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@Kbrembo: How well do ESI Aqua grips match the frame colour?
Clink- I'm in Buckfastleigh, south Dartmoor. So not too far away from you
miranmtb - Member@Kbrembo: How well do ESI Aqua grips match the frame colour?
Depending on the light...90% match
Depending on the light...90% match
Tnx, so not that bad ... black grips look a bit dull, looking for more colour 😀
julioflo - I'm Totnes based with a Jones if you ever fancy a go on that....
oh, and we may be able to lure Clink and a certain Puffin rider off here down for some exotic riding too.... 😉
I've now had a couple of rides on my Stooge - Dartmoor and SSUK. I prefer it over the Jones I had. In my mind is equally good going down but a better climber (ss).Clink, As a reunited Jones owner and designer of a few bikes now, I wondered what made/makes the Stooge a better climber in your view? My understanding is its shorter at the back, slacker at the front and higher at the BB. None of which, when applied to mechanics of climbing on a bike suggest better climbing but the opposite.
To be clear, I get to ride with a Placid Casual and his a Stooge and I like the look of it, I have no axe to grind or competitive motive, just interested from the position of a geometry geek 😀
My understanding is its shorter at the back, slacker at the front and higher at the BB. None of which, when applied to mechanics of climbing on a bike suggest better climbing but the opposite.
Head angle / slacker alone makes little odds on climbing, weight distribution and actual trail does though. A longer wheelbase can give you more room to move without upsetting your general balance - shorter works for some, less so for others. And when set-up SS, either bike will have a rear end length dictated by gearing, I'm guessing that both bikes will set up the same if the EBBs are centred in a place that allows the usual range of gears and 2.4 tyre room.
Was waiting for the Jones ride-comparisons to surface : ) The stooge seems to be as close to hardtail 29er geo as it is to a Jones but the idea of a higher front and more offset to get your hands behind the f axle is Jones-originated. That makes a big difference over conventional geo imo. There's other bikes with 69-70 head angles and 52-55mm offset forks to compare to also - eg an o-o fatty has those numbers.
Peanut, Let's meet up. Would deffo love to see what the Jones is like.
my email is justin at solidwool . com
Then regarding Clink and the Puffin rider it would also be good to get together as those two bikes are kind of where my next bike thoughts are leading. Or an O-O Fatty...
Peanut, Let's meet up. Would deffo love to see what the Jones is like.
my email is justin at solidwool . comThen regarding Clink and the Puffin rider it would also be good to get together as those two bikes are kind of where my next bike thoughts are leading. Or an O-O Fatty...
I'm up for that - probably have to be a Sunday though. Would be good to see you peanut!
I found the stooge a completely different beast to O-O Fatty I had.
I have ridden the Stooge a fair bit now and I've found the riding position very comfortable. Mixture of a high front, long TT and short stem have made the position perfect. I had the O-O set up similarly but for some reason it never felt right. Possibly lower front end?
Climbing on the stooge is easily better than the fatty, I realise there was a weight penalty. The 'superior'grip, that many claim, of the fatty never shone through for me.
I fount the fatty average all round and not very inspiring however the Stooge is a superb bike all round (mix of trail centre, XC and a little road/commuting so far). It's the sort of bike that makes you smile. It's being used more than the Explosif and it's not even muddy yet!
I'm a serial bike swapper because I rarely get on with bikes but when I find a good one it stays with me for a long time. I think I found one of my perfect N+1s!
Ride 1 completed. Wheels and drive chain borrowed from the Jones for convenience.
My initial impression was that the Stooge delivered the same playful/chuckable feel that I had from my previous Paradox and Yelli but with a classic steel smoothness. With a Thomson layback post, a 70mm stem, 2" of spacers and a low riser bar the fit was fine. I'm guessing the ETT with this setup is around my usual 24.5. If you're 6' 4" and are happy with a shorter, more upright ride you should be OK.
The Stooge with Knard up front rides really well. I like the Knard on my Jones but it raises the front and BB just enough to compromise the handling making it harder to keep the front weighted. It seemed perfect on the Stooge.
I think why it climbs well is the stiffness of the bottom bracket. It feels like the is no flex at all. The front fork is stiff too, tracking well through the high speed bumps. This stiffness comes at a cost. In comparison to a Ti Jones I could really feel the weight difference. But then I feel that whenever I switch to another bike (except for the Yelli). Over some surfaces I did feel more vibration through the pedals too. On the plus side the extra weight gives the bike a more planted feeling, something I expect steel Jones's have too.
For ride two I'll definately change the bar. I liked the 745 riser but it was too stiff. I'll try my Renthal next time.
Interesting, I haven't fitted a 3" front to my Jones partly for that reason. But the Jones has a lower BB than pretty much any 29er to start with, lower than the stooge so I guess it's the shorter wheelbase and reach that makes it more sensitive to the front end lift?The Stooge with Knard up front rides really well. I like the Knard on my Jones but it raises the front and BB just enough to compromise the handling making it harder to keep the front weighted.
MartinH - just wondering what stem/bar combo you have on your Jones.
The Jones was never designed to have a 29+ wheel. But you'd think that the increase in diameter would slacken off the head angle and as you say raise the BB a bit too, it also has a high front end to start with. The new Jones plus has a longer wheelbase doesn't it?
worth noting also that with the knard up front, the head angle of the Stooge is about 67 degrees. With a regular front tyre it's 69 degrees. It's a bit like sites quoting non-sagged geometry but the other way round 🙂
Knard vs an average 2.3 is only a degree max, less than that between an Ardent 2.4 and a Knard. It's more the overall effect on trail the bigger f tyre has (ie greater than just the HA change) that I felt wouldn't be to my taste where the Jones is concerned.
I think its a combination of the huge Jones head tube and relatively narrow Jones bars vs the shorter head tube (even with spacers) and wide bars on the Stooge. I did remove the one spacer I had under the Jones stem when I installed the Knard but there's no more adjustment unless I get a -ve rise stem. The 24" Jones has a even longer head tube than the 23".
The Renthal carbon bar on the Stooge is much more comfortable than the Alu it replaced.
I'll try my Light Bicycle 35mm wheel + Ardent upfront next ride.
The Stooge with Knard up front rides really well. I like the Knard on my Jones but it raises the front and BB just enough to compromise the handling making it harder to keep the front weighted.
Interesting. When I first had my Jones I tried to replicate my normal riding "style!" of weighting the front wheel; then I swapped the Unicrown (which is for sale btw 😀 ) for a Truss which calls for a much higher front end which with the Knard on means weight is further back. I think it's infinitely better as a result.
When I spoke to Jeff about it he agreed, he said he designed the frame/bar/fork so that you were much more centred, with your weight through the pedals, not the bars.
It's only when cornering I look to weight the outside edge. When it's dry and loose failure to do so leads to disaster.
[url= http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/stooge-cycles-back-to-mountain-bike-basics/016855 ]Stooge Cycles: Back to mountain bike basics[/url]
Great write-up featuring interview with Mr Stooge
I am currently running Ardents at about 20psi tubeless on my Stooge but as soon as they wear out I'll be shifting to a pair of 2.35 Hans damphs. Knards just wouldn't work on my trails around Dunkeld and pitlochy. Very natural and sometimes very steep loam and the damphs just work in these conditions. I'm totally addicted to my stooge by the way and I'm an old school down Hiller. #justgetone
I am currently running Ardents at about 20psi tubeless on my Stooge but as soon as they wear out I'll be shifting to a pair of 2.35 Hans damphs. Knards just wouldn't work on my trails around Dunkeld and pitlochy. Very natural and sometimes very steep loam (and usually wet)and the damphs just work in these conditions. I'm totally addicted to my stooge by the way and I'm an old school down Hiller and still love my full bounce but the stooge is addictive and so much fun. #justgetone
Stooge Cycles: Back to mountain bike basicsGreat write-up featuring interview with Mr Stooge
New models planned...any info?
very early days yet, but i'm working on a fork and bars at the moment, very interested in producing a Ti version, and then there's the whole idea of 650+. All i need to do now is sell more frames to fund all the above shenanigans 🙂
ti version mmmmmmmm...... 😀
Or get funding??
I would put my name down for a Ti version!
How about a kickstarter project? You've proven yourself with the current Stooge.
About to settle in for a 'working at home day' while waiting for my Stooge to be delivered.
^ ooh congrats
You're in for some fun 🙂
Do post pics
If all goes to plan, I'll be test riding one this weekend 🙂
Sorry if I have missed a reply but just a bump for the Stooge owners to ask if any of you have ridden or owned a Solaris and how would they compare?
My Solaris is my first 29er and I really like it but there is just something about the Stooge that looks like its a lot of fun to me !
unfortunately I'm in the wrong part of the country to make a test ride easily accessible.
Cheers for any reply's 😀
very early days yet, but i'm working on a fork and bars at the moment
Decent width (like 740mm) very swept (like Jones) that don't cost a millionty pounds please!
Decent width (like 740mm) very swept (like Jones) that don't cost a millionty pounds please!
you got it.
be a little while, but not so long.
re Ti frame, working on the drawings now.
Will the bars be a 45deg sweep? Hope so!!!
you got it.
Tremendous!
Finally some proper wide bars with big sweep??? Cool.
Will the new frames be 29+ front and back?
Will the new frames be 29+ front and back?
i'm toying with it, but in a way i prefer shorter stays and lighter rear wheels/tyres. I'm thinking more 29+ front, 650+ rear to keep it handling the way it does now. I worked hard to make the Stooge handle like it does and feel that something could well be lost, but then again, that's what the steel Stooge is for, why not add something into the mix.
The Stooge was motivated by not being able to find the frame i wanted to ride on the market (at a good price, at least). It's the same with the bars, i've found my own hole and need to fill it. Everything is either wrong width/sweep/rise or a combination of the three, there are some great bars but i just want something a little more 'right' for the Stooge.
That's a very Jones-like approach. Love it.
Some interesting reports coming through re 650+, particularly that it seems to be noticeably smaller in diameter than something like a 2.4 ardent on a dually. If that is the case then would a bike designed with 650+ rear and 29+ front be really weird given the front end will be so much higher than the rear?
Another person interested in your bars.
Care to share more thoughts re the fork you mentioned? Wider to take fat or stiffer like a truss?
would a bike designed with 650+ rear and 29+ front be really weird given the front end will be so much higher than the rear?
Surely that depends on the frame geometry?
I love the sound of the bars. Please can they be shiny silver? 😀
My Stooge continues to amaze me. Riding rigid always meant a certain amount of compromise for me before in terms of downhill speed and caution on technical stuff. The Stooge, especially with a 29+ front, is as capable and confidence-inspiring as many bikes with front (and rear) suspension. I'm hitting jumps and gnarly stuff that I'd have thought twice about on previous rigid bikes.
Surely that depends on the frame geometry?
Yes, ignore me. I was thinking of the clearance to the crown on my Jones and thinking the fork couldn't be any shorter so it would have to be a mini headtube to stop it being like a chopper but the stooge is different re fork length.
The tread on the Trailblazer is quite narrow 60mm, with the casing at 70 mm, heavy 948g - can't say I really like the look of it. Does look big though!
thread here orums.mtbr.com/29er-components/what-29-27-5-a-909580-6.html#post11149810
No ride reports yet!
Frame has arrived and really is very lovely. Hopefully get it built tonight.
This is my first frame with an eccentric bb. What torque for pinch bolts?