EDIT
OOps, try again
Shame it looks like a gate in XL [img] 
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My eyesights not that great - got a larger pic? Try linking to the image instead of the thumbnail?
I take it this means you took the plunge? If so, enjoy it, they're great bikes.
This any better?
[url= http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ZymhTi_RoyZpeRGiosOZ5g?feat=directlink ]Linky[/url]
Dexter, is that an XL?
Apparently so, looks a bit gate like, even though its 'only' a 20 inch. Have just emailed Freeborn to see if they have any built up to test for fit.
[url= 
/]Here's another pic of an XL from MTBR[/url]
Looks surprising good for an XL. The XL Stumpjumper, or anything largish from Giant, now they are gates.
Last time I spoke with Freeborne (about 6 weeks ago) they had one XL in stock from their first shipment. Apparently there was another batch on their way but they didn't have a delivery date.
i'm loving mine. i do find the front a bit hard to pull slow speed manuals but once the speed is up that's when the fun begins.
160mm forks make perfect sense as i find myself hitting trails much faster than you would think on a 5" bike and the rear stays active under breaking.
one thing from a few other owners, this frame doesn't get on with short cage mechs and a 11-34t cassette due to the amount of chain growth.
i had a heckler for 3 years before this, the spitfire is a world apart.
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I'm running an 11-34 cassette on mine with a Saint rear mech (with a 22/36 up front), and I haven't noticed any issues with this combination. I'm not running the chain particularly slack, either.
I'm running an 11-34 cassette on mine with a Saint rear mech (with a 22/36 up front), and I haven't noticed any issues with this combination. I'm not running the chain particularly slack, either.
Same here - seems fine.
Me likey
there you go steve, first ride today
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Is that Llandegla, by any chance? If so, that means there's now two Spitfires in that neck of the woods...
A black Spitfire in the dark...
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A really poor photo shot last night after I finished building - no illumination other than the flash. I'll try and get something a little better this weekend!
What happened to your polished / blue one??!!
By the way Llandegla is pretty local to me so there could be 3 😀
My - lovely - polished / blue one wasn't very well, and it was terminal 😥
This is the replacement and is looking good, if very different! First ride coming up this Friday.
Mttm what happened to it then..?!
Is that Llandegla, by any chance? If so, that means there's now two Spitfires in that neck of the woods...
yep!
Come on - details of what happened to the blue one!!
Yep, want to know what happened, fancy a raw one...
Hmmm, okay then - but please don't make more out of this than there is.
I was just unfortunate. It appears that the pivot axles were overtightened during original assembly at the factory which resulted in wear to the axles, the links and - to a much lesser extent - the frame. Freeborn were excellent in helping me sort these issues out, and this ultimately included replacing the whole frame under warranty. You really can't say fairer than that.
I truly believe that this was a one off, which was properly and professionally dealt with by Freeborn. I wouldn't let it put anyone off ownership of one of these bikes. [i]Any[/i] production run by [i]any[/i] manufacturer can have an occasional rogue frame that makes it through their QC systems - it's just the nature of manufacturing. I'm completely confident that the new frame is perfect and I can honestly say the experience hasn't dented my enthusiasm for the bike or the brand at all.
PROLINE85 - as I said, don't let this put you off, you'll be amazed how good these frames are! There's simply nothing comparable out there.
Hmmmmmmmm
I'm just about to replace my pivots and bushes due to wear. There is play in the pivot above the bottom bracket and the pivot is worn right down. I've bodged it by wrapping some PTFE tape round the pivot for now to compensate for it being too thin for the bushes.
I showed a pic of my worn pivot to Keith from Banshee and he just said it's normal wear and that's why Freeborn sell pivot & bush kits. I've been riding it A LOT for the last 6 months though.
Shortly after I got mine I noticed some play in the pivots and it turned out (after hassling Keith about it - he must love me!) that they were actually not tight enough and tightening them up (and using threadlock) sorted it.
I also managed to completely snap the pivot behind the BB recently but that was just hamfistedness when tightening it I think. Freeborn sent me one for nothing.
I really like the look of these, but have read conflicting reports over how easy it is to get the front end up. Easy lofting = fun bike in my book.
Sorry to hear that mr_mills. The sort of wear I was getting wasn't what you'd expect from normal wear and tear, and certainly wouldn't have been fixed by just a bushing and pivot kit. Given that Banshee have been using this suspension design on other bikes (Pyre, Rune and Rampant) for some time and that the internet isn't awash with stories of problems, I've chosen to give them the benefit of the doubt.
You [i]snapped[/i] the pivot. Hell's bells, that must have taken some doing.
So it wasn't just a case of the pivots wearing thin where they rub on the bushes? That's ok then 🙂
Not sure what happened with the pivot - it's not like you have to do them up really tight or anything. The bolt in the end was only part way in and just stopped in the thread and... "crack!"
Rickos - they do need a little more oomph to lift the front than some machines. You compensate for it pretty quickly though, and then it ceases to be an issue. Mines built very low at the front (zero rise stem, no spacers and low rise bars), which obviously exaggerates this tendency, and I don't find it to be a problem.
Vey nice bikes folks, anybody got any ideas of what weight they are coming in at?
Mine weighs about 29lb I think. That includes a Joplin seatpost but it's pimped up quite a bit:-
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Thats lighter than i thought! What is ur spec?
You can probably make most of it out from the pic but the main bits are:-
RS Rev Team dual air fork
Mavic Crossmax SX wheels
Hope M4 brakes
XT cranks with Middleburn / Race Face rings and bashguard
also now has a blackspire stinger chains tensioner not in pic
XT cassette
Saint / SLX mechs
SLX shifters
XTR spds
Thomson 70mm stem
Syncros carbon bars 710mm
etc
Nice build! Id be looking to fit talas 36's, looking at geometry for m 5ft 5/6 height, the medium looks the best fit and closest to my Orange 5 pro in 16".
Now! Raw or white?
White is best. Everyone knows that.
Yeah, does look ace in that colour. Ill away and email freeflo bikes.
You might have more luck with Freeborn!
Thats what i meant mate, stupid phone!
Emailed then and awaiting reply.
29.2lbs for mine, here's the build:
Spitfire ano black frame (medium)
Fox 32 Float 150 RL QR15
Hope Hoops (ProII and Flows)
Maxxis Advantage / Crossmark tyres (2.25"/60a)
Hope headset
Hope stem (70/0)
Easton Lo-Rise carbon bars (685)
Ergon grips
XT brakes (180 / 160)
Saint shifters
Saint rear mech
SLX front mech
Raceface Deus XC cranks, Middleburn rings (22/36) and Blackspire bash.
Eggbeater SL pedals
XT cassette (11-34)
Superstar hollow QR Rear skewer
Superstar seatpost clamp
Joplin 4L seatpost
Selle Italia SLR XC saddle
I wouldn't worry about the front end, I went from a med Cove Stiffee to the large Spitfire so a radically different set up. You just adapt your technique for getting the front end up and don't notice it after a while. The long low setup means it's utterly stable like a DH frame on descents and oddly enough really nice to climb.
here's a mate
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toons - that's looking very nice indeed. Here's a few of mine from today.
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First ride on this frame, and it was excellent!
I spotted one of the Brethren on Saturday!
It was a grey one on the back of a car in the Kirroughtree car park.
It's the first one I've seen in the wild 🙂
Can you buy them with different colour rockers as ive seen one of the brushed/dark grey ones with anodized red rockers before
Out of curiosity-
What size spitfires are you all riding, how tall are you and what were you riding before? Any other opinions on sizing gratefully received!
Cheers,
P
I'm 5' 9" with quite a long reach, and ride a medium Spitfire with a 70mm stem and a bit of layback in the post - this is spot on for me, although I do like a bit of stretch. My previous machine was an Orange 5 (18") also with a 70mm stem and my other bike is an Intense 5.5 FRO (medium), this time with an 80mm stem.
Given the long, slack, low nature of the Spitfire, it doesn't particularly lend itself to long stem lengths - plan to run something about 50mm to 70mm, with a decent width bar.
dlr - I don't think you can pick and choose rocker colours (yet). There's been some talk on the MTBR forum that this might be forthcoming, but I don't think it's happened yet.
Thats a shame as I do like my red bits heh. There was one on the MBR stand at the recent cycle show in London, that was teh grey with red rockers. They said it would be in the next issue but it wasnt, perhaps it will be in the one out in a couple of weeks.
I am thinking of a large one (18.5), my only concern is that the TT and front centres are quite long on them and thats my main issue with my current Zesty even with a 50mm stem. Are you able to measure the horizontal TT on yours (centre of stem to centre of post where it crosses) to see how it compares to Mythics figures, 23"/590mm according to the tech on Banshees site for a medium
