drip external routed brand x!
Ohhhh Nice- super stealthy too!
Yeah I hadn’t seen the new helmet mum had bought him but that’s matt black too - so he’s going to look reasonably cool (other than lack of mtb skills). Could de-sticker the rims for even more stealth but I quite like them as a bit of a highlight on an otherwise very stealthy build.
Looks ace!
Tidy, after all your work I'd be putting a GPS tracker on that.
To many kids getting mugged for their bikes .
Your patio could do with not being photoshopped to look unnaturally clean.
Your patio could do with not being photoshopped to look unnaturally clean.
Haha, I was just thinking the pointing : patio / slightly gammy rose etc hadn’t been picked fault with yet. Porcelain patio tiles do look pretty clean most of the time to be fair 😝💪
Tidy, after all your work I’d be putting a GPS tracker on that.
To many kids getting mugged for their bikes .
I’m hoping that because it doesn’t have a massive brand name splashed across it that it doesn’t get too much attention tbh. Round here the thieves seem to love Boardman / Carrera / Vitus / other big brands mostly. Brand X probably not on the radar.
I need to send some links to my parents for a ground anchor / decent 16mm shackle D lock for the garage and then pop over and fit it.
How are those Clarks M4 brakes? I'm patiently waiting for Halfords to get stock so I can use some vouchers in them. Seem any good?
Oh and feel free to message me about the old Kona, I may have a home for it... Ta!
How are those Clarks M4 brakes? I’m patiently waiting for Halfords to get stock so I can use some vouchers in them. Seem any good?
Oh and feel free to message me about the old Kona, I may have a home for it… Ta!
I think the M4’s are ok. I went out in the street earlier in the week and bombed up and down heavy braking to bed them in. They bedded in slower than I’m used to Guides or Codes bedding in - although the forks were too soft for my weight so brake dive may have made the brakes feel less effective then they were.
For £90 for both ends including rotors, adapters and olives etc I don’t think you can go wrong. I’m going to say for now they’re less powerful than guide R’s though.
Will pm about the Kona - just waiting for photos from mum so I can advertise it!
*checks pointing and patio*
I have nothing to add to this thread.
😜
You’re all slipping....no-one has picked me up on the front tyre not having the logo aligned with the valve. Rear all present and correct.
I had a massive fight getting the Butcher on the rim - that’s the 2nd Butcher that’s given me a massive drama. First one was black diamond but this one is only a grid. Odd.
Looks great, and the spec seems fairly decent. He should have a lot of fun on that.
Looks great, and the spec seems fairly decent. He should have a lot of fun on that.
As a first proper mtb I’m happy with the spec - apart from the fork I’d probably be happy riding it tbh. In comparison to my Lyriks the Recons look / feel a bit flimsy!
If he gets into it he can always upgrade - most of the bits would be fine with a better frame / fork. Just the rear wheel would need a new hub as it’s 9mm qr. it’s that spec that was the reason I built wheels myself as difficult to get budget matching wheels with a 15x110 boost front hub but 9mm qr rear.
I built one of those, I also put a Recon fork on it which wasn’t very good. With a slackeriser head set fitted it rides really well.
I’ve fitted a Manitou Mattock fork now which seems much better, but I’ve only ridden it briefly once since changing it.
Ive not really ridden a Recon for any meaningful amount of time. I had a quick go on a hire bike at Leeds Irban bike park but the fork was well most it’s best and think it was a TK damped one.
This one is at least one with alloy (gold) stanchions and notion control
Damping with some adjustment for both compression and rebound. My nephew is coming from a Kona with some kind of suntours on it so it’s a big step up tbh.
"cough" I might just have a nearly new 125 Bird dropper if you are interested? and it fits?
If it’s a 31.6 seat tube I have an external brand x 125 dropper that I removed from my hardtail yesterday which is going spare now
It is a 31.6 but I don’t know right at this second if my nephew has any cash he wants to part with or not. How much would you want? I think I’ve got a spare Bontrager dropper lever in my spares box too.
PM’d you